You're sitting backworth ruling out
How to tell: The chatter comes on when you feel tired or late in the turn, and your quads burn. Film a run to see whether your hips are behind your feet.
Ski chatter
Why do my skis chatter when I turn?
Chatter is the edge repeatedly losing and regaining grip. In the model the strongest match is a ski that bends too easily for your weight and speed. Forums split on whether it is too much or too little pressure on the outside ski, and both can be true.
What it looks like in the model
glutes working · lower back working
Muscle load
- Quadsfront of thigh, hold the knee bend31%
- Glutes & hamstringsback of hip and thigh41%
- Shin muscleslift the toes when you're back0%
- Calvespush the shin into the tongue26%
Easy, can hold all dayWorkingBurningTick: average through the turn
Tail at the finish
5%
The fix: 8%
Tip at the finish
12%
The fix: 16%
Showing: Your stance. your setup as it is.
Shown for the default skier: 92 kg on the K2 Mindbender 89 Ti at the finish of the turn, 3 mm of boot play, groomed snow.
What is happening
Chatter is a fast buzz or rattle through the skis, usually on hard snow. The edge grips, loses grip, grips again, many times a second. You hear it and feel it in your feet.
An edge holds when the load on it is smaller than what the snow can bear. When the load is too high or too uneven along the ski, the edge skips. A soft ski bends away from the snow in places, which makes the load uneven. A ski that is pressed too hard in a short run can do the same.
Why the advice contradicts itself
Ask ten skiers and you get these answers. - Too much pressure on the outside ski. - Not enough pressure on the outside ski. - You are too far back and the tip is not loaded. - Your edges need tuning. - The ski is too soft for you.
They are all plausible, and they do not exclude each other. Too little pressure on the outside ski and too much both cause the edge to skip, in different ways. The model helps because it shows load along the ski, which you can not feel directly.
How to read the figure
The figure above compares your current ski with a stiffer one under the same skier. Look at how the load moves along the ski. A stiffer ski spreads the load more evenly, which is what a skating edge needs.
What to try
Work through these in order, changing one thing per run. - Check your edges first. Dull or damaged edges on a hard day chatter for any skier. A fresh tune costs very little and rules the whole thing out. - Check your stance. Film a run from the side. If you are behind your feet, the tip is lightly loaded and the tail is carrying you. - Check your edge angle. Tipping the ski further than the snow can hold makes it skip. - Check the ski. If you are heavy for it or skiing fast on it, a stiffer ski may be the answer.
When it is the ski
If it chatters at a certain speed or on a certain snow and you have already checked the above, the ski may be too soft for you. Sometimes a heavier skier on a lighter ski will chatter at speeds a lighter skier would not notice. It is not a failing of yours.
One point on tunes
Some skiers say chatter has nothing to do with the tune, and others say it is the first thing to check. Both are partly right. A good tune will not fix a ski that is too soft, but a bad tune will make a good ski chatter.
Other likely causes
The model’s first match for this symptom is the ski is underpowered for you (100% of the evidence). Here is what else it ranks, and how to tell each one apart.
What to try, in this order
- Cue. A longer or stiffer ski, or one with metal in it.
- Drill. Film one run from the side and compare it with the figure above. A phone propped in the snow is enough. Watch: FIS vs REGULAR SKIS | What's the Difference?
- Boot check. A loose boot on the downhill foot can chatter the ski it is attached to. Check heel hold and shell fit on that foot first.
- Gear. Get the edges looked at, and check the base and edge bevel with the shop. Then compare a stiffer ski if the tune is good and the chatter stays.
When it’s not technique
If a fresh tune and a centred stance do not stop it, compare skis. A stiffer ski spreads the load along the edge.
Compare skisSki patrol says
Hard chatter on firm snow can shake you. If you have a sore knee or back after a day of it, that is a question for a physio.
Pain or injury? This tool is for how skiing feels, not medical advice. See a physio.
Not medical advice. Edge Lab describes how skiing feels and why.
Check your own setup
The model above uses a default skier. Add your weight, skis and boots and see your own numbers.
Check your own setup