Why are so many touring skis so damn stiff? (downhill)

[Woodserson]

Goddamn I just went into a shop and flexed a bunch of touring-ish/AT/Randonee/etc. skis and they are all 2x4's at the least.

Is everyone else a raging hero ripper who is hucking huge booters in the BC and cutting sweet lines down gnarly spines at velocity but me? Am I the only slowpoke normal person skiing left on the planet?

Everything, from across the manufacturing spectrum (Voile excluded-- thankgod (-Manti)), across waist lengths. I attemped to flex a Fischer Hannibal 106 and it might as well have been a fence post. 106! I could keep the family bull in the pen with this one... who is the MONSTER that is riding this ski?

Does ski design follow the fictitious desires of the client, or give the client what they actually need?

I mean, especially in the east coast with tight bumps and tighter tree lines. I want schmearability and the ability to get really stinky with it. Kick-my-ass I-beams aren't going to get sloppy when I need to E-brake around that submerged branch and not get kicked into the backseat super hard for letting technique slip.

I don't want noodles, don't get me wrong, but Christ!

[lowangle al]

I don't know if this holds true or if it has anything to do with it but the couple times I've skied with At skiers I thought their skis were short compared to mine at 185cm.

[Stephen]

Have you tried this routine?

[greatgt]

Too good Stephen! 99's and 109's seem pretty soft....TM

[Woodserson]

Have you tried this routine?
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I was hoping for some acronyms!

That thing, oh man. It keep popping up once in a while.

[bauerb]

I once bought a used 1997 Ford F250 4x4. my first driving experience was "oh my god the suspension on this thing is like a buckboard wagon". someone responded, well that truck is setup for a 5th wheel trailer and the ride will be alot smoother if you are towing 10,000lbs. maybe the backcountry skis you tried will smooth out if you carry a 100lb pack

[Rodbelan]

Like those rants of yours Woods... Keep them coming!

Concerning your interrogation, I think that most people that buy those skis will still ski at the resort most of the time; skiing in the BC is demanding (COVID might have or will change things though). It is probably a design compromise; I can hear someone in that focus group saying «I want big floating board for powder days but I also want to carve on hardback». A more specialized fat noodle would only be good in vast amont of light, fresh snow. But why not a little less stiff? Gee, I don't know. Wouldn't that be a better compromise?

[fisheater]

It’s gotta be stiff, when it’s around 100 mm underfoot and the average skier on a blue groomer is on 6”- 8” of snow cone tillage on top of a glacier base.
I think it all has to do with skis being so fat. The average intermediate skier can’t ski off piste. However somehow they are buying powder skis. Then they need to be stiff, stiff, because the more common condition can be heavy refrozen tillage on a glacial base.
I happened to be in a ski shop yesterday, while I was getting some tires being installed a block down. The only skis in the entire shop I was interested in, were a pristine pair of old Olins, pre-midfat era. The Olins were mounted on the wall. There were other old wall skis, but they were all race skis, too stiff light boots and not super active Telemark bindings.

[Shintangle]

It's a Yurpean thing. Traditionally in Yurp touring is was done mostly in the spring on firm re-frozen snow when the days are longer and avie hazards are lower. If you are skiing steep lines on icy conditions a stiff short ski turns easily and holds an edge. I still have a pair of Ramer AT skis from sometime in the 80's. They are remarkably stiff and light.

[Woodserson]

It's a Yurpean thing. Traditionally in Yurp touring is was done mostly in the spring on firm re-frozen snow when the days are longer and avie hazards are lower. If you are skiing steep lines on icy conditions a stiff short ski turns easily and holds an edge. I still have a pair of Ramer AT skis from sometime in the 80's. They are remarkably stiff and light.

This is an interesting idea, thank you.

But then why make a 106mm underfoot ski for these conditions? Also, the DPS skis (USA) were all stiff as railroad tracks, except the DPS Pagoda 114 which actually had a nice flex that was like the V6. (It was also 1400 bucks. Jesus. I can get almost 3 skis from Summit Cone for that much.)