Park skis vs Pipe skis

Question
Hi, I've seen quite a bit regarding these type of skis but there does not seem to be much distinction between the two.  In fact at times the ski would be referred to as a park/pipe ski.  What if any  is the functional difference between a park ski and a pipe ski?  The closest example that comes to the top of my head would be the Salomon Suspect and the Salomon Pro Pipe.

Thanks for your time.
Greg

Answer
Hey Greg,

Right now there isn't a large difference between park and pipe skis and most are designed to work well for both because most folks that ride pipes will play in the parks too.

But, some ski makers are starting to make subtle changes towards pipe skis as they are finding certain characteristics to perform better for the pipe skiers. One area is the edge material they are using is harder to maintain sharpness as many pipes are icey and need sharp edges to maintain control. Also, a harder edge material will hold up better in the park. Stiffness is becoming a small factor as a stiffer ski will give a bit more pop off the lip where a little less stiffness is prefered for many park tricks. Camber and rocker are getting small changes as these help prevent catching edges during spins.

Hope this helps.
Keep on skiing,
Windlover