Powder Skis Vs. Downhill

Deep powder skiing requires a special kind of equipment.

If you're bored of recreational skiing and want to get away from the crowds, pick up a pair of powder skis and head off-piste, or off the groomed trails and into the back-country. Powder skis are fatter than downhill skis for optimum performance in really deep, fresh snow, otherwise known as pow, or powder. The width of the equipment makes you feel like you are floating along the top of the snow rather than sinking into it.

Misconceptions

Often it is assumed that powder skis can only be used for the back-country, but advanced skiers can use them all over any mountain, groomed or not. They are truly specialized for light, fluffy powder and are generally just part of a dedicated skier's collection of skis. On the flip side, it is also assumed that downhill skis should only be used on groomed mountain runs. Depending on your ability level as a skier, you can use downhill skis in the back-country, but powder skis are considered a better option.

Ability Levels

People using powder skis are often advanced at the sport. The wide waists, or middle part, of powder skis make them more difficult to turn quickly. However, the larger surface area makes floating on soft powder possible. Turning is one of the more difficult things to grasp when learning to ski, therefore beginner skiers or just those who are always on groomed runs should look toward skis with a smaller midsection. Downhill skis have a thinner waist, allowing for easy, quick turns on groomed runs.

Choosing the Right Size

Whether powder or downhill, skis should be somewhere in between your nose and eyebrows when the tails, or bottoms, are resting on the ground. Go a bit shorter if you are a novice skier, and go a bit longer and wider if you have a large frame. Often back-country skiers using powder skis go longer for even more surface area.

Considerations

When choosing between powder skis and downhill skis, consider bindings. Often, on powder skis bindings will either be Randonee or Telemark. Randonee bindings release the heel as a skier is climbing the mountain (Remember, you're off the groomed trails so there are no chairlifts). Once at the top, a skier can then lock her heels into the binding for their descent. Telemark bindings never lock. The heel is free for the ascent and the descent. Downhill skis use a binding that locks the heel in the entire time.

History

Downhill skis are the traditional pieces of equipment to the sport of skiing. They were created to ski down groomed runs. Powder skis have been around for awhile but are a newer technology meant to help skiers really enjoy deep, fresh powder. This type of snow is a completely different animal than the hard-packed white stuff you see on groomed runs and therefore it needed its own type of ski to fully enjoy it.

References

• REI

Resources

• Breakthrough on Skis