5 Responses for "What's the difference between free skis and alpine skis?"

1. fivehundredmonkeys November 23rd, 2008 at 9:29 am 1

   width, I believe.

   Girth.
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2. sportmavericks November 23rd, 2008 at 10:16 am 2

   I don't know because I like cross country instead.
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3. Paul G November 23rd, 2008 at 11:06 am 3

   Technically there is no difference. Alpine skis refer to any skis designed for downhill skiing and Nordic skis refer to cross country skis.

   So, all free skis are alpine skis. Free Skis are basically skis that are designed to do it all. They can carve the groomers well and are wide enough to float in the powder. Depending on what conditions you ski on most will help determine what kind of ski you'll want. If you ski mainly powder you'll want wider skis. If you ski on the groomers you'll want a narrower, stiffer ski.
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   Manage a ski and snowboard shop.

4. Dujo November 23rd, 2008 at 11:34 am 4

   It depends on what you mean by free skis. I'm going to assume that you mean telemark skis (the ski binding is hinged at the front so the toe portion of your boot is locked to the ski, but your heel is able to move up and down freely). Telemark skiers do a different kind of turn than alpine skiers. Alpine skiers use ankle and foot pressure along with weight shifting and balance to make their turns. Telemarkers do a special kind of turn called a lunge. I've never done telemarking but from talking to people, I understand that it's very different and somewhat more difficult than alpine skiing. Most people stick with alpine skiing or snowboarding, but there are some people who have become bored with either of those options or just think telemarking looks interesting in general. If you're not sure about telemarking, I would recommend alpine skis. If you're still interested though, find a place to rent or demo some telemarks and give them a try before you buy anything. Google telemark for more info.
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5. just_hanging_out_in_b&w November 23rd, 2008 at 12:07 pm 5

   There are two possibilities for "free" skis:

   One is Paul's answer, which is the general all-mountain ski. Will handle everything well, but not excel in any one aspect. Usually they are fairly forgiving skis, and well suited for beginners. These skis will work well in the east, or the west. They may not be the best in powder, nor the best on hard ice, but for general, all-mountain skiing, should fit the bill. Alpine skis are generally considered as any ski that takes you downhill, as opposed to cross-country skis, also called "Nordic".

   The other possibility, which is Dujo's answer, is the telemark ski. People refer to them as "free-heel" skis. His answer describes that very well. I do telemark a little bit, but I prefer the fixed binding actually - I'm just better at that. But what Dujo said was correct about tele's, the motion to turn is completely opposite that of a regular, alpine skiing turn. So if you have skied for a long time, it may be hard to adjust to that style of skiing. I have a heck of a time with it! In short - lessons would be in order if you went that route!

   Either way, e-mail me if you have any specific questions beyond this!
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   I ski - a lot!