Progressive Ellipctical Sidecut Radius

Progressive Ellipctical Sidecut Radius.... ok that's a lot of syllables. What's that all really mean for ski feel and skier experience on snow, and why should I care? 

One of the important designs features that separates our skis from other competitors is our sidecut, or turn radius shape and design. We use an elliptical sidecut which features a shorter turn radius underfoot that blends to a longer turn radius in the tip and tail. Ok, neat, but still why should you care? The elliptical sidecut helps create not only a dynamic ski, but also a predictable ski in varying snow conditions. 

On steep terrain the shorter turn radius underfoot feels quick, but the longer tip and tail radius feel smooth and predictable allowing you to ski in control and confidently. 

On groomers you can lean the ski on edge with little effort and enjoy smooth turns mostly controlled by the longer tip and tail radius. But if you put a little effort in you can get the tip and tail to match the underfoot and flex more for quick and snappy turns. 

We've found that the blend of a longer tip and tail radius blended with a shorter radius underfoot has help create a ski that doesn't get hooked up in variable snow conditions, can still carve groomers with life and predictability, and is a ski that in confident and predictable in steep, challenging terrain. It's the best of all worlds. 

How we arrived here: 

At first when designing skis we used a plain arc which created a predictable turn shape but lacked the dynamic feel we were chasing. The tip and tail also would bite a little harder than we wanted when skiing steep terrain or firmer snow conditions, it didn't release an edge as predictably and effortlessly as we wanted. 

After some rounds of prototyping and experimenting, we started to play around with elliptical curves. Immediately we knew this was an important step in the right direction for ski shaping. If the radius blends into too long of a radius up front you get a ski that is slow on it's turn initiation, and on groomers can feel a little challenging to get the turn shape figured out. It has taken us a couple of iterations of progressivity to get the right feel for each ski and its intended use and snow conditions. The Sabr 100 features a less progressive elliptical turn radius than the Merakai 112 does. We wanted the Sabr 100 to be a more lively and dynamic ski for groomers, but also didn't want to compromise it's steep skiing predictability as well. The Merakai 112 is a bit more of an elongated tip and tail radius to help with its surfy nature through perfect pow, and more importantly it's hook free tip and tail when skiing afternoon push piles. 

We can talk about this for hours and I can show you CAD designs, but I recommend if you're in Utah to ski, let us know and we'll set you up on a pair so you can experience the difference yourself.