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July, 2025

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Concave in skis/ snowboards.

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S.J.W
Posts: 7609 - Karma: 31,174
This idea has been playing on my mind for some time now. Concave is basically from surfboards and it determines how water flows under the board. Different concaves have different results.

Now very few of you will probably understand concave, so I'll try to explain it a lil better.



These are concaves, they facilitate water flow to allow for different types of waves. Nearly all skis have a flat concave on the base. But what if ski shapers started putting single or double concave? Any ski nerds out there? How would this go?

Now I'm thinking this would be mainly for powder skis as a double concave would allow for more of a flow through deep snow, but that's just my hypothesis. But I'm keen to see some more opinions on this.
9 years ago
18 1
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ascent_studios
Posts: 2157 - Karma: 4,581
I don't think it would work for park skis and everyday groomers but pow skis it could be possible
9 years ago
3 0
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270on420out
Posts: 7525 - Karma: 51,354
I believe some companies do something similar to this. I was told it increases the "buoyancy" of the ski. Don't remember how to explain it.
9 years ago
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Poikenz
Posts: 1619 - Karma: 4,989
If you stick with current edges and sidecut it makes for a bad time. It would seem more worth while to think about other aspects of a ski before thinking about concave bases.
9 years ago
1 0
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.lencon
Posts: 6753 - Karma: 17,196
I honestly don't think it would work that well. There's some skis who have concave up bases like the surface lab and atomic bent Chet, maybe we will see some skis with concave down bases if they haven't already been tested. But I honestly can't imagine it working well.
9 years ago
0 0
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Stuuuuuuuuuu
Posts: 380 - Karma: 2,080
I saw a thread a week or 2 ago about a guy doing a similar thing (I think) by putting fins on the bottom of powder skis. I'll post a link to it if I can find it.
9 years ago
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Stuuuuuuuuuu
Posts: 380 - Karma: 2,080
https://www.newschoolers.com/forum/thread/826547/Skientology--My-Weird-Projects
9 years ago
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Bamjam
Posts: 200 - Karma: 129
I like the idea of basic concave on a powder ski. It'll give you a bit more surface area without the need for extra width. Could be a bitch to wax well though.
9 years ago
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JWillySkeez
Posts: 424 - Karma: 1,100
The problem that I see is that hooking when trying to slash or slave, as in the interior would grip and potentially create resistance.
9 years ago
1 0
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gravel
Posts: 5525 - Karma: 42,395
You could probably only carve because you'd always be on edge. Try to slide sideways along your bases like you do when you stop and you'd probably catch your downhill edge far more easily and fall. Convex would seem more practical in my eyes.
9 years ago
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ICary
Posts: 325 - Karma: 806
I know that this is kinda a thing on our rental kids burton snowboards, the edges are lifted out of the snow and the base is concave, makes so little kids can't catch an edge and eat it. Its small but you can see it when looked at closely.
9 years ago
1 1
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a_burger
Posts: 5258 - Karma: 21,146
single concave is absolutely terrible and scary on a normal ski. It basically makes edging have the opposite effect; the flatter your ski the more catchier it is and the harder you carve the less catchier. Basically it feels like catching and ripping your edge out just trying to stop.

I'm curious what kind of effect it would have on an edgless ski though
9 years ago
1 0
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25444 - Karma: 13,856
w_skiersingle concave is absolutely terrible and scary on a normal ski. It basically makes edging have the opposite effect; the flatter your ski the more catchier it is and the harder you carve the less catchier. Basically it feels like catching and ripping your edge out just trying to stop.

I'm curious what kind of effect it would have on an edgless ski though


Edgeless skis are so much fun on hardpack. First time I've fallen getting off a lift in years.
9 years ago
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250r
Posts: 2276 - Karma: 1,013
convex would be preferable in pow.

i think i did once hear that some of the older atomic race skis had a slight concave in the base.


convex skis make slarving really easy to do. you can go full on mcconkey and just ski sideways everywhere.


an example would be garrywayne skis. ive been thinking of getting a pair these for the stupidly deep days. they look like so much fun.
http://www.garywayneskis.com/skis/
9 years ago
1 0
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JohnJonsz
Posts: 317 - Karma: 873
Ski geek here-- I've ridden several pairs of convex base skis, but not concave. The Igneous ski factory in Jackson Hole has a (vacuum+weighted) press to make custom convex bases. They can do a smooth curve that IMO performs better than skis with convex angles like Benchetlers.

DPS skis and many snowboard companies describe a convex shape ski as having a spoon tip/tail. Never heard of concave base like a surfboard, and I don't think it would work well at all except for maybe racing skis? Also difficult to wax as someone mentioned. My convex skis are somewhat annoying to wax on each end. But totally worth it as they slarve, drift, and rotate so easily most conditions, particularly in pow and soft spring snow.
9 years ago
0 0
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hemlockjibber8
Posts: 6006 - Karma: 3,705
Volkl and Fischer both used to make skis with a concave aspect to their swallow tails. A concave base the entire length is a terrible idea. HOOKY.
9 years ago
0 0
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