Skis
There are many types of skis. Such as cross-country, shaped, and regular. Cross-country skis are your basic straight skis with a different kind of bindings. The bindings that are used have a metal screw on base with a type of leather hinge on the toe. This allows the foot to flex and move with the motion of walking. The modern cross-country bindings are starting to use metal hinges. This can be covered in leather to protect the metal from rusting.
Now we get into the more technologically advanced skis. Straight skis are your basic old style rentals. They have hardly any curves in them at all. However technology comes into place when it comes to the layers and materials used to make these skis. It also comes into play when the edges are put on. Edges are the metal strips that you see on the bottom of the skis. The edges come into play when you are turning. The sharper the edges the easier it is to turn. To make the edges concave gives you the choice of high-speed turns. Straight skis are rarely used now a day. Shaped or carved skis have taken over straight skis. Shaped skis have wide tips, thin centers or binding platforms, and wide tails or the back of the ski. This design basically is used to do what is called carving. To carve you must take a turn leaning forward keeping the pressure on the front of the ski. If you use enough pressure the tip will dig into the snow and make a track, which the tail follows in. this creates what is called railroad track.
You know you have a good carve when you see two equally deep tracks that are relatively the same distance apart. Carving allows you to take nice wide turns at high speed and not loose a millisecond of speed. This is what the Olympic skiers will do in slaloms and other down hill races. The edges also have a great effect on these skis. Dealers will sharpen the edges so that they are concave for better performance. At high speeds these edges could cut through gloves and give you a nice gash so watch out if you fall. Shaped skis are not meant for jumps unless you know how to land. If you land to hard on the skis the tips will shatter after a couple jumps. You should also be easy on the edges for a while. Get used to them and let them last a couple seasons before you destroy them. What I mean by that is you can carve so hard that you could completely rip off or shift the edges.
That's enough about skis. Lets talk about boots. When you are choosing boots you want them to fit perfectly. They should be stiff yet allow you to flex in the ankle just enough for comfort. They should be adjustable by hand and not by cranks or twist tabs. They should keep your feet warm and be snug around the toes and lower shin. Once you have all of the stuff I have previously talked about it is time to pick out poles. When you are doing this you must size them just right. To do this hold the pole upside down and put your hand on top of what is called the basket. If you elbow flexes and puts your arm at a 90-degree angle then it is a perfect height for you.
Certified Levels
There are three certification levels. Level one is the easiest level to pass. To be level one certified you must have basic knowledge of carves and teaching a lesson. You must be able to enable certain balancing techniques as well as other techniques to improve your skiing. Level two is harder to get you must have a basic knowledge of just about everything there is. Turns and other exercises must be done in perfection with minimal flaws. Lever three certification is the hardest and the highest. To get this you must know anything and everything about skiing. Everything you do must be perfect. Body position and turns are very important. If there is one flaw you could fail your test and be held back as a level two certified skier. At my job there is one person who is level three certified. He does everything perfect and has no flaws. To keep certifications up you must pay fees and go to different events within a time period of two years. If you do not do this you shall loose your certification and keep the knowledge. I hope you have enjoyed my shared knowledge about skiing. As the policy of our mountain says have fun and be safe and enjoy the sights and experiences.
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