What is a non-FIS race ski and why do they make amazing recreational skis?
By Bill Romania
Alpine skis are having a moment, a very good moment, right now. The variety of skis available, the quality of materials and construction, and range of performance capable from most are all at levels previously unheard of. Most of us are old enough to remember when most skis lost their camber after a season or two. Some of us have had skis literally fall apart while we were skiing. None of that is common anymore.
We also likely remember when if you were a good skier, you bought race skis. SL for the steep and narrow terrain; GS skis with their wider performance envelope for cruising, softer snow or higher speeds. We bought them because they were the best skis available with the most advanced technology. Lesser skis couldn’t carve as well or hold an edge on ice and they weren’t stable at speed. They weren’t for all conditions. Yes, you did not want to be on a 200cm slalom ski on a powder day. I’ve seen a video of the incomparable Jean Claude Killy struggling in Colorado powder on a SL race ski. He made it look far better than most of us mere mortals could ever do. That is why we had GS skis with their wider performance envelope. I’m sure I’m not alone in having a quiver of SL and GS skis in my younger days.
A lot has happened in the ski industry since those days. The FIS, the governing body of ski racing, has set strict specifications for race skis. Modern GS skis have a turning radius of 31 meters (that’s longer than an American football field); SL skis are at 12 meters. Super G and Downhill skis are highly specialized tools with 60+ and 80+ meter sidecuts. The skis have also been made stiffer and far more demanding to handle the ice rink conditions most World Cup races are held on. Modern World Cup skiers are also extremely fit and strong. Watch a Mikaela Shifrin or Lyndsey Von workout video sometime if you doubt me. The men are no different, just heavier and even more powerful. The result is skis that are highly specialized race machines that are perfect for exceptionally strong, talented and disciplined racers making precise turns on icy race courses set for the ski turning radius. Those same skis are however extremely difficult to ski recreationally for all the same reasons they are such great racing tools.
The very good news is that technology unlike tax cuts, does trickle down. Ski racing, like bicycle and motor racing (excepting NASCAR) is where manufacturers spend the most on R&D. The stability control, ABS, OHC engine and adaptive suspension in your car came from F1 or endurance sports car racing. In skiing, the World Cup is where the ski companies try out the newest materials, construction methods and other technology to win a race for hundredths of a second. That technology is tested in the demanding world of racing by the best skiers in the world. The result is a constant improvement in skis that trickles down to us. The now ubiquitous carbon fibre, titanium, vibration dampening technology, super fast bases and other tech all started on World Cup racecourses.
The logical question is of course, why would I want to ski something with ‘race’ in the name if that technology is available in my favorite 90 waist ski?
The industry nickname for non-FIS races skis is ‘cheaters.’ They earned that nickname because they are so good, so powerful and yet so easy to ski that they make it seem like you are cheating. So if race skis are demanding, specialized tools, why are the non-FIS versions of them so good?
When you first see a pair, and all the ski companies that contribute to some countries World Cup equipment pool make them and they are all great, the first thing you will notice is that they ignore the FIS turn radius requirements. The second thing you will notice is that they tend to fall into two camps: The ones loosely based on SL race skis and the ones based upon GS race skis. The SL-based ones tend to have 12-15 meter turn radius; the GS ones 17-22 meters. The other thing you will notice is that the waists are skinny: 68 mm is the norm. The next thing you will notice is that the entire ski contacts the snow. No reverse camber or easy floating tips or tails here. Every millimeter of the ski is available for every turn.
The effect of all this becomes clear when you step on a pair. They are immediately responsive to your every movement. They carve hardback and our ‘polished powder’ like an ice skate yet they absorb vibration beautifully. Even more impressive, they will throw back at you every ounce of power you put into them. Thus they will actually accelerate thru a turn and throw you out if it using the energy stored up when they flexed into the carved turn. They do all of this without the far higher speed and energy requirements of a race ski. It is entirely possible to ski moguls and some powder; the GS-based ones eat up Spring conditions, plowing thru slush and soft moguls like a sharp knife thru butter.
A few words of caution before you go out and demo a pair, which I highly recommend. First, they are notoriously hard to find because they are not popular. I scoured every shop in Park City before I found a shop that carried them and they only had two skis I wanted to demo. When Pinnacle Ski was testing skis at Stowe, I asked one of the testers how many of the skis had a waist of 68. He laughed and said none. Second, they require good carving technique. Some are more forgiving than others; some are near identical to the FIS race ski except for the shorter turn radius and will throw the skier into the woods if you get lazy or in the back seat. They don’t skid turns well; skidding just isn’t in their DNA. I highly recommend reading reviews and coming up with a list of skis you want to test. The site Real Skiers, run by industry veteran Jackson Hogen, is my favorite and even his non-FIS race ski reviews are hard to find. Lastly, they will point out every flaw or underperformance in your technique and your boots. Soft or loose fitting boots will make it impossible to get the full performance out of these gems.
With all the above caveats, why would a rational person ski on a non-FIS race ski. The best analogy I can come up with is cars. When a friend graduated college, his grandmother gave him enough money to buy a used Porsche. This was back in 1976 when such things were affordable to mere mortals like us. He was also kind enough to let his friends drive it. The first few times I drove it, I struggled to manage something so responsive, fast and unforgiving. Once I got the hang of it, I was totally spoiled. The American muscle cars and Japanese compacts I had driven didn’t compare to the speed, braking, cornering, control, stability and sheer exhilaration of that Porsche. That is what a non-FIS race ski is compared to most skis on the market. That is why industry legends like the Mahre brothers, Deb Armstrong and others ski on them. It’s why I’ll always have a one in my quiver, especially since I can’t afford a Porsche. Lastly to paraphrase Jackson Hogen, there is no such thing as a ‘bad’ or poor performing non-FIS race ski. They are all brilliant in the same way. Some are just a little more intense than the others. Go find yours. You can thank me later.
