realskiers

Hi Jim & Ron,

Well I'm stymied. I have been unable to decide on a wide ski for western skiing. I understand that a 95mm or wider ski will be needed to float my over-sized carcass. I also refuse to smeer or feather-edge a turn unless I need to dump speed immediately or its the end of the run. Can a big ski carve? No, and I know the question misses the point. Big skis are meant to be skied like a snowboard in soft snow. A ski floating in powder forms a shelf of snow underfoot, and the skier surfs the fluid powder. Turns are the product of ski flex, not sidecut. OK, I get it!

But what about those hours or sometimes days when no new snow exists? I am I supposed to slide around like an unschooled intermediate and never carve a turn again??

And I'm undecided If I should own an all-mountain midfat and rent a wide ski on powder days or own a wide ski and rent a carver on hard snow days?

I'm going back to Vermont where I don't have these problems.

Cheers,

Michael