You Never Get In Too Deep When You Use Incredible New `Fat Skis’

Picture this: A new type of ski is invented that allows you to ski deep, heavy powder all day long, turn after turn, having a great time, even if you’re out of shape.

Even if you’re out of shape! Impossible, right?

No, and I have first-hand proof.

The new “fat skis” (so named because they’re wide, not because their riders are) do incredible things in deep, soft snow.

“In those conditions, you can put a beginner on these skis and they ski like an intermediate,” says Geno Zaharie, technical representative for Rossignol skis for the Northwest. “An intermediate will ski like an advanced skier. And an advanced skier will ski like a god.”

Believe it. These weird-looking skis float you like a snowboard, making heavy, cruddy powder feel just about the same as light, perfect stuff.

The odd thing is that you don’t sink much. It almost makes the heavy, deep stuff ski like a groomed run. That’s the reason it’s so easy and so much less tiring than the more traditional up-and-down motion required to ski powder.

Zaharie said skiers “from the old school” look down their noses at the new fat skis - which are almost twice as wide as regular skis - but they’ve become the No. 1 choice at heli- and snowcat-skiing operations where skiers do endless turns in deep snow.

“They laugh at these, but at the same time, they enjoy them too,” he said.

I took Rossi’s fat skis out for a spin, looking for heavy, gunky stuff on the far side of Schweitzer Mountain. When I turned them back in to Zaharie, I was sorry to report that I’d found no crud - just perfect powder.

Then, just out of curiosity, I went back to the same spot on my regular skis. You guessed it. The snow was so heavy I nearly had to leap out of it for every turn. It was only perfect powder on the fat skis.

Want to try them yourself? You can rent or demo fat skis through most area ski shops. Among those offering them are Schweitzer’s Alpine Shop, which has models from Volant, Rossignol and Olin for $25; and LouLou’s downtown store, which demos Volkl’s Explosiv and Snowranger models or the Rossignols, also for $25.

One warning: They’re made for soft, deep snow, and they’re not much fun on the groomed runs. They’re just for THOSE days.

Search for powder: Chris and Sam Knowlton and Pete Salerno found out in late January just how dangerous it can be to ski out-of-bounds. The three snowboarders tried a new way in to the East Basin at 49 Degrees North, but wound up on the wrong side of a ridge. They got a few fun turns, followed by five hours of sheer hell.

Sam and Chris lost their boards and didn’t care, because hypothermia had set in. They had been struggling to build a snow shelter for an hour in the dark when they were rescued, thanks in part to friend Scott Hager who had promptly reported them lost.

“No matter how good the powder is, it is not worth your life,” Pete writes. “We thank the 49 Degrees North Ski Patrol Search & Rescue Team for their excellent efforts in saving our lives … Hypothermia is nothing to mess around with. Just ask us!”

Lock ‘em up: Just after all the publicity about Schweitzer’s major ski-theft problem, the resort started charging $1 per day for its previously free security ski check.

The check, also called a ski corral, is a safe spot to check in your skis or snowboard while you take a break in the lodge.

Resort officials say the timing was unfortunate and they aren’t out to discourage use of the popular ski corral. To help encourage skiers and snowboarders to fight theft, Schweitzer has sent me a stack of free coupons for the ski check. Want one? Write to Betsy Z. Russell at 608 Northwest Blvd. Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene ID 83814, or fax to (208) 765-7149.

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