Relation Between Member Size and Ski Thickness/Length/Stiffness

[bbirtle]

Today at Verbier, Kiwi dude with quite nearly the fattest, longest skis I've ever seen. Decked out in BC gnar! gear (backpack with shovel on the outside, helmet, pushing past the tourists in the lift queues, etc.) and the look on his face says "I'm fucking badass. Go ahead, touch me."

Granted there's 30-50cm of light pow on the ground, but does this really merit ridiculously fat skis? 80% of the day, this guy is skiing chopped up stuff verging on moguls, I'm nearly sure. 80% of the days during the season, he's not skiing anything resembling powder, let alone the deep powder those skis are made for.

I see this in Chamonix all the time. It will be an icy moguly day and people still bring out their Sumos and shit. Why? Because they only own one pair of skis and the shop dude and all the hardcore crowd will say "you need a super fat, super stiff, super long, super big ski". So that's what everybody buys. You meet new people and nowadays if they ask "what kind of skis do you have?", which they often seem to work into the conversation, they say it sort of like "so how long is your penis?"

Is the hype just out of control on fat skis? Has it gone too far? Or is it just the wave of the future in action? (In year 2025 we'll be calling the Sumo's "old school narrow skis")

Discuss.

[ptavv]

I have many pairs of skis.

I only ski fat ones or spatulas on powder days.

[cj001f]

What about women with big stiff skis who can slice and dice the mountain? God damn is that hot. If that means I'm gay, oh well.

[irul&ublo]

Today at Verbier, Kiwi dude with quite nearly the fattest, longest skis I've ever seen. Decked out in BC gnar! gear (backpack with shovel on the outside, helmet, pushing past the tourists in the lift queues, etc.) and the look on his face says "I'm fucking badass. Go ahead, touch me."

Granted there's 30-50cm of light pow on the ground, but does this really merit ridiculously fat skis? 80% of the day, this guy is skiing chopped up stuff verging on moguls, I'm nearly sure. 80% of the days during the season, he's not skiing anything resembling powder, let alone the deep powder those skis are made for.

I see this in Chamonix all the time. It will be an icy moguly day and people still bring out their Sumos and shit. Why? Because they only own one pair of skis and the shop dude and all the hardcore crowd will say "you need a super fat, super stiff, super long, super big ski". So that's what everybody buys. You meet new people and nowadays if they ask "what kind of skis do you have?", which they often seem to work into the conversation, they say it sort of like "so how long is your penis?"

Is the hype just out of control on fat skis? Has it gone too far? Or is it just the wave of the future in action? (In year 2025 we'll be calling the Sumo's "old school narrow skis")

Discuss.

So, did you go ahead and touch him?

[shmerham]

100 cm long, 80 mm wide. Make fun of me all you want. I've learned to be ok with what I have.

[Mofro261]

I'm really into Nordic combined. I like to cross country with my jumping skis on and had to get a special suit made with extra leg room down to my left knee.

[Catbert]

Sumos/superfats seem a little crazy, but until I try them, the jury is out. Seems like moguls would be a liitle rough though.

[basom]

It will be an icy moguly day and people still bring out their Sumos and shit. Why? Because they only own one pair of skis and the shop dude and all the hardcore crowd will say "you need a super fat, super stiff, super long, super big ski".

the sumo is not a stiff ski, fyi, btw.

also, stop dragging your hand and maybe you too could ski more agressively and be able to handle more ski, and then you wouldnt feel so bad about yourself at night. just a thought.

[Greydon Clark]

I like fat skis, fat girls, and giving chumps who start retarded threads fat lips.

[slim]

I like fat skis, fat girls, and giving chumps who start retarded threads fat lips.

POW! Suck it.

[Below Zero]

One man's fat ski is another man's carving ski.

[huck4bucks]

Skis don't make the skier.

Anyone that starts a conversation with "What kind of skis do you have?", probably won't make it far with me.

[Squatch]

somebody has fat ski envy...

but seriously, why are you complaining? that's like getting mad at a guy for having an offroad truck and watching him go four-wheeling. he may just be testing out the new kingswoods, you never know. if that is the case, i bet has more than one pair of skis.

i have a plan to mount some race stock binders onto some plastic children's sleds. talk about float. it's the wave of the future.

[DownhillRider]

What's wrong with riding with avi gear? If i'm not sure if im heading out of bounds or through a restricted area I take it with me just in case...better be safe than sorry...(that being said, I keep the shit INSIDE the backpack, not hanging out to show my radness, but still...let the guy be)

[homerjay]

Granted there's 30-50cm of light pow on the ground, but does this really merit ridiculously fat skis?

Yes it does, you fucking retard.

As for the attitude, you have that everywhere.

[enlosandes]

the sumo is not a stiff ski, fyi, btw.

also, stop dragging your hand and maybe you too could ski more agressively and be able to handle more ski, and then you wouldnt feel so bad about yourself at night. just a thought.

Be careful Basom, BBirtle is very sensitive about hand positioning!

[Trackhead]

I have a pair of 174cm, 64mm waisted skis, with Dynafits, and Scarpa F-1's. Occasionally, I wear green lycra.

I'm hung like a hog.

[El Chupacabra]

I'm hung like a hog.

Squeeeeeeeeal like a piggy!

[RootSkier]

Fat girls like skinny dudes....or something like that.

[splat]

He grabbed the ice cream scoop on his harness and reached down to fill it with the freshly fallen powder. The metrosexual Euro-models atop the Grand Montets maintained their nonchalant disinterest. As he sifted the snow through the collander that was attached to the other side of his belt, he watched it fall through, then lifted his head and proclaimed "IT IS SAFE TO SKI."

Paraphrased from an old Powder story outlining some of the antics of the Clambin crew.

[Telekóptero]

What about women with big stiff skis who can slice and dice the mountain? God damn is that hot. If that means I'm gay, oh well.

werd to sick girls on big boards. who was that?. . ingrid? . . sticking the 45'er on the palisades the other day? mmmmm. . .

[marshalolson]

30cm ~12"
50cm ~20"

id say that fat skis are in order.

ps: moguls are

[Max Gosey]

Super-fat (125) boards on a groomer day are a little much. But some people really really like their Gotamas, which is close, kinda... I guess...

My everyday ski is 94. I like big turns and going fast.

The length thing has always troubled me though. "Max get some 189's or you're a pooty pants/pussy". Going bigger just to be core is silly. Going bigger because you want to bite off all you can chew in terms of how much ski you can handle is not silly.

Edit: Schral is right. 16" is enough to warrant a pow ski.
On an unrelated note, Ted Sylvia on UFC kinda looks like Schral (only not as scary or party-eager...)

[Max Gosey]

On a different note: asking what kind of skis somebody has can be a gaper-meter. Obviously the response "I don't know" isn't very promising (I would say 99% of good skiers know what skis they are on). And someone on Bro's or higher-end stiffer boards PROBABLY has them for a reason.

Not necessarily for dick-waving... could be to evaluate whether you want to ski with this new friend. Happened to me the other night. Found a real skier in Sewall, go figure!

[EstoBum]

Maybe feeding a troll here, BUT

Being limited to east coast skiing the past couple of years, and really not leaving the resort all that often, I am often not on my fat skis and don't have a problem busting out my 74 waisted skis, for a couple of reasons: a) I like banging through moguls, 2) I live too far east of east to have any real off-piste terrain c) the 74 waist skis are Iggy MFG. It depends on what type of skiing you're really doing. More offpiste skiing say at a western and I'll throw on my fat skis (although at 95 waist the're not considered all that fat at TGR)

To me does a 100++ waisted ski make sense at an east coast place where the snow is packed and off-piste is limited: no. If there's say 6" of fresh and you're gunning more off-piste terrain(ie west coast/OB): sure it does. They're different tools for getting the similar jobs done. i.e. Don't use a screwdriver for a nail.

And since you're asking I've got Igneous skis, so its pretty big.