skiing the sides

I just bought a pair of blizzard bonafides 98mm in the foot.  I love them on the soft stuff, but miss my volkle superspeeds on the hardhard-pack and ice.  Lately I have started skiing the sides in a wishy washy non carving way.  I was brought up on carving, but I find the sides of the mountain to have more snow and although I ski this stuff slow I find it enjoyable say  compared to carving a steep run accross a steep icy run like LIes at Gore.

Agreed.  I've headed to the edges every day I am up there this year!

sirskier

I wouldn't call what you are doing wishy washy.  You are using the ski as a tool in a different way because your tool is different.  This wider ski likley has a good deal of rocker so in instructor speak you are applying a different skill blend with more rotary and less edging appropriately to this new tool.  The rocker makes the ski much shorter than its length so those short turns on the ski are easy to slide around in a slow skidded fashion.

Personally I prefer a ski with a width in the 82-88mm range so that the ski can apply a firm edge and carve on the hard pack and with some tip rocker or early rise so you can also rotate it easily on the sides and in bumps.  I don't consider a 98mm waist to be an everyday ski in the east.  If you have a multi ski quiver its a fine addition but a 82mm width underfoot is my every day ski.  

I think expert skiers should be able to adapt the way they ski to their equipment so bravo to you for figuring out how to enjoy and get the most out of your new sticks.  I also think that expert skiers should be able to make a range of turn types for different conditions and outcomes and so I chose skis in the 80's mm range that allow me to do that.

I don't know Coach, my everyday eastern skis are 100 under foot!

Thanks for the feedback.  I have my Volkls superspeeds, which are old but still rip on ice and hardpack.

Man, I know a guy on the Bonafides who is ripping this year on the hardpack.  It's amazing how well some of these newer skis grip.  I'm on 94mm waist, and I'm not missing my 68mm waisted slalom skis too much at all (although I do take them out on the true boilerplate days).  

That being said, sometimes it is a lot easier to shmear some turns on the side and noodle around the edges of trails.  Safer, too (as long as you aren't cutting between groups of people stopped on the side and the trees - I hate when people do that).

I do that, but I'm the best skier on the mountain. It's different when mere mortals try it.

It is kind of cool, but different.  

I laughed!

did not know that, which mt?

freeheeln wrote

did not know that, which mt?

Obviously not the mountain I ski at, since I am the best skier there.