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Different opinions on pow riding

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Blurst
Posts: 13577 - Karma: 10,169
Recently I have noticed that different generations of skiers have different opinions on pow riding. Speaking to some older shredders, (40+) I have noticed that they seem to like to be in the pow when skiing it. That is compared to the fat ski generation who seems to want as much float as possible. I have never really skied in deep pow so my opionion is useless but NS do you prefer to be floating on top of the pow or be in it?
Apr 22 2011 3:54PM
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a_pla5tic_bag
Posts: 9215 - Karma: 5,398
I wish I could make a better informed decision about this, but I've only hit real powder a few times. I'd say floating though.
Apr 22 2011 3:56PM
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Elmo.
Posts: 4317 - Karma: 663
i like to be in the middle. not really down deep but not floating. a good mix of the 2 is perfect for me
Apr 22 2011 3:56PM
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BenWhit
Posts: 4654 - Karma: 3,256
i've never skied powder, but i would love to be fucking titty deep in some. what's the point of pow if you;re not drowning in it?
Apr 22 2011 3:57PM
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GGreene
Posts: 993 - Karma: 42
this is an interesting topic.

i love to be floating. i say this because it is easier to maneuver and when you turn you still get epic face shots. it isnt like you are floating toooooo much it is just perfect. it is all what you are used to. if you are skiing powder there shouldnt be any debate at all, it is awesome no matter what.

for all of you that have never really skied powder i am deeply sorry. you should put that on your bucket list right now. if you are familiar with speed boats i would say that skiing powder on skinny skis vs fat skis is somewhat like having a very light speed boat with not a lot of balast vs a boat that has a heavier balast (ie one that makes a bigger wake) they are about the same but the lighter one floats and is a lot more playful.
Apr 22 2011 4:08PM
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N.L.
Posts: 2420 - Karma: 2,744

i ride T halls, they are fat enough and flexi enough for any pow situation, no sinking no bouncing plenty of face shots . fat skis are good for open bowls, but you  cant shred tight trees where the good pow is.

Apr 22 2011 4:09PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
As long as I can carry speed and not get stuck, then the deeper I am the better
Apr 22 2011 4:12PM
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wasatch_rat
Posts: 1772 - Karma: 2,951
because floating in powder is the best feeling ever.
Apr 22 2011 4:17PM
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BenWhit
Posts: 4654 - Karma: 3,256
i would love to do both.
Apr 22 2011 4:25PM
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ONTerriible
Posts: 1210 - Karma: 126
wait what? i do fine on my EP Pros in tight trees
Apr 22 2011 4:36PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37386 - Karma: 120,057
Personally, I like to be in it getting covered with pow. Thats how it was back in the day. They didn't have skis with an underfoot over 90.
Apr 22 2011 4:38PM
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SPskier543
Posts: 2413 - Karma: 324
i like being able to skink into pow when turning then floating back up out of the turn. A solid turn in pow is the best feeling
Apr 22 2011 4:40PM
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skiskate
Posts: 787 - Karma: 823
I dont know dude, I demoed a pair of fatypus skis this season and they were fucking huge, yet still so damn nimble. I could still rip up the trees on them.

I love floating, Obviously I want a little bit of sink so I still have pow flowing over me and spraying on me but its so much easier to link lines and stomp stuff with a pair of floatier skis.
Apr 22 2011 4:42PM
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terrible_skier
Posts: 2066 - Karma: 226
yesss POW IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD!
Apr 22 2011 4:43PM
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ButteredToast.
Posts: 6459 - Karma: 2,570
I ski a 95mm waist ski, and over spring break in PC I wasn't floating as much as I would have liked.

I feel like it would be super sick to just be gliding along the top of the snow and kinda surfing it... aghhh
Apr 22 2011 4:44PM
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PeteySkeety
Posts: 996 - Karma: 209
Floating for sure, because I can get awesome faceshots also!
Apr 22 2011 4:46PM
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Mr_pretzel
Posts: 4616 - Karma: 1,289
this.
Apr 22 2011 4:49PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
there is soo much wrong with THIS.


I like floating on heavy snow, and i like wist deep with light snow.
Apr 22 2011 4:51PM
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brizz
Posts: 1051 - Karma: 74

saying fat skis can't shred trees is false.

Apr 22 2011 4:53PM
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snomaster
Posts: 3344 - Karma: 5,748
It's all about that bottomless feeling while being able to maneuver however you please. pow skis today can get you that feeling in 5" and also allow you to maintain control going super fast in really deep snow. your skis are more stable being able to surf your tips more. they make the ride so much more bouncy and playful. if you want to get deeper, just turn more.

and to the kid talking about riding pow on tHalls, LOL. wait til you get on real pow skis, like the ones tanner prefers.
Apr 22 2011 4:55PM
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TijmenDal
Posts: 4849 - Karma: 1,295
It depends solely on the style of skiing. It really has nothing to do with the ski's.

If you go fast, sure you don't drown in pow. If you're bouncing around in trees, it really doesn't matter if you have a 90 or 130 ski. When you bounce up and down, it really doesn't matter. You get the face shots anyway.

And to the question float vs deep... Pretty much the above. When I'm skiing through the pow faaaast, of course I want to float. Big fucking turns. When I'm in the trees, I want to be in it a deep as I can be.
I hate it when people have like the sickest open face, and then start making turns down 'em as quickly as they can: save that for the tight spaces!
Apr 22 2011 5:00PM
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AndyJoCo
Posts: 36 - Karma: 9
Personally, I think it is the best part about skiing.
Apr 22 2011 5:05PM
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snomaster
Posts: 3344 - Karma: 5,748
I wouldn't say this.
You can't go as fast on skinnier skis in the deep without tip diving. and you can't initiate a fast smooth turn in deep pow so easy without rocker/reverse sidecut shape.
But, you can maneuver fat rocker/reverse sidecut shape in tight spaces if you slow down a touch.
certain ski shapes allow technique to flourish.
skinny skis allow one type to flourish: the kind you don't admire.
Apr 22 2011 5:08PM
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Dntel.
Posts: 1026 - Karma: 21
I often think about this.

I think the perfect balance in my opinion is have a ski without toooo big of a waist, but a big shovel and a healthy amount of rocker. This allows the ski to plane and keep the tip from diving, while keeping you balls deep. Think Moment Bibby, S7, those kinds of skis.
Apr 22 2011 5:08PM
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family_vacation
Posts: 6200 - Karma: 7,840
I'm a huge fan of fat. The feeling of smearing a turn with 140 underfoot simply cannot be beat. Period.
Apr 22 2011 5:10PM
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huck_to_flat
Posts: 167 - Karma: 15
No comparison for anyone who rides pow skis, floating is the way to go, thts y so many fat, rockered skis r made
Apr 22 2011 5:46PM
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Style+eeze
Posts: 6901 - Karma: 551
Boom.
Apr 22 2011 5:52PM
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Parrish
Posts: 8695 - Karma: 1,008
I ride my fatties erryday. 111 underfoot ftw.
Apr 22 2011 5:56PM
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ReetsAdeets
Posts: 1531 - Karma: 611
Something 115ish at the waist is perfect for me. I absolutely love my S7s when I want to turn, it feels like....i dont know, but amazing. I also adore my Wrenegades when it is a bit steeper and I can get some speed going because they make me feel like I'm flying without even leaving the ground. As far as the in it or on top, I like to be in it more when I'm in tighter spaces and on top in more open spaces. (tighter=more turns, open=faster)
Apr 22 2011 5:57PM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,010
man, i wish I could multi quote... but if I could I'd be quoting half the posts here. It's funny when NS talks about stuff they don't know about.

So first off - the whole "older people don't like fat skis" thing... where are you getting your information from? I have first hand knowledge of many people in their 40's who are skiing on fat (100+ underfoot) skis, some even have some variation of rocker. Anyone who likes their pow and skis it regularly knows the benefit of a fat ski.

second - the person who mentioned how back in the day they didn't have anything wider than 90 underfoot - try more like 70. (this is nitpicking, i know)

and to the person who said that fat skis can't ski tight trees... well you might be the most uninformed of the group. I ski on 190 stiff skis that are 118 underfoot and I wouldn't want to be on anything else, anywhere on the mountain. They handle plenty fine in tight situations.


I've had conversations with some of the "older" dudes around my parts and the they are very adaptive when it comes to change. Back in the skinny straight skis era, they skied the terrain differently, hit completely different zones, and had a different comprehension as to what is possible while skiing. Now? there are areas that they NEVER hit that are now go to areas where the most fun can be had. Are they sitting there scratching their heads wondering what is going? NO! They're on fat skis shredding it up next to us young whipper snappers.


I'd say where the different opinions of pow riding comes in is how they choose to ski the terrain, not what they are skiing it on. They can't take the hits of the big drops anymore, so they're not searching out the big cliffs or straight lining chutes with the risk of a rag doll down the face, but one thing I do know is that everyone loves pillow lines.
Apr 22 2011 8:23PM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844


You would need a once in a century combination of precip and cold temps to get 130+ waist pow skis to trench like this in that sorta snow.

Are skinny skis fun as shit in deep? Sure. They're a ton of work too. Would I prefer them to something like a Wren or Caylor on a 6"+ day? Maybe for a run. As stated, its all about the style of skiing, and the tradeoffs for absolute whiteroom on skinny skis is lack of control and bottoming out onto whatever layers are below the light stuff... I'd rather float on top of 6" than sink down and be busting through 6" of dust on crust with narrow skis.
Apr 22 2011 8:30PM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaK1QC9ebhE

Link that should have embedded, what the hell. NS needs to fix this embed issue.
Apr 22 2011 8:31PM
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Z-Juice
Posts: 3151 - Karma: 1,504
I like floating more because I keep my speed up and it's easier to turn
Apr 22 2011 8:38PM
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DGski
Posts: 3491 - Karma: 2,328
i'd rather be floating , although i don't ski much powder
Apr 22 2011 8:58PM
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FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,888
well if the snow is deep... you get both.
Apr 22 2011 9:05PM
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Silence
Posts: 16030 - Karma: 150
Totally nothing better

Equally though, nothing worse than being stuck in pow when its flat
Apr 22 2011 9:10PM
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Banane.
Posts: 3102 - Karma: 414
This,Be stuck in powder is a fcking pain in the ass.
Apr 22 2011 9:12PM
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blackjakesteele
Posts: 311 - Karma: 9
No poles, open jacket, backseat
Apr 22 2011 9:27PM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,010
don't forget all those layers of exposed cotton!
Apr 22 2011 9:29PM
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thisisastickup
Posts: 597 - Karma: -24
are you retarded?
Apr 22 2011 9:30PM
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blackjakesteele
Posts: 311 - Karma: 9
and way too thug for goggles or a helmet
Apr 22 2011 9:34PM
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minihef
Posts: 813 - Karma: 781

I don't see how you can make this statement if you have ever actually skiied fat skis in pow, it couldn't be more wrong IMO. One of the biggest (and most fun) benefits of modern fat skis is how nimble and quick to turn they are in the tightest of spots.

Apr 22 2011 9:38PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404


learn2newschooleryounewb
Apr 22 2011 9:49PM
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Ducky.
Posts: 5811 - Karma: 1,420
Wrong.
Apr 22 2011 9:50PM
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Brock.
Posts: 5698 - Karma: 1,332
Deep pow runs are at the pinnacle of skiing. Its the best thing you can experience on skis hands down, anybody who says it sucks or its boring has never done it.
Apr 22 2011 10:39PM
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Reed.
Posts: 4489 - Karma: 272
Nothing beats this feeling...nothing.

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Apr 22 2011 10:44PM
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Reed.
Posts: 4489 - Karma: 272
and I suck...

Courtesy of Newschoolers.com


But anyways, big skis are by far the best for pow riding.
Apr 22 2011 10:49PM
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tuna.
Posts: 2627 - Karma: 111
i'd say knee deep is perfect, depending on the snow conditions.

like many have said, you dont want it to be so deep that it slows you down. for me, i'd still like to be able to ski switch/stomp cliffs and tricks without getting eaten up by the snow. landing in 5 feet of snow from a rodeo 5 would be overwhelming, though, not that i'd complain.
Apr 22 2011 11:14PM
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AndyJoCo
Posts: 36 - Karma: 9
i rode 2012's this past season and loved them. honestly probably the best one ski quiver a person could have if they only want to have one pair. they were fat enough for float in the deeps and the rocker keeps the swing weight super low and the tips/tails are thus in return smaller=lighter. they also keep you landing on your feet in the park. i even took them off a pretty big jump at really high speeds and they worked but were not the most comforting ski to be on while hitting a jump at speeds approaching sickasty miles per hour
Apr 23 2011 2:47AM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,455
all i have to add to this thread is +vibes to those of you who've never skied "real powder".
Apr 23 2011 3:00AM
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AndyJoCo
Posts: 36 - Karma: 9
one day last year we got 10 inches and school closed. i hiked for 6 hours on our one hill... first run at 8am or so and then my friends called so i went and picked them up and back to the sledding hill... my campus is basically flat except for the parking lot D9 (place where d9 crimez take place) and the "valley." word is we got like 16 inches but whatever it was the only dump we had so we hiked it all day
Apr 23 2011 3:10AM
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