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Originally Posted By: Matt
Originally Posted By: Go Native
Ok there appears to have been some confusion over the use of the term 'bottomless' when referring to skiing/boarding. I think it would be good if we all got on the same page in it's usage.

First off bottomless does not refer to snow depth. It's an adjective to describe turns in unconsolidated powder snow where you can't feel the consolidated base at the bottom. If your edges are biting into the base on a turn then it is not bottomless.
For me true bottomless turns are about the best feeling you can have skiing. The turns seem effortless as you just float down through the powder.


Thanks for clearing that up GN. Thats exactly the meaning of the word that I was using last week and some people may have misinterpreted me.

You can have knee or shin deep bottomless and conversely have waist deep blower that isn't bottomless.

Anyway glad we're all cleared up on that one


Shin deep bottomless confused rolleyes doh

And I don't think I'm alone thinking this way.

The N Americans came up with the term sometime last century and I'm pretty sure it referred to the fact that when skiing / boarding in unconsolidated powder snow of the highest quality, the lightest density and the deepest depth it takes a while for the skis / board to make a consolidated platform underneath your feet and it feels like you're sinking deeper and deeper until you finally manufacture a "bottom" and then can rebound out. This doesn't happen at shin deep, more like nip or deeper.

This is a good example, when Kieth goes DEEEEEEP

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It is hard to imagine that you can have shin deep bottomless. To only sink in that far does suggest that you are hitting a hard base...that base may well be packed powder and not ice but it's still part of the consolidated base and thus doesn't fit the definition we're working off.

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