CHOOSE YOUR SKI TYPE
ALL MOUNTAIN
THE ONE SKI QUIVER & RIP CORD & THE 92
All mountain is the broad versatile approach to skiing which has come to be the cornerstone of the sport, taking over from decades of on-trail focused skiing. Bringing sense of adventure and the additional capabilities of fatter skis from the late 90s on. All mountain means fun in the powder, some great turns on a double black run, bumping through moguls, and then laying down a hard carve on the way to the lodge.
BIG MOUNTAIN
THE HONEY BADGER
Big Mountain skiing is a hard-charging approach to skiing terrain you will not find marked on a trail map. Focused on the backcountry and inbounds powder days, the big mountain is all about hucking, sending, and charging. Back mountain is more than "getting down" - it is all about style and bringing the skills honed inbounds in the park, and on the groomers into the back country. Big Mountain skis enable the best skiers in the world to charge hard and turn all of the mountain into a big beautiful playground.
POWDER
THE NARWHAL
Powder skiing is all about floating and pivoting. It's leaning back and feeling the snow blow over you, throwing down a turn in full whiteout, getting sendy, and feeling the effortless landing as the soft fluffy pow cushions you. Once you are hooked on powder, it's all you want! From Japan to British Columbia to our home here in the Wasatch, powder skiing is one of the areas of true change for the industry.
PARK
THE RIP CORD
Park skiing has evolved into a complex and truly impressive branch of the ski family. Park is all about having fun, usually in controlled settings, such as the terrain park. But, it can also be found on urban features and backcountry booters. It's requirements are unique, with center-mounted skis nearly identical between the tip and tail designed to enable rotation with low swing weights and flat camber.
GROOMERS
THE 92 & RIP CORD
Part of the enjoyment of skiing is going out for a good cruise with friends, family, or by yourself to see the beautiful scenery. That is what the groomers are best at providing. Best exemplified by the open turns you can find everywhere from Austria to California, groomers are a big part of the sport. Whether it is how you get around the mountain, a powder day, or your favorite thing to do on the mountain. Groomers let you enjoy the smooth, graceful, and sometimes exhilarating feeling of using gravity and low friction to turn a mountain into a playground.
HOW TO BUY A SKI
Q: Which ski is best for me?
Where will you be skiing?When buying a new pair of skis, you need to ask yourself where you will be doing most of your skiing. There are 4 different areas of skiing.Groomers - Groomers can also be called Alpine or Piste. Basically this is anywhere at a ski resort that is groomed.Backcountry - backcountry skiing is done without a lift. Skiers hike up to a high point and ski down through rees, drops and other terrain. Essentially it is just you and the mountain. No tracks, no ski patrols.Sidecountry - Sidecountry are areas inside a ski resort that isn’t groomed. Usually these areas are just outside the resort boundaries and accessed through marked gates.Terrain Parks - terrain parks are man-made parks with jumps, pipes, rails and other obstacles where skiers perform jumps and stunts.Understanding where on the mountain you are going to be spending your time is important to understand what type of skis would be best for you.
Q: How do I know what size of skis to buy?
Once you’ve decided where you will be skiing and what type of skis you want, it is important to get the right size. Skis come in different lengths depending on your height, your level of experience and where you will be skiing. Generally when holding the ski straight up you want the tip to come somewhere between your chin and your forehead. If you are less experienced and want to go a little slower, get skis that are around your chin. If you are very experienced and want some speed, get something closer to your forehead or even a little higher.The width of the ski is measured by how wide the ski is underfoot. This is called the waist of the ski and is measured in millimeters. The narrower the waist the sooner you can get on edge to get the turn in. The wider the waist the more surface area you’ll have to help you float through powder. The waist size is generally the biggest differentiator between the types of skis.Groomer skis are under a 90 mm waist.All-Mountain and Park skis are between 90-106 mm.Big Mountain skis are between 107-112 mm.Powder skis are above a 112 mm.
Q: How do I know what ski type I am?
Ski Types: Now let's talk through which skis work best in which areas of the mountain you’ll be skiing. We’ve classified our skis under 5 different categories:
All-Mountain - like the name suggestions, all-mountain skis are the most versatile skis and are designed to work across all areas of the mountain (Groomers, Sidecountry and Parks). If you only have one pair of skis, all-mountain skis are for you. You’ll feel confident going from a groomed run, to the powder, to the trees and back again.
Big Mountain - big mountain skis are designed for backcountry and side country skiing. These skis enable the best skiers to charge hard and turn all of the mountain into a big, beautiful playground. These skis are designed for experienced skiers looking to add some style and skill into their skiing.
Groomers - groomer skis are designed for on-trail performance. They allow you to cruise down the big open runs and make the slow and easy turns. Argent doesn’t make any dedicated groomers as you can get the same feel from good all-mountain skis.
Park - park skis are designed to do flips, spins, jumps and just have fun in the terrain park. These skis can also be good for natural terrain parks found off trail and in the backcountry.
Powder - powder skis are designed for those deep powder days. They allow you to float, pivot, turn and feel like you are floating on air.
