Types of skis explained: on-piste carvers, slalom and GS skis, all-mountain, freeride and touring

When people talk about carving skis today, they mean almost all downhill skis. The hourglass-shaped sidecut has spread across every category, so the word carving on its own tells you little. The Czech ski magazine SNOW.cz sorts skis by terrain: groomed pistes, pistes plus softened snow with the odd trip off the side (all-mountain), mostly off-piste (freeride), and special uses such as powder, ski touring, snow parks or fun carving.

Three figures that tell you the type

Three figures on any ski reveal what it is built for:

• Width underfoot in millimetres. Narrower skis grip better on hard, groomed snow, wider ones float better in soft and deep snow.
• Sidecut radius, usually marked on the ski with an R and a figure in metres. According to Salomon, skis with a radius of around 14 m make tight turns, while those over 17 m favour long, wide arcs.
• Profile, meaning the camber and any rocker at the tip or tail. More on that below.

On-piste skis: easy cruisers, sport skis, slalom and GS skis

Salomon describes on-piste skis as narrower than 85 mm underfoot, with easy-going models for beginners at roughly 72 to 84 mm. SNOW.cz sees about 74 to 75 mm as a sensible upper limit for hard pistes, with most models starting at 66 mm. According to the magazine, these narrower skis dominate both shops and rental fleets and suit beginners as well as improvers polishing their technique.

• Easy recreational skis: softer and easy to control. SNOW.cz recommends them for less confident skiers and says beginner-level skis are now very similar in performance.
• Slalom skis: deep sidecut and a radius up to about 13 to 14 m, built for short turns. SNOW.cz suggests shorter lengths, from about 160 cm for women and 165 cm for men. They turn easily but tend to be less stable running straight and at high speed.
• GS skis or race carvers: less sidecut and radii around 17 to 19 m, for faster skiing and long turns. They are chosen longer, even over 180 cm. According to SNOW.cz, the GS skis sold to ordinary skiers today are really versatile sport skis for groomed runs.
• Sport skis: sturdier and more responsive, for skiers with solid technique and fitness who like to go fast. SNOW.cz points out, though, that there is no exact line between recreational and sport skis.

All-mountain: for pistes and softened snow

All-mountain skis are a compromise for people who ski mostly on the piste but do not mind cut-up afternoon snow or a quick detour off the side. Salomon describes them as skis that work on and off the groomers, about 85 to 90 mm wide with a rockered tip. For skiers who stay mostly on the piste, SNOW.cz also mentions narrower options around 74 to 75 mm or 80 to 90 mm, and says wider models over 90 mm are geared more towards off-piste terrain.

The lines between categories are not fixed and every manufacturer draws them a little differently, so treat these widths as a guide rather than a standard.

Freeride and freestyle: powder and snow parks

Freeride skis are built for deep snow away from groomed runs. Salomon gives 90 to 120 mm underfoot, softer tips and pronounced rocker that helps the ski float in powder, and advises freeriders to keep a pair of piste skis for days without fresh snow.

In the Krkonoše (Giant Mountains), much of the range lies within the national park. Where you may ski away from the pistes there is set by the visitor rules of the Krkonoše National Park (KRNAP), so check them on the park authority website krnap.cz before any trip.

Freestyle skis are made for snow parks and jumps. Both tip and tail are turned up (twin tip), so you can ride and land backwards, and they are soft to absorb landings, Salomon explains.

Touring skis: just for orientation

Ski touring is a discipline with its own kit: for the climb, skins are stuck to the bases and the binding frees the heel so you can walk, and skis, bindings and boots are as light as possible, with a walk mode on the boots, Salomon explains. We do not rent touring skis. In the Krkonoše, the national park authority has designated eight ski touring routes, and the park's visitor rules set out where you may go.

Rocker and camber: why a ski can ski shorter than it is

Camber is the natural arch of a ski. Laid flat, the ski touches the snow mainly at the tip and tail, leaving a gap in the middle. On hard snow it is camber that gives the ski grip, and according to Salomon most skis have around 3 to 5 mm of it. Rocker, by contrast, is a tip, and sometimes a tail, that rises earlier and more gradually. It makes turning easier and helps the ski float in powder. Salomon uses different amounts of rocker for each type:

• on-piste skis: slight tip rocker, about 5 to 15% of the length
• all-mountain: more tip rocker, 10 to 25%, plus a little in the tail
• freeride: pronounced rocker at tip and tail, 15 to 30%
• freestyle: twin tips with little or no rocker

Because a rockered ski touches the snow along a shorter section, a long ski can behave like a short one, SNOW.cz notes, which is why skis with more rocker are usually chosen longer. Salomon gives these rough length ranges relative to your height:

• on-piste skis: 5 to 15 cm shorter than you
• all-mountain: from 10 cm shorter up to your height
• freestyle: from 10 cm shorter up to your height
• freeride: 5 to 10 cm taller than you
• touring skis: 5 to 10 cm shorter than you

Within these ranges, a longer ski is more stable at speed and in long turns, a shorter one lighter and easier to turn, says Salomon.

What to choose for the Krkonoše pistes

If you ski mostly on groomed pistes, for example in Špindlerův Mlýn or in the ski areas around Vrchlabí, go for on-piste skis. A lively, tighter-turning ski suits short turns and skiers working on their technique; a ski with less sidecut suits fast skiing in long arcs. All-mountain skis make sense if you like to keep going into the afternoon on softened snow.

At our rental in Vrchlabí we rent downhill sets of skis, boots and poles for children (MINI with skis up to 110 cm and Junior with skis up to 150 cm) and adults, or skis on their own. We choose the length according to height, weight and experience and set the bindings to your weight. We do not rent touring skis. Just let us know in the booking note whether you prefer short turns or fast, long ones.

Downhill skis for rent

Our rental is on the main road from Vrchlabí to Špindlerův Mlýn, 16.1 km or about 18 minutes' drive from the resort. If you book online no later than the day before, we will prepare your gear based on your details.

Book skis online