Few things set skiers abuzz quite like fresh powder. A single epic powder day can have the staying power to hold you over between storm cycles, or through poor snow seasons. Weeks—even months—later you can remember back to those runs, that feeling of weightlessness, falling through seemingly bottomless snow as each turn fires shot after shot of blower pow into your face.
As amazing as powder skiing is, it can be equally brutal without the right equipment. Anyone who has lost a ski in deep snow can relate. Make sure you have the right gear for your next ski trip, this blog explores powder vs all-mountain skis to help you make the best choice.
Powder Skis
The hero shots you see in ads and social media make powder skiing look effortless. The reality is skiing in deep snow is hard work. It’s more physically demanding and requires a level of skill and technique to keep from getting stuck. If you’ve been skiing a while, then you probably have your own experiences struggling or getting stuck in deep powder.
That’s where powder skis come in. These wider skis have more surface area that help you float on top of the powder—no more sinking. A lot depends on the type of snow and the individual skier, but, in general, deeper than six inches is about the threshold where powder skis start making a big difference. In over a foot of powder, all-mountain skis will sink to the point of losing forward momentum.
The benefit of powder skis in deep snow is undeniable, but does it make sense for you to have a dedicated powder ski? This guide will explore powder vs all-mountain skis and what’s best for skiing in Utah.
First, let’s dive a little deeper into what makes a ski a powder ski. The easy answer is they have wider bases—typically 100 mm or wider. The extra surface area of the wide bases works like snowshoes to prevent sinking, giving the sensation that the skis are floating. Also the shape and rocker profile, borrowed from snowboard design, give powder skis their surfy, maneuverable character.
- Wide bases (100 mm or more) – more surface area = more float
- Tip rocker deflects snow to the underside, pushing skis upward to stay above the snow surface
- Tail rocker prevents “hooking” and enables surfy, fluid turns in powder
- More rocker means less edge contact on groomers and reduced carving performance
All-Mountain Skis
Now, let’s examine all-mountain skis—these are the all-rounders. Most recreational skis fall in this category, and for most days, an all-mountain ski is probably the ideal choice. With so many options, it’s important to consider the type of skiing you like in order to pick an appropriate all-mountain ski.
All-mountain skis vary by base width—usually between 80-100 mm. They can also have differences in shape, profile, and construction depending on the intended use. Some models aim to do everything well without being particularly great in any specific discipline.
Usually there are tradeoffs in performance when it comes to specialization. Narrower all-mountain skis might have better carving performance, but they’re less capable off piste and in powder. On the other hand, wider models with rounded tips and tails and more rocker profile excel off piste by sacrificing on carving performance.
- Medium-width bases (80-100 mm)
- Large range of options for different skier types and styles
- Piste models are narrower, with a shape and profile resembling carving skis
- Wide models perform like powder skis in moderately deep snow
- Some models aim to do everything (Swiss Army knife)
- Improved performance in one area can mean converse tradeoffs in another
A Middle Path
Snow conditions in Utah can be incredibly diverse. You might start the day skiing fresh powder, and by late morning that terrain could be tracked-out moguls. Because of this variability, many Utah skiers opt for a balanced approach, choosing a wider all-mountain ski that sacrifices some floatation in the deepest snow in exchange for better performance everywhere else. Models like the Volkl Revolt 101, Revolt 104, and Atomic Bent 110 are noteworthy for their versatile capability that blurs the line between all-mountain and powder skis.
Key Takeaways
If you’re lucky enough to be skiing on a deep day, having powder skis or not can have a big impact on your experience. There really isn’t a formula or magic number of snow days that justifies having dedicated powder skis. If you like powder skiing and seek out deep powder as much as possible, then having powder skis makes sense. Even when the storms are few and far between, the quality of the experience is improved so much that it justifies having special skis that you might only use a few times per season.
- If you ski mostly groomed runs (even when there’s powder) – consider all-mountain piste skis
- If you like skiing powder and want to be capable in deep snow – consider getting powder skis
- If you want to have one ski that can do as much as possible – consider a wide all-mountain ski or narrow powder ski
If you haven’t used powder skis and are curious, Jans has options you can try on your next Park City ski trip. For those renting skis, the Jans High Performance package offers a range of models depending on conditions. So if it snows during your trip you can be sure to have the right powder skis to enjoy the fresh snow. We also offer demo skis through our test program, so you can try new models before you buy.
Whether you’re shopping for all-mountain or powder skis it helps to have some expert guidance to help narrow down the choices. Our ski testers try new models each year, and our curated selection reflects decades of experience. The team at Jans has skied the models on our ski wall, so we can make recommendations based on the type of skiing you like. For those shopping online, we have our full ski selection available with detailed descriptions and tech specs to help you pick the right model for you.
By Chris Norwood, E-Commerce Manager, jans.com
