There’s a few reasons why a fat or fatter ski is recommended in steep and technical terrain:
Firstly they provide more stability at higher speeds, which is much easier to get in steep terrain, especially with some of the entrances.
Wider skis are also easier to drift. We should consider edge control, not just edging. Being able to have less edge and drift and feather our turns by easily being able to twist the ski helps us to control and shut down speed more easily. Side-slipping is easier on fat skis too which is also a way we sometimes approach technical entrances and features.
With a skinnier carve style ski it is much easier to engage the edge and sometimes this can cause the ski to hook up in the snow. Getting caught up means we lose the ability to maneuver the ski as we want and sometimes they jet off or react in a way we don't want or weren't expecting.
Why Are Fatter Skis Preferable in Steep Terrain?
We're not saying that these maneuvers and skills can't be done on skinny skis, or can only be achieved with a fatter ski, but the probability of mistakes happening are higher with a skinnier and stiffer ski.
Understanding the advantages and limitations of each of our ski widths is important and we have to be able to recognise and share knowledge with our students.
We appreciate that many of you have spend a lot more time on your skinny skis. Carve skis are fun and they definitely have a time and place. They are great for groomers and bumps, with a shorter radius which is also fun, but they are not appropriate for terrain where we are forced to make any moves that require precise movements in uneven terrain. We are not asking you to ski on 110’s, but a mid-fat/85+ is perfect for steeper terrain.
More questions? Feel free to discuss this further with your peers and Steeps trainers!