Different Types of Skis
The ski was originally intended as an aid for travelling over snow and was made of a single plank of wood. There are indications that the use of skis dates back as much as 6000 years. Today skis are used for a wide variety of recreational and sporting purposes. They are more likely to be constructed using a wide variety of materials such as glass fibres, Kevlar, titanium, or other polymers and composite compounds. There is also a large variety in the types of skis.
Alpine skis or Downhill skis are designed for going down the mountain. This type of ski was developed as a result of the advent of the ski lift. Once there was a method to get people to the top of the mountain, skiing down became a popular sport. Downhill skiing is by far the most common recreational skiing activity today. Alpine skis are precise, fast, and allow easy turning. They work well on the hard packed and well groomed surfaces found on most recreational ski slopes. The bindings attach to the foot at both the toe and the heel. The bindings are preset to release when a certain amount of force is applied. This is done for safety, as the skis will detach in the case of a fall.
Some other varieties of the downhill ski are the Freeride ski and the Telemark Ski. The Freeride is for more advanced to expert ski racers. The Telemark ski is a special design that was named after the city in Norway where it was designed. It has a distinct waist that makes turning easier, and attaches only at the toe. You can find special racing skis also. Different racing skis are designed for each of the racing disciplines. Downhill, Giant Slalom, and Slalom each have special skis made to exacting standards for the demanding top grade athletes. Powderpound skis are a fat version of downhill skis that are used for skiing in deep powder.
The other major group of skis is the Cross Country skis. They are very thin and much lighter than downhill skis and they only attach at the toe. They are often coated with wax to decrease the friction during forward motion. Downhill skis are intended, as their name suggests, for mainly going downhill, but the cross country skier must go uphill from time to time. This is the major reason for the design differences. Cross Country skis tend to resemble the earlier skis that were used for travel, but Cross Country skiing has become a fairly popular recreational activity. This is especially true in the Scandinavian countries, and the sport has often been called Nordic skiing.
The growing popularity of Freestyle skiing has led to the introduction of several new and specialized styles of skis. Each Freestyle discipline really requires its own type of ski. There are lightweight skis for aerialists who only need to ski in a straight line to the take off ramp. Mogul skiers, on the other hand, need to make quick and precise turns. Ski jumping skis are long and like the aerialists skis do not need turning ability.
With so many different styles to pick from, which is the best ski choice for you? Of course, this will depend on the type of skiing you are planning to do and the level of skill that you have reached. If you are a beginning skier, you do not need an expensive racing ski, but you would be wise to select a ski that is made by a reputable manufacturer and that will allow you to progress from that beginner status up to expert level. You are quite likely to fall in love with skiing once you give it a go, and you might as well be prepared for that. Pay particular attention to the bindings. This is not a good area to save money. The ability of the bindings to release properly is one of the most important safety factors in skiing. When you say that one type or brand of ski is superior to another, it is like saying one type of automobile is superior. The truth is that personal preference goes a long way in determining the best ski for any individual.
