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Slalom skis for recreational GS racing?
Elan's Fusion Pro SLX might be the answer
by Pat Moore
Let's face it - we can envision dropping our hips to the snow emulating the likes of Ted Ligety and Julia Mancuso but we'll never be confused with elite racers like them. Racers of that caliber exert tremendous pressure on their skis decambering them enough to arc tight carves. Those of us with lesser ability might be better off with skis with a tighter radius like a slalom ski.
There’s no arguing that we’d be better skiers if we improved our technique but there are limits such as time available for training and conditioning. Elite racers pick perfect S shaped arcs while recreational racers tend follow more of a Z shaped path. Consequently, we find ourselves frequently having to make a sudden turn at the gate. A short radius ski sure makes that task easier.
Elite golfers can consistently find the sweetspot on razor-thin muscleback irons but mid to high handicappers have discovered that perimeter-weighted cavity back clubs go a long way to correcting mishits. Why not apply the same strategy with ski racing? Recreational racing places no limits on the length of ski or turning radius.
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Elan’s
Fusion Pro SLX may very well be the answer.
Also available in a World Cup model with sandwich construction
and vertical sidewall, the SLX is the most responsive
ski I’ve ever had strapped to my feet. I should
let you know that I’m 60+ with an arthritic knee
and spend at least half my time on a snowboard but I am
an enthusiastic participant in NASTAR, Mt. Dew, and beer
league races. Over the past few seasons I’ve
experimented (especially on tight courses) by switching
back and forth between GS skis and slalom skis.
My better results have consistently come with the shorter
boards. In my opinion, the Elans were clearly the
best of the slalom boards. On a couple of occasions
before this winter’s race schedule began I took
a pair of 165 cm SLXs out and tested them in varying conditions.
Sudden transitions from crud to ice were almost unnoticeable.
The ski can hold an edge where others leave you scrambling
for control. By eliminating skidding, you’ll
be given a not-so-subtle reminder if your quads aren’t
in shape. I put the theory to the test at the New
England NASTAR Pacesetter trials recently. A year
ago, I had struggled with the tight, steep, icy, and long
course that had been set aside for the trials. This
year the course wasn’t as steep but still very “turny”
with ruts and I was able to cut my handicap in half.
I attribute those results to better boots and the Elan
SLX.
A number of top racers in our Monday Night race league demoed the Elans this past year and immediately placed orders. One racer attended a GS race camp and experimented with the SLX. He commented on the ski’s amazing ability to handle long radius turns as well as tight turns. |
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I alluded to a parallel with the game of golf earlier. In that sport, participants are always upgrading their equipment to shave a few precious strokes. Ski racing is no different. There’s no substitute in either endeavor for proper training and conditioning but clearly, better gear can give you an edge over the competition. The SLX can certainly deliver that “edge”. I understand the SLX may be in short supply because of the demand so move fast if you’re interested!
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Pat Moore has been ranked number 1 nationally in NASTAR snowboard racing in his age group and holds three national championship titles. In 2008, he became the first NASTAR racer ever to concurrently hold the titles in both snowboarding and skiing (using his Elan SLX Fusion Pros!). An avid unicyclist, he's not sure what he wants to be when he grows up. Pat runs domestic and international online sales for Suburban Sports in Berlin Connecticut |
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