Drifting ski - causes?

[lisamamot]

Has anyone ever experienced a drifting ski? My husband has the 2015 Rossignol Experience 88 180, purchased them new, and has skied them for a couple of seasons and really loves them. When we were in Big Sky last March he was having a problem with his left leg/ski where it felt like it was drifting out and he had to work to keep it where it belonged; it was tiring, but at the time he attributed it to a still strengthening knee (he had a previous injury) and didn't consider there being an issue with the ski. That was the finale to our ski season last year and he didn't worry too much about it.

On his first day out this season, he had a repeat of the drifting left ski, but only on his skis. He demoed the Enforcer 100 185 the following day and had no such issue. I cannot be certain, but I expect he skis with a dedicated left and a right ski due to the habit of having the pattern go a certain way.

We cannot find anything wrong on a visual inspection - binding seems tight, no base/edge damage, so we are a bit stumped. We are going to bring the skis in to have them looked over, but I figured I would shoot out the symptom here and find out if anyone has some ideas of what it might be.

 

[VickiK]

Could it be the tune?

 

[lisamamot]

Could it be the tune?

Possibly. Not sure if we got them tuned in a shop before we went to Big Sky, or if was a do-it-yourself job. I know they went into the shop for an end of season tune....I guess I supposed if it was a tune issue it would have corrected itself then for this season?

 

[VickiK]

I'd still suspect the tune, especially since he's been on the skis for a couple of seasons, and is familiar with them. Since he didn't have the issue on the demo's, I ruled out the knee strength question. But these things aren't so cut and dried that my logic fits. He'd be the one to say whether his knee is improved or still weaker than normal.

If the same shop (person) did the tune pre-Big Sky and at the end of season...maybe the tune is the same?

My BP's have a design that makes me always have a dedicated left/right ski (it's the bull). I try to do the same with my other skis.

 

[Jilly]

He doesn't change up his skis at a break? I like to change up the skis at lunch. That is why there is only a ski diva sticker on one ski. Did he try that.? That would tell right away it's the tune and not his knee. But since he didn't have a problem on the demo's than there is something with the skis/tune.

 

[lisamamot]

He does not swap them..or rather he doesn't intentionally keep a left or right ski...perhaps a sticker is in order? They were tuned once before Big Sky and then once after (I checked, and not by the same place) - it is possible it is a tune issue that did not get corrected with the end of season tuning.

Swapping them when he was skiing last would have been a great idea, but he did not; that said, it seems it is not the knee if the Enforcers were fine...but you never know. I am going to pick up his new Enforcers on Friday from getting mounted; he is out of town so I may just bring in his Experience then to have them peeked at.

On another note, I know someone who intentionally keeps a left and a right ski. Is that a bad thing?

 

[Jilly]

I don't know a reason except binding changes that someone has a right or left for us recreational skier. Someone might need a lift on their binding because of a short leg type of thing. Racers quite often use a left and right. I suspecting a bad tune or maybe they detuned the ski too much on one.

When I notice something odd, the first thing I do is trade skis. Then I know if it's me or the skis.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I like the suggestion of the tune. It's also not crazy to think that his injury has led to some long-term compensation patterns he can't even feel because his proprioception has adjusted. Unless I'm paying very close attention and watching in a mirror, my squats right now skew to the left, and I don't feel it unless I really think about it. That kind of thing doesn't naturally fix itself; it requires a lot of attention. I'm not saying this *has* to be the answer, but there are pros who can help with this sort of thing.

 

[ski diva]

Yeah, it sounds like a bad tune to me. Something similar happened to DH a couple years ago, and that's what it was.

 

[Pequenita]

Leg length discrepancy manifesting in him putting more weight on the right leg is another possibility; maybe the sidecut in the wider ski doesn't have a bias towards turning/drifting.

 

[lisamamot]

@Jilly , my son has a leg length discrepancy and a lift under one of his bindings so he definitely has a dedicated left and right ski. I just have a friend who likes to keep a left and right ski too and I was curious if there is a reason to avoid having a dedicated ski...if avoiding is an option that is.

@Pequenita , now that is an interesting thought.

All things to consider. Will get the tune checked and see if that fixes it, and take it from there.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I was curious if there is a reason to avoid having a dedicated ski...if avoiding is an option that is.

Some people pay a lot of attention to how much they're using each edge; swapping skis gives you a pristine edge.

REI insists on marking my skis "left" and "right" when they mount bindings. The idea is that theoretically, your boots could have worn down differently and need different binding settings. I suspect this is pretty rare in practice. They're the only shop I know that asks you to leave both boots for mountings and adjustments.

And Elan has this "amphibio" technology with different sidecut patterns on each side, so those are directional.

And my friend Doug just tore out his edge snagging a rock in a chute. He fixed it amazingly well, but he only wants to rely on the other edge.

I can't think of any other reasons.

 

[Obrules15]

Wondering if the injury could have messed up his alignment a "little" and the tune is "little" off which together have a multiplicative effect.

 

[volklgirl]

First, check to make sure all 4 brake arms are fully retracting. Second, check for burrs and/or a bad tune (swapping skis to see if it stays with the ski or with the leg is an easy way to check). Lastly, get his leg/boot alignment checked.

 

[MrsPlow]

I had some very odd skiing on my Rossi Super 7's last year - bit bad really but I took them out brand new, nothing but shop-wax on there. Could only turn properly when I had them on the right feet - ie there was a definite left/right thing going on. Problem has gone away with proper waxing and brushing.

 

[lisamamot]

First, check to make sure all 4 brake arms are fully retracting. Second, check for burrs and/or a bad tune (swapping skis to see if it stays with the ski or with the leg is an easy way to check). Lastly, get his leg/boot alignment checked.

I never thought to check the brakes - the inside brake is hanging slightly low on one ski. We will take care of that and also get them re-tuned. Thank you!

 

[snow addict]

I had something that could be described as a "drifting ski" with my DPS once. It was really weird: I could feel my foot flexing the boot, all the right moves were seemingly there but it was as if there was no connection between boot/binding/ski and my left ski was just dragging along. It was very frustrating and hard work to ski too. I went inside for a coffee and was ready to bail but took off boots, socks, then put everything back on, and it was gone. I possibly also swapped skis, but because they are identical and not marked in any way I must be doing it all the time. No idea what it was all about. It wasn't straight after a new tune and I don't tune my powder skis very often, so didn't take them to the shop after especially that I could ski again on them without problems. But really strange. I didn't even think taking boots/socks off will help, I did it just for the sake of doing something.

 

[Obrules15]

I had something that could be described as a "drifting ski" with my DPS once. It was really weird: I could feel my foot flexing the boot, all the right moves were seemingly there but it was as if there was no connection between boot/binding/ski and my left ski was just dragging along. It was very frustrating and hard work to ski too. I went inside for a coffee and was ready to bail but took off boots, socks, then put everything back on, and it was gone. I possibly also swapped skis, but because they are identical and not marked in any way I must be doing it all the time. No idea what it was all about. It wasn't straight after a new tune and I don't tune my powder skis very often, so didn't take them to the shop after especially that I could ski again on them without problems. But really strange. I didn't even think taking boots/socks off will help, I did it just for the sake of doing something.

I've heard this can happen if the foot is poorly seated in the boot, and it is why I was instructed to put on boots a certain way and make sure to pull up on the liner and separately manipulate the liner prior to buckling.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I had something that could be described as a "drifting ski" with my DPS once. It was really weird: I could feel my foot flexing the boot, all the right moves were seemingly there but it was as if there was no connection between boot/binding/ski and my left ski was just dragging along. It was very frustrating and hard work to ski too. I went inside for a coffee and was ready to bail but took off boots, socks, then put everything back on, and it was gone. I possibly also swapped skis, but because they are identical and not marked in any way I must be doing it all the time. No idea what it was all about. It wasn't straight after a new tune and I don't tune my powder skis very often, so didn't take them to the shop after especially that I could ski again on them without problems. But really strange. I didn't even think taking boots/socks off will help, I did it just for the sake of doing something.

I've heard this can happen if the foot is poorly seated in the boot, and it is why I was instructed to put on boots a certain way and make sure to pull up on the liner and separately manipulate the liner prior to buckling.

What she said. I've done this, and I've come out of the ski because of it. Usually it's because snow got packed under my boot or into the toe piece. In this case, you can't see anything wrong, so it's extra dangerous.

Last lesson, I saw my instructor "click in," except somehow his boot was not aligned with the toe piece. I told him before any carnage ensued.

With the knee stuff, I've noticed I have a tendency to accidentally misalign the heel on my right side, so I pay extra close attention before skiing off.

 

[snow addict]

I've heard this can happen if the foot is poorly seated in the boot, and it is why I was instructed to put on boots a certain way and make sure to pull up on the liner and separately manipulate the liner prior to buckling.

Yes, probably the liner wasn't sitting properly in a shell. But at the time nothing felt wrong, just one ski had its own path even that I was going through all the right moves. Could be brakes too, now that it was mentioned. Resolved easily in the end, but yes, I usually put on boots in a certain way aiming to achieve a certain kind of feel, and buckle the same combination of buckles. I never change it during the day.