Just like our shop in Park City, the Ski Wall at JANS has become an institution. The skis we select for our customers also tell a story about our values. Our ski-buying team has decades of combined experience testing new skis, and we know exactly what we’re looking for when considering new models for our Ski Wall.
We carry select skis from top brands in the industry, several of which also make FIS-level racing skis. While there are many brands to choose from, we know the brands we’ve chosen make quality skis that we can stand behind. We took care of the leg work. So, if you’re looking at a ski on our wall, you know you can count on its quality.
Our ski buyers live and breathe skiing. They spend their off-season researching new ski models and following industry news and trends. We send a team of ski testers each year to demo new models for the following season before they’re released to the public. Then we take our homework to the hill and ski all the models we’re considering. This on-hill testing is key to determining which skis we’re putting on the wall.
When we select skis, we make sure to pick the right model for every type of skier and any snow conditions. Rather than overwhelming our customers with too many choices, we’ve curated our list to have the right ski for every skier. The Ski Wall categories are based on ski width, ranging from narrow carving models to wide powder skis. Within each size category, we have options ranging from beginner-friendly to expert-level.
- Carving: 70-80 mm
- All-Mountain: 80-90 mm
- All-Mountain Wide: 90-100 mm
- Powder: 100 + mm
Carving Skis
These narrow skis have a waist width in the 70 to 80 mm range. They have pronounced camber in the profile and sidecut designed to maximize edge contact. This allows skiers to carve turns with their skis tilted at aggressive angles because they can ride on the edges.
All-Mountain Skis
All-mountain skis are designed to be versatile for a wide range of terrain and snow conditions. Compared to carving skis, the added width underfoot makes them more stable for skiing on the bases. The profile has camber in the middle of the ski for edge hold, and rocker in the tips and tails helps with turn initiation and maneuvering.
Shop Fischer The Curv GT85 Redefine
All-Mountain Wide Skis
Extra width means better balance and stability. Skis with an underfoot width between 90 and 100 mm provide added surface area compared to narrower all-mountain skis. The wider ski surface under the bindings helps prevent sinking in fresh snow.
Powder Skis
These wide skis specialize in deep powder days. Rocker in the tips pushes the rest of the ski upward when it hits the snow, and the wide bases float on top of the snow surface. The powder skis that we’ve selected also have some camber in the midbody, so they still ski well on groomed runs and non-powder days.
We’re seeing more ski brands emphasizing environmental sustainability in their ski manufacturing. This sounds great, but we wanted to make sure these eco-friendly models also have excellent performance. Some models we picked include The Curv GT85 Redefine from Fischer and the Atomic Maven 103 CTI.
Fischer and Atomic assessed their entire ski-making process, from supply chain to construction, to identify opportunities where carbon emissions were reduced using alternative materials and production methods. This new sustainable construction demonstrates that ski manufacturing can have a smaller carbon footprint without detracting from on-hill performance. While both Atomic and Fischer introduced this new construction on a limited selection of skis, we’ll likely see it used on more models in the future.
If you’re in the Park City area, stop by our Park Ave or Snow Park Lodge locations to see the Ski Wall for yourself. Our expert staff will be happy to answer any questions or make recommendations. And if you’re shopping online, follow the link below to easily navigate to the type of ski you’re looking for.
By Chris Norwood, Ecommerce Manager, jans.com
