Information on Twin Tip Skis
Twin-tip skis are a symbol of the modern evolution of skis. Skis have been around for thousands of years and twin-tips represent one of the most modern and revolutionary changes of the modern ski industry. You will likely find the majority of young skiers exclusively riding twin-tip skis as it better fits a younger, more modern riding style. Learn about what defines a twin-tip ski, how they came to be and how they affect skiing.
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History
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In the late '90s, snowboarding was taking off while skiing was stagnant. Terrain parks and the larger freestyle movement defined snowboarding and contributed to its rising popularity. The skis of this time only had rocker, or a flipped-up design, in the nose of the ski where the tail was flat. This made skiing only possible in one direction, whereas a snowboard was rideable in both directions, which made the popular freestyle tricks possible. Not wanting to lose ground on snowboarding, the ski industry put rocker in the tail of the ski so it could be ridden backwards and the same maneuvers could be done on skis as on snowboards.
Twin-Tip Design and Use
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Twin-tips do not vary greatly from some of their traditional alpine counterparts. The aforementioned curved-up tail enables skiers to take off for jumps backwards as well as land backwards. The first twin-tip ski was built in 1974 but was not successful. It took Salomon's 1080 ski, released in 1997, for the skiing public to see what was possible with this new design. While the 1080 was designed for terrain park riding, twin-tips have since been seen on fat skis, powder skis and even telemark skiing.
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Variety of Twin-Tip Skis
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There exists a wide variety of twin tip skis on the market. With the resurgence of skiing popularity versus snowboarding, twin-tip skis are available in skid sizes for the aspiring new school skier. Women's skis are also available with twin-tips with most of them having a softer flex for the lighter female skier. The most popular twin-tip skis are still designed for park riding and feature a relatively narrow width, durable edges for riding rails and a stiffer tail for better jumping.
Twin-Tips and Powder Skiing
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Twin-tips are not generally known for performing well in powdery conditions but several big-mountain skis are proving that opinion wrong. Twin-tip powder skis are wide, have moderate sidecut for handling well on hard-packed snow, and are stiffer throughout the whole ski for aggressive powder riding. Skiers are progressing to the level where tricks once reserved for the terrain park are now being attempted in powdery conditions, so for the skier interested in this style of skiing, twin-tips are essential.
Disadvantages to Twin-Tips
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The flipped-up tail of a twin-tip can be unfavorable to some skiers. Mostly this is a matter of personal preference. Twin-tip skis can be unfavorable in powder as the flipped tail can decrease stability and control at high speeds versus the traditional flat ski tail. For back-country skiers, twin-tips are generally unfavorable as they can be more difficult to attach climbing skins onto, compared to a simple flat tail.
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References
- Photo Credit skiing powder image by joseph pankey from Fotolia.com
