New Ski Built for Women

Until now, ski manufacturers did not take into account the fact that women have a different center of gravity than men do. "It's amazing that in 2002 the biggest thing holding women back in skiing is still their equipment," says Jeannie Thoren, who has taught women's clinics for 15 years and is recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on women's skiing.

For 2003, Dynastar has worked with a number of women skiers to produce a ski designed and built exclusively for women. The Exclusive is the one of the first skis that accounts for a woman's different build with a binding position already mounted forward and a heel lift built right into the ski.

Michele McClintock, a Level III ski instructor at Aspen and a member of SKI Magazine's official 2003 Ski Test Team, noticed the difference right away: "We tested a lot of good skis, but the Exclusive jumped right out at me-it is incredibly smooth and has an instant sweet spot. I would put all women on this ski if I could." The Exclusive 9 has been awarded the SKI Magazine Gold Medal for 2003.

Other women who have skied the Exclusive find that it is:

• Easier to turn and more responsive. Ever notice that women tend to bend from the waist when they ski, instead of from the knees? To correct this, the Exclusive ski uses a ramped mounting platform that moves the woman's center of gravity farther forward on the ski. This makes it easier to pressure the front of the ski for easier turning.



• More stable and easier to control. Often, women who are lighter and who have smaller feet have trouble flexing a man's ski. The Exclusive is designed to flex under the foot, with sidewalls in the center of the ski for better grip and control. More control means greater confidence.



• Light and agile: Why should a 130-lb. woman use the same ski that a 160-lb. man does? At 1250 grams, this is the lightest ski on the market. It feels quick and agile underfoot, and it enables women to ski longer with less fatigue.



• All of this means one thing: it's just plain fun.

Exclusive is available in two models, the Exclusive 8 ($475) for beginning to intermediate skiers who are looking for more control, and the Exclusive 9 ($525) for more advanced skiers who want to add performance their skiing. www.dynastar.com

Stephanie Oakes is a fitness correspondent for Discovery Health Channel, a contributing editor for USA Weekend Magazine and the LA Times, and appears on NBC's 'Today in New York'. She can be reached at soakes@beststuff.com.