The Why to Wide Skis
It’s 7 am and the coffee is hot! You’re about to go heli-skiing!!! Last night’s storm tucked our central Idaho mountains under a big fluffy white blanket. Skies are clear and you remember a time, decades ago, when you enjoyed your very first powder day with little more than skinny skis and an ear-to-ear grin. Equipment has advanced significantly since then but the goal remains the same… to have the best day in the mountains!
It is our policy at Sun Valley Heli Ski (SVHS) that our guests ride on skis that are a minimum of 100cm underfoot. There are a few reasons why we encourage this but the most important ones are that they help their rider have a fun and safe day in the mountains. You might be thinking, how can they help me have a fun or safe day if I’m used to a narrower ski?
As far as fun is concerned, wide skis offer more float to their riders and handle best in deep snow. They also make it easier for their rider to work their way through variable snow conditions. In the backcountry, obstacles aren’t marked. This can include downed trees, rocks, and other buried surprises. A wider ski keeps you in the upper part of the snowpack and farther away from these hidden hazards. A wider ski also helps you stay stable at higher speeds for those meadows begging for you to send a rooster tail to the stars.
At SVHS, our full-day heli package includes 6 runs ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 vertical feet. That’s a lot of pow-slashing! If you’re familiar with big days in the backcountry, you know how important it is to do little things throughout the day to save your legs for the good stuff (the way down!). Wide skis are a preservation tool for just that. Their natural float helps you stay centered over your boots and out of the backseat.
It’s easy to get into the weeds on all of the technical mechanics of ski design. For us, it boils down to MORE FLOAT EQUALS MORE FUN!
