I started this as a different thread but it is clearly an adjunct to the thread we have had going about Rocker and skiing movements.
I learned something last year that is actually quite obvious so it's not surprising that it took me 9 years of skiing to figure it. When skiing 3-D snow the skis need to come up enough out of the snow so that they can release and so that the skier can tip the skis on edge to initiate the next turn (release, transfer and engage). The relationship between float and velocity is an important one. Most intermediate skiers that try to ski in powder on skinny skis find it very challenging. Many advanced/expert skiers don't find it very difficult at all. The reason why is speed or velocity. At a high enough speed, even the skinniest of skis will plane enough to allow release and transfer and re engagemnt onto the other set of edges. Having said that, if you are on thinner skis and you feel uncomfortable with skiing at a faster speed, then it is likley that you will not plane high enough to make RT and E free and easy and the skis will get caught up in the snow. Now add to this some other potential issues that intermediates may bring with them into 3-D conditions (like poor fore aft balance, or rotating the upper body) and without enough speed on thinner skis it can get ugly fast.
From a PMTS perspective (and those that don't care about this can disregard this) the goal is to get the bullet proof short radius turn bullet proof enough so that the skier can take the speed up to terminal velocity (the speed at which the skier will no longer be accelerating) and continue to make short radius turns. If you watch HH and Diana ski pow this is how they do it. Max has mastered this as well. I can do it on dark blue terrain for 15 turns but not on black terrain. So again from the PMTS perspective, the goal is to ski at terminal velocity using the bullet proof short radius turn. And this is a lofty goal for any skier. It took Max years and I am still working to get there.
So when looking at the issue of equipment when one is focusing on skiing this way, it is very simple. Sidecut and TR actually becomes more important than float!! I will say it again, when skiing at terminal velocity with BPSRT's sidecut is actually more important than float. The float is coming from the speed and at terminal velocity, almost anyone at any weight will have enough speed to plane high enough to RTand E all the way down the hill. No one is ever going to claim that this is easy, but it is the goal. And anyone that gets there (even if it is only for 15 turns at a time) will tell you that it is an amazing experience.
So it absolutely follows that if you can't or don't want to ski at terminal velocity. then you will need more float than the skier who is skiing at TV. This is why wide skis got popular in the first place. Speed will eliminate many issues that 3-D snow will throw at a skier. Without the speed we need more float. Add to this the issue of size and weight and 6 4" 220lb guys that don't want to go fast need a lot more float to be able to plane high enough in the snow to RTand E.
So there is no doubt that skiing on fatter skis makes things easier in 3-D snow. You can ski at a slower more lesiurely pace and not need to work as hard to get the skis to plane high enough to make turns.
It is also true that generally the longer and wider that you go, the wider the TR of the skis goes. What you gain in float you are losing in edging ability. So if you are skiing a 192cm ski that is 120mm underfoot and the TR is 36m, you have great float but you are also skiing on a plank and the natural TR is that of a super G ski. In PMTS we are trying to ski slalom turns in steeps in 3-d conditions (again at terminal velocity). This is very simply why Harald Harb has hated fat skis for so many years. He is giving up so much in TR and because he can ski fast he doesn't need the float. That's why he'd most times rather ski steep pow on his IM 78's than on a 30m TR ski. Can he ski it on the wide TR ski, of course, but he actually has to work harder because he can't use the sidecut of the ski to help him turn the skis.
So moving now to the issue of rocker. Does rocker give more float? Yes. So this makes it easier to ski at slower speeds and still be able to RT and E. But from a PMTS prespective rocker (especially rockered tails) come with another set of issues that complicates it for PMTS technique. Rockered tails make it incredibly easy to slip, pivot and steer the tails, so easy that this often becomes the default move for many skiers that are on them. Something that I haven't mentioned is the necesary component of counteracting forces and counter balancing forces in good PMTS skiing. When skiing SRT's at terminal velocity, there is no steering. There is only flexing to release and the CA and CB forces naturally move the skis to their new edge. This is the only that the a skeir can actuilly do slalom turns or BPSRT's at speed. Everything needs to be lined up with upper and lower body separation. It is hard or impossible to steer skis nto turns at these speeds. So when a skier skis on a ski that not only does not require proper CA and CB forces to initiate the edge change, but actually requires some modest amount of rotational force (that is what steering, pivoting, slithering, slarving and skarving require) this is why we will say again that rockered skis do not promote good PMTS technique and in fact promote the opposite. Again there is more than enough float available for any skier that wants a ski without rocker (at least at this point in time), but what attracts people to rocker is the amazing float and the ease with which the skis will pivot, steer, slither, slarve and skarve.
The great news is that there are 3-D skis available that will fulfill the goals of most skiers. PMTS skiesr that want to learn how to ski at TV will be chossing skis that support this, with no rocker and tigher turn radii. The skis that come to mind are the Icelantic Shaman and the Ski Logik Ullrs Chariot (which I have yet to ski) or the Movement Pariah and Jam. Those that want the added flexibility to slither and slarve and pivot more easily have an even wider range of skis to choose from.
I hope this makes some of my comments and comments from Max clearer. There is a very specific goal for skiers to achieve in PMTS and it all revolves around the BPSRT and skiing at TV. There are skis that support this and ski that are detrimental to this. This is not about what is good skiing or about the right way to ski pow. Everyone should enjoy the snow in every way that suits them best.
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