How does Rocker affect ski length?

In general, a rockered ski will behave like a shorter ski on hard snow compared to a non-rockered ski of the same length, because you are skiing on a shorter edge as if you were on a shorter ski.

How are ski rockers measured?

The most accepted way to measure rocker is with two numbers. Say you’ve got a ski with a 10/20 rocker, a moderate tip rocker. The “10” refers to 10 millimeters of tip rise—the maximum distance the ski’s front end will rise when laid on a flat surface.

What are full rocker skis good for?

Fully rockered skis, made to stay afloat, have a shorter effective edge. Less edge contact with the snow permits easier initiation of turns. Rocker, one manufacturer’s rep tells us, pre-cocks the ski into the arc of the turn. This allows the sidecut of the ski to be engaged more smoothly and easily.

Are rocker skis better?

The more rocker, the shorter the effective edge becomes. This shorter effective edge correlates to a longer “rise,” the portion of the ski that doesn’t make contact with the snow. Skis with a cambered center and tip rocker are a really good balance for many skiers, and have been very popular the past few seasons.

What is a rocker tip ski?

A rocker or reverse-camber, is literally a camber turned upside down. So the ski touches all the way down the middle then parts early at the tip (and sometimes the tail). These are great for beginners and advanced riders, the rise of the tip and tail away from the snow means easier float in deeper powder.

Do rocker skis ski shorter?

Rockered skis therefore “ski shorter” than a traditionally cambered ski with the same measured length. If you’re buying a rockered ski, feel free to add a few centimeters to your size range, and we don’t recommend going shorter if you’re moving from a more traditional ski to an aggressively rockered model.

What size rocker ski should I get?

In general, the proper ski length is somewhere between your chin and the top of your head. For example, a skier that is 6′ tall will want to look for skis between 170cm and 190cm.

Are rocker skis good for beginners?

But to be clear, many expert skiers still prefer to ski on rockered skis with softer flex patterns, too. They are generally more forgiving (which is good for beginners), but they also allow for a more playful skiing style and can be easier to work through a greater variety of turn shapes.

What’s better camber or rocker?

Benefits of camber: Camber provides springiness and good edge control while carving turns on hard snow. Benefits of rocker: Rocker provides superb flotation in soft snow and easy turn initiation.

What is the difference between camber and rocker skis?

Skis and snowboards with camber have midsections that arch off the snow slightly when unweighted, while skis and snowboards with rocker have midsections that rest on the snow and tips and tails that curve up. Benefits of camber: Camber provides springiness and good edge control while carving turns on hard snow.

What does rocker stand for on a ski?

Rocker is a catch-all phrase, referring to “ reverse camber ” or “ early-rise ” in a ski’s camber profile. Just the exact opposite of camber, rocker describes the ski’s upward bend away from the snow (picture the feet of a rocking chair).

What’s the difference between Rocker and camber on a ski?

The easiest way to understand rocker and camber is to imagine that you’re looking at a ski directly from the side, as it lies flat on a surface. Camber is the concave shape that a ski has which lifts the center of the ski off of the snow. Camber inherently pushes the contact points of a ski out to where the section of camber ends.

What happens if a ski has no rocker?

If a ski has very little tip rocker height and very little tip rocker aggression, the contact point will sit near the tip of the ski, which will increase the drag force on the ski and make it much more susceptible to sinking underneath the snow and providing no float.

What does a tip rocker do on a ski?

While 90 percent of the ski has traditional camber, a subtle amount of tip rocker allows the skier to quickly initiate carved turns for playful, and precise on-trail performance.