Ski Equipment

Downhill skiers generally travel faster than cross-country skiers, and they wear form-fitting ski suits to minimize wind resistance.  Ski goggles protect their eyes from the cold wind and ski helmets provide head protection, especially for serious skiers moving at top speeds.

Various types of skis are used on downhill courses.  Downhill skis are built for stability at high speeds, are about 215 cm in length, and have heel and toe bindings.  The tip and tail of a downhill ski are wider than the waist/center, and many downhill skis have metal edges that cut into ice or packed snow, somewhat like ice skate blades.  Slalom skis are designed to tighten the turning radius and are generally about 160 cm long.  Telemark skis are fairly wide and only have toe bindings.  Twin-tip skis have upturned tips on both ends of the ski, allowing for backward skiing and freestyle skiing maneuvers.

Cross-country skiing requires endurance, and serious Nordic skiers often carry tents or hiking equipment on long treks.  Cross-country skiers wear layers or Lycra ski suits to maintain their correct body temperature while engaging in this aerobic winter sport.  Nordic skis are designed for speed across fairly level surfaces; they are about 200 cm long, about 5 cm wide, and employ only a toe binding.  Kick wax or grip wax tape is used on the kick zone to create traction when weight is applied on the ski.

Most skiers, regardless of discipline, carry ski poles for additional stability and to aid with forward motion.  They also use glide wax on the underside of their skis to melt the snow, creating a water layer that allows the skier to glide more quickly.  SkiEquipment.us features a directory of ski shops and ski equipment manufacturers where you can find good selections of Alpine skis and Nordic skis as well as helmets, poles, and ski apparel.

Ski Manufacturers

• Salomon Sports
  
  Offers downhill skis, boots, bindings, poles, helmets, snow blades, and soft goods.
  www.Salomon.com
• Scott Wintersports
  
  Winter sports equipment featuring goggles, poles, gloves, helmets, bags & packs, and apparel.
  www.Scott-Sports.com
• Rossignol
  
  Quality winter sports equipment:  Alpine Skis, Nordic Skis, and Snowboards.
  www.Rossignol.com
• Head
  
  Offers a broad range of skis, equipment, and accessories and features an interactive product recommendation tool.
  www.Head.com
• Atomic
  
  Manufacturer of alpine skis, Nordic skis, and snowboards.
  www.Atomic.com
• K2 Snow
  
  Offers quality skiing equipment, including skis, poles, helmets, goggles, bags, and accessories.
  K2Snow.com
• Nordica
  
  Manufacturer of skis, ski boots, and skiing accessories.
  www.Nordica.com
• Voelkl
  
  This German high-tech ski manufacturer offers a full line of skis as well as skiing accessories and ski apparel.
  www.Voelkl.com
• Dynastar
  
  Offers Dynastar and Lange ski products, featuring skis, ski boots, snow boards, and ski equipment.
  www.Dynastar.com
• Asnes Ski
  
  Norwegian manufacturer offers mountain skis, touring skis, children's skis, and snowshoes.
  www.Asnes.com
• Fischer Sports
  
  Manufactures alpine and Nordic skis, plus other sporting goods products.
  www.FischerSports.com

Skiing Resources and Equipment Reviews

• Snowlink
  
  Links and information on Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing.
  Snowlink.com

Related Winter Sports Sites

• Ski Packages - skiing vacation packages.
• Ski Resorts - North American skiing destinations.

Ski Equipment Guide - Ski Apparel - Cross Country Skis - Alpine Skis