Fat Skis S*ck!

[jumpturn]

There were lots of dip sh*t's out with over 120 mm underfoot at Cannon today. It seems like they come out of the woodwork, when NWS gives them a few days advance notice. (Stowe really is better and Wildcat gets more snow)

The reason they s*ck is that they savage the pow in the tight woods much worse than snowboards. Think about 2 x 130 with 2x160 in the shovels. They dig trenches, and when the guy side slips, they take it down to the turf. :mad:

I guess I shouldn't complain because, after all, Cannon is just intermediate skiing, :p but these tools are overkill when 95-105 under foot will do and leave some snow for the next guy. :rolleyes:

I spent some time skiing around the trenches on TB and GS -- and I was the second or third skier down these! :eek:

Even skinning runs on the front 4 in the morning, there were a couple 130s under foot out digging trenches. :confused:

Man, these are runnel machines! :skiplow:

These skis are probably good for AK, but even in Cham where there is plenty of space, people ski 100-110 because those big water skis don't do steep or ice. :skierpetrified:

[brakeformoose]

I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately I had to miss this day at Cannon but I always laugh when I see these fools on such stoooopidly wide boards.

[RR]

:eek: 120mm :confused:

yipes, my 'bows are only 82mm underfoot...just goes to proove I'm not much of a skier :cry:

...shoulda gone just a mite West ;)

[gpetrics]

110 is more than enough...

[tig]

How come I didnt see any of these folks? Most people today had wide skis, but seemed to be 110 or less...130 at center is almost a monoski..

[bucksaw]

Dude, you don't know? You can't risk being out there without dah propha float, Maaaannhhhn, Da POW it's sooo deep you might drown.

[T0DD]

Hey Jump turn,
I understand your point, but it sounds as if nothing good came out of your day today.

All I know is while you were picking on how wide the tracks were in the pow, I was stuck in a wood shop dreaming of the pow.

I'm sure you still had fun. Right?

[snowmonster]

Yeah, they do suck -- unless they're underneath you in the deep stuff.

Agree though that 120 is overkill for these parts. If you get 3 days a year out of them here, that's good.

[jumpturn]

Nothing to see at Cannon. Move along now. :rolleyes:

I've been skiing untracked for days so I'm glad the water skis are stuck at the resort, where they can't get into too much trouble. ;)

Just another resort pow day at cannon. Kinda of heavy but there was enough of it to fire mogul lines, which were getting ignored. Some wind affect. People seemed pretty happy. Sounds better than Stowe where lift lines were evidently up to an hour. Pretty much of a shark frenzy.... better when the snow comes unannounced.

[drewvw]

My new boards (to be mounted this week) are 94s with a nice sidecut, as I thought that was adequate for exactly the same rationale.

I have one buddy who is convinced you are doing yourself a disservice if you aren't at 105+...

Last time I checked, people have been having a blast in pow for years (decades) on skinnier skis, I know I have. :rolleyes:

[gpetrics]

I have one buddy who is convinced you are doing yourself a disservice if you aren't at 105+...


woah really? sounds like compensation...

no matter what the conditions are you can have a really really good time on 95 waisted skis.

[gpetrics]

Sounds better than Stowe where lift lines were up to an hour.

about as bad as i've ever seen it
http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo3/gaborsansodon/IMG_0047aweb.jpg

that's why you only take one run at stowe on days like today. go way way out, and make it count.

[T0DD]

And what is Stowe's tickets up to? $75 a day? That's alot of money to stand in a line like that.

[mtnbiker]

I think Stowe is in the 80+ dollar price range. If you took all the people that were at Cannon today I don't think the line would have been that long.

As for the fat skis, I was on a 110 waist today and it was quite good, all I needed.
Maybe the problem isn't the fat skis but the people on them, allows the not so strong to ski lines they normally would not ski on a day like today.
Ran into 3 Cannon locals today on some super fats and they did not seem to be leaving trenches and they were definitely not side slipping.

[jumpturn]

Yeah, they do suck -- unless they're underneath you in the deep stuff.
yup, probably true!

So, which monster ski should I buy? K2 Pontoons (160-130-120), voekl kuro (164-132-139), BD megawatts (153-125-130), PMGear Lhasa POW (140-112-122), dps lotus (140-138-139), Atomic Big Daddy (145-125–129), Soloman Rocker (147-127-137), Line Prophet 130 (155-130-148)? :rolleyes:

[samthaman]

don't knock it until you try it, ya know. you can carry a lot more speed and maintain a lot more control on a fatter ski, less likely to hook some unseen snowsnake as well.

if you have $400 stowe student pass with no blackouts, and ski 70+ days a year there, then its pretty cheap to wait in a line like that. I put my skins on while waiting in line and headed straight out, noone else where it was good and i save myself a good chunk of skinning.

[Sledhaulingmedic]

I believe my widest pair are my 'birds, which are 99 at the waist (IIRC). Given the size of my waist, they look anorexic

[mattlucas]

everytime i've moved up in width i've been really surprised about how well they float AND how they carve on ice. my old skis just seem for april fools and halloween.

[drewvw]

Sam and greg, I know you guys are into the Bluehouse skis.

How do those 139mm Maven's ski...that's crazy fat.

[PWDR8S]

Skis on steroids. When will it stop?
Can't say much other than I like skinny skis... You see I don't want to ride on top of the powder... I want float THROUGH the powdah and feel it on my knees and thighs and hopefully on my face at times.

Just overkill for the yeast coast.

[RR]

Skis on steroids. When will it stop?
Can't say much other than I like skinny skis... You see I don't want to ride on top of the powder... I want float THROUGH the powdah and feel it on my knees and thighs and hopefully on my face at times.

Just overkill for the yeast coast.Man. that's just strange. With as much deep pwder as you have been submarining in on fool's errands such pontoons would have been most appropos right here in New England. Still, I manage to float well on my somewhat trim skis and will likely not go fatter than Nomads...although I might like the longer ones for Wide Open Spaces.

This debate is crazy making in my house. The Philosopher skis skinny but rather long skis and excells in any depth of powder. I think it just comes down to square cm/in and tip/tail flex characteristics.

[ILOVE2SKI]

Wouldn't skinnier skis but deeper into the snow and thus make a bigger trench with fat skis could just float over the top?

But I guess if we are talking about inexperienced skiers who side slip everything it really doesn't make much of a difference wither way.

I have skis that are 105 underfoot and on a powder day, they are key, you won't move through flat sections of trails with skiiny skis and they (fat skis) sure do help when breaking trail to get out to places.

[Jay$]

88mm underfoot with my Havocs seems plenty for me

[snowmonster]

yup, probably true!

So, which monster ski should I buy? K2 Pontoons (160-130-120), voekl kuro (164-132-139), BD megawatts (153-125-130), PMGear Lhasa POW (140-112-122), dps lotus (140-138-139), Atomic Big Daddy (145-125–129), Soloman Rocker (147-127-137)? :rolleyes:

May I suggest a 188 Rossignol S7 - 145/115/123.

[BasinBum]

And what is Stowe's tickets up to? $75 a day? That's alot of money to stand in a line like that.

Today at Cannon the tickets were 2 for $64 or 1 for $39, cannot beat that considering the conditions.

[Justin]

I like fat skis. they're fun and they rip in the crud. Those who say they can't hold an edge on ice, havn't tried...

[samthaman]

Sam and greg, I know you guys are into the Bluehouse skis.

How do those 139mm Maven's ski...that's crazy fat.

i actually havent been on them, my current go to is this years 187 district. they had problems from the factory where they would stay bent when you flexed them and slowly return to form (or bend quickly back to form if flexed the other way). so in this deep heavy snow they turn into a rockered normal sidecut 103 waist ski. they've been a lot of fun.

[snowmonster]

I like fat skis. they're fun and they rip in the crud. Those who say they can't hold an edge on ice, havn't tried...

+1

I've been skiing 94 and 100 underfoot almost every day this season. If you keep your edges sharp, they'll hold pretty well on hardpack/ice.

[dragonstail]

don't knock it until you try it, ya know. you can carry a lot more speed and maintain a lot more control on a fatter ski, less likely to hook some unseen snowsnake as well.

if you have $400 stowe student pass with no blackouts, and ski 70+ days a year there, then its pretty cheap to wait in a line like that. I put my skins on while waiting in line and headed straight out, noone else where it was good and i save myself a good chunk of skinning.

yea if you are warping it is good to be on a bigger ski.

I was never much of a fan for skiing fat skis on this side of the US. My scott missions are like 93 mm underfoot and that is fine for me pretty agile for the tight tree lines. And still enough underfoot to stomp anything i want to jump off.

I skiid on shamans when i was out was out at Abasin. Loveland Crested butte last spring and they got the job done..

Thinking of what i should grab before i head out to ski Mammoth, sherwins and Minarets, Think i might grab a shorter pair of skiis because my im gonna get some lessons from my uncles on his fine art while im out there :D

I was at mad river last thursday and it wasnt that busy but i guess some people pay attention to where i go to ski my stashes and i would go back a few runs later to see what was left and there was one spot that was pushed off for about 10 yards of just blue ice. Talk about jamming on the side slip

[samthaman]

I was at mad river last thursday and it wasnt that busy but i guess some people pay attention to where i go to ski my stashes and i would go back a few runs later to see what was left and there was one spot that was pushed off for about 10 yards of just blue ice. Talk about jamming on the side slip

probably tele skiers in over their heads in the steep woods. ;) I dont think fat skis have anything to do with it, its the operator not the vehicle thats causing that problem. i would guess that a lot of fat ski owners are compensating for lack of ability.

[dragonstail]

probably tele skiers in over their heads in the steep woods. ;) I dont think fat skis have anything to do with it, its the operator not the vehicle thats causing that problem. i would guess that a lot of fat ski owners are compensating for lack of ability.


yea thats what my guess was as well.. SOrry if i made it seem like i was reffering to fat skis.

I could care less about people making trenches because if you look hard enough you will always find stashes and that makes if fun for me ( the bush wacking part)
I was skiing untracked all week and weekend sad i could not ski the mother storm on monday and today

[samthaman]

saw an K2 ad for their rocker tele ski, "every turn is a sign of fear", and I thought of this thread.

[Rider.Steve]

My, my, skis are getting fat, fat as snowboards these days. :p

My powder gun is:
- 324 in the nose,
- 254 at the waist and
- 291 at the tail

Interestingly about twice as wide as the monster skis
http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/45042/2769953900095000425S600x600Q85.jpg
As much as I might enjoy disagreeing with JT, even on a good day in NE I don't often see enough snow and space for these bad boys (exceptions: Big Jay powder days, etc.). I save it for the west, where tree shots are almost as generous as east coast cruising trails.

[PWDR8S]

Your Mom rides FAT skis.

[skibumm100]

..... i would guess that a lot of fat ski owners are compensating for lack of ability.

I resemble that remark.;) I'm on 168cm Nomads this year coming off of 58 mm waisted (wasted?) 188 cm Elans TSX's last year. Obviously a huge difference. The kids were on vacation last week and we hit southern VT. Three good powder days at Bromley, Stratton and Mt. Snow. If I have one small criticism about the wide ski is that I really don't get deep enough into the snow to get that face-shot producing ride. They do take a lot of the effort out of skiing powder. You can float over a lot of obstacles.....except that snowmaking valve. Giant rip/core shot. I'm just glad I didn't hit the pipe with my face.:skierpetrified: I'd really like to try a little narrower ski in the 85-95 mm range, looking for the happy medium.

[jumpturn]

My 100 mm skis are toothpicks! :cry: But, BRO 183s like those mixed pow and water ice conditions like today!! :cool: Moguls and tight sh*t too! OK, maybe the 33m turn radius wasn't cut out for tight sh*t, but at least you have an excuse for s*cking 'cause the ski is too long to side slip the rabbit tunnel!!! ;)

[RR]

My 100 mm skis are toothpicks! :cry: But, BRO 183s like those mixed pow and water ice conditions like today!! ....Water ice is wonderfully edgeable on the corn-blossom, late mornings. Later in the day when the corn gets mushy, my Crossbows (82mm) go looking for the ice, slicing like a carving knife through the tofurkey :D

[jumpturn]

Water ice is wonderfully edgeable on the corn-blossom, late mornings. Later in the day when the corn gets mushy, my Crossbows (82mm) go looking for the ice, slicing like a carving knife through the tofurkey :D
This was the real deal at 5-10F with clouds.

Crossbows? They're peleolithic!

Time to modernize with some 130mm under foot.

Even if you can't find snow deeper than you ski width, at least you're gonna look like a ripper toting those boards around the parking lot!!! :) gotta get a one piece to really be in step!! :)

[Luddite]

"Fat" skis first gained popularity with heli operators whose clients didn't have the skills or stamina to handle the vertical they were paying for, which in turn was bumming out the more experienced skiers. If you read ski reviews these days they will say with a straight face (I assume) that an 80mm waist doesn't have enough float for powder. Whenever I read things like this I go to the basement and look at my old Blizzard ATV straight skis and reflect back on days at Snowbird and Alta with 68" in a week. Somehow we floated. Somehow my Tua Mitos float even better and my Piste Pipes do too, though I rarely use them on a powder day. Is it as effortless as it would be on water skis? Hell no. I fry my legs in just a couple hours, but it's a good frying. I look at it this way; people should ski what makes them happy. If I'm at a resort I set my expectations accordingly. Anything better is just a bonus. BC is not an issue for me because I like spots that people with huge skis just wouldn't bother with...one of the (few) benefits of old age I guess :)

[jumpturn]

When you look at tracked up slopes in Europe, you can see the old and new school in the tracks. Old school has narrow skis and does frequent jump turns all the way down. New school arcs bigger turns. Of course, once the angle goes up, it's a different ball game.

http://gallery.me.com/ianscorah/100061/IMG_1199/web.jpg

[drewvw]

I broke in my new 94s on saturday at cannon. Morning was hard as a rock, and then the sun softened it up just enough to really let the boards cut loose.

I feel like I hit a good happy medium. They are wide enough to have fun in the pow, yet still rip edge to edge just fine in most conditions.

[Toad]

Hello all

I am one of the skinners in the am on cannon that Jumpturn is talking about.
Your welcome for the skintrack.

I find this post really funny. i ski on volkl sumos whenever their is soft snow. They are just more fun.

I don't understand JT trench warfare argument. The skis float more as opposed to digging trenches.

For those of you that are making fun of fat skis, go out and try them they are way more fun.
Oh, by the way, the fat skis come with me whereever I go into the backcountry.

JT, It looked like you were having trouble monday morning. The whole left side of avalanche was untouched yet you stayed on the side with all of our tracks. Maybe you needed the trenches.

Todd

[RR]

Welcome Todd..

I thought my skis were fat and they really made everything easier...

I'm a tad under 190 lbs (@6') on a low gravity day and ski 179cm Crosbows with 82mm underfoot for 1467.8 square cm surface area (using only the length and waist).

I have my eye on some 168cm Nomads which have 105mm underfoot for 1764 square centimeters of surface area (ditto).

The difference of 296.2 square cm amounts to a couple of 3x5 cards per ski. That would be a major floatation benefit.

There is one other calculation...the budget! As in, not until my Crossbows wear out will I look to replace them. Home improvement comes first....

Besides, last I looked I was whooping it up just fine in deep powder on my uncool Crossbow AT skis....even on woodchuck lines

On the other hand, I'm still getting used to deep powder tele turns on my Tele Crossbows (same size, later model). That's a work in progress as just now deep powder turns are pulling me across the falll line too suddenly. Modulating that will take some time.

[shogunnamedjust]

there was a time when people said shaped skis suck.

[jumpturn]

I am one of the skinners in the am on cannon that Jumpturn is talking about.

Actually, I wasn't really thinking about you guys so much. It was other people on narrower woods shots that I really had in my sights. I skied fresh around the trenches on TB and was convinced they were boarders until I caught up with them on the traverse!! Then next run, same thing on another steeper woods shot (GS).

But, you guys do cut a wide swath on a broad slope! ;)

Yeah, and they pack out a mean skin track which is almost as good as an icelantic skier boot pack!!

Hit the fluffy moguls when the lifts opened .... and then schralped in the woods.

I found some skis with 136 mm under foot for next year and I'm working on a vicious snow plow! ;) Nobody will want them and I pick them up cheap.

Why fight progress? I need every crutch I can get!

How was utah?

[icelanticskier]

How was utah?

now that's funny!:sunshine:
rog

[jumpturn]

This was the 21" monday a week ago. They went; you stayed.

[icelanticskier]

This was the 21" monday a week ago. They went; you stayed.

of course! why go west if it's snowing here and not there? seems silly to me. glad i cancelled. been so good here.
rog

[Toad]

Utah was excellent.
5 days of touring with no one around. They didn't get snow for 5 days so no one went touring. The locals didn't believe us that the noth facing shots were good.
They kept saying that we were from New Hampshire and didn't know what good snow was.
I think I am a good judge of snow.
My 125 under foot played every day out there.
Bonus: We stayed at 9,000 feet and didn't drop below once all trip.

[RR]

....The locals didn't believe us that the north facing shots were good.
They kept saying that we were from New Hampshire and didn't know what good snow was....Cracks me up! Good onya for getting the goods!

I skied Mashed potatoes masquerading as snow at Alta once....that doesn't mean I figure Alta will always have spuds to ski in.

Better not show those experts :rolleyes: any of our posters white room pix :cooldog: of the current season....or from any of the recent seasons

...LOL

[jumpturn]

The locals didn't believe us that the noth facing shots were good.
They kept saying that we were from New Hampshire and didn't know what good snow was.
Bonus: We stayed at 9,000 feet and didn't drop below once all trip.
http://images.absolutepunk.net/images/smilies/Standard/lol.gif Nobody ever got fresh tracks following the crowd!

So, how about posting us up a little TR?

[icelanticskier]

They kept saying that we were from New Hampshire and didn't know what good snow was.

typical. they're probably all from jersey or ohio or vermont, (no offense,really) transplants that moved away from the goods that they couldn't even fathom is here, and if they don't have perfect snow out there, they don't ski and just :cry:. i heard it all too often when i lived out there. pathetic really, and the funny thing? most of em could talk, but certainly couldn't walk.:skiplow:
rog

[woolsocks]

i like my straight 205's just fine- i have no idea of underfoot width. as often as i get out in 12" of fresh (not very) i am damned pleased to be deep in it. as for the tracks of others- y'all know how to avoid those. as long as there's some snow and not the ice we all know and love to hate to love, i'll ski in anyone's troughs any day. or sort of around and through them- on strights in trees my turns tend to get a little bellyish- well into the snow 115 guy piled up for me. and yeah, i'm getting really tired of the price of lift line tickets. all the resorts are built and run like crappy little camps- and charge like they were disneyworld- my favorites are the ones that show out like what they are- where's bohemia east?