What to Look for When It’s Time to Update Your Water-Ski Equipment
Many recreational skiers who have skied for years do not really know too much about the state of ski technology. You have a ski you like and you don’t figure to wear it out or break it in half, so why fill your head with a bunch of engineering jargon?
Still, the time may come when you decide to get off your old wood ski and try one of the new honeycomb core, fiberglass or graphite models. A few things to remember when shopping for a new ski:
WIDTH--Generally, a wider ski is faster and will better accommodate a heavier skier. Narrow skis decelerate faster and are better suited for light-to-medium-weight skiers. A wide forebody (front half) keeps the tip high during deceleration and will help prevent the ski from throwing the skier out front during a sharp turn, but a narrow forebody helps the ski bite in the preturn. The relation of width in the forebody, midsection and tail is a key factor. Too wide in the midsection and the ski will rock front to back too much, resulting in overturn. Too narrow and the ski will not carve through the water smoothly.
ROCKER--Rocker is the curve of the ski. Continuous even rocker in the forebody makes for smoother turns. Less rocker up front puts control on the edges, facilitating aggressive turns. In the tail, more rocker means faster turns and slower acceleration. Flatter tails are faster to accelerate but harder to turn.
BEVELS--Sharp bevels in the forebody tend to keep the ski riding higher in the water. Sharper bevels in the tail make the ski accelerate faster, but they also force the tail up in the water, making the ski feel loose, especially in hard turns.
STIFFNESS--Overall, stiff skis are more responsive in turns and accelerations. A softer, more flexible ski is more forgiving in the turn and through waves. A ski with a soft forebody is aggressive in turns, but a stiffer one will better connect the end of a turn with the ensuing acceleration. A stiff tail makes the ski accelerate faster, but a softer tail is easier to turn.