Telemark ski technology has improved dramatically in recent years and with that improvement, those of us who prefer a free heel have gained a huge array of choices. The days of universally long and skinny skis are gone forever. Now we can choose between hard pack rockets, twin tip jibbers, all mountain skis, powder boards and freeride machines. Don't panic, all those choices are a good thing and Telemarkski.com can help you sort 'em all out.

In this article Telemarkski.com helps you choose the right ski for you by exploring three of the most prominent features of every ski - width, shape and flex. Of course there are other features you'll want to consider: things like feel, durability, weight, and construction, but most of those things will be considerations after you've decided the more basic performance characteristics related to width, shape and flex.

The sands keep shifting on this one as skis get wider and wider and wider with each new season, but we have chosen to break skis into four width related categories: hardpack (narrow), mid-fat, fat and super fat.

Hardpack
To us this means skis that are 80mm at the waist or less. This narrow waist means you spend less time transferring your weight from one edge of the ski to the other edge ("quick from edge to edge"). The more time you spend on your edges the more control you'll have in hardpack conditions. So, as the name implies, these skis are great for skiers who spend the bulk of their time on firmer snow. Bump skiers will also like these "quick" skis. As you may have already guessed these narrow skis are not the perfect tool when the snow gets soft and deep. Some examples of Hardpack skis include; Black Diamond Machine, K2 She's Piste & Super Stinx, Atomic Pumori, Tacora, & Diran,Rossi Dirty Bird & Hip Chick.

Mid-Fat
To us, this category includes skis that are between 80-85mm at the waist. These skis are still narrow enough to be quick from edge to edge and hold up on hard snow (especially if you have a stiff boot), good for all but the most intense bump skiers, and more friendly in the deep snow. This is the most all-around catagory, especially for skiers in areas that don't get tons of snow. A couple of our favorite Mid width skis are; K2 World Piste & Schi Devil, G3 Baron, Rossi Powder Bird&Rip Chick

Fat
In our minds, these are skis that are between 85-95mm at the waist. Now we are getting into the all-purpose ski for areas that get lots of fresh snow. Fat skis are a little too wide for bullet proof and bumps, but are a joy in the deep snow and crud. Check out skis like the Atomic Kailas, the Black Diamond Havoc, K2 Work Stinx & Dawn Patrol, Fischer T-stix, , G3 Reverend,

Super Fat
This is a "growing" category - literally. For this year, we are putting everything with a waist bigger than 95mm here, but as boards grow the scale will inevitably change. Skis this big are either softer flexing pure powder boards or stiffer more powerful freeride machines. Powder boards (a must for anyone developing a "quiver" of skis) make us all a hero on those days we are lucky enough to get first tracks. Freeride boards - definitely not for everyone - require bigger boots, more strength and more aggressiveness, but will remain stable at high speeds and in difficult terrain. To see what super fat really looks like follow these links:, K2 Hippy Stinx & Anti Piste, Atomic Janak, Karhu Jak Team, BD Verdict.

We have divided this category into three basic shapes, based on the ski's sidecut. For our purposes, we have chosen to define sidecut as the difference between the width of the shovel and the width of the waist. This is a less than an exact science, so you'll see others speak of turning radius and other factors, all of which have to do with what the ski is likely to do when it's put on edge. Our three categories of shape: minimal, medium and super.

Minimal
These are skis with less than 31mm of sidecut. Once upon a time in the tele world skis with 20mm of sidecut were considered radical. Now you can't find a tele ski with less than 25mm (not that we'd really wanna look for one). Skis with less shape carve a longer radius turn and often have narrow tails that tend to slide or release quickly from a turn. Easy to flex and minimally shaped skis are well suited to softer (read: leather) boots and are great for less aggressive skiers new to the Telemark turn. Stiffer minimally shaped skis can be great for mach speed GS turns and will hold onto the hardpack as if their life depended on it. Technically, we should mention super fat powder boards as having minimal shape, but sidecut isn't all that much of a consideration when you are just floating on air. There aren't a whole lot of skis with minimal sidecut, but check these out if that's your thing: Black Diamond Ethic / Mystic, Karhu Agent.

Medium
With sidecuts between 32mm and 36mm, most tele skis fit here. The accomplished skier can carve (not slide, yeah!) turns of nearly any radius with these shapes. For the beginner and intermediate, this shape turns easily without being too demanding. The vast majority of us will end up with medium shaped skis. Lots of todays skis fall into this category, including some of our favorites, like the Atomic Diran / Saipal, the K2 World Piste and the Black Diamond Havoc.

Super
Skis with sidecut more than 37mm. For those of you want to turn quicker than a New York minute. Some bump skiers like this shape but many will find it too aggressive. Some folks like the way these skis turn in shallow crud and corn snow. hmmm, really? Combine this shape with a stiff flex and make sure you've had your daily espresso intake. Super sidecut skis are not that abundant, but we have a few; K2 She's Piste / Super Stinx and the Volkl Snow Wolf.

No categories here, as flex is hard to quantify. So, here are some general ideas and guidelines as background for the "flex" discussion... Flex and the less accurate term - stiffness, are sometimes used interchangeably. Skis flex both longitudinally (along their length) and torsionally (side to side). In general, softer flexing skis offer less performance in anything but consistent soft snow. The upside is that they are less demanding and easier to ski in everything but true hardpack snow conditions. In contrast, stiffer skis offer more performance in crud, boilerplate and varied snow conditions. This performance comes at a price though, as stiffer skis require way more energy from the skier. Low energy, just plain lazy and tired skiers need not apply for a ski with stout flex. For beginners, stiff skis will make for a longer more painful day than necessary. Some of the stiffer skis out there: Atomic Kongur and Black Diamond Crossbow. Some of the softer skis out there: BD Nunyo, Rossi Dirty Bird, K2 She's Piste.

Many of today's ski manufacturers are also finding ways to creatively change the feel of the flex in different parts of the ski. Perhaps the best example of this is the newest crop of women's skis that tend to have softer tails to accommodate the way the female body applies pressure to the ski differently, duh, than men do. For skis that flex specifically for women, don't miss the reviews on the Atomic Saipal, the K-2 She's Piste, Schi Devil and Dawn Patrol or the Black Diamond Mystic. Check out our Women's Telemark Equipment page for more info.

Width, shape, flex, sidecut, stiffness, softness and we haven't even talked about durability, weight construction, snow conditions, or cost. that's a lot to think about, but don't sweat it, we're here to help guide you through the process - and not only with this article. We also have a page were we've listed our FAVORITE SKIS BY SNOW TYPE and our STAFF PICKS. Plus, don't miss our GEAR REVIEWS for each ski. Once you've homed in on the right model, use our Ski Length chart to help find the length you need.

Check out our Gear Finder ™ to get a personalized recommendation from our staff.

Don't forget - when you buy a pair of skis from TelemarkSki.com, we'll mount and tune them at no extra charge!

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