It will be interesting to see if Vail Resorts can turn around the fortunes of Canyons. Canyons has long struggled to be profitable. If there is something that Vail Resorts does exceedingly well, that is running a successful business.
Click here for more information.
Craigs"Ski"List
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Rocker vs. Camber... Crocker?
During the past few
winters I have had more and more people ask me about rockered skis and why they
are better than skis with camber- they are not necessarily better, just different. Here I will explain the main differences between
rocker and camber and hopefully give you some valuable information for that you
can use when it comes to making your next ski purchase.
Camber
Camber is what we
refer to as a “normal” ski. If you take a cambered ski and place it on a flat
surface, there are two points at which the ski makes contact - close to the tip
and to the tail. You will also see that the area between the tip and tail is
raised in an arc, which is what we refer to as camber. Camber makes it possible
to pressure the tip of the ski evenly with only a small increase in the edge
angle of the ski, which makes for a very active start to the turn. Similarly, “rebound”
is achieved due to the higher pressure that develops in the tail of the ski at
the end of the turn.
Rocker
Rocker is a relatively new technology to skis.
It has been used in water sports for years, but only recently considered for use
on snow. The initial purpose of rocker in skis was to float over a surface (i.e.
powder) similar to how a water ski works on water. Looking at a full rocker ski
placed on a flat surface, there is only one point of contact at the center of
the ski. In fact, you will notice that it is the complete opposite to a camber
ski, which is why they are sometimes referred to as “reverse camber.” Rocker
has been finding its way into groomer skis more recently as a result of manufacturers
looking for ways to produce skis that are more versatile and easier to turn
(because of variable edge contact length) and less likely to catch an edge.
These skis are suitable for all levels of skiers in various forms, from
beginners to world cup racers.
A common misconception is that rocker is only
for powder skiing; although it is true that rocker does ski better in powder
than camber, the most important advantage of rocker is that it simply allows
for easier turn initiation and reduces the chance of catching an edge.
courtesy of epicski.com |
Combinations of Rocker
and Camber
Rocker and camber are being used in tandem to
meet the requirements of different snow conditions. These combinations are
being used in the design of both on and off-piste skis. Here are a couple of combinations
being used:
- Tip rockered (early rise) skis that are cambered underfoot can provide variable skiable edge in the tip (for ease of turning) joined with the stability of camber throughout the rest of the length of the ski.
- Tip and tail rockered skis make for a ski which is much more nimble and easier to turn, thanks to variable edge length. A cambered section underfoot retains stability on groomed terrain.
I hope that this clears things up for those of
you who had questions about this topic. Check back soon for more!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
SEASON OUTLOOK 2013 - Australia
I for one hope that the Grosshopper is right about this season's forecast!
SEASON OUTLOOK 2013 - Australia - Mid May Update - News and Features - Mountainwatch
SEASON OUTLOOK 2013 - Australia - Mid May Update - News and Features - Mountainwatch
Friday, May 17, 2013
Spring skiing at A-Basin
Had a great day skiing and hiking with Noah. It was actually my first time skiing at A-Basin, but I was happily surprised by the conditions considering that we are in the middle of May. Nice corn snow made for fun times. After skiing we went and hiked the Grouse Creek trail near Minturn. We were hoping to make it up to Grouse Lake but there is still a bit too much snow to negotiate above 9500 feet.
Noah and I at the top of A-Basin (Breckenridge in the distance) |
Lenawee Mountain in the background, 13200 feet |
Nice Staff Noah! |
Grouse Creek |
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The snow is back!
So the first real snow
of the season has fallen at Mount Hotham! I guess that means that it’s time to scrape the wax from those skis and get into some pre-season ski training…
Personally I am really looking forward to getting things underway. Between Trainers
coordination, Rookie Examiner selection, and the Mt Hotham Skills Clinic
(formally the hiring clinic) it promises to be a very busy start to the season.
If you are interested in participating in the Skills Clinic with the possibility
being selected to train and become an instructor click here.
Snake Gully webcam |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)