St. Paul, MN Twin Tip Ski Experts

“What are those double-tipped skis that I see kids on nowadays?”

Well for starters, those “double-tipped” skis aren’t just for kids; adults, kids, and everyone in between are discovering the versatility of these new skis. The skis themselves have been labeled as Twin Tips, with the new skiing style coined as Freeskiing. Freeskiing covers everything from pure park and pipe to deep, backcountry skiing to everywhere else on the mountain. Twin tips and freeskiing are now a part of the fastest growing aspects of the snowsport industry.

Which twin tip skis are
right for me?

Twin-tips can be separated into three groups: park & pipe, all-mountain, and backcountry. If you’re like most people, you can’t afford to own two or three pairs of skis (e.g. backcountry skis for powder, park skis for the park, race skis for the gates, carving skis for the groomers, etc…). So, if you do not have the financial means to afford more than one pair of skis, make sure you choose wisely and get a pair that covers your needs.

When considering which ski to purchase, think about where you spend the majority of your time and rank your needs by priority. For example, if you’re contemplating a park and pipe ski, you already own pair of all-mountain sticks, and you have no real desire to try the steep or deep, you may rank your needs as 1) park and pipe 2) all-mountain 3) backcountry. By ranking your needs, you can avoid some of the confusion and make it way easier to hone in on the right ski. The ultimate goal is to match your needs with the right gear so you’re not stuck at the hill with a ski that isn’t meant for the job at hand.

PARK & PIPE: You ski in the park 99% of the time.

Lincoln loop. Rodeo 540. Switch 1080. Backcountry booters. Urban rails. If you recognize any of these terms, this category is a no brainer for you. For the rest of you, the park and pipe side of freeskiing is probably the fastest growing part of the sport; park and pipe freeskiing now dominates the now plateaued-growth of snowboarding and has many people curious. If you think you’re going to spend your time or already spend all your time in the terrain park (because really, there’s not much else to do in Minnesota), consider a park and pipe specific ski.

BACKCOUNTRY: You ski only off-piste and out of bounds.

If you primarily ski in places beyond Minnesota and Wisconsin in deeper, softer snow conditions and you crave flotation and crud-busting power, then these skis may be the answer. These skis tend to be wider in the tip, waist, and tail, and now feature reverse camber at the tip, the tail, or both. The combination of a wide body ski with reverse camber allows gives and skier an exceptionally forgiving ride through the softest snow and toughest crud. These skis almost make the sport too easy…almost.

UNIVERSAL/ALL-MOUNTAIN: You ski everything.

You don’t want to lug around two or three pairs of skis out west, and maybe you spend the bulk of your time in the Midwest anyways, so going with an all-mountain rig may be most appropriate. All-mountain twin tips really cover everything the park and pipe and backcountry skis leave behind; all-mountain twins are extremely versatile and have no problem on groomers, end-of-the-day-crud, shin-high powder, or even the park and pipe. These all-mountain twins tend to be a little softer than the traditional carving skis, but in a lot of ways they’re way more versatile and let you play beyond the corduroy.

For your convenience you can schedule a product consultation with a Hi Tempo expert: CLICK HERE.

Twin tip specific bindings too?

Bindings are a big deal. The general consensus is that twin tips riders prefer flat bindings with minimal ramp angle.

Lowering the ramp angle between the toe and heel of the bindings (traditional bindings have a difference in height here to help leverage and initiate the turn of the ski) allows riders to ride switch (backwards) more easily. Reducing the ramp angle means skiers compensate less when riding switch which now opens up a whole other dimension in their riding capabilities.

Having flat bindings on a set of twin tip skis translates to the overall feel of the ski. By lowering your boot sole as close to the ski as possible, you’ll gain increased control on landings and more balance in the air and on rails.

Twin tip binding mount points

Mounting a ski at its traditional mount point, and mounting the same ski 3 cm forward of that point results in two totally different feeling skis. Many freeskiing riders mount their skis ahead of the ski manufacturers’ traditional midsole mounting point. Doing this provides increased control riding switch and better balance rotating on and off axis. However, moving the binding too far forward can cause a ski to lose stability at higher speeds, so consider your needs wisely.

K2’s research and development team has devised a scale to help skiers determine their own mounting point based on their skiing style. This scale can be adapted to many twin tips on the market today. Here is how their scale breaks down.

0-2cm forward: All Mountain: If you plan on skiing mostly outside the park and want the ski to behave like a traditional ski, you should stay on the conservative side and mount traditionally.

3cm- 5cm forward: 50% All Mountain, 50% Terrain Park. When mounting beyond 3cm, you will lose a little of the traditional feel of length in front of the binding, but with more tail, you gain the control in the air and riding switch.

6cm- 7.5cm forward: If you bought the skis primarily for the terrain park, or are focused on riding switch in powder or in backcountry, you may consider mounting your skis this far forward. While you may sacrifice forward directional float and stability, it’s made up for in the switch riding and landing stability and balance in the air.

If you’re still stuck on which twin tip ski set-up to go with, stop by and we’ll help you get the free skiing gear that's right for you. For your convenience you can schedule a product consultation with a Hi Tempo expert: CLICK HERE.