This past summer, rental operators profited from a price war between Elan and Rossignol as the French ski company battled to push its Cut 10.4 super sidecut skis into a market pioneered by the Elan SCX. The result: rental managers who had feared a shortfall in super sidecut inventory found a reasonable supply of the skis.
Early season retail sales show that consumers have accepted the super sidecut concept with enthusiasm, so rental shops won’t have to worry about marketing the idea. Instead, rental managers should get busy training staffs to make these skis enjoyable for customers.
1) Length selection. Super sidecuts should be skied shorter than conventional skis. How much shorter? That depends on the depth of the sidecut and on average width. Conventional skis are an average width of about 72mm. Jump on a ski with an average width of 84mm (the Elan SCX), especially if most of that width is at the tip and tail, and you’ve got a heavier implement. The Rossi 10.4 averages 81mm wide, the Head Cyber 24—77mm.
A good rule of thumb for most skiers is to go down one centimeter in ski length for every millimeter of increase in average width. Manufacturers don’t print the average width on the top of the ski, of course, and no one wants to do a lot of arithmetic in selecting a ski. Instead, rental managers should make sure that paperwork reflects the manufacturer’s length recommendation for each model.
2) Tuning. Super sidecut skis, when rolled on edge, are designed to put a lot of pressure on the snow at tip and tail. If the edges are burred or too sharp, the skis can be very hooky. These skis must be tuned well to ski safely.
To keep customers happy, rental shops may have to tune stock more often, and do it more carefully—with at least a half-degree of bevel and just enough rounding of the tip and tail to cure any tendency to hook. Wider tips and tails are harder to keep flat than standard widths. Fortunately, a perfectly flat base doesn’t seem to be critical on these relatively soft skis. But it is important to maintain smooth, polished edges at all times.
3) Returns. Some folks won’t like the sensation of carving. They’ll misinterpret the willingness of the ski to do all the work, and feel instead that the ski is trying to take them for a ride. Rental staffers can handle this in two ways: by encouraging the skier to try again, perhaps with instruction; or by exchanging the skis for a conventional shape.
4) Retail. Some folks will love the sensation. Like devotees of fat skis, they’ll come back to the rental shop and insist on buying the skis, or a pair like them. A shop that’s not equipped to sell gear at retail should make a deal with a neighboring retail outlet, right now.
In addition to the above, rental managers and their staffs should take the new skis out on the snow and ski every shaped ski in stock. It’s the only way to understand how customers are going to react to the skis.
