So long, unisex
If you want a quick lesson in physics gone wrong, try being a woman coursing down the slopes in gear made for creatures far more muscle-bound. A boot or ski stamped with an “L” was often a telltale sign of men’s gear masquerading as “ladies’ ” wear.
“Ladies’ boots back then were men’s boots painted pink and green,” says Greg “Chop” Patrie, the Sports Shop manager at Mammoth Mountain’s Main Lodge. It wasn’t until about five years ago, he says, that “the Einsteins that design boots” finally figured out that a true woman’s boot needed more than just a splash of color.
Designers have made a sharp turn in the last decade toward snow sports gear contoured to women, from skis, boots and snowboards to goggles and snowshoes. Now most ski and snowboard gear manufacturers have multiple women’s models in their ski, board and boot lines. One company, K2, even employs five female skiers to help determine what makes a quality woman-specific ski.
Women typically have smaller shoulders, shorter legs and bigger hips than men, creating a lower center of gravity. The result is a tendency to sit back on skis -- not a good position for making nice, carved turns.
In addition, women are usually lighter in weight and have smaller feet. This means that on unisex (read: men’s) skis and snowboards, women have to work a lot harder to initiate turns and stay balanced.
In response, contemporary women’s skis are designed to be lighter, with the center moved slightly forward -- toward the ski’s tip -- making it easier for women to flex and turn the ski. Bindings can be mounted farther forward to make it easier to apply pressure to the tip when initiating a turn. Snowboards also are being constructed with softer flex and a narrower waist.
Ski maker K2 offers six models in its women’s line -- called T:9, as in Title IX, the 1972 gender-equity legislation. Most are subtly colored and could pass for men’s models. But a feminine touch is apparent on the Phat Luv powder ski, which is decorated with colorful hibiscus flowers. An image of a pink ribbon, the symbol for breast cancer awareness, is stamped on the bottom of each ski in the line, and a portion of the profit is donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Boots also are going female. In the mid-’90s, boot makers moved away from simply shrinking men’s styles and selling them to women. Alpine, cross-country and snowboard footwear is now designed using a woman’s last, or foot shape, as a model. One company, Alpina, analyzed scans of 2,500 female feet to determine the best design for their women’s nordic boots.
A true woman’s boot also will have a smaller, lower cuff, to accommodate a woman’s larger calf muscle. Better-fitting clasps prevent cold feet from an ill-fitting boot and provide a snug fit.
Women are taking notice of the new gear trend. There was a 25% increase in women’s ski sales last year compared with 2002 and a 45% increase in snowboard sales, according to SnowSports Industries America, which just started tracking women’s gear sales in 2001.
But some female-friendly equipment may take some getting used to, especially for women accustomed to using non-gender-specific ski and snowboard gear.
Some of the new boots have built-in heel lifts, which force hips forward. They are supposed to compensate for a woman’s lower center of gravity, but for women who learned on men’s skis, this can be an awkward stance that is hard on the knees.
Before making the switch from those comfy, vintage “bedroom slipper” boots and heavy men’s skis, women might want to give female-specific gear a whirl by renting some at a ski resort -- and giving the once-scorned “L” newfound respect.
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To e-mail Julie Sheer or read her previous outdoors Institute columns, go to latimes.com/juliesheer.
