What does "More Forgiving Ski" mean?

[2ski2moro]

I have read reviews that say that a ski is "More Forgiving."

What does that mean?

What kinds of mistakes are helped by a forgiving ski?

Will a "more forgiving" ski hold you back in developing good ski techniques by forgiving instead of forcing you to correct your bad habits?

 

[SnowHot]

Wow there is a lot to this question!

In my assessment, a forgiving ski is one that has a softer flex to allow for a change of mind in the middle of a move(whether the move is bad or good)
A not so forgiving ski demands that you complete the move you start whether its good or bad.

Some skis will demand that you be a skilled skier to embrace their properties.

Will a forgiving ski hold you back from learning? I doubt it. I think it allows you to learn better skills without making you frustrated.

Does this help?

 

[2ski2moro]

More questions

Every little bit of advice helps!

I am interested to know what a More Forgiving Ski can do for me.

Let’s say you’re cruising down a groomer and you’re cut off by an out of control snowboarder. You have to make an abrupt turn to avoid an accident. Will a More Forgiving Ski help here?

Another example. An intermediate skier gets on a really steep, icy Black Diamond run. She knows that there is no way for her to carve her turns with style and finesse. She just wants to get to the bottom safely. Will a More Forgiving Ski help here?

Or does a More Forgiving Ski let you to skid some turns instead of carving?

Will a More Forgiving Ski hold you back in any way?

 

[SnowHot]

IN the situation you described

Let’s say you’re cruising down a groomer and you’re cut off by an out of control snowboarder. You have to make an abrupt turn to avoid an accident. Will a More Forgiving Ski help here?

A more forgiving ski may allow you to make that abrupt move, without throwing you down, where a less forgiving ski will demand more skill in such a situation.


In this situation:

Another example. An intermediate skier gets on a really steep, icy Black Diamond run. She knows that there is no way for her to carve her turns with style and finesse. She just wants to get to the bottom safely. Will a More Forgiving Ski help here?

If you're in over your head on terrain, a forgiving ski is not going to be much help.
It may help you cherry pick your way to safer terrain, but its not going to be a magic wand to get you out of a bad situation.

In most cases, a more forgiving ski will only hold you back as much as you choose to avoid improvement. It will allow you to make bad moves, but it does not require that you make bad moves. Improving is still up to you!

 

[volklgirl]

A "forgiving" ski simply allows for grosser body movements without instantaneous reactions.

Say you regularly let your hips fall behind your feet; a forgiving ski will give you time to regain your balance without repercussions, while an unforgiving ski will dump you unceremoniously on your rump.

The same properties that make a ski forgiving also make it less precise. They also often make the ski a less able carver, especially at high speeds.

In the case of the icy slope and the skier out of their element, a very forgiving ski would actually be a detriment here as it takes longer to respond to more subtle movements while this situation requires an instantaneous response from the skis and boots.

 

[perma-grin]

A more forgiving ski doesn't punish you for a less than optimal position either enter or exiting the turn, hense it doesn't toss you around as much as a less forgiving ski will. When ever I use the term "forgiving ski" with a student I am specifically refer to a ski that doesn't beat them up for their mistakes but will reward them with the ability to make better turns with greater speed as their skill increases. How forgiving a ski actually is going to be is more dependant on your ability. A ski that is forgiving for a level 7-9 skier could be a nightmare for a level 3-5 skier and vice versa.

 

[vickie]

A "forgiving" ski simply allows for grosser body movements without instantaneous reactions.

:ROTF:

I LOVE that! It's as if you've been watching me ski!