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Cap or sidewall

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JaseOfSpades15
Posts: 230 - Karma: 9

which is better. ive heard sidewall is better

Sep 2 2009 9:45PM
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b-kul
Posts: 4350 - Karma: 1,111
i have scratchs so for me... BOTH! but sidewall skis are usually prefered because they are more tortionally stiff. but if you are just starting out and not throwing down huge capped is fine.
Sep 2 2009 10:05PM
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iFail
Posts: 2066 - Karma: 65
Sidewall seems(IMO) to give a better edge to edge feel, and more edge control(because you are pressuring the edge of the topsheet when you are on edge, which is over the edge, where on cap the edge juts out).  Cap skis have to have a perfect core taper to carve well(like apparently JO Pros do?).  Cap skis are lighter than the same shape ski in sidewall...except for the mastermind/chronic somehow(I don't like Line park skis anyways).  Armada was smart with the JJ/ARG/Alpha, which are sidewall underfoot and cap past the toe and heel binding.
Sep 3 2009 12:13AM
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freestyle_kyle
Posts: 2620 - Karma: 164

yeah as well cap construction is generally more durable (when you hit your edge against the other;s topsheet). But if you hit a big rock and blow your edge and everything, you can't really fix it, it's a lot easier to repair a ski with sidewall construction.

Sep 3 2009 2:16AM
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ectreeskier11
Posts: 697 - Karma: 366
sidewall for sure. there's a reason race skis and most other high performance skis use it. better feel, easier to repair etc. besides salomon and that armada elf shoe tech, i can't think of any other manufacturers that use it on their top level skis.
Sep 3 2009 2:23AM
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nickyp
Posts: 5673 - Karma: 215
Bump for a good question.


I prefer cap over sidewall personally. The topsheets of cap skis tend to take abuse better (I've had some bad experience with sidewalls and build quality), and as a personal preference, cap skis have more pop, and are less torsionally stiff.
Oct 25 2009 7:50PM
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SkiYaker2
Posts: 250 - Karma: 105
ur name is ifail which seems to fit pretty well. cause the chronic series is definately sidewall condtruction along with all of lines skis except the mastermind. and i was thought sidewall was better but it seems from this post that people r pretty split. JW what are some higher level cap skis
Oct 27 2010 7:12PM
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treymillionaire
Posts: 69 - Karma: 10

Sidewall topsheets will take a beating if you're crushing the park, but it's a better way to build a ski. better edge grip underfoot, increased torsional rigidity, more durability from impact. all good stuff

sidewall skis are heavier than cap construction skis, because of the dense material used to make the sidewalls.

cap consruction skis, lighter, less grippy, less stiff torsionally, BUT top sheets should hold up better in most cases.

some skis have both sidewall and cap, ar7, thall, atomic access etc

Oct 27 2010 7:26PM
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treymillionaire
Posts: 69 - Karma: 10
they each have their pros and cons
Oct 27 2010 7:27PM
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arandomname
Posts: 1989 - Karma: 18
I wouldn't agree with the fact that cap skis have more pop.  To be honest, I would think that sidewall skis would have more pop, I'm definitely going to research this more to find out though (if you know why one or the other would have more pop for a reason let me know, I'm interested).  And it really depends on what you want with the torsionally stiffness part, some people like it being torsionally stiff, others not so much.  I personally like the torsionally stiff part.  Also, cap may provide better topsheet resistance, but sidewall skis will provide better durability with basically everthing else.
Oct 27 2010 7:36PM
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treymillionaire
Posts: 69 - Karma: 10
if you had two identical skis as far as cores go.. the ski with sidewall would have more pop than the one with cap
Oct 27 2010 7:38PM
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SkiYaker2
Posts: 250 - Karma: 105
yea what you guys r saying sounds more true. i got chronic crips and my friend is a begginer so i recomended him some masterminds and he got them. he couldnt break the bank so i thought it would be great. i started looking up the differences between cap and sidewall (chronics r sidewall along with lines other top models and masterminds r cap)and was suprised cause i was seeing a split in opinion. i thought it would be totally sidewall because almost all higher end skis are sidewall. i guess the lighter weight thing is cool but from what i have been seeing sidewall is better in pretty much every other way
Oct 27 2010 9:19PM
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RedCloud
Posts: 125 - Karma: 21
I have found sidewall skis to hold up better. With that being said, I think sidewall skis vary more in build quality. I have seen some junk sidewall skis that delam at the blink of an eye, but I'm not sure I have ever seen a terrible cap ski. I think of sidewall skis as having better performance, but I have always been impressed how well the Line Prophet series skis (cap, except for the new 115).

Thus I don't think you can generically say one build is better then the other. It depends on a lot of factors such as actual materials used, build quality, design, and your specific use.
Oct 27 2010 9:34PM
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treymillionaire
Posts: 69 - Karma: 10
Good blog posted up about this... http://www.theskimonster.com
Oct 28 2010 12:16PM
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SkiYaker2
Posts: 250 - Karma: 105
i was doing some research and this is what i found

sidewall
what they do better then cap- better overall durability, better accelleration out of turns, more pop, stable at speeds

cap
what they do better then sidewall- better cosmetic durability, lighter

so overall sidewall is better then cap. but hybrids are prolly better then both. it is all presonal though.
Oct 28 2010 2:39PM
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arandomname
Posts: 1989 - Karma: 18
Just because something is supposed to be the best of both worlds doesn't mean it's necessarily better.  It is all personal preference like you said, and what you need.
Oct 28 2010 2:42PM
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RedCloud
Posts: 125 - Karma: 21
I know a lot of people say cap skis have better topsheet/cosmetic durability. I personally don't get this. All my cap skis look like a dog chewed on them under foot, especially under my heel, right where the top sheet starts to curve to the sidewall. My sidewall skis never really look like that. Maybe I just ski with my skis super close together and maybe It is because I tend to ski a lot of bumps when I'm tied of park and there is no powder...
Oct 28 2010 2:59PM
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