Are skis getting better?

[ConPexEr]

Every year there is a wave of the latest and greatest ski designs. Is there anything that is really better than a Nano?

[liquid d]

different yes, better, ennnhhh, maybe, maybe not...unless your Nano's gone a bit soft. Softer skis should be sold on SIA for longer line skiers. Softer skis turn better, hold better, and are more suited for skiers on the longer lines.

Many ski companies have been making great shortline skis for several years. If you are good enough to want to be at the top of the mountain, you need to be on a pretty new ski.

[Stevie Boy]

@liquid d I sort of agree with what you are saying, but I do know some pretty good skiers that are on skis that are fairly old, skis like the Fisher & the Elite, even the HO Monza which looks well battered.`

[bkreis]

I can honestly say, the stick I'm riding is the best ski for me I've ever had!!!!! @ozski @twhisper

[ozski]

I agree with @bkreis and we both come off the Nano...

[PatM]

@bkreis and @ozski You guys are both on the new KD if I remember correctly. The Nano did not work for me and seeing you both were on that previously - Do you find the KD similar or totally different? Sorry to hijack the thread.

[Chef23]

Skis are technology and technology always improves. Personally I hated the Nano so for me there are definitely skis better than the Nano. That said for most people the Nano is a great ski. Whether something new would be better for you depends on a ton of things including how old your ski is because no skis last forever.

[bkreis]

@"Pat M" I think it's very different. However I started w more aggressive #'s than @ozski and just learned to ride it that way.....I have not moved the fin and hope to not have to as we approach mid summer water temps. the kd like direction and rewards you for it and is forgiving when in trouble. point the ski and go..be ready!!! cuz it's gonna go!!!! btw we were both on nano 1xt's...@ozski is left foot forward and I'm right foot forward. plus, Terry is awesome! @twhisper

[andjules]

@ConPexEr I think your original question is a great one, and I think the answer is kind of nuanced... at least more nuanced than each company's marketing would want us to believe.

I think all the ski companies are constantly trying to improve over "last year's model". But it's arguable that most years, for most models, that means emphasizing a couple of design characteristics while possibly sacrificing some others. When skiers try something new, they very often get a little, temporary performance bump... but more often than not, everything eventually settles back to normal.

Every once in a while, one company gets a "hit", a ski that makes a whole bunch of folks ski measurably better — or easier — in a lasting way (of course there's no guarantee that they'll make you ski measurably better). I think those skis are worth paying attention to. Examples might be the last few Radar Vapors, the Nano, some of the early Syndicate models, maybe even the Denali.

And then, as @liquid d points out, there's the question of whether your ski "wears out", and how fast, and the answer is probably very dependent on both the ski and the skier.