Sidecut

more sidecut is more quick and fun, but straighter skis are more stable at high speeds and less catchy.

also depends on the stiffness of the skis.

would a catchier ski effect park performance? also, do skis with cap construction get more edge catch?

bump

like what effect does a less symetrical ski have on the ride and feel?

also, i noticed the armada ar6s have a darn mellow sidecut and i was wondering if it effected the ride much and if it was annoying while you guys were riding it.

eh mayng

A ski with symetrical sidecut will carve like nobodys business, but when trying to straightline things at speed, they will feel catchy (want to hook up and turn), they will also be slower than a similarly sized with with a straighter sidecut.

Skis with less sidecut will be harder to carve, fat skis particularly (think smearing turns instead of laying the skis over to carve), they will also be faster than skis with a deeper sidecut, and typically more stable at speed.

Other things that effect the feel will be flex, camber, width, and riding style.

thanks for the input, but my question still remains unanswered: Does the armada ar6 have this smeary feal? (not liking)the armadas have one of the most mellow sidecuts ive seen, yet people seem to like them.

i can see the advantages and disadvantages of both but what im asking is if it would be a problem for me and this specific model?

Never ridden the AR6 so I can't say, but those are just some of the typical characteristics of the sidecut argument.

yo-k

heres everything you need to know, cause im bored and putting off schoolwork.

sidecut, along with flex control the way a ski turns. its not just how deep the sidecut is, but also the taper. taper is the relation of the tip and tail widths. most park skis have very little or no taper. you can think of it like this, the wider nose of a ski acts like the front tires of a car, and creates a steering bias. a symetrical ski rides like a car with 4 wheel steering, Super tight turns, however they tend to want to stay hooked up, and are harder to transfer from edge to edge. also, the overhanging edge drags in the snow, slowing the ski SLIGHTLY. these two factors lead to non tapered skis being slower, and being less stable at speed. ON the other end of the spectrum, Race skis have large amounts of taper, which lets the ski handle comfortably at speed, and reduces the edge drag.

Now, aside from taper, there is sidecut, which is either a false radius (almost no skis use single radius sidecuts nowadays) or the depth of the curve from the taper. skis with deeper sidecut are more lively, and willing to make snappy, tight turns. this works great when paired up with a snappy flex, and is great for good riders who are totally in control of their skis. shallower sidecut skis are more stable, and less turny. this style of ski usually has a more damp flex, and are more controlable at speed, and is usually a favorite of people who either ski at high speeds, or are just learning, as the shape is more forgiving.




now, all of this is pretty minimal for most people, and almost all park skis ride fairly similarly. unless you are looking for these characteristics, and have expierence on other skis, you wont notice too much. but hopefully you learned some stuff and will be able to use it to figure out whatever you were looking to answer

oh, and about the AR6, yes. it falls into the catagory of all mountain skis, and with a shallower sidecut and a some taper. the flex is a little more damp. i personally dont like them very much, as i like really lively active skis, but they are more comfortable at higher speeds and on jumps than as a jib ski.


oh yea, other thing, on jumps, skis with more sidecuts are more likely to hookup and cut out, but also easier to carve off the lips and get corked out. they both have thier benifits and thier downsides.