Where to Ski And Snowboard -

Rocking on the slopes

17th February 2012, by Dave Watts

Part of the show in Telford

This week saw me in Telford at the SLIDE trade show where all next season’s ski and snowboard gear is on display and being sold to retailers. Next month I’ll be in Kuhtai in Austria trying out all the new skis.

The major trend with skis is the continued march of ‘rocker technology’. This started four seasons ago on a small scale but nearly all skis on show in Telford had it to some extent – from full tip and tail rockers on most freeride skis to much smaller tip-only rockers on most piste skis. Having a rocker basically means the end of the ski turns up before you would normally expect it to. The effect of this is that the skis float better in powder and power through the off-piste crud better than conventional skis. It also means that less of the ski is in contact with the snow when you are skiing groomed pistes, so the skis are easier to turn (and to swivel and skid for an intermediate). So they are better for both experts and intermediates, which must be a good thing. Fischer even has a new ‘Hybrid’ range of skis where you can flick a switch on the front part of the ski and change the tip from conventional to rocker and vice versa.

Fischer’s Rab Reid showing off his new Hybrid ski with the yellow switch which changes the tip of the ski from conventional to rocker shape

Other talking points at the show included a new binding featured by Salomon and Atomic (they are owned by the same company). This is a touring binding which skis as well as a normal downhill binding – and the Salomon version (the Guardian 16 binding) won the Hardware Best in Show Award. It is part of another trend where manufacturers are making more ski boots, skis and bindings designed to make it easier for skiers to ‘hike and ride’ (ie walk up from the top of the lift system to find fresh powder to ski). I have to say you are unlikely to find WTSS’s editors joining this trend much.

The Best in Show Award for Accessories went to the Recon Instruments Mod Live sensor and GPS system. This can be fitted into various goggles and will show your speed, distance and vertical skied, jump distance and airtime, altitude, exact position on the mountain (plus piste map of the resort you’re in) and various other things – all in a display in the bottom corner of the goggle.

More on how the new skis perform from Austria in early March.

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