Parabolic skis and tethering

I switched to a more parabolic ski last year. It feels like it is more difficult to tether and go from the side-slip to snowplow than it used to with my less parabolic skis I used to have. Has anyone else any opinions on this?

When I was tethering Sit-skis on SL shapes they would start to pulse/chatter becasue of the big side cut. Not good. This is only time I would want to use straighter skis.

SitSki Andy who post more on TGR now is being sponsored by PM-Gear and I think he has been using some wide 40 meter skis. It would be interesting to hear his point of view on this question. I know he gets better face-shots than I do.

I think you are misunderstanding. We are talking about tethering Sit-skis not riding in one.

Cirquerider, Check out the Beginning BiSki section of this post. They are discussing the skis the guy in the back, the tetherer is using.

Tethering takes knowledge, skill, technique, and practice to develop. The type of skis you use definitely affects the ease or difficulty. Also, snowboarders and telemarkers can tether. I've seen some great tetherers of both types do it.

Well shucks! I don't know tethering from tetherball.
To quote Roseanne Roseannadanna (Gilda Radner)..."Never Mind"

T-Square, do you know any tele-tetherers in NH? A local teacher is a teleskier and would like to learn to tether but I don't know if being on tele's would change things for the tetherer.

Nothing changes when tethering. The Telemark skier should be high level and strong. If you bucket assist then short skis are in order. A good snowplow comes in handy and skiing without your poles is crucial.

Last year I spent enough time on the parabolics that I learned to tether with them just as well as the straight skis. It just took some time. My only problem was on one big powder day, I was having huge problems, but I doubt that was due to the parabolics. The problem in the powder was that the Mountain Man was just sinking into the powder on each turn, and the student ended up down in the snow a lot. I might have to get some skis that float more in the powder for those big snow days. I have Atomic Metrons that are pretty heavy for powder, and that wasn't helping any.

Anybody have any opinions on skis that are the best for tethering a sit/ski?

It really all depends on the slopes you'll be riding that day and the level of skiing of the students. I've always used shorter (110-130cm) skis on beginner hills because speed is not a factor and I find it easier to get the student back up and maneuvering the equipment. With intermediate runs (and students), I'll go with slalom skis because at higher speeds you always want to be able to do an emergency break when needed and will want to be more stable when going down.

Thethering really comes down to knowing what tension to put on the ropes and always being positioned at the right place behind your student.

Just my 2 cents!

Shaped/parabolic skis require more angulation for edge release and edge engagement and this why most experienced tetherers use a longer ski with less shape. Tethering can require lighting fast adjustments and you don't want to have to fight against a heavy shaped ski that is more difficult to maneuver. Personally, I think it's a good idea to go with a semi-rigid twin tip with minimal sidecut like a salomon tenighty.

Shaped/parabolic skis require more angulation for edge release and edge engagement. Gosh, I always thought shaped skis took less angulation to engage edges. My bad.

With straight skis all you have to do is tip slightly and you're on full tip-to-tail edge. With shapers you need to tip a lot more in order to get tip-to-tail edge contact. When you're holding back a 150-200lbs participant you want to have all the edging possible as quickly as possible.

I can't find information about parabolic skis versus traditionnal ski on internet
I found a seemingly good article but it's in french : http://www.skisparaboliques.com/skis-paraboliques-et-skis-traditionnels
Can somebody help me to translate it ?

These guys at google translate will

Hey first off I've been tethering Bi-skis for about 17 years with students up to 270lbs aprox. The most important thing to remember with tethering is to keep tension on the tether line and to be directly up fall line of your skiier whatever ski that combines ease on and off edge the quickest is your best bet. When the snow gets deep and the Mnt. Man starts augering you need to be on the bucket. I avoid being on the bucket at all other times however. The bucket technique can get your student a feel for powder face  ie. shots and flotation on quite moderate terrain. The weight of you the bi- ski and skiier turn you into a big snow plow. If you get a chance come to Alpine Meadows and learn from the best. Good luck and stay safe

Here's the gist:

Starts with a brief description of the difference - parabolic are skinny in the middle and wide at the ends

Explains how carving came from snowboarding

then lists advantages of parabolic skis:
- can turn with less effort and lets you get up on edge 
- more versatile so you can ski anywhere on the mountain including bumps, steeps, off-piste, powder
- shorter with a bigger sweet spot in terms of balance
- faster and more controlled on steeps
- good for all level of skier - at the high end of the spectrum they allow you to reach levels you may not ever reach on straight skis

 

I only did tethering for sit-skiers for one season but I used a ski with a fairly radical sidecut and had no problems.  Tethering does add some challenge in terms of speed control and thus chatter prevention, and maybe it would have been easier in a straight ski.  I had one kid - teenager - who was pushing 200 lbs that did prove to be a workout, but I'm not sure I would have been comfortable tethering him on straight skis as I don't think I would get the same reaction performance if I had to turn or stop quickly.  It also required some practicing with different edge angles so that I could maintain the control I wanted without killing my quads.

Ski guiding with carving skis became a bonus as one of the new sit skiers I was guiding was such an incredible athlete that we quickly transitioned to him following me down the hill (I think he only required tethering for 1 run and then was good on his own).  He got so good that I would lay out snowboarder-esque mid-radius carving turns and he was able to follow my tracks.  There's no way I could have challenged him that much on straight skis.  By the end of the season he was going up the lift with his snowboarding brother and hitting any jumps he could find.