Piste them small and family-oriented, so comparisons between slope classifications in Japan and "equivalent" slopes in Europe or North America are minimal. Piste A piste () is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. This European term is French ("trail", "track") and synonymous with 'trail', 'slope', or 'groomed run' in North America. The word is pronounced using a long "e" sound (e.g. rhymes with "beast"). Increasingly, North Americans employ its common European antonym, 'off piste', to describe backcountry skiing, especially when referring to skiing outside officially approved areas of a ski
Ski geometry side cut to facilitate tighter, easier turns. For off-piste skis the trend is towards wider skis that better float on top of powder snow. The ski width of all-mountain and off-piste skis has generally increased since the 1990s when 85 mm width was considered a wide powderski. From 2010 and onwards, many well known ski manufacturers sell all-round freeride skis for the general public starting in the 90mm range and going up to 120 mm or more. The tip of the ski often strikes the snow and is normally curled upward in order to ride over it. Tips were pointed