Choosing freeride skis
Are you looking to get off the highway onto the beaten track? Looking to float down the mountain or just taking your first freeride steps? Here are a few tips to help you choose.
You may have noticed a few differences between a slope ski and a freeride ski, they are longer, wider, heavier and just plain meaner.
What kind of freerider are you ?
Are you new to off-piste and are looking for something that you can still use comfortably on slope or are you going 100% Freeride ?
- If you are just starting or only plan on one pair of skis an all mountain pair might be the way forward.
- If off-piste is what you're looking for then Freeride is what you get ! As with other types of skis stiffness plays a large role, a softer ski will float zasily whereas a stiffer ski will need more speed and technique to make use of it's potential.
What length to choose
That depens on your level. The longer the ski the bigger the surface area and the easier it is to keep on top of the snow (and the faster you go).
- For a beginner you need at least your own hight and up to 10cm higher.
- For a confirmed freerider you can go 15 or 20cm longer.
Note that freeride skis are between 98mm and 116mm underfoot, just as with length the wider the ski the more technical it becomes.
Camber and rockers
Unlike all mountain skis which generally have a classic camber underfoot combined with a tip and/or tail rocker Freeride skis will have either:
- a tip/tail rocker but with a flat camber also known as full rocker underfoot this facilitates turning and helps keep the nose out.
- or a Reverse camber as if the ski has a banana shape where the tip and tail rise up out of the snow perfect for ploughing over deep fresh snow.
After the choice of your freeride ski, you can discover how choose your freestyle skis
