by jbotti » Fri Nov 23, 2012 10:55 am
OK. Flex patterns: you can tell a lot about flex pattern of a ski by picking it up and flexing the tips and then the tails. This will only give you a sense of how the ski flexes and the true test has to some on snow. The flex pattern that Harald likes and most good PMTS skiers like and prefer is one where the ski will bend when the tips are pressured. The ski should bend into the arc but also support the skier, Too soft a ski is not ideal. The tail should also bend into the arc especially further into the engagement part of the turn. Tails that are to stiff can make finishing a tight arc difficult, and ideally we don't want to need to overly weight the tail to get it to bend. Race stock GS skis generally have this characteristic (stiff tails that need a lot of pressure to bend them). Back to Volkls. The flex pattern that I find so often in Volkl and Nordica recreational "all mountain skis" is one were the tips are so stiff that they actually buck me off the tips. I am 6 3" 185 so I am not small and I know how to pressure the front end of a ski. The AC4 and/or 40 is a great example. Not only can I not bend the tips at the top of the arc, the tips are so stiff that I get rebound off the tips which immediately pushes me into the back seat. At my size and weight the ski skis best when I do not try to pressure the tips and when I just ride the sidecut, which we all know is not what we art trying to accomplish on skis. The tails are also way too stiff but if I haven't been able to bend the tips I am not carving tight arcs anyway bending the tails is almost moot. The tails respond to lateral pressure and skid quickly (because they are so stiff). This is why so many mediocre skiers love Volkl's. They can skid the skis easily and because they are so stiff they feel rock solid all over the mountain.
Ski Construction:
In general sandwich, vertical sidewall construction creates the best snow feel, best edge hold and the best flex pattern as long as they don't put too much metal in it. The Head lineup of carving skis that we all rave about with the Head SS, and the TT80 are all sandwich skis with really nice flex patterns. The Peak 85 which is a really nice ski is an example of ski with a GS style tail. It is a little too stiff and you need to weight it and pressure it in the bottom half of the arc to maintain the tight arc that you have started. Tips are great, tail is stiff.
In general the flex pattern that comes from a cap construction ski isn't as nice. They bend into as round an arc but usually with loss of edge hold and a less solid underfoot feel. Or they may have too much metal and will not bend into a nice arc. I don't like the feel on most and in general I don't buy cap construction skis. I would say that East Coast skiers that are skiing some large percentage of the time on ice should always be on sandwich construction skis.
So when demoing a ski, take the ski into some arcs. Notice what happens when you pressure the tips. Does the ski bend, how much does it bend and what happens to the feel and edge hold when it is bent at the top of the turn. Lower in the arc notice what happens with the tails. Do they bend into the arc naturally or are they stiffer and need to be further weighted to bend them?
It is best if a skier has skied something like a Head SS because that is a great flex pattern and that is the one that I compare all skis to in my mind. Stiffer than the SS can be good as long as the flex pattern remains somewhat even. For me softer that the SS would not be good for me, but for lighter skiers with a less developed ability to bend a ski, this might be perfect (I think the STX falls into this category, but I have not skied it).
Hope that helps.
Balance: Essential in skiing and in life!