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Do the weight of skis matter?

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Zent33zy
Posts: 1546 - Karma: 389
a bit of a noobie question, but im just curious if it really matters in the park
Dec 14 2011 5:45PM
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afterbangingyou
Posts: 47 - Karma: 10
would you rather jump and spin with cinder blocks on your feet, or feathers?
Dec 14 2011 5:48PM
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-ShredTheGnar-
Posts: 2038 - Karma: 111
Personal preference, I like a bit of weight.
Dec 14 2011 5:50PM
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Blurst
Posts: 13577 - Karma: 10,169
You will fall at the same speed regardless.
Dec 14 2011 5:56PM
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Zent33zy
Posts: 1546 - Karma: 389
I got px18s on my 79 recoils, i could have gotten pivots but i would have had to pay and extra 150 so i whent with the px18s wich are a bit heavy
Dec 14 2011 6:01PM
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b.utters
Posts: 321 - Karma: 99
Depends on the weight difference.

One park ski vs another; it's probably pretty minimal

A park ski vs a pow ski where there is 500 grams + difference in weight; you will notice it.

Tbh the most important weight is that at the tips of your skis as that is the part of the ski which takes the most effort to spin. Anything underfoot shouldn't matter too much.
Dec 14 2011 6:13PM
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tds103
Posts: 679 - Karma: 74
but the weight affects force. physics class make that a natural response
Dec 14 2011 6:31PM
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mehregan15
Posts: 780 - Karma: 753
i hadn't ever noticed weight until I got moment's last year and they were ridiculously light. i think it made rails a little easier.
Dec 14 2011 6:41PM
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DIX~
Posts: 4695 - Karma: 6,502
Doesn't make much of a difference imo
Dec 14 2011 6:42PM
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Stose
Posts: 7109 - Karma: 4,123
no way light skis would help you with rails
Dec 14 2011 7:14PM
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JTL
Posts: 2275 - Karma: 338
please explain...
Dec 14 2011 7:22PM
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steezywannabeezy
Posts: 990 - Karma: 690
More weight in the center of the ski. Less on the sides. Try spinning in a desk chair with your feet extended and then tuck them in. You'll see what I mean.
Dec 14 2011 7:25PM
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richard.
Posts: 873 - Karma: 55
Its swing weight that matters.
Dec 14 2011 7:28PM
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 701
That's only if the skis are not symmetrical, you're talking about moment of inertia right?
Dec 14 2011 7:58PM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
Meh, after a couple of runs you probably won't really notice the difference between ski A and ski B, besides, heavier skis are generally more durable.
Dec 14 2011 8:05PM
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Heart
Posts: 6156 - Karma: 3,462
it's not super important but you will notice it. bindings make minimal difference because they are so close to your center of rotation, but heavier and longer skis make a difference due to centrifugal force.
Dec 14 2011 8:08PM
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Dntel.
Posts: 1026 - Karma: 21
I certainly think so, especially if you are doing shuffles, shifties, switchups, touring... Light skis rule if you ask me.
Dec 14 2011 8:11PM
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SurfaceHoar
Posts: 311 - Karma: 240
For better and for worse.
Dec 14 2011 9:04PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
Well, wouldn't you want it to feel as close as possible to just having tennis shoes on your feet, like you're foot jibbing?
Dec 14 2011 9:11PM
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HomieJon
Posts: 621 - Karma: 134
wrong type of force homie, one with the " f " is the fake force that pushes out. Spinning would have somthing to do with rotational intertia. It takes more force to move a object with a heavery mass.
Dec 15 2011 12:28AM
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alden.
Posts: 855 - Karma: 360
i'd like to think they do,
I'm on longer and pop-ier skis than last year(not noticeably lighter),
switched the bindings to marker squires about a week ago after 25 days and noticed a huge difference, wasn't really expecting it but it helped me out
con to squires though the highest din is 11 which might not be enough later on,

Dec 15 2011 1:23AM
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chicken
Posts: 6843 - Karma: 2,121
weight matters but swing weight matters more. Light skis feel better but to light might not have good flex and stiffness anymore.
Dec 15 2011 1:28AM
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mehregan15
Posts: 780 - Karma: 753
it was easier to do swaps and stuff with lighter skis, definitely. plus thats just my opinion, im not saying its for everyone.
Dec 15 2011 3:59AM
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maxwell666
Posts: 554 - Karma: 20
weight being at the center of the ski as opposed to the tips will help with spinning regardless of whether your skis are symmetrical.
Dec 15 2011 4:09AM
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rubasu
Posts: 185 - Karma: 121
DOES
Dec 15 2011 4:59AM
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 701
What do you mean about helping?

Weight being at center of ski just makes radius to COM equal in relation to both tips, ie moment of inertia. Moving a binding backwards or forwards makes no difference since the rotational energy is in an isolated system, no external dissipative forces. (I'm going to neglect rotational air resistance).
Dec 15 2011 8:12PM
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jdilla
Posts: 706 - Karma: 41
Rotational weight (i.e. swing weight) actually makes a pretty huge difference when it comes down to the weight of your skis. A few ounces of weight difference between two park skis can drastically affect the feel of rotational weight, making the skis seem heavier or lighter when you're spinning. You could also argue that more weight makes you spin faster (more weight, more inertia, more centrifugal force, more spinning).

Although they don't compare that well, think about bike wheels. The best way to make a bike feel lighter is to use lightweight parts on your wheels - rotational weight makes the most difference. Bike wheels are rotating way faster than skis ever will though...but the same basic principals apply.

YOU HAS SCIENCE
Dec 15 2011 8:34PM
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Ian.D
Posts: 1254 - Karma: 1,093
My opinion is that light skis feel nicer doing switchups on rails and such, but feel way too floppy on jumps, and visa versa for heavy skis
Dec 15 2011 8:43PM
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Loco-Deer-Slayer
Posts: 1401 - Karma: 701
This guy knows what's up.

The only reason I can see weight playing a role is for rotation because all objects under the influence of gravity fall at 9.8 ms^-2 regardless of their weight.

Rotation is governed by torque which is represented by the cross product of the moment arm and force. Moment arm is not really something that needs to be considered (binding placement) but force is a direct result of mass and acceleration.

See where mass or weight comes into play?
Dec 15 2011 8:44PM
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zues
Posts: 6434 - Karma: -5,330
i have armada ar6's with px 12 jibs on them and they're pretty heavy... the Px12's are almost too heavy i think...

then again i'm 5'9 and ride 181's...
Dec 15 2011 8:47PM
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Dr.Gonzo
Posts: 2552 - Karma: 87
well thats a bias way to put it, of course you gunna want weight for a lot of reasons, jumps... maybe not
but any jibs your gunna want weight, same with halfpipe, as well as powder
Dec 15 2011 8:51PM
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Blindsurfer
Posts: 2252 - Karma: 2,792
on rails heavy skis are a bitch to switch up with
Dec 15 2011 8:54PM
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McFellon
Posts: 1841 - Karma: 2,005
This. You get used to anything. It'll only throw you if you switch to skis that are way different than what you've been riding recently.
Dec 15 2011 9:12PM
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Skarvle
Posts: 28 - Karma: 13
Another basic fact is that it takes more energy (force) to launch a heavier object, yes you'll fall at the same speed with cinder blocks taped to your feet rather than feathers, but you'll jump a lot higher with the feathers.

Again, if the weight difference is small (ounces) it will be most likely imperceptible even on bigger jumps. However if you're going from some real old skis to new ones (all in all my Boot-binding-ski setup this year will be ~5 lbs lighter than last years) you will probably notice a difference if mid-jump you try to raise your knees to your chest. This is because your center of gravity can change considerably based upon a significant change in distal weight (eg. your feet)

-skarv
Dec 15 2011 9:28PM
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S.Xue
Posts: 101 - Karma: 14
force has nothing do to with skiing unless your about to hit something, but im guessing the overall weight of ski will effect your pop and when you set, other than that when your in the air, it should be the same, not effects
Dec 15 2011 9:33PM
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maxwell666
Posts: 554 - Karma: 20
by weight being in the center helping, I mean that if you compare a 1500g ski with most of its weight at the tips, with a 1500g ski with its weight in the center and lighter tips, it will be easier to spin on the one with the weight in the center.
Dec 16 2011 5:13AM
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steve0
Posts: 1132 - Karma: 1,315
Not as much as leg strength matters.
Dec 16 2011 10:05AM
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SurfaceHoar
Posts: 311 - Karma: 240
I got a set of DPS lotus 120s this year.

Positives of the weight savings. Carrying them in your arms. They are easy to pick up with your hands.

Negatives. They get deflected when crossing tracks. They don't have the mass to really power through anything. This is also a function of the soft flex in the tips.

Touring. The ski mostly slides on the snow, so you aren't really lifting it up every step. binding and boot weight makes a huge difference. ski weight, not so much. Also, skis tend to build up snow on the top sheets. A big fat ski tends to carry more snow, which reduces the weight savings.


Not that the skis are bad. They are a great ski. Just that the weight savings isn't really that important for skiing down. Except they are a joy to carry in your arms or on your back.

I don't ski park, I am sure that the reduced swing weight would be an asset there. Although it's not going to make you all of a sudden go from having trouble getting a 7 around, to stomping 10s. It's really the operator.
Dec 16 2011 10:54AM
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HomieJon
Posts: 621 - Karma: 134
heavyer skis you have more control of in the air. They are a tiny bit harder to huck 3 ups on rails but other than that heavyer FTW
Dec 31 2011 1:28AM
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.jon
Posts: 2121 - Karma: 345
yeah, it does matter. but the extent to which it matters to any given person can vary hugely. i'd much rather have a slightly heaver, more durable ski than a slightly lighter, less durable ski. obviously a lighter ski isn't inherently less durable, yet from my experience they often are.
Dec 31 2011 2:06AM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
Don't be a weight weenie. Go to the gym. Comparing which park skis are heavy vs light is like comparing how much healthier a Big Mac is to a Whopper.
Dec 31 2011 2:15AM
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FerrisBueller
Posts: 8280 - Karma: 5,173
weight is a measurement of force...
Dec 31 2011 7:41PM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14502 - Karma: 10,729
As far as ski weight, it can be noticeable / make a slight difference. I always lol when people say that binding weight matters. It doesn't at all, they weight is basically all underfoot. The only difference it makes is when you are carrying your skis.
Dec 31 2011 7:58PM
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maxwell666
Posts: 554 - Karma: 20
or if you want to hop off your feet.
Jan 4 2012 9:27PM
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Zent33zy
Posts: 1546 - Karma: 389
after using the setup i have, binding weight doesn't mean shit
Jan 5 2012 11:07PM
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