| In the article 'A Little Bit about the Ski' there is some | | | | amplified and transmitted back along the ski. |
| stuff about reverse camber where I mention that | | | | Having said this I know that today's new skis have a |
| the ski is designed as a spring. Depending on its | | | | much deeper sidecut on them to produce a tighter |
| construction, a ski can be bent to produce a | | | | radius turn with them just on their edge, but they |
| substantial arc of reverse camber. For example, if a | | | | should still have the potential for an even tighter |
| racer is making tight turns on ice through slalom | | | | radius if reverse camber is brought into play. |
| gates, he will want the skis to be bent to their | | | | This is a good time to expand on something else I |
| maximum to carve an arc round the gate with the | | | | mentioned in the section on reverse camber. If a ski |
| minimum of sliding. | | | | is put on its edge then it will have more spring in it |
| On the easy gates near the finish, where the turns | | | | than if the ski remains flat on its sole. It will also have |
| are little more than wiggles, a ski racer will just set | | | | the potential for added reverse camber and |
| the skis on their edges, with minimum reverse | | | | therefore more spring. A ski flat on the snow has no |
| camber. Edging is just setting the ski on its edge, | | | | potential for any reverse camber at all and that |
| whilst carving is applying the sort of pressure to | | | | means there will be no spring to help you into the |
| make the ski bend more than the minimum reverse | | | | next turn. |
| camber. | | | | An edged ski will also make a much more controlled |
| To achieve maximum reverse camber a skier does | | | | turn than a flat ski could ever do. Just imagine that |
| not just apply his weight to the middle of the ski, but | | | | you are on ice. Will your control in the turn be better |
| sometimes to the front of it, by moving slightly | | | | on a flat ski or on one where the edge cuts in? The |
| forward at the start of a turn. This tends to bend | | | | answer is obvious. |
| the front of the ski first, and the bending process is | | | | |