Tuning the Schnitz Speed Slot Fin

I’ve recently had a few skiers ask what I think of the Schnitz slot fin and speed slot fin. Personally, I think they have a lot of merit, and I’ve liked how they’ve worked on a number of skis over the years—particularly skis that are prone to tip-grab.

I suspect the main reason we don’t see more skiers using them is the lack of ski-specific setup data for them. There are all kinds of people willing to share their measurements for stock fins. But as soon as you start using a non-standard fin, you are on your own. Most tournament skiers are uncomfortable with such a significant unknown.

Steve Schnitz publishes a good baseline setup for his slot fins at Schnitzskis.com, and it works remarkably well on most skis, but what if you want to do a little fine-tuning? Coming up with measurements on this unique fin is as nonstandard as the fin itself. But here is a method that worked well for me:

FD – Use the standard caliper head measurement.
FL – Measure from the fin’s leading edge to the tip of the trailing edge of the fin.
LE – Use the “… Non Standard Jaw Measurement” illustrated on pg. 45 of Fin Whispering.
DFT – Just subtract FL from LE using the formula: (DFT = LE – FL)

All of the fin tuning techniques presented in Fin Whispering will work exactly the same way with a slot fin. And when you get the slot fin dialed in on your ski, consider getting a second fin block so you can A/B both fins back-to-back and establish your personal preference for that ski.

SkiJay