Talk Dampness

[jckstein]

It seems like every discussion around a ski here ends up coming down to dampness or lack there of. Am I the only one that feels like dampness in a ski is so 'required' these days that it's becoming a substitute for skier ability?

Thoughts?

[toast2266]

Ski resorts have more people skiing the same amount of acres than ever before. More people = more cut up, choppy, shitty snow. A damper ski tends to be more pleasant in choppy snow than a less damp one. I could buy a less damp ski and just go slower, but that would be dumb.

[auvgeek]

Furthermore, dampness is a necessary discussion point when many ski companies are making their skis lighter. It was less of a discussion point 10-15 years ago with fewer constructions (fewer boutique ski manufacturers), less emphasis on lighter weight, and 2-3 sheets of titanal in most skis. Then DPS and other companies came out with light carbon skis, and people were all excited about the shiny, new, expensive toys. Until they realized that super light, carbon skis are super chattery inbounds. Then everyone wanted some of the "dampness" back. And here we are.

[slowroastin]

After seeking out damp skis the past few years Ive found that I prefer the middle ground. Its nice having some feedback from the ski. It gives me an idea what the conditions actually are. I nearly hurt myself really bad and now have a lingering knee pain after skiing my damp missiles like the where monster trucks.

But then again... skier ability and a false sense of confidence.


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[mtnjam]

Try bamboo sometime and you'll see. I'm biased though.

But, yes, skis have become too easy to ski and without truly knowing how to "drive" a ski a lot of skis being sold are definitely being under utilized and not skied properly.

[LiveLarger]

Dampness is for a large part required if where you ski, suck!

Sucking for the reasons toast2266 mentions above. And it seems like a lot of ski resorts suck like that.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Educate your self, go touring, go skiing mid week, go to smaler and less crowded places. Even go skiing gromers. I know, I know. In the US "I'm the most badass **** skier, badass bro, could have been pro stud" skiing gromers seems to be looked down upon. But I personally don't really see why skiing shitty off-piste is more fun then perfect groomers.

So yeah, dampness important, but it doesn't have to be.

[waxoff]

I'd say is not only about how the skis perform or what they can do, e.g. speed limit and such. For me, dampness is just as much related to the feedback, especially concerning cancellation of high frequencies and vibrations, that reaches me when skiing said skis.

Personally I prefer damp to crispy. An example what I mean is; the 193 Confessions are not known for a low speed limit or so, still, if being somewhat picky, I find the feedback from them being a tad to much to the crispy carbon style, and would gladly have taken a 50-100 gram per ski increase in order to get some noise cancellating rubber built into them. Not because they would ski better or faster, but because that's what I'd prefer.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Try bamboo sometime and you'll see. I'm biased though.

But, yes, skis have become too easy to ski and without truly knowing how to "drive" a ski a lot of skis being sold are definitely being under utilized and not skied properly.

Are you telling me the Soul 7, Super 7, and DPS 112 aren't the pinnacle of ski design?

[jckstein]

After seeking out damp skis the past few years Ive found that I prefer the middle ground. Its nice having some feedback from the ski. It gives me an idea what the conditions actually are. I nearly hurt myself really bad and now have a lingering knee pain after skiing my damp missiles like the where monster trucks.

But then again... skier ability and a false sense of confidence.


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I suppose it comes down to ski style too. I personally agree with you on the 'middle ground' idea, because my ski style isn't structured around needing to make large radius turns mowing down everything in the way. I much prefer to ski the terrain i.e treat everything like a tranny (which it is). A ski with some feedback is nice because it tells you when you're doing something wrong, and punishes you.

I view it like a high end sports car where road feedback is critical. I want a car where you can feel like paint of the center line through the wheel. I guess I view skis the same.

[LiveLarger]

I want a car where you can feel like paint of the center line through the wheel.

You get that in all BMWs. Even the low range models. Just saying.

[doebedoe]

... Educate your self, go touring, go skiing mid week, go to smaler and less crowded places....

OH, why didn't we think of that. Just rearrange your life so you can ski mid-week, in uncrowded places where the snow is always untracked in blower.

Or you know, get a ski whose dampness profile matches the kinds of conditions you can regularly ski and your style. Since most of us have jobs and stuff and the reality is skiing imperfect snow most the time: whether its cut up resort pow, hot pow, breakable crusts in the bc or what have you.

Going touring or skiing groomers doesn't remove the need for dampness. In fact, most worthwhile groomer skis are damp mother fuckers.

[LiveLarger]

OH, why didn't we think of that. Just rearrange your life so you can ski mid-week, in uncrowded places where the snow is always untracked in blower.

Or you know, get a ski whose dampness profile matches the kinds of conditions you can regularly ski and your style. Since most of us have jobs and stuff and the reality is skiing imperfect snow most the time: whether its cut up resort pow, hot pow, breakable crusts in the bc or what have you.

Going touring or skiing groomers doesn't remove the need for dampness. In fact, most worthwhile groomer skis are damp mother fuckers.

Yeah, in fact.. if you don't have much freedom in your life, I highly recommend you to reorganise it.

[jckstein]

You get that in all BMWs. Even the low range models. Just saying.

I know. I drive an M3

[klauss]

It seems like every discussion around a ski here ends up coming down to dampness or lack there of. Am I the only one that feels like dampness in a ski is so 'required' these days that it's becoming a substitute for skier ability?

Thoughts?

I thought it was the plastic boots they came up with

my ski style isn't structured around needing to make large radius turns mowing down everything in the way.

that's depressing to read a skier say something like that

[jckstein]

that's depressing to read a skier say something like that

Don't cry for too long!

[toast2266]

that's depressing to read a skier say something like that

It's like in the Dynastar thread where everyone is saying that it's totally ok that skis don't have any metal anymore, that it's fine that the longest length is a 189, and they're recommending that fully grown adults size down. In the fucking Dynastar thread. The former home of the Legend Pro.

What have we come to, when the TGR forums, the last bastion of things that are good in this world, is recommending shorter, lighter, less damp skis?

[XXX-er]

you can save a shwack of money buying Hybrid DPS over carbon and nobody will know unless they get close enough to read the topsheet ... yellow is the new red

[Mudfoot]

Skied the 190 Atomic Rituals for the last 3 1/2 seasons, which were heavy, damp and smoothly went through almost anything. Just what I like in a daily driver. Got their "next generation replacement" the 188 Vantage 100 cti and mounted them up mid-season. It's marketed as being just as good but lighter due to cool new materials like carbon tank mesh. Unfortunately the part about being just as damp is a cruel joke.

Now that everything has rocker the new industry buzz word seems to be "lighter," but from what I can tell that undoubtedly means less damp. What the hell is the deal with every company making skis with lighter tips and tails? Apparently that is so you can whip them around to where you want the to go after they get deflected by anything that is not groomed or perfect light powder. Somehow heavy became evil. It's hard to relax on a ski that is not smooth, and if it's light it ain't that smooth. Although Renoun is trying to fix that.

[Core Shot]

It's like in the Dynastar thread where everyone is saying that it's totally ok that skis don't have any metal anymore, that it's fine that the longest length is a 189, and they're recommending that fully grown adults size down. In the fucking Dynastar thread. The former home of the Legend Pro.

What have we come to, when the TGR forums, the last bastion of things that are good in this world, is recommending shorter, lighter, less damp skis?

Yes.
I blame vail. They killed epicski.com and now tgr is overpopulated by meadow skippers and psia trenchers. And the angry tgr jong slaughterers are in rehab or jail. Or maybe they’re dead.

[old goat]

What have we come to, when the TGR forums, the last bastion of things that are good in this world, is recommending shorter, lighter, less damp skis?

What we have come to is old age.
BTW --I have damp skis, I have "playful" skis. I like them all.
It helps if people are honest about how fast and hard they ski--there are a lot of people on chargers that shouldn't be.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

What we have come to is old age.
BTW --I have damp skis, I have "playful" skis. I like them all.
It helps if people are honest about how fast and hard they ski--there are a lot of people on chargers that shouldn't be.

One guys charger is another's playful daily driver. Unless I'm touring, a light ski that isn't heavy and damp feels horrible inbounds. I'm 6'4" and usually around 235-245#. A ski like the 190 Q-Lab doesn't feel unmanageable at all to me. Same with 192 LP or my 188 Armada Invictus which are super damp and longer than the 190 Q-Lab. Skis like this are appropriate for larger adults like me.

[nickel]

So perhaps you're not the person on a charger who shouldn't be? He's definitely right, lots of folks overgun themselves. To each their own though

[MagnificentUnicorn]

So perhaps you're not the person on a charger who shouldn't be? He's definitely right, lots of folks overgun themselves. To each their own though

Oh, I totally agree that there are a lot of folks on too long and too stiff skis for their size and ability.

[Banh Mi]

This thread is pretty funny. Different skiers have different abilities and sizes, and prefer different skis..who knew?

I think skis are gettin too light nowadays.



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[TAFKALVS]

This thread is pretty funny. Different skiers have different abilities and sizes, and prefer different skis..who knew?

I think skis are gettin too light nowadays.



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Yup, light, too short, too small of turn radius, not enough metal, not enough rubber.