Thread: What does "Race Stock" actually mean?

I have been bandying this phrase around since the days of junior racing but I never really understood exactly what it meant. Back then, it meant the skis were paired based on similar balance/weight and had fast bases (or so I was told). These skis were hard to come by - now it seems every pair of race skis for sale on this board and others is "race stock." Does RS still mean the same thing? If so, do all these race stock skis totally kick ass? that's probably the main question

Originally Posted by yesIsaidyes

I have been bandying this phrase around since the days of junior racing but I never really understood exactly what it meant. Back then, it meant the skis were paired based on similar balance/weight and had fast bases (or so I was told). These skis were hard to come by - now it seems every pair of race skis for sale on this board and others is "race stock." Does RS still mean the same thing? If so, do all these race stock skis totally kick ass? that's probably the main question

basically ski companies no longer make consumer race skis, so pretty much everything is race stock now.

Thanks Marshall,
so after everyone stopped skiing GS skis as freeskiing skis, everything became race stock? So what did race stock used to mean?

Originally Posted by marshalolson

basically ski companies no longer make consumer race skis, so pretty much everything is race stock now.

Don't take what I say here as gospel, but my understanding of it is that race stock means different things to different ski companies. In general, it's a way to produce a higher performance ski for actual racers while still selling its 'normal' race ski to consumers. As marshalolson pointed out, some companies no longer make this distinction -- if it's a race ski, it's race stock and you probably can't buy a softer model in the stores. Other companies appear to still make a distinction. And nearly all companies, as far as I can tell, make a distinction for the skis used at FIS world-class competition levels.

I have a pair of Atomic GS11's (2003) that are most definitely not race stock, I've seen the race stock ones and they're stiffer, have differently-shaped beta bumps, and probably a host of other stuff I don't know about. And they probably make slightly different models for their NorAm and Europa Cup and World Cup athletes too.

So each company has its own plan and way of doing things, and race stock usually does exist as a separate version of the basic race ski lines, and they differences will vary but they'll almost always be stiffer.

Originally Posted by marshalolson

basically ski companies no longer make consumer race skis, so pretty much everything is race stock now.

Sorry, I don't agree with this.

First, to define race stock: race stock is a differentiation between consumer skis (mass manufactured, available for standard retail) and race stock skis (small production runs, better materials, different designs, available only to sponsored racers or through race ski pools). Sometimes they are known as race room skis (K2 had a room on Vashon where they made all theirs, I think), atelier skis (same in French) or factory skis (don't know why on this one).

To a large extent this differentiation is still maintained: race stock skis are still manufactured differently to normal retail ones, to higher specs and generally are difficult to get if you have no link with a team or manufacturer.

I think what Marshalolsen is partly referring to is the fact that the distinction has been blurred slightly by standard skis being badged as race stock for retail sales. Examples of this are the Dynastars that say "atelier" on the sidewall and some Salomon LAB skis (others are real race stock skis; the 1080 ain't really special, the DH boards are). Up to a point this is marketing bull but there are also "race" stock skis for freeride teams - witness Salomon's 205 AK rocket - which are race stock in the true sense of the word, but for freeride teams, not FIS racers. And there are still consumer race skis so that differentiation still exists.

So, race stock skis still exist but there are also a load of skis out there that are branded as such, but are nothing special.

edit: And if you think ski companies don't make consumer race skis any more you need to go to Austria. Seriously, it's what everyone there rides. Still.
edit: to make it make sense

From what I understand, the Solly LAB non-race skis (like the 1080 and Gun LAB) still have thicker edges (for more sharpenings) and faster bases..

i guess i was trying to answer why it seems everything is "race stock" nowadays.

multizer is right on

From my racing experience with Rossi and Nordica I found there were 3 levels of 'race stock'.

1. Race Stock: can buy it at through most 'race' listed stores - anyone can buy and tell their friends they have the same stuff as the pros

2. Real Race Stock: harder to find, usually stiffer and come with matching flex patterns from fatory (usually stamped on ski) - only sponsored or semi-sponsored athletes

3. WC Race Stock: people who are wwwaaayyy better than me!! You get your own flex pattern, plate, shape, whatever you want - if you are not on the company's top 10 list you don't qualify.

This may not be the case with all manufacturers but I believe it is with most.

Fischer is one of the only companies that makes their "race-stock" publicly available to everyone. Only a handful of racers get the extra-special factory treatment.

its what HS skis on,

Originally Posted by BakerBoy

Fischer is one of the only companies that makes their "race-stock" publicly available to everyone. Only a handful of racers get the extra-special factory treatment.

I believe stockli is the same way. There "race stock" skis are just hand picked out of the normal stock for matching flex patterns.

To me from what I understand.

Typically there is the consumer race ski, the race stock ski, and the race room ski.

A consumer GS ski will have like a 18m turn radius, the race stock ski is FIS legal and pretyt burly and what most USSA racers would be on, and the race room skis are what the world cup guys would race on.

Sorry if I repeated anything I was lazy and didn't quite read everything.

Originally Posted by BigLineSeeker

From my racing experience with Rossi and Nordica I found there were 3 levels of 'race stock'.

1. Race Stock: can buy it at through most 'race' listed stores - anyone can buy and tell their friends they have the same stuff as the pros

2. Real Race Stock: harder to find, usually stiffer and come with matching flex patterns from fatory (usually stamped on ski) - only sponsored or semi-sponsored athletes

3. WC Race Stock: people who are wwwaaayyy better than me!! You get your own flex pattern, plate, shape, whatever you want - if you are not on the company's top 10 list you don't qualify.

This may not be the case with all manufacturers but I believe it is with most.

ding ding ding..we have a winner.

Originally Posted by marshalolson

basically ski companies no longer make consumer race skis, so pretty much everything is race stock now.

They still do. Dynastar's retail race skis are close to real race stock. (Rossignol sells a limited amount of RS skis through dealers but I wouldn't call them "consumer race skis" even though they're more widely accessible).

You can get real race stock from certain brands without being sponsored, but you need to be in the industry and times and availability are not great.

drC

Race Stock:





Not Race Stock:

I thought it was when the cows raced each other around the field. Actually saw them doing this on a ranch in Texas once. The cows were standing around in a large herd, then they'd take off on like a quarter mile dash across the field. They'd get to the ohter side panting and slobbering everywhere, stand around and catch their breath, then dash back again. It went on for a while, never seen cows apparently acting with some kind of purpose before.

^ what the hell purpose is that? Seems like eating grass is a pretty purposeful way to get through the day if you are a cow...

pffft, skis...race stock binders is what we needs to know about.

After seeing some pictures of a WC Atomic lineup, I'm thinking that the level of customization is not what it is reputed to be. All of the (DH) skis were the exact same length, and of course there is always the choice of flex which is existent in store-bought race stock as well (at least Atomic). I am guessing that, other than input from sponsored athletes in the development process of skis that get passed down anyway, they are pretty similar to what can be found with a small amount of effort. I would imagine that top racers get the skis with choice wood cuts, of course matching flexes, and possibly some small extras. I know that Atomic does extensive speed testing to determine which pairs of skis are the fastest.

As far as snowboards, in the case of small manufacturers who are putting out all of the winning boards these days anyway, you can get exactly what the racers are riding. Or you can have your own custom-built board. Again, the racers are probably getting the best wood cuts. It is too bad that there aren't any (that I know of) custom ski builders who are building racing skis, but given the quality of available race-stock skis from large manufacturers, as compared to racing snowboards of which the large manufacturers products are far inferior (you can very rarely get the race stock), this is not surprising.