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? Right ski length for me

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
The reason narrower skis such as the ones @Skylar_30 has been using are good for groomer skiing is it's easier to get them up on edge. The skier doesn't have to tip their lower legs as far over to get the ski tipped and gripping. A ski that grips early in the turn will continue to grip late in the turn when the skier needs it to.

If a skier is on wide skis and skiing on hard snow that the skis won't penetrate, and that skier is not used to tipping their lower legs that far over, then they'll need to manually rotate the ski while it's flat. That rotation, on hard snow, makes it more difficult to get the ski to grip when that grip counts the most, like on a steepish hard snow groomer.

Skiers who are used to tipping skis strongly will most likely not have this problem on that firrrm snow.

Soft penetrable snow is easy though. Tipping the ski happens without as much lower leg drama.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Skiers who are used to tipping skis strongly will most likely not have this problem on that firrrm snow.

Soft penetrable snow is easy though. Tipping the ski happens without as much lower leg drama.

Yes, but it can really make the knees hurt!! Speaking from experience!!
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Full on ortho brace? I do on the right knee. Left knee got the 3 hole surgery for meniscus and OA.
 

fgor

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I think you'll be fine then...you can always get a dedicated groomer pair of skis as well if you need to!
This is exactly what I ended up doing!!

To be fair there wasn't really any hardpack or groomers on the day that I demoed the mavens, it was a day with a little fresh snow which was pretty damn heavy, and the groomers all got churned to slush. No real experience with it on groomers. But as far as the length goes I think it will be fine.

I didn't realise that Blister has done a review on the ski: https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/2021-2022-atomic-maven-93-c

Sounds like it's pretty good on groomers for its width (though I'm not convinced they get the same sort of icy groomers in the US West that we get in NZ). It's hard to get skis that are ideal for NZ groomer conditions anyway. I've finally gotten a little bit better at skiing icy hardpack this season and it's really all down to technique. I've had ideal hardpack/ice skis for over a year but they didn't make me magically good at skiing that stuff :(

@Skylar_30 hopefully Hutt gets a few storms over the next month or so, so you can try them out in the fresh stuff! (there's one right now, got me wondering if I can get tomorrow off work...) It all gets tracked out pretty quickly but it's still fun to ski the chop. Those skis will be nice in the spring corn too.
 

Skylar_30

Certified Ski Diva
This is exactly what I ended up doing!!

To be fair there wasn't really any hardpack or groomers on the day that I demoed the mavens, it was a day with a little fresh snow which was pretty damn heavy, and the groomers all got churned to slush. No real experience with it on groomers. But as far as the length goes I think it will be fine.

I didn't realise that Blister has done a review on the ski: https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/2021-2022-atomic-maven-93-c

Sounds like it's pretty good on groomers for its width (though I'm not convinced they get the same sort of icy groomers in the US West that we get in NZ). It's hard to get skis that are ideal for NZ groomer conditions anyway. I've finally gotten a little bit better at skiing icy hardpack this season and it's really all down to technique. I've had ideal hardpack/ice skis for over a year but they didn't make me magically good at skiing that stuff :(

@Skylar_30 hopefully Hutt gets a few storms over the next month or so, so you can try them out in the fresh stuff! (there's one right now, got me wondering if I can get tomorrow off work...) It all gets tracked out pretty quickly but it's still fun to ski the chop. Those skis will be nice in the spring corn too.
I will find out if the Maven’s will be all right in NZ groomer otherwise will have to purchase a separate one. Not this year though, already broke from buying the Maven.

I think we are on the same boat :( I did watch your videos yesterday and we do ski the same way. I do hinge a lot as well. Probably need to improve on my technique and get the skis to edge more.

Are there any specific drills I can practice so I can improve on skiing icy hardpack as well??

I am going tom and will try them out, a bit excited lol. I just need to find a ride. Partner cant come with me to help with putting chains on
 

newboots

Angel Diva
@fgor

I must take issue with your doubt about our icy groomers! There's a reason they call Whiteface (in New York State) "Iceface," and why the organization "Ski the East" has a slogan: "Born from Ice." We in the Eastern US like to take pride in our ability to ski on ice (as if we enjoyed it) in order to keep from being too jealous of the skiers who live in the Western US, home of dry powder!

:snow:
 
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Eera

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@fgor

I must take issue with your doubt about our icy groomers! There's a reason they call Whiteface (in New York State) "Iceface," and why the organization "Ski the East" has a slogan: "Born from Ice." We like to take pride in our ability to ski on ice (as if we enjoyed it) in order to keep from being too jealous of the skiers who live in the Western US, home of dry powder!

:snow:
I have a friend from Pennsylvania who said he had to get his edges done twice a season because it was pretty much always ice. Dying to see his face when he finally gets some powder!

And give ice its due - it always makes a better sound.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
And give ice its due - it always makes a better sound.

Many inexperienced skiers (or those who have had bad experiences on ice) say that the scraping sound we hear on ice terrifies them. I suppose since I've been skiing on patches of ice since I started, or more likely from ice skating, I'm not as reactive to the sound (or idea) of ice as others with similar experience levels.

Last year I skied after a huge storm at Killington - up to 3 feet (about 1 m.) deep. On the ungroomed trails, I was hopeless. I have no idea how to ski that stuff. But on a trail that had been groomed early (but had at least 6" more snow since then), I was happily surprised at how well I could ski it. And at moments, the happy sound of ice under my skis filled me with that lovely sense of, at last being on familiar ground!
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
there’s definitely feedback in the ice sound. Like, you know if it’s a good turn or if you’re screwed, just from the sound, right?

Kind of hilarious (and terrifiying)
 

Eera

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Ha yeah! I grew up listening to the noise of very fast, very talented people doing Downhill and Super G on BBC sports- the noise and chatter from the ski is glorious!
 

newboots

Angel Diva
there’s definitely feedback in the ice sound. Like, you know if it’s a good turn or if you’re screwed, just from the sound, right?

Kind of hilarious (and terrifiying)

Hmm. I like the sound when I make a turn. When my skies fly out from under me, I'm not paying attention to the sound. It's all kinesthetic (and terrifying!)

But as I write about this, I am warming to the idea that the sound reminds me of ice skating. I like the sound of a good turn on the ice (on skates). When I learned to do crossovers, there was a wonderful sound when the outside foot took over for the inside foot. And it's beautiful!

Here's a video with a speed contest. Watch the skater's feet when she changes from the straightaway to the turns.

Hockey speed contest

Bonus content: My friend Marcia popped up on my YouTube feed while I was looking for crossovers! An amazing musician.

Marcia: Prayer for George Floyd and Family

and here's a collection of her work, if you're interested:

More of Marcia Gomes

:focus:
 
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Skylar_30

Certified Ski Diva
Update: I have used the skis yesterday. I was doing well, the skis were great. Definitely gave me more confidence on the red runs and skied them better. Did not really need to adjust to the extra length. But! I was cruising along trying to figure out where to go and all of sudden my skis made like a wide pizza shape that made me lose my balance I was trying to pick myself up but I think it was already too late and ended up having a shooting pain on my outer lower leg (fibula) and I thought this is going to break so I just let myself fall. I was down for more than 5min from pain and could not feel/move my leg. Needed help to get back up but managed to ski down.

I never came back skiing that day my leg would just not hold up.

What could have probably caused that to happen? I was so frustrated, silly fall! I was supposte to go try it on powder as we had 15cm of new snow
 

fgor

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@fgor

I must take issue with your doubt about our icy groomers! There's a reason they call Whiteface (in New York State) "Iceface," and why the organization "Ski the East" has a slogan: "Born from Ice." We in the Eastern US like to take pride in our ability to ski on ice (as if we enjoyed it) in order to keep from being too jealous of the skiers who live in the Western US, home of dry powder!

:snow:

Oh, I should have been more clear! I've always heard that NZ is more comparable to US East, not US West ;) in fact from everything I hear US East is probably gets even icier than we do, because it's so much colder! (but you have trees at least!)

Who needs powder when you have acres of edgeable (as long as you know what you're doing) icy hardpack, right? :D

I do find the sounds of skiing on ice quite odd. The auditory feedback I'm getting sounds like my skis are sliding away from me even when I'm managing to do turns. It's a bit unsettling! It always just sounds like scraping to me even when I manage to get my skis around.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I do find the sounds of skiing on ice quite odd. The auditory feedback I'm getting sounds like my skis are sliding away from me even when I'm managing to do turns. It's a bit unsettling! It always just sounds like scraping to me even when I manage to get my skis around.

I hate the sound of skis scraping on ice. Hate it.

Y'all need to do more ice skating! It's a beautiful sound! :caked: (Don't throw a pie at me.)
 

fgor

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Y'all need to do more ice skating! It's a beautiful sound! :caked: (Don't throw a pie at me.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlTvEM4hh36/
:wink:
The sound (and feel!) of ice skating blades cutting smoothly into ice is very different to the sound of ineffective ski edges scraping over it, to me :bounce:

Though it doesn't help that the rink always, always plays music, sometimes loudly...
 

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