Subscribe

Sizing a Ski Skin: Length and Width

By

The High Route Editors

Kelly Cordes (L) and Brian Parker tramping through Wyoming in a place where ski skin coverage was never in doubt.

Kelly Cordes (L) and Brian Parker tramping through Wyoming in a place where ski skin coverage was never in doubt.

  Sizing Skins Let’s try to keep this simple. There are a few things to consider when sizing a skin. The two main dimensions to consider are length and width. Of course, you could go the easy route, which many folks do, and purchase pre-cut skins for your ski.  That strategy isn’t so handy when,…

Responses

  1. Steve Bohrer

    I curious as to your opinions/experience on ski/skin width vs. length on grip. I was killing time in a ski shop listening to an employee tell a customer that the Bentchetler 120 with significant tip and tail rocker wasn’t good on the skin track because of the lack of contact at the ends. I’m thinking, I’ve skinned up a lot of tracks on this exact ski, in a variety of conditions, and my feeling is the extra width under foot where your actual weight is seems to more than make up for anything at the ends with no weight on it anyway.

    1. Jason Albert

      I think you are spot on. Coverage underfoot is key. A lack of coverage moving toward the tip (as in maybe this was a poorly cut skin) can also cause some skinning issues. Categorically claiming a ski is poor on the skintrack maybe doesn’t consider that it could be the skin (not enough coverage where it counts) and, perhaps, the skinning technique when the track kicks up a bit, could use some fine tuning. It is likely not a ski issue—especially since it sounds like you’ve had positive experiences with the Bent 120. I’d like to try these skis on a deep day.

      1. Steve Bohrer

        Yeah, they’re great on deep days. But I think the Bent 120 is underappreciated for its meadow skipping abilities. Doesn’t really lend itself to compelling marketing though. “High avy danger? New snow and sketchy snowpack? Are you experiencing that internal conflict between seeing your social media feed full of people going big and still going home, but you just don’t feel comfortable taking that much risk? Maybe low angle pow is for you, and the Bent 120 is the category-leading contender. You’ll make no compromises as you maintain decent speed down 25 degree slopes, flying past your friends on their puny all mountain skis. Early season shallow snowpack? Bottomless facets? The Bent 120 keeps you off the ground, and the rockered twin tips allow easy slarving between and through forests of aspen shoots and last season’s wildflower stems. Let’s be real, you’re more likely to skin a couple of 700 foot, low angle pow laps than drop 50 degree pillow lines in BC. But either way, the Bent 120 is the cool kid ski for you.”

    2. Slim

      I think that sounds reasonable, with one exception:
      Kickturns.
      Kickturns are often the moment where lack of grip is the biggest issue, and people (ok, me) sometimes end up with their weight further back than is ideal. I think that’s where a rockered and twinned tail might reduce grip.

      1. Alexander Rose-Innes

        Yeah the grip with twin tips is especially obvious with longer skis. I’ve got a set of Movement Alp Tracks 98 and they are harder in steep kick turns than my wider Zero G 105s.

Leave a Reply

Latest Features