In Part I of this Rocker Series we talked about the basics, how high, how long and how that feels when we ski.

Skis still have sidecut, a result of measurements at the tip, waist (middle) and tail. The sidecut is usually expressed in meters, a way of describing the shape of the ski’s edge as though it is part of a circle. So, a ski with a sidecut of 15 meters has more shape than a ski with a sidecut of say, 18 meters.

Of course we don't ski in circles, but this tells us how short or long the turn will likely be as we ski and bend the ski. A lower number (12m) will have a shorter turn radius than a higher number (19m) which will prefer longer turns.

Many skis have made the move to wider waist dimensions, particularly in the All Mountain categories. Don't let this throw you off when looking for a ski. When we look at the dimensions we may see a wider tip and tail, which when combined with a wider waist still has excellent turning qualities.

I call this 'proportional' sidecut because in many cases what appears to be a large ski may actually perform and turn like a smaller ski because of the sidecut 'proportion'.

Now, take this sidecut proportion and add in some rise on the tip, Rocker. The ski now not only has the turning qualities of a ski with smaller dimensions, but it feels shorter because of the Rocker and doesn't sacrifice performance because the entire edge is ready to be engaged the more it is tipped over and needed the most.

The result is a ski that can handle more conditions and a variety of speeds while not sacrificing performance on those varied conditions, soft and hard.

In the next instalment I'll talk about flex and materials and how this enters into the equation. It gets better!

Paul Cunnius
CSIA Level IV/Senior Examiner
K2 Skis
Marker Bindings

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