Different types of skis

There are many types of skis, each designed for a specific use depending on the activity and terrain. They are distinguished by their unique characteristics and the way skiers use them: type of terrain, snow conditions, and time of the season.

It’s also important to consider the evolution of the ski industry, skiers’ expectations, and the overall development of the ski market. Technological advancements and the marketing jargon used by ski brands have also introduced new terms and practices, which I will explain in this article.

What are the different types of skis?

• Alpine skis: designed for descents on groomed slopes
• Freestyle skis: made for tricks and jumps in snowparks
• All-mountain skis: versatile for both on-piste and off-piste skiing
• Race skis: high-performance, stiff, and demanding
• Ski touring: for skiing far from the resort trails
• Telemark skis: free-heel system, different technique from alpine skiing
• Classic cross-country skis: Nordic skiing without ski lifts
• Skating skis: for the skating style in Nordic skiing

There are more skiing disciplines¹ than there are types of skis. In fact, each discipline doesn’t necessarily require a unique type of ski. Some types of skis can be used across multiple disciplines.

Alpine skis

Alpine skis (or downhill skis) are of course the best-known and most widely used in ski resorts. They include all skis as opposed to cross-country skis (which I’ll cover later). There are many ski sizes available, each adapted to the skier’s activity or body type.

Downhill skis

Downhill skis are the « classic » skis used in ski resorts. They are designed for groomed, predictable slopes. They’re usually what beginners start with. These traditional alpine skis perform well on hard-packed snow, allowing precise turns and good acceleration on prepared slopes.

Most skiers who like to stay on the slopes and are not interested in venturing off-piste will be satisfied with this category of skis.

Carving

We can also talk about « carving » skis. This is a style limited to groomed and well-maintained slopes. The skier aims to make sharp, low, and fast turns. Seeking sensations of speed, precision, and closeness to the snow. This type of skiing is for advanced or expert skiers only.

All-mountain skis

All-mountain skis are versatile skis that perform well on groomed slopes, but also near the edges and even off-piste. These skis come in specific variants. Some ranges are 50% on-piste and 50% off-piste, others are 70% on-piste and 30% off-piste, etc.

Ski brands use the term « all-mountain » to simply mean versatile skis. They handle all types of snow on groomed runs and can venture off-piste occasionally.

From straight skis to parabolic skis

It’s important to mention that piste skis underwent a design shift in the late 1990s — from straight (rectilinear) edges to parabolic sidecuts. Parabolic skis are now the standard. So much so, that no one really talks about « straight » vs « parabolic » skis anymore. Parabolic skis allow easier turn initiation with less force, making alpine skiing more accessible to beginners and less physically demanding for experienced skiers.

Freestyle / park skis

Freestyle skis are designed for jumps, rails, boxes—in short, for using the snowpark. They have a distinct feature: twin tips. One tip at the front and one at the back, allowing the skier to ride both forward and backward with ease.

Mogul skis

Mogul skiing — a freestyle discipline — stands out with very specific skis. They are straight and usually don’t have twin tips. These skis are designed for competitors and are thus quite hard to find in stores.

Freeride skis or powder skis

Powder skis, also known as freeride skis, are generally wider and longer. For a good reason: the increased surface area provides better float on light snow. You sink less in powder, making skiing easier and more enjoyable.

Alpine racing skis (slalom, downhill)

Slalom and downhill skis are highly specialized skis reserved for competitors. Slalom skis are very short, allowing rapid edge switching and high reactivity.

Downhill skis are much longer, allowing for greater speed, good stability, and excellent grip in long curves.

Ski touring and freerando

Let’s focus on the activity itself. Ski touring allows access to areas unreachable by traditional alpine skiing. With climbing skins attached to the ski bases for ascents, the skier can climb significant elevation gains. Once at the summit, the skins are removed, the bindings are locked in alpine mode, and the descent is just like regular downhill skiing. There’s technically no such thing as “touring skis” because any ski can be mounted for touring. That said, brands now offer models designed specifically for ski touring. These skis are extremely light and often have notches at the tips for quick attachment of skins.

Nordic skis or cross-country skis

Cross-country skis have little in common with alpine skis, other than gliding on snow. Cross-country skiing is done without ski lifts, so the skis must also allow the skier to go uphill.

Classic cross-country skis

Classic cross-country skiing (also called diagonal stride or alternative skiing) uses long, narrow, and straight skis. Their main feature is fish scales under the base, which provide grip when the ski slides backward. They glide forward but grip when moving backward, allowing easy uphill travel. Their very thin and long profile makes them tricky to manage on descents. Starting on flat terrain is best when learning classic technique.

Skating skis

Skating skis (or skate skis) are almost identical to classic cross-country skis — with one major difference: no grip scales under the base. These skis glide both forward and backward. The skating style closely resembles ice skating, with the help of poles. It looks more dynamic than the classic technique.

Nordic backcountry skis

Nordic backcountry skis are slightly wider than classic cross-country skis. This practice is about skiing lightly off trails and on rough terrain. It’s more about terrain traversal than downhill skiing. Depending on the model, climbing skins can be applied to all or part of the base for uphill grip. Descents are done without the skins. It’s similar to alpine ski touring, except the gear is much lighter and not designed for difficult descents.

Other types of skis and sliding gear

Telemark skiing

This is an alpine ski with a binding that doesn’t lock the heel. In fact, telemark skiing is very close to the original style of skiing, which appeared in the Nordic countries. The downhill movement alternates between lunges with each turn. Telemarkers often say they belong to the « free heel » community!

Indeed, telemark is named after the Norwegian region of Telemark, where it was popularized in the 19th century by Sondre Norheim, a pioneer of modern skiing. The telemark descent technique involves a series of fluid turns, executed with deep leg flexion, called the « telemark turn » or « knee drop. »

Telemark skis are generally similar to alpine skis, though they can be slightly softer to make the telemark turn easier to perform.

Monoski

A monoski is basically two skis fused together. It’s a single board with alpine ski bindings. This practice emerged in the 1980s and slowly faded away in the 2000s with the rise of snowboarding (more fun) and new parabolic skis.

Monoski production today is practically anecdotal, if not entirely nonexistent.

Snowblades or skiboards

This is the short version of alpine skiing. Really short. The only real benefit of snowblades (or Big Foots): almost zero learning curve. The downsides? They quickly become uncontrollable at moderate speeds, and maintaining stability is tricky.

Snowboard

Snowboarding appeared in the 1980s. It’s a single, wide board (much like a monoski), with bindings mounted diagonally to mimic a surfing stance.

Sqwal

Imagine snowboarding on a single, wide ski. Your feet are mounted one behind the other on the board. The unique feature of the sqwal: it’s designed for carving.

Snowscoot

The snowscoot is basically a bike with the wheels removed and replaced by skis. This activity was born in the 1990s and never really took off — but it never disappeared either.

Skiing disciplines and the various types of skis are deeply interconnected. While not every discipline requires specialized skis, the world of skiing is constantly evolving. Practices emerge, grow, and sometimes disappear.

On top of that, today climate change presents a unique challenge to skiers and all skiing disciplines. They’ll have to reinvent or adapt to survive in these very uncertain times, high up in the mountains.