Wide Slalom Ski

TomP

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
31
At age 44 I have been skiing on the same O'Brien slalom ski since I was 16. Now that I am a bit more "experienced" I was wondering if it made sense to change to one of the newer wide slalom skis so that it would be less strenuos on my back and other body parts to use. In searching some of the older threads on this forurm, however, it seems like the wide skis might not turn and handle all that well. I was curious if anyone has made the conversion to the wide skis and whether or not they are easier to use, but still perform OK. If so, any recommendations on which type of ski to get? Thanks.
 

aerospot

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Nov 18, 2007
Messages
38
Re: Wide Slalom Ski

Hi Tom,
Yea, wider is slower, but easier to get up on and rides at lower speeds.
Good to learn on but if cutting wake is on the menu, it's a bit cumbersome.
Try going longer in a good quality O'brien or Connelly ski. It will increase your surface area and preserve more of the agility from a narrower ski. IMHO that is :rolleyes:
 

cheburashka

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 28, 2005
Messages
715
Re: Wide Slalom Ski

I tried a wide ski for the first time Saturday. Sure gave my biceps a workout. They have a lot of drag--far more than a standard slalom ski. Very stable, but you have to pull hard on the handle the whole time.
 

rad1026

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 1, 2006
Messages
443
Re: Wide Slalom Ski

I have an HO wide ski that has a dual concave bottom. Basically it has a rib that runs down the middle and is concave on both sides of the rib to the edge of the ski. Stable when it is flat, easy to get up on, but when on edge it uses just the concave area on the side of the ski you are cutting on. It's an awesome ski. I'm the same as Tom, been on aggressive slalom ski all my life and now am looking for something that is a little more gentle but still performs well. I know I'm not going to be able to dig in and cut like a high performance ski, but most days I'm ok with that. I still have fun and that's what its all about for me now. Plus, its a great ski for a beginner. I have brought several double ski people over to the slalom world that had tried and given up on slalom skis. They love my HO too!
 
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