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March, 2024

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Flexible Skies vs. Stiff Skis

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SkiizwitD
Posts: 0 - Karma: 64
I have been watching a lot of videos and have been noticing that the pros skies seem to be a lot more flexible then mine. Especially Henrik Harlaut.. Does this make tricks/popping easier? i am new to the whole skiing thing and i ride a pair of k2 press these skis seem stiff compared to what i am seeing and my buddies skis. it is harder to butter, pop, nollie, ollie that sort of thing, but it also could be that i am not that experienced. So basically i would just like to know if flexy skies are easier to ride in park and if it is better for popping/buttering/boxes/rails/ etc or is it just a personal preference.

thanks,
Derek
Mar 15 2013 5:23PM
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bquick222
Posts: 124 - Karma: 363
K2 presses are pretty soft.....
Mar 15 2013 5:29PM
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TNORTS
Posts: 2076 - Karma: 2,753
If you can't flex your presses then you are either 12 or very weak. Those are pretty flexy skis.
Mar 15 2013 5:31PM
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Turner.
Posts: 1986 - Karma: 11,881
I think it probably comes down to your weight/strength and capability. Getting true butters and presses etc. is pretty difficult imo and so it's more you than your skis. I think it's something that you'll grow into with practice.
Mar 15 2013 5:33PM
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Shifties4Dayz
Posts: 1657 - Karma: 553
I ride jmos which are pretty stiff n I have no problem with nollies, butters, presses, etc. I actually thnk they are TOO soft
Mar 15 2013 5:53PM
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pink_squid
Posts: 1188 - Karma: 368
Your spelling gets better the more you type?
Mar 15 2013 6:20PM
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tdollo
Posts: 3729 - Karma: 17,674
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Mar 15 2013 7:21PM
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.newman.
Posts: 1552 - Karma: 236
.
Mar 15 2013 7:50PM
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TRAP_CHEF
Posts: 1172 - Karma: 279
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Mar 15 2013 7:52PM
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cowofawesome
Posts: 201 - Karma: 549
I have last year's Press and I've noticed the nose is super flexy but the tails are not... it might be the mount or my weakness but I just about can't pop on the tails at all.
Mar 15 2013 10:51PM
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Chubz.
Posts: 13918 - Karma: 25,656
i can nose butter for days on my presses..
Mar 15 2013 11:14PM
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LukasSchroeder
Posts: 1460 - Karma: 2,683
Sounds like your skis are too big, or your not big enough
Mar 16 2013 12:30AM
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SFB
Posts: 8895 - Karma: 26,346
thats because henrik is ripped and can throw hes skis around like nothign but you are WEAK.
Mar 16 2013 12:34AM
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Logan.
Posts: 717 - Karma: 1,862
Kind of to ask a little bit of a different question... Does anyone ever find with really soft ski boots that butters are harder? I feel that whenever I try to do a butter, my shin bends forward in my boot before I can really press on my skis
Mar 16 2013 12:34AM
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NEGRO_CYCLOPS
Posts: 88 - Karma: 434
You have the godly ability to flex the heavens themselves, yet you find presses too stiff?
Mar 16 2013 1:38AM
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~bagelz~
Posts: 1105 - Karma: 1,067
I would say that soft skis are funner but stiffer skis can save you in landings ie you land backseat
Mar 16 2013 3:31AM
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scarsimd
Posts: 668 - Karma: 773
get flexing
Mar 16 2013 8:13AM
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Naptown
Posts: 495 - Karma: 1,722
I have the same problem with mine
Mar 16 2013 8:18AM
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THEDICKBUTCHER
Posts: 3067 - Karma: 673
I relate to this fully.  I used to ride some sold ass lange boots and I could nosepress for dayzz.  Once I got my fulltilt booters I couldn't anymore because everytime I tried the boot flexed so much that my skis never left the ground.  It could be a variety of multiple things like your strength, your boots and the skis.
Mar 16 2013 10:54AM
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jake_tom_sully
Posts: 356 - Karma: 242
soft skis are more playful and fun but are pretty much useless. buttering is definitely better with soft skis because they flex. everything else you can do on skis pretty much benefits from having stiff skis. landings being a huge part are way easier with stiff skis because they dont wash out on you they can hold your weight. stiffer skis have more energy, they want to flex back to their original position more so they create more pop going through tight transition rather than acting noodly. presses being better on soft skis is pretty debatable too. when your leaning back to tail press you want the ski to hold you not flex out and let you fall over backward. soft skis are always marketed as "urban" skis but almost every urban skier uses stiff skis to support them on high impact landings. stiff skis are more serious but also more practical. soft skis are more playful and also hard to do much unless you always ski slow, weigh very little, or don't hit any big features ever.
Mar 16 2013 1:01PM
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ilikedolphins
Posts: 129 - Karma: 120
correct me if im wrong but isnt like everybody in stept on domains, which are pretty soft?
Mar 18 2013 3:48AM
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scarsimd
Posts: 668 - Karma: 773
this. i have domains and they havent flexed out on me yet...
Mar 18 2013 6:17AM
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I_liketobutter
Posts: 2664 - Karma: 997
no. just no.

i guess henrik, phil, pollard and delorme never hit big features...

its a matter of personal preference.
Mar 18 2013 9:50AM
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Bonzalo
Posts: 2593 - Karma: 1,812
strong name to post correlation

Anyway my man here is telling the truth, you can do anything on both. Its only a matter of preference.
Mar 18 2013 10:33AM
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OhioDreams
Posts: 444 - Karma: 918
A lot of it is personal preference along with size of the person riding the skis and the type of skiing they are doing. Sure it is easier to butter a softer, more flexible ski, but for me, butters are maybe 2% of what I do while skiing. I can learn to flex and butter a stiffer ski, but I can't make a soft, noodley ski suddenly stiff and stable when I want to blast an 80 foot step down. Thus, I prefer a stiffer and generally more stable ski. I'm also 6'0, 180 lbs so it only makes sense that I am going to need a burlier ski than someone like Henrik who is much smaller.
Mar 18 2013 10:40AM
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ohboy
Posts: 1177 - Karma: 2,528
Why would you want to blast an 80 foot step down?? sounds like death to me. Or maybe it's because my mountain can't build a decent step down.

But yeah this is a solid reply. It's whatever you like to do on your skis factored in with how big you are. But considering the fact that you can't flex your presses, which are a pretty soft ski, I'm guessing that you may not need the stiffest ski in the world.
Mar 18 2013 12:30PM
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TNORTS
Posts: 2076 - Karma: 2,753
My old abangs would wash out on me all of the time, but this year I got domains. Basically just as easy to butter and they've never washed out on me yet.
Mar 18 2013 12:30PM
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
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Mar 18 2013 2:42PM
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L.G.P.
Posts: 906 - Karma: 187

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Flexible skis are in my favor because i think its easier to do everything but other people think the opposite. It's all based on opinion but if you want flexible skis, arv's are definately the way to go.

Mar 18 2013 2:59PM
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.nasty
Posts: 10581 - Karma: 11,090
it really is crazy how much it deals with personal preference to some people. I've got these 2 buddies, one of em only skis on super noodly skis, while the other skis on only medium to stiff flexed skis. In any case, they ski pretty much with the exact same bag of tricks and style.
Mar 18 2013 5:07PM
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.ZT.
Posts: 5679 - Karma: 2,792
Slightly related (Don't want to thread jack, but I could use some info): I ride AR7s and love them. I ski absolutely everything on them and I myself am very into butters, tranny and pressing. Because I have beaten them up a good amount, I am looking into new skis to buy this summer or spring maybe. My AR7s being very durable are still in okay shape and I'll use them some as well, but I'd like to know what a good more butter oriented ski would be.

I'm interested in the new Atomic Infamous if anyone has info on those skis, as well as any other possible options for semi-flexy skis. I'm open to all suggestions too.

Thanks.
Mar 18 2013 5:18PM
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dvx100
Posts: 1884 - Karma: 4,818
Honestly, yeah its all preference. I used to ride the 2010 T-Halls, loved them to dead but they were just a little too flexible for me, sometimes i'd land backseat and my skis would over flex and it'd just fall, but they were 172 and I was probably 5'10 5'11

Now I'm 6'0 210 and i ride the 188 Klint Primes. A little fat ski but once i "broke them in" i really got comfortable with them, i can butter kind've but was never really my strong point. I feel like the more you ride your ski and when you take it on different terrain than just park somedays, you get a better feel for the ski and can understand where you excel.

Also I dont know if it's just me or what but i had originally had the LOOK PX12's on my skis (shitty bindings broke them 7 times) and this weekend i got the FKS 180 for $70 with a discount of my bindings break a lot, but im noticing I'm overall just riding better, stomping better tricks, and i feel "lighter" like i can ollie and nollie a lot better. Not sure if its the bindings or im thinking this. K bye!
Mar 18 2013 5:31PM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2383 - Karma: 7,764

im a small guy and toss around 175s.   nollies and being a butterslut are more balence point and commitment.

Mar 18 2013 5:52PM
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
193 EHP is my pow ski-stiff
191 Scott P4 everyday ski -7/10 w/ 2 sheets of ti in them, so pretty stiff
182 Surface No time Park ski- said to be 8/10 on stiffness.

In short I like stiff skis.  I have buddies that don't.  I don't think anyone will doubt stiff skis are more stable but they're also a lot less forgiving.  I don't do much jibbing especially since I'm in the west.  If I was unfortunate enough to live on the east coast I'd probably want a more jib oriented ski where it would flex more.

That being said I don't and CA pow is a lot more dense than CO pow.

I think each type has a place.  If you take a skier who is pretty good at park and big mountain out west and put them in different areas they'll choose different skis.  I know undoubtably I would NOT be riding an ehp if Kirkwood wasn't my home resort.  I like the shape but the flex is too much for me as I'm only 185lbs.  Stiffer skis are better for more dense pow and maching (2 things kirkwood is known for).  Softer skis are more forgiving.

Certain areas like Utah are a crap shoot for what's better but I don't think you'll hear many people saying riding hellbents in sierra cement is as much fun as riding ehp's or some other stiffer pow ski.

Also we need snow in Tahoe.
Mar 19 2013 3:10PM
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
Iv ridden a few flexy pow skis which are realllllyyy fun to mess around on. I prefer any ski i buy though pretty stiff. It takes a bit more muscle and skill to move the ski around fluidly but I am a really good skier so I can work the ski well. Stiff ski gives you that pop and rebound aorund turns. Flexy skis chatter way to much and arent stable enough for anything outside fo the park
Mar 19 2013 3:31PM
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stoned_sorcerer
Posts: 659 - Karma: 72
I believe it should be easier to butter on longer skis.
Mar 19 2013 4:01PM
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