This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips / Telemark Francais Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web since 1998. East, West, North, South, Canada, US or Europe, Backcountry or not.
This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips / Telemark Francais Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web since 1998. East, West, North, South, Canada, US or Europe, Backcountry or not.
This is the World Famous TelemarkTalk / TelemarkTips Forum, by far the most dynamic telemark and backcountry skiing discussion board on the world wide web. We have fun here, come on in and be a part of it.
I've heard it said before that a ski doesn't care how tall you are, just how much you weigh.
In the same spirit... When I bought my MT51 from Norseman in Calgary they specifically asked for my weight and they choose the ski more adapted to it. Each pair of skis are not born equal so if a specialized ski shop ask for your weight too choose the right pair of skis then I will say it is a major factor. They did not bother asking for my BMI or my height. I have never personally trusted BMI as a health index. According to it I would be severely overweight (BMI of 28.4). I would have to lose 25 pounds to reach 25... by then I would look like a ski pole
Height matters. Affects kick length. Massively important in xc racing. Read a study saying that kick length a better predictor of speed than frequency (kicks per mile). Maybe that’s why Åsnes lists height on the charts for many of their skis. Norwegian company. Take this stuff seriously. Maybe more seriously than others?
“ Elite skiers have longer strides compared to less successful skiers... ”
Lots of competitive skiers have bmi ~22-25. They look like beasts. Big chest cavities, arms, shoulders. No waist, massive legs. VO2 max is a weight corrected value. Can’t get big numbers on a Coors physique.
My bmi is 25.0. My % body fat is 13%. So I could stand to lose 7-10#s. Would it make me a better skier? No doubt. And, atm, I’m in the middle of the weight range for my skis. Losing weight would be like a longer ski. I’d have to work harder for the kick but the glide would be faster. 7-10#s less would affect my DH? I’m not a SG skier.
I've heard it said before that a ski doesn't care how tall you are, just how much you weigh.
In the same spirit...
Question:
As far as weight goes, how does a ski "care"?
I can see a heavier person having a higher PSI (or kg/cm^2 ?), but what factors could one change for that. I can only think of ski length, ski width (L x W determining the area the weight is distributed across), and ski stiffness.
As width affects how easy it is to edge (easier to make a skinny ski roll on its edge than a wide powder ski), playing with that affects edging performance.
Length works toward stability for height, though also affects turn radius as well as rotational momentum (though would could design a longer ski with centralized mass to offset).
Degree of camber and or ski stiffness seems to correlate best with weight because it works basically like an inverted leaf spring on car/truck rear axle, and the more weight those carry the more/stiffer springs they use (1/4 ton, 1/2 ton, ... F150, F250, F350 ...).
Tail Butter, Ollie, Nose Stalls illustrate in a rather sporting way how ski length is related to fore-aft stability as the shorter the ski, the easier it is to lever up on them, etc. Rocking up onto your toes or heels is E-Z peasy in boots as they're only 1' (30cm) long or so, compared to 4-7'. The taller one is, the easier it is to "lever" a ski fore-aft. Where 18" of ski behind the boot might keep a kid stable from falling backward, it won't do much for a 6' tall person.
I think a short guy and a tall guy of the same weight can pressure the skis exactly the same way with enough skill.
This only works if you think that really short or really tall people can’t develop the same level of skill. Why? DH, XC is dominated by people of narrow height, weight. XC is the most extreme… 5’11”-6’1” weighing ~165-180#s. That’s what has been winning races for years. DH slightly broader.. ~5’9”-6’ in the 170-185# range. ~90% of podium finishers on the men’s pro circuit fall in these ranges. Can’t be coincidence.
Some ski manufacturers serve a narrow audience too. Between ~21-28. Not a coincidence. Wouldn’t have believed it until running the #s. Numbers don’t lie.
We aren't talking about racing, just weight/ height and skis, and I stand by what I said. I can change how and where I pressure my skis without changing my height.
A skier cares about the length of their skis, but the skis mostly react to weight. They also react to how you apply your weight to the skis. A tall or short guy should be able to pressure their skis in the same exact way, with enough skill.
Also this is a telemark forum, this is the context in which we talk about skiing. If you are looking at things from a different perspective, like xc or racing you should let it be known.
The whole point of the discussion to this point has been to find how the DH, XC figures (which are well known, published) correspond to tele (which isn’t documented anywhere). Tele fits in the middle. From its inception in Norway to its resurgence in 60s. Free heel, lighter gear, moderately wide skis, no lifts. The discussion then turned to how the gear is serving tele skiers. Picked Asnes height, weight charts to make a point. Charts easy to find, popular skis for tele.
Not your brand of discussion? Free country. Just don’t say it’s not about tele skiers. It has been from the start.
I can change how and where I pressure my skis without changing my height.
You change how you pressure your skis all the time by varying height. Bend knees for a tele turn, bend knees for a carving turn, bend knees for kicking. That changes effective height, changes balance, weighting in all kinds.
The discussion might be too performance oriented. Go find a fire hydrant to hump on boomer.
I think a short guy and a tall guy of the same weight can pressure the skis exactly the same way with enough skill.
A 3-foot-tall guy can not lean as far forward nor backward on the skis as a 6-foot-tall person can.
For two skiers each leaning 10-degrees forward, the center of mass of the 3' skier will be HALF as far forward as the 6' skier (with regard to the 'pivot' point... ankle).
Longer body (height) = longer lever = more leverage (torque) for same angle.
Not mentiomed in all of this, especially by @Manney who has made many (true) claims that xc is dominated by tall thin guys (with blonde hair and blue eyes), is the fact that xc is part of life in countries for people of a very young age who grow up to be...tall and skinny. Seems a simple case of conflating causation and correlation.
