A beginner skier, before buying skis, must decide on the skiing technique that he will learn.
What skis do a beginner carver need?
In the 90s, carving skis with a special geometry were created, allowing for more interesting skiing sensations. These skis are ideal for skiing on well-prepared slopes, with soft or hard snow cover.
Carving skis should have a length 20 cm less than the height of the skier.
A beginner skier can count on quick success in carving technique, provided that his first skis have a fairly small (15-16 m) sidecut radius. If this indicator is up to 20 meters, it is more difficult to achieve success, and with a larger radius, it is unlikely that you will be able to master carving skills.
For low speed skiing on small slopes, shorter skis with a small cut radius are suitable. Only advanced skiers choose long skis with a large cutout radius to descend at high speed from a spacious slope.
What is the difference between carving technique and classic skating?
Carve riding technique considered more modern. It is accessible to everyone, regardless of level of professional training and age. If desired, you can master it in a week or a week and a half. But when choosing a route, you should still take into account the ratio of its difficulty to the skier’s skill level.
The main difference between carving and the classical technique is that the classic technique is based on braking, while carving is based on sliding. The skier, laying an arc, does not slow down, but gains acceleration.
In carving, it is much easier to make turns that are based on edging. The skier does not need to make physical education complex, as it is done in the classics. He must edge the skis and transfer the load to reduce the radius of the arc. This is done by bending the knees towards the slope. The degree of inclination of the knees and the entire torso is directly proportional to the speed: the higher the speed, the greater the inclination the skier must make.
The differences between classic and carving are clearly visible if you compare each element of performing a basic lifting turn. When performing a classic turn, the skier lifts one leg and transfers the support to the other (outer), thus loading it. Then he makes an edge, tilting his knees towards the slope. By rotating his entire body and hips, he turns the skis. Beginner skiers help themselves with a stop or a plow.
Carver, thanks to the design features of the skis, makes turns much easier. All he does is change the load from the outer ski to the inner one and tip the outer ski by tilting his knees towards the inside of the turn.
There are many legends about carving. For example, there is an opinion that you can ski on carving skis with straight legs, without bending your knees and loading both skis. This is indeed true, but only in two cases: if the slope is not steep and ideally prepared, or if the skier wants to smell the snow with his nose.
Which slopes are suitable for carving?
There are also different opinions regarding the fact that carves are good only on ideal slopes. Some skiers claim that on virgin snow they give special pleasure, because the carver only needs to lean back and re-edge the skis.
On an ungroomed track, the carver must unload and edge the skis more often and lead the arc more accurately. All uneven terrain is smoothed out by bending and straightening the legs.
On steep slopes, the carving technique means that the skier should not be afraid to turn his body in the direction of the descent, because this position lasts only a few moments. Then, while performing an arc, you can reduce the speed.
Conclusion
To acquire skiing skills, if there is a well-groomed track (best at the winter resort of Bukovel), it is better to use carving (fitted) skis. The carving riding technique is much more interesting and effective in the learning process. For advanced skiers, any slopes and even virgin soil are suitable for carving.
A special place is occupied by carving - a special cut skiing on the edges, in which a person’s knees tilt in the direction of the turn. originated in the 90s of the 20th century and remains relevant to this day. Carving “rehabilitated” its closest competitor, snowboarding.
Until the end of the 80s technique V skiing boiled down to achieving the best grip on the snow surface. In this case, the quality of gliding partially suffered. A revolution was brewing in three directions: a change in techniques, effective muscle work skier and equipment improvement. The development of carving began with the masterful technique of the champion of that time, Italian Alberto Tomba, which allowed him not to slow down and save time on turns. The first carves were developed based on his talent.
The carving technique is based on cutting gliding on parallel edged skis. When turning, bending into an arc, the carve cuts a groove in the snow with its edge, which allows it to glide like a train on rails.
Important! Turning when laying an arc is not a factor in reducing speed; on the contrary, it allows you to increase it. This is facilitated by the special design of the carves.
Carving has the following distinctive features:
- Saving skier energy and strength. Pedaling movements bent legs edge the outer ski by tilting the shins or hips towards the inside of the turn. Further, the geometry of the carves itself is all about: the impulses for forming an arc and making a turn are embedded in their design.
- The basic movement of carving is angulation - arbitrary bending of body parts for edging. There are several techniques: bending at the knees, at the hips, using an angle-screw position, and a combined method.
- No stepping movements.
- The poles play the role of balancers on sharp turns in a short arc. Pricking with a stick from a necessary technique became an element of maintaining balance.
- Possibility of cutting arcs with a small radius. This is achieved thanks to the “fitness” and softness of the carves.
- Quick change of direction of movement.
- Extended toe and heel provide high lift. This makes maneuvers much easier.
- Relatively easy learning carving. A beginner can learn to skate and perform parallel turns quite well in a week. But mastering carving at an expert level is a completely different story.
Carving turn
A carving turn is a maneuver in which the carves go in a cutting sliding mode. In this case, two clearly cut tracks remain in the snow.
For a perfect carving turn, not just the edge of the ski, but also its deflection is of paramount importance. This is what distinguishes dynamic carving from “decorative”, amateur carving.
The carving turn algorithm looks like this:
- Deflection of the outer carve in an arc until its middle touches the snow.
- Bend your knees and hips inward at an angle toward your upper body.
- Moving the center of gravity of the body to unload the outer ski.
- Pressure inside the new turn.
- Previous outer ski follows the trajectory of a new external one.
- The outer carva bends into an arc again.
Carves should be parallel at all stages of the turn and have the same edge angle. The shins and knees also work in parallel. The easiest way to master the skill of carved turns is on highways.
What are carving skis?
Equipment for carving is called differently: skis of new geometry, piste skis, parabolic skis, fitted skis. All these expressions are united by several parameters: rounded, widened “toe” and “heel” and a narrow “waist”. The “waist”, in comparison with the classics, remained approximately unchanged - about 63 mm, but the “toe” and “heel” increased in width - up to 20 mm. Therefore, the carves appear narrower in the center.
Important! Carves are great for walking on a prepared slope, but they are not suitable for driving in deep snow.
How to choose the right skis for carving
On right choice equipment is influenced by the following factors:
- The “waist-toe-back” parameters determine the purpose: a wider “waist” for skis for virgin lands, a narrower one for prepared slopes. Carves with a “waist” of 70 mm and a “back” of 85 mm are ideal for beginners.
- Length. Short carves are suitable for beginners, longer ones for more experienced ones.
- Rigidity. In unprepared snow, soft carves are more manageable. At high speeds, hard skis dampen vibration well.
- Cutout radius. The larger the side cut, the shorter the described arc. A smaller neckline, on the contrary, promotes long arches.
Where is the best place to ride?
Carving is best done on prepared tracks with hard or soft surfaces. The design of carves is not intended for fluffy virgin soil with natural bumps and depressions. The ideal option is smooth or steep long trails.
Carving training on alpine skiing It's best to start under the guidance of an experienced instructor. Carves with a radius of 7-14 m are suitable for training. Educational process includes several stages, from simple to complex. A person who has started skiing for the first time must first master the alpine skiing: feet 20-25 cm wide, arms slightly bent at the elbows, directed forward and slightly to the side, ankles resting on the tongues of the boots, gaze directed forward. The ride balance, muscle load and ride quality depend on it.
The first lessons should be conducted on a prepared, non-steep trail or on a sparsely populated gentle slope with compacted snow. You can move on to steeper slopes only when the skier feels confident on the gentle ones.
And finally, it’s worth remembering: carving is fast. The absence of a scraping effect makes the descent rapid. And you need to be mentally prepared for this. You can study theory and practice exercises as much as you like, but the most important thing is not to let fear win. This is the only way to master carving at a decent level.
You have firmly decided that there will be no happiness in life without skiing. We made a very good decision. Until this moment, winter for you was just a cold, slippery season, and you were looking forward to spring.
Main stand.
Now that you have purchased your own skis, everything has changed radically.
The only nonsense left is to learn how to control skis. There is nothing complicated about this; the series of lessons given below is quite sufficient for self-study basics
For successful learning, you must not skip anything, perform all exercises until they become automatic, and watch for possible mistakes.
We are sure you will succeed.
First steps.
Warm-up is carried out in fastened boots, without skis and poles. Skiing is also a sport. And immediately putting a load on “cold” muscles is fraught with unpleasant consequences.
Optimally, spend 8-15 minutes on warm-up; the colder it is outside, the longer. The exercises are no different from morning exercises, but it is recommended to carry it out from top to bottom, from head to feet, with an emphasis on rotational and swing movements.
Extra very useful exercise: running in a small circle with a turn and running in the opposite direction when the leader claps his hands. It “warms” well, teaches quick reactions, and your feet get used to the boots.
After warming up, the inner boot “crinkles” on the leg, so the clips need to be further tightened. The boot should be tightened as tightly as possible, but there should be no discomfort.
We remind you that the pants are on top of the boot; inside the boot there should only be a long sock made of thin thread.
Skis folded sliding surface to each other. Ski feet should take an X-shaped position. Place the skis on your shoulder with your toes facing forward and hold them with one hand close to your toes. The front mount should be behind your shoulder. Take both sticks in your free hand to maintain balance.
We put on the skis - straightly, without distortion, insert the tip of the boot into the front binding and press firmly, but without impact, on the heel. The fastener should close with a characteristic click. If it doesn’t click, it means it’s inserted crookedly or snow has stuck to the sole. We remove the ski by pressing the pedal with a ski pole or another boot rear mount, remove the snow with light sliding blows of the sole on the front binding or with a ski pole.
The location of the exercise is a plain. Yes, alpine skiing, but we’ll go up the mountain a little later. Skis are on, poles are in hands, pole straps should not be worn. Skis hip-width apart, parallel to each other.
We lie down with our shins on the tongues of our boots. The tibia should be almost vertical relative to the slope. The body is tilted forward. The arms are raised parallel to the slope, the elbows are slightly bent, the fists are slightly wider than the shoulders. The poles should be parallel to the shin. This strange body position is called the "Main Stance (OS)".
Almost all alpine skiing controls are based on changing the Center of Gravity (CG). At correct stance The CG should be approximately above the front mount. If the stance is incorrect, all attempts to perform a turn will be initially incorrect.
Most errors and falls in subsequent skating, regardless of class, are associated precisely with errors in the OS. Alpine skiing is controlled from the toes. Therefore, the feeling of pressure of the shin on the tongue of the boot should ALWAYS be present when skating!
If you feel pressure calf muscle on the back of the boot - the OS is lost, the skis are uncontrollable, you need to “catch up” with the skis by moving the body forward.
Main Stand (OS) according to the picture:
1. Lines of the back, shin and ski poles must be parallel.
2. Watch where to go!
3. The CG must be in front of the front mount, not above the rear! The back and lower back should be a straight line, the lower back should not stick out or lower!
4. Don't give up! The hands have weight + they work as a lever, with the hands lowered the CG will go back, then see point 3.
5. Press your shin onto the tongue of your boot!
6. The position of the skis is hip-width apart, neither narrower nor wider at any moment of movement. As your legs grow, let them stand.
Fundamentals of movement.
Exercise No. 1.
Herringbone climb.
We turn to face the elephant and spread our ski toes as wide as possible. We make sure that the backs of the skis do not cross. Stick the poles outside the skis!
We place the skis on the inside edges. Leaning both poles into the slope, we take a small step up the slope. We put the other foot on, move the center of gravity forward, rearrange the poles.
The trail from the ascent should resemble a Christmas tree with the top down. The herringbone climb is used on flatter areas than the ladder climb.
Exercise No. 2.
Climbing with a “ladder”.
We stand across the slope, skis parallel, resting our poles on the slope. We bend our knees towards the slope, the skis stand on the edges. We stick the upper stick higher up the slope, transfer the CG to the lower ski, lift and move the upper ski 15-20 cm higher.
We transfer the CG to it and place the lower ski, followed by a stick. The ski mark should resemble a ladder. During the climb, you must continuously keep your skis on the edges to avoid sliding down.
Exercise No. 3.
Turning around on a slope by stepping.
Exactly the same as on the plain, but with small details. We are standing across the slope. We rest our poles further down the slope, turn our body down the slope too, and put our skis on the edges.
We move the back of the top ski up the slope, the skis should stand in a V-shape. In small steps we alternately move the backs of the skis. Ski toes should always be at a small distance from each other.
The greater the distance between the backs of the skis, the more stable position. You only need to move your heels, keep your toes from the snow.
We move until the moment when we are again across the slope. You need to repeat the exercise several times, clockwise and counterclockwise.
Exercise No. 4.
Direct descent.
It is carried out on a very gentle slope, always with a long rollout or counterslope.
— We climb the slope in a “herringbone” or “ladder” pattern, and stand across the slope.
— Leaning on the poles, we place the skis parallel.
- We take the main stance and start moving.
— We hold the main stance until it comes to a complete stop.
Exercise No. 5.
Exercise for coordination and balance
The same sliding in a straight line, but in motion we alternately raise one leg and continue sliding on one ski, without losing the main stance.
Exercise No. 6.
Sliding with a change in direction of movement.
The same straight line slide in the main stance, but add a few steps to the side. In the process of sliding, we lift one leg, place it a little and continue moving on this ski, lift the other leg and put it on. The skis must run parallel.
Lift the entire ski, not just the tip. Again, don't lose the main stand! If the skis “spread” and the toe rises, this is a mistake, the CG has shifted back.
Exercise No. 7.
We coordinate movements.
During a direct descent, we perform the same exercises for coordination of movements as on the plain - we reach out with our hands to the front fastenings.
When performing this exercise, it is important not to squat, but to bend the body at the waist in the right side. After each “retrieval” we take the main stance.
Exercise No. 8.
Turning from a straight descent by stepping.
In a straight descent to turn left we raise left leg and move her toe to the left by 15-20 cm.
— We put our right foot down.
— We continue to rearrange the skis until we turn across the elephant.
— We continue moving until we come to a complete stop.
— We repeat the exercise several times in different directions.
Exercise No. 9.
Body and arms in basic stance.
1. The poles should be parallel to the shins.
2. Knees should point along the skis. You can't bring your knees inward!
3. The distance between the toes of the skis is visually 10-15 cm, between the heels - as wide as possible.
4. Elbows do not touch the body, fists never fall below the waist.
Don’t stick your elbows out to the sides - “We don’t carry watermelons!”
Exercise No. 10.
The location is a very gentle slope with a long rollout or counterslope.
— We climb the slope in a “herringbone” or “ladder” manner.
— We stand across the slope.
— We move the poles down the slope.
— We turn the body down the slope.
— Stepping (in small steps) we turn the skis along the line of the water slope. - The first step is with the top ski!
— Leaning on sticks, we take a “plow” stance by sliding.
— We remove the sticks to the position of the main stance.
— We start the movement by slightly tilting the body forward.
— During movement, we spread our heels to the sides.
— We notice how the speed changes during these vertical movements.
“We try to achieve complete control over the speed of movement, but we don’t stop.
— At the end of the descent, we spread the backs of the skis wide and move the body back a little. There should be a fairly abrupt stop.
— We hold the plow until it comes to a complete stop.
We repeat the entire exercise several times until it becomes automatic.
A - the distance between the backs of the skis is large, the speed is low.
B - the distance between the backs of the skis is smaller, the speed is higher.
C - stop. The distance between the backs of the skis is greater than A.
We tilt the body back a little.
Braking and stopping with a plow is your lifesaver in the most difficult and unpredictable moments.
Even great masters use the plow in extreme cases. There are cases in which it is impossible to slow down with anything other than a plow, for example, a narrow road in the forest, an icy area, or transporting cargo.
Exercise No. 11.
Right turn with a plow (initial carving).
1. Venue: a very gentle slope with a long rollout or counterslope. We take the “plow” position in the main stance and begin to move down the slope.
2. During movement, the load on both skis is uniform. Your knees are pointing towards the tips of your skis, you can’t bring your knees together!
3. Smoothly transfer the center of gravity to the left leg.
We bend the hip, knee and ankle joints.
Yes, the ankle needs to bend!
The boot should bend.
4. Press with the foot of your left foot on inner part boot (i.e. we load the left foot). We try to reach the toe of the ski with our knee. Of course, this is impossible, but the direction of the load should be exactly there.
5. Correct position bodies in a turn according to the picture:
The red lines are drawn at an angle equal to the slope of the slope.
The lines of the shoulders (1), arms (2), hips (3), knees (4), ski toes (5) must be parallel to the slope and to each other.
6. The right leg is relaxed as the entire body weight is on the left leg. The task of the right leg is to maintain the “plow” position, as in the picture.
7. The load on the left leg should be constant.
8. Do not try to help your left leg turn by forcefully rotating your heel, shoulders, or hips. It won't help. The ski cannot turn instantly. Just stand there and wait. Will definitely turn back.
9. We turn until the ski is across the slope. We slide a few more meters to the stop.
Exercise No. 12.
1. Load the right leg.
Due to the carving geometry, the ski begins to “cut” the turn. We turn until the lower ski is across the slope, after which we smoothly place the upper (left) foot so that the skis become parallel.
Gently move the top ski, being careful not to tear it off the snow. Do not under any circumstances lift the tip of the top ski - this will lead to a rear stand and a fall.
Do not let the loaded (right) ski slip, do not try to tear the ski out of the arc it is leading by force or jerking. When moving along the traverse, we tilt our knees slightly towards the elephant so that the skis move on the edges.
From the picture: Movement in the plow (1) diagonally along the slope; by placing the upper leg, we step onto parallel skis in the main stance (2); knees slightly inclined towards the slope (3); both skis ride on edges, the load on the lower ski (4) predominates.
Exercise No. 13.
From the picture: The entire turn consists of two phases:
Phase 1. Left turn:
— Load the inside of the right ski (1) — turn left (2).
— We unload the right ski (3) by equalizing the pressure on both skis to reach the line of the water slope.
Phase 2. Right turn:
— Load the inner part of the left ski (4) — turn to the right (5).
— We unload the left ski by equalizing the pressure on both skis to reach the line of the water slope.
Both phases are done smoothly, without using physical strength and jerks.
The unloading phase is needed in order to connect the turns “right” and “left” into one “snake”.
Let's repeat it one more time!!! Very important!!!
— Having accepted starting position, we begin the turn.
— To do this, we load and gradually edge the ski outer to the turn (right) onto the inner edge.
— The inner ski remains unloaded, continuing to move in the “plow” position.
- From this it turns out that when loading the right ski, you will turn left.
- And vice versa: loading the left ski - you will turn right.
Perform turns as many times as necessary until the movements become automatic. You should feel, and not think, which foot is left or right and where the inner and outer parts of the boot are.
Important: in all phases, do not bring your knees together, do not lose your main stance, only load!!! the inside of the boot, maintain all parallels.
If you do everything correctly, you will get a piece of a real cut, carving turn.
The bottom ski should leave behind a characteristic mark - a smooth thin arc.
If there is a slip, the ski is not on the edge, it is slipping, or you are trying to turn it by force.
Don't tense up.
Alpine skiing takes an honorable second place in the universal ranking of pleasures. But in order to get this pleasure, you need to relax, similar to the first place in the rating.
The following is a video prepared by experienced ski instructors, which covers all stages and aspects of training - from carrying skis to dealing with difficult situations. In these films you will look at the choice of equipment and equipment, initial training, plow turns, traverse descent and sliding turns.
MAIN! The tasks, exercises, and examples that you will find in these films will help you do your own training in the future.
Ski school of the Bukovel resort
Ski school of the Sorochany resort
CHILDREN who already know how to do something and can show their skills!
Every year more and more people are attracted to it. Unlike a lazy holiday, it gives you the opportunity to get a dose of extreme sports in clean mountain air and magnificent views. And modern equipment for skiers gives impetus to the development of new skiing styles. One of the most common skiing methods is carving.
What is this?
Carving is a style that is characterized by the absence of lateral slipping of the skis during a turn. This style appeared due to the special shape of the skis with a wide tip, wide tail and narrow waist, and also thanks to the emergence of new materials that are resistant to forces that twist the ski along its axis under load. Also, the emergence of this style was facilitated by an increase in the quality of preparation of slopes at resorts: the presence of perfectly smooth “corduroy” after processing the snow with special machines has become a standard.
The word carving itself means “to cut.” This name arose because the skis, tilted in a turn, seem to cut the slope with their edges, leaving smooth, deep furrows, in contrast to regular skiing, when the skis in a turn slip slightly across the movement, reducing speed and leaving wider and not so deep marks.
To perform such maneuvers, you will need to use the “fitted” ski models that we mentioned above. Such a technique was previously only possible at high speeds, at which only professional athletes. And with the advent of new fitted skis, it has become available to ordinary fans of any age. It's simple: a ski placed on the edge, pressed by the skier's weight in the middle, bends, digging its toe and heel into dense, even snow, and takes on the shape of an arc. This arc itself guides the skier in the turn, without requiring any additional movements from him.
The degree of fit of the ski affects the optimal turning radius of the skier: the more fitted the ski, the smaller the turn radius. At all modern models all characteristics of the ski are indicated: width of the toe, waist, heel and optimal turning radius.
Style Features
In practice, this style can be used to perform both quick and short turns, as well as long ones. In the case of the first type, it is better to use small skis of reduced size. Their turning radius is usually 11-16 meters, due to which they will be more maneuverable, although at high speed the stability will be worse. In the case of large arcs, it is better to use more long skis with increased rigidity and a turning radius of 17-20 m.
To use this type of riding, you will need:
- modern skis. Many models are designed specifically for carving. On such skis the waist width does not exceed 68 mm. There is a noticeable big difference in width between the front, middle and back products. This design ensures ease of movement on dense packed snow.
- suitable technique. Some find it easier to manage using classical methods, others - using modern ones.
- appropriate slope for carving. It must be properly prepared and maintained: usually it is a fairly gentle slope, ideally smoothed with a snow groomer (snow compactor).
Training in special areas is best suited for carving. As we have already mentioned, their peculiarity is a slight slope and the absence of sharp declines. It is best to study in the morning, because snowcats roll away snow at night, and it is in the morning that the snow surface is in ideal condition. There are special courses for learning carving that are offered by instructors at resorts.
Subtleties of the process
The beauty of carving is that it is easy to learn. Unlike traditional technique, when the skier has to unload the skis by bending the knees and make a rotational impulse when entering the turn, carving does not require this. You just need to put the ski on the edge (tilt it), it will bend and lead you in an arc. This is possible at the slowest speed, so fear does not interfere with learning.
If the old teaching method used a stop and a plow, drawing on many years of experience, then the modern interpretation has developed its own methods. They renounce the classical method and focus on using simpler and more intuitive movements.
Place your skis on the edges, and they will go in an arc on their own, digging into the snow, and your only task is to maintain balance, tilting your body into the turn. Since the skis don't slip, the speed will build up quite quickly and you'll have to lean more into the turn. It is better to ski in a wide stance so that one leg does not interfere with the other. As with the classic technique, the skier's weight is more concentrated on the outside ski.
At the same time, if the speed increases, the skis will dig into the snow stronger and more reliably, because the force of pressure on the ski will increase. The skis will cut through the snow, leaving narrow and deep edge marks. The inside leg in a turn will be bent noticeably more than the outside leg because the skier is almost resting his hips on the snow.
Keep in mind that high-speed carving can be dangerous if there are a lot of people around. The skier changes direction by more than 90 degrees and ends turns moving at high speed almost across the slope, so its trajectory can be difficult to predict. This is another argument in favor of skiing in the morning, when there are still few people on the slopes.
Don't forget your helmet and correct adjustment bindings that will save your legs from injury by unfastening your skis in the event of a fall.
Good luck in mastering carving!
Depending on their purpose, alpine skis are divided into three categories: for skiing on slopes with sharp turns, with a medium or long radius. The comfort and safety of riding, as well as maneuverability, depend on the accuracy of the choice of model. This article will talk about the main criteria for choosing carving skis.
Classification by purpose
Universal alpine skis. Such models are designed for riding on prepared trails of various types. Extreme models - designed for difficult areas, mainly off-piste. They are suitable for freeriding and freestyle; they are also used by fans of sports that are not so popular in our country: powder and ski touring.
According to the class of skiers, models are divided into unisex, for women and children's skating. A separate classification is provided according to the level of skiing: for beginners, amateur skiers with an average level of training, experienced masters and athletes. An excellent selection is presented in Bogner stores in Moscow, where you can also get professional advice on finding a suitable pair.
Carving skis
Such models are also called track models. Designed for skiing on prepared slopes. They glide perfectly over rough surfaces, allowing you to enjoy high speed. These models are characterized by high rigidity: both longitudinal and torsion (torsional), the waist usually does not exceed 73 mm. Due to this design, it is possible to compensate for centrifugal forces when riding at high speeds, and to avoid driving into snow or ice.
The key parameter is the radius of the arc, the larger it is, the higher maximum speed. It is influenced not only by the skill of the skier, but also by design features, in particular, the radius of the side cutout. Based on this parameter, there are three types of models: slalom, medium and long radius. Below we will look at each category in detail.
Side cut radius
The radius of the side cut is a parameter characterizing the minimum value when turning. There are three classes of skis:
- With a short radius. They are characterized by lower longitudinal rigidity than giant slaloms, the turning radius usually does not exceed 9-10 m with an average length, they are characterized by a significant difference between the width of the toe and waist. The optimal choice for skiing with frequent edge changes.
- With an average radius - within 12-17 m. Suitable for riding at medium speeds, providing decent maneuverability.
- With a long radius - up to 17-25 m, with high rigidity. Suitable for lovers high speeds on wide roads - from 50 m. With good acceleration, the speed can exceed 80 km/h.
When choosing carving skis, you should focus on your skiing style. If you have to choose a model for a beginner, you should give preference to skis with less rigidity; in other cases, it is necessary to take into account the individual needs of the skier.
