By: randosteve|Posted on: February 2, 2009|Posted in: Gear, Humor | 21 comments

Would you rather ski in the powder…or on it? Me? I’m an “on the powder” kind of guy these days and ultra-fat skis are the key to staying on top.  The fatter the better really, and my BD Megawatts shine for this.

in-it-or-on-it
In the powder…or on the powder.  Which do you prefer?

Pro’s to skiing “on the powder” with fat skis.

  • You can ski faster. This not only impresses the snow bunnies, but also keeps you in front of your ski partners so you can score the untracked snow and gives you more time at the transition to eat food and drink hot chocolate while you wait for slower skiers.
  • Skiing faster can also keep you out in front of avalanches or sluff. If you have the skills to pull it off of course.
  • In deep snow and high avalanche danger, you can have way more fun safely skiing lower angle slopes.  Which I seem to be doing a lot this year with the increased avalanche danger.
  • You can stay centered on your skis, instead of having to lean back all the time to keep your tips up…and creates way less fatiguing in your legs.
  • Safer for your knees. Since your skis aren’t buried deep in the snow, you are less apt to hook a tip and tweak your knee. Also, the higher you are in the snow, the less snow there is pushing against your lower leg…straining your knee join.
  • Though often heavier, fat skis will make trail breaking easier, since you don’t have to lift your knee so high to get the ski out of the snow and move it forward.
  • You can actually see where you are going, instead of being blinded by snow and those pesky “face shots”.
  • Breathing is easier. Again…referring to those “face shots” that can clog up your airways.
  • Who needs goggles? Often, instead of busting out your goggles, you can just ski with your sunglasses on. This can mean less fiddle-factor and faster transitions.
  • Since your skis are staying on top, you are less apt to loose a ski in the event it pops off.
  • Whether it snowed 8” or 24”, it often all feels the same (fast and furious) with fat skis since you’re hovering on top.