The main parts of an alpine ski are the tip, tail, waist, base and metal edges. The bindings hold the boot on the ski, and the brakes help stop a ski that has come off. The curved shape along the sides is called sidecut. It helps the ski turn.
That's the useful version. Now you can understand what the rental-shop person is talking about without nodding enthusiastically at a word you've never heard before.
“Skis come in all shapes and sizes. Alpine skis have a curved-up tip in the front, a waist in the middle, and a tail in the back. They are shaped a little bit like an hourglass. This is called 'side cut' and this shape helps the ski turn. The base of the ski is smooth, and when it's nicely waxed it will slide nice and easy. The edges of the ski are made of metal that can be sharpened so that it bites and carves the snow and the skier can turn and stop.” — Ski Tips for Kids
Tip, waist and tail: front, middle and back
The labelled parts tell you where to look; the overall length is a separate fitting decision. The book’s height comparison is a simple starting point. A shop should also consider the child’s weight, ability and the particular ski.
The tip is the front of the ski. On a conventional alpine ski, it curves upward to help the ski travel over the snow. Some skis also have an upturned tail, so the curvy end alone isn't always enough to identify the front. The binding's toe piece is a better clue.
The waist is the narrower section around the middle, beneath the boot. Ski shops often describe a ski by its waist width, measured in millimetres. That's a width measurement, rather than the ski's overall length.
The tail is the back. It's also the part your child moves outward when learning to make a pizza wedge: tips closer together, tails farther apart.
Those three names are worth teaching early. Keep the explanation short and point at the actual ski. You can ask a child to find the tips, then the tails, then show you which ends move apart to make a pizza.
A quiz involving three objects they can see is usually more useful than a lecture involving twelve objects they can't.
What is sidecut?
Look down at a ski from above. The tip and tail are generally wider than the waist, giving the ski something of an hourglass outline. That inward curve along each side is its sidecut.
When a skier tips a ski onto its edge and applies pressure, the ski's shape and flex help it follow an arc. This is one of the reasons turning a modern ski involves more than simply twisting the whole body and hoping.
Sidecut is a design feature, rather than a separate piece attached to the ski. A ski's advertised turning radius relates to that geometry, but it isn't a promise that every turn your child makes will have exactly that radius. Skiers also steer and skid their skis, and their speed, movements and the snow affect the turn.
For a beginning skier, the useful explanation is much shorter: the ski has a shape that helps it turn when we use its edges and put pressure on it.
The base: the bit that slides
Turn the ski over and you'll see the base. This is the underside that runs over the snow.
A maintained, appropriately waxed base helps the ski glide. Scratches, damage or snow sticking to the base can interfere with that glide. If the skis seem unusually sticky or damaged, ask the rental shop or a ski technician to check them.
The base is also helpful when explaining the difference between a ski that is lying flat and one tipped onto an edge. In a pizza, simply arranging two flat skis into a triangle doesn't necessarily give a child the braking effect they're expecting. The inside edges also have to engage the snow.
The pizza shape is the beginning of the explanation. It isn't the whole explanation.
Metal edges: turning and slowing
The edges are the narrow metal strips along the sides of the base. Tipping the ski brings an edge into contact with the snow, helping the skier grip, change direction and manage speed.
Each ski has two edges. In a wedge, the edges facing the space between the skis are the inside edges. The edges on the outside of that pair are the outside edges. Those descriptions refer to the pair of skis, not to a permanently different kind of metal.
On firmer snow, edge condition matters. If a child is struggling to grip, the answer isn't automatically to make a gigantic pizza. Snow conditions, stance, technique and the condition of the equipment can all contribute.
Edges can also be sharp. Show the parts by pointing, and carry skis carefully rather than running bare fingers along the metal to see just how sharp.
Bindings: where the boot connects
An alpine binding normally has a toe piece and a heel piece. Together, they secure the compatible ski boot to the ski. Bindings are designed to release under specified loads, although they cannot guarantee release in every fall or prevent every injury.
Before stepping in, clear snow from the boot sole and binding area. Place the toe into the toe piece, then press the heel down as instructed by the rental shop. Check that the boot is properly engaged before skiing away.
That final check matters. A satisfying noise isn't an equipment inspection.
The binding also needs to be appropriate for the boot's sole type and dimensions. Changing boots can mean the bindings need checking and adjustment, even if the old and new boots have the same Mondo label. Let the shop handle that work.
Brakes and release settings
The ski brakes are the little arms beside the binding. With the boot engaged, they retract. When the boot releases, they deploy toward the snow to help stop the loose ski. They aren't the child's speed-control system while skiing.
The numbered release indicator, often called the DIN setting, is another job for a qualified ski technician. It isn't a difficulty dial for parents to turn up when a ski comes off. A shop assesses the skier and equipment and checks the binding's operation.
Tell the rental shop about a boot change, repeated unwanted releases, visible damage or a brake that isn't working properly. Give them the problem; let them determine the adjustment.
Parts of a ski: quick reference
| Part | Where it is | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Tip | Front | Leads the ski over the snow |
| Waist | Narrower middle | Describes the ski's width beneath the boot |
| Tail | Back | Finishes the ski; moves outward in a wedge |
| Sidecut | Curved side outline | Helps the ski follow a turn |
| Base | Underside | Slides over the snow |
| Edges | Metal along the base's sides | Help grip, turn and slow |
| Toe and heel binding pieces | On top, around the boot | Secure a compatible boot and provide release functions |
| Brakes | Beside the heel-binding area | Help stop a ski after the boot releases |
Illustrations by Mike Clelland, from Ski Tips for Kids.