You may have seen someone, or done this yourself, take a ski off the rack and try to bend it by grabbing the tip with one hand and pushing in the middle with the other. You might try pushing near the tip, in the middle and the tail of the ski and may notice that it can be easier or more difficult for the ski to bend at different places. What you are doing here is flexing the ski and feeling for yourself what the flex pattern is.
Typically it may be easier to flex closer to the tip and progressively more difficult as you get closer to the tail. If this is the case we would have a progressive, or smooth flex pattern. From there we would determine whether it is strong (stiff) or softer (forgiving) in each of these places.
The flex pattern is a result of the materials used to make the ski and the design of the ski. The target skier (beginner, intermediate, advanced, expert) will determine what type of flex pattern is required.
In general:
- A ski that is soft in the tip will initiate the turn easily and perform well in soft snow.
- A ski that is stiff in the tail may not finish the turn easily but is well-suited to technique that places a lot of pressure on the tails at turn completion.
- A ski that has equal flex from tip to tail works well for larger turns and generally has a bigger “sweet spot” or is easier to balance on.
- Heavier skiers and experts prefer stiff skis for groomed snow.
- Lighter skiers, softer snow and developing skills prefer softer skis.
Strong experts and racers need a stiffer ski because of the large forces they generate when turning. If the flex pattern is too soft the ski will bend far too easily and will not offer enough resistance for the ski to carve and hold the skier on an arc.
Conversely, novice and intermediate skiers need a softer flex pattern because they are not going fast enough or have the skills yet to generate large forces. At these levels the softer flex allows the ski to bend and perform in a turn much easier and the skier will feel better as a result of not having to work physically as hard to power, or muscle, the ski through the turn. This is important as our turns provide the speed control required for safety.
What flex pattern is right for you? Take your skill level and look at the range of skis designed for that level. Then look at the type of conditions you typically ski. Usually a stronger flex pattern performs better on ice and hard pack snow. A softer flex pattern would be suitable for softer natural snow.
Always try before you buy with a demo ski and when you are on it see if you can feel the difference in the flex patterns between skis and see which ones you like the best.
|
