THE SKI HARDWEAR GUIDE

SKIS

We know that there’s a huge choice of skis and all the terms can be a bit overwhelming, so here’s what to look for (and what to avoid).

In simple terms you want a piste ski that’s not too stiff, not too wide and the radius isn’t too long.

Why?

Well, you want to be able to carve long turns (so you don’t want a super tight radius or ‘sidecut’).

You also want to feel the ski edge and get grip (so skis that aren’t too wide).

Finally you want to ski bumps and soft snow as well as piste (so you do’t need a stiff race ski).

To keep it simple here’s the full checklist:

1. Choose a piste performance ski
2. Avoid race skis – especially with a race plate
   (they will simply be too stiff to be versatile enough)
3. Don’t buy an off-piste ski for skiing on-piste skiing!
   (they will be far too wide for piste skiing)
4. Avoid twin tips
   (they are usually too soft and often too wide as well)
5. Some “all mountain skis” that are narrower can be ok
   (check with us if you’re not sure)
6. The width under foot ideally between 70 – 80mm
   (read more below)
7. The length of the ski for piste performance should be from about 150cm to 180cm this depends on your height!

There are a huge number of skis like that fit these guidelines, so if you’re not sure just get in touch with us for some advice and check out our blogs (the link is below)…

You might like to have a second pair of skis for park or freeskiing (although we don’t recommend these skis for the course training and exams).

SKI WIDTH UNDER FOOT

It might seem small detail, but the wider a ski the harder it is to get grip and influence the ski – especially on hard packed pistes.

Essentially it makes it harder to ski on piste and harder to pass your exams. We think 80mm is possible but still making things hard.

So when trainees have a ski that’s 84 or 88 mm underfoot it’s really making things too difficult to pass the Level 1 and Level 2.

And even though they often look the coolest, skis over 90mm are definitely off-piste skis, not piste skis…

BOOTS

To get a good boot you really need to go to a (good) boot fitter and try on boots.

Don’t try to buy a pair off the internet and then take them to a shop to get them fitted.

So find a good shop or specialist and have a chat.

Arrange a fitting session and explain about your course. If they’re a good fitter they will understand.

Nobody wants sore feet – so having the right conversation and knowing what you’re looking for is vital.

A good boot-fitter will help you find the right make and model of boot to fit your foot shape.

They also know all about tweaking your boots to suit you feet perfectly.

Make sure you are clear that you need a piste performance boot and also that you are on a ski instructor training course – say BASI 1 and 2 and they should understand.

(Remember if they think you’re doing your BASI 4 they might give you boots that are too stiff!).

Tell them that you are looking for a boot with a flex in the range of 100-130 (maximum) for men or 80-110 for women. The heavier or taller you are, the stiffer you can go.

They often suggest a race boot or a free-ride boot, but just be clear you need a ‘piste performance’ boot.

A lot of brands are now using the BOA system rather than the classic buckle closure. This is a dial which tightens a wire ‘lace’ to close the boot.

It’s actually really good so if they suggest something like that don’t panic – it’s just the a new way to close your boot and is perfectly good for your course.

OFF-PISTE HARDWEAR

If you are on an off-piste module you will need off-piste skiing kit (as well as the search equipment).

It’s a big topic so this is a long explanation…

But remember, if you are on a short off-piste course you can rent for the duration of your training. So you might no need to buy all of the kit. Talk to us and we can recommend who to rent from in resort.

Equally if you are planning on a lot of off-piste skiing after your course, owning your own kit is great.

OFF-PISTE SKIS

The best solution is a specialist off-piste ski. It’s the best solution for proper off-piste skiing especially with modern compact touring bindings.

If that’s a new term for you, this is where the ski can be used to ‘walk’ uphill (with the addition of touring ‘skins’ to stop you sliding back down…) but the bindings’ heal-pieces then lock back down to ski back downhill again.

A specific off-piste ski will give you the best experience and allow you to ski more terrain. So you get more off-piste adventures.

They often have an early rise at the tip to help keep the tips up in soft or deep snow

They also usually have a softer in flex, that makes them more forgiving in variable snow densities and smoother to steer in tough conditions.

We think the optimal width for a dedicated off-piste ski is about 100mm underfoot. You can go bigger but they are a nightmare on hardback snow. You still need to be versatile (unless you’re off to ski powder in Alaska…).

OFF-PISTE BINDINGS

For a complete off-piste set-up you usually get touring bindings.

OF course you can just get a standard fixed alpine binding with no touring skins – but you will be limited and on days when the team are touring you will need to rent kit.

Touring bindings release at the heel to allow you to pivot at the toe. With the addition of a ‘skin’ you can walk uphill.

The skins attach to the base of the ski with a kind of temporary glue, the skin has thousands of tiny Haris on the other side that grip the snow, digging in so you can walk uphill.

There are two main types of touring binding.

Frame bindings are compatible with any boot, so you don’t need to have a free-ride boot with pin inserts on the toe piece (see below).

You only need normal alpin boots – but these aren’r great to walk a long way in. Blisters or sore feet are usually part of the deal… But plenty of people are ok with that compromise and they don’t buy extra boots.

Pin bindings are a more specialist system that work with pin-binding boots.

The binding is lighter and the walking experience is easier. But it’s a socialist boot that you might not want in addition to your normal boots.

That said, nowadays there are a lot of very good stiff pin-binding boots that you can use for some pretty good piste skiing. You just ned to have a good chat about options with your boot-fitter (see above…).

Some full-pin options are really lightweight but usually trainees like a slightly heavier hybrid options which have much better downhill reliability.

TOURING SKINS

If you get touring gear you will need some “skins”. These will need to be trimmed to fit your ski, so a visit to your local ski shop will be required – it’s tricky to get the cut right so best left to experts…

There are loads of skins out there but there isn’t a right and wrong. But a chat with your local ski shop (or a phone call) will help narrow down the options.