corduroy: freshly groomed snow

damp: limp; a ski that is not lively

flex pattern: the relationship in stiffness between the shovel, middle and tail sections of the ski

float: v. to hover; n. the level of support provided by a ski

load-bearing cap: the topmost section of the ski designed to support the skier's weight

middle: midsection (middle third) of the ski

shovel: first section (front third) of the ski

tail: back section (last third) of the ski

torsion box: type of ski construction that produces a lively ski

2torial #0586: Learn2 Buy New Skis (Continued) Learn what makes a ski tick...   However you buy them, a ski's physical characteristics largely determine how it behaves on the mountain. By familiarizing yourself with these characteristics, you can get a reasonable idea if the ski is appropriate for your style of skiing.   Sidecut is the difference between the width of the ski at the middle, and the width of the ski at the ends. Sidecut is what is so radically different in the hourglass ski. Generally, a ski with more sidecut is easier to turn. The tradeoff is that it wants to turn a lot, making it less suitable for high speed cruising. Supposedly this has been overcome, although many people prefer to take a "wait and see" attitude.   Stiffness or "flex" is measured a few different ways. Generally a ski that's stiffer along its length is not as easy to ski as a softer ski but will be a higher-performing ski under someone with very good technique. That's because it can store more energy when flexed properly. Lengthwise, stiffness can also be broken down into three areas: the shovel, the middle and the tail of the ski. A shovel may be softened to initiate turns more easily and "float" in powder. A tail may be stiffened to provide good rebound for the next turn. Generally, an even flex pattern creates a more predictable ski, while a more varied flex pattern accomplishes specific goals, such as the ability to "jam" racing gates or bumps. Stiffness can also be measured torsionally or across the ski. A ski that's torsionally stiff will be higher-performing and is generally desirable, while a ski that's torsionally softer will be more "forgiving" of technique errors by novices. Construction used to be a lot simpler to understand. A GS ski was built in a layered "sandwich" manner producing a faster ski that was quiet on the snow. Slalom skis were built around a "torsion box" that gave a ski a lively feel and promoted quickness edge-to-edge. Nowadays, many skis have a load-bearing cap with a variety of materials stuffed underneath. Others are essentially a "ski within a ski": the outer construction bears the initial flex and the inner section comes into play when the ski is farther along its arc. Still others incorporate vibration-absorbing devices that range from simple elastic layers to piezo-electric devices. The current thinking seems to reflect a desire for a ski that's initially fairly "damp" yet lively when skied hard.   Length also was once a lot simpler to understand. A GS ski was designed to be skied at lengths often exceeding 205 centimeters, while a slalom ski performed best at lengths at least 5 to 10 centimeters shorter. Modern skis rarely exceed 205 cm and the new hourglass ones are designed to be skied much shorter than that. Step 2