by HeluvaSkier » Fri Apr 12, 2019 10:18 am
FIS skis are a whole different animal compared to anything you'll find in the consumer line-up. It isn't only that they are stiffer... they grip better, they turn tighter, they are less predictable and as a result are less versatile. Anyone skiing anything other than a slalom turn on a FIS slalom ski, is not tapping into the skis capability or true performance envelope. This is where we often see skiers grinding on the side cut (park and ride) or pushing the skis sideways... Even for brushing, there are FAR better skis out there.
For example, I have a medium flex 165cm Fischer FIS SL ski, which is actually softer than my 165cm Head I.SL (non-FIS) ski. The Head is FAR more versatile everywhere on the mountain, and the only place it won't keep up is when making high-speed SL turns on steep, icy blue and black pitches, and of course... the race course. On that type of terrain and snow, the Head will blow out of the arc mid-turn because it doesn't have the grip to handle the pressure build. Conversely, the FIS skis often have too much grip... to a point where I find myself doing everything I can to reduce the grip in order to keep the ski slicing clean through the bottom of the arc. I never find myself looking for grip on a FIS ski.
Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.
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