realskiers

There isn't any question that wider skis change/improve the powder experience, but people need to be realistic about how much powder skiing they are doing. There aren't really that many "big mountain skiers" out here!!  Peter has an artical or comments about the number of people showing up at classes aimed at improving hard snow skills wearing "all-mountan" skis.

I think Brendan's original question is extremely valid.  I believe the ski manufacturers are "pushing" wider skis irrespective of where the skier plans to use them, and I believe their only motivation is to sell new skis.  The marketing industry in America is tremendously adept a "creating a need that didn't originally exist" and I believe that's the crux of the wide ski 'craze'.