Ski Size question answering time (figured I should)

Triple_Strum

Triple_Strum

Active member
Well since people seem to have so many questions about ski size in addition to binding questions, here are some guidelines (Disclaimer: I am not the fore-most expert on this, but do feel I know what i am talking about. Knowledgable folks feel free to add):

Ski length has to do with two main things: 1) Skier weight 2) Skier Ability. Let's look at the first. Some people base how long their skis should be on their height. This is only because most people have the same body type, so it is okay to generalize. However, the flex and weight on the ski, and therefore how it performs is based on weight. So here goes:

If you are a lightweight skier , that is, 130 and below, you should probably be skiing something between 160 and 175 range. This is a large range, but that is because it is also highly dependent on skier ability. So, if you are new to freeride or skiing in general, I would recommend on the lower end of this range. If you have been skiing a while and are a "type III" skier, then I would say up to 175 will be fine for you. Some people can actually handle an even bigger ski, but if you are getting recommendations on your ski length, probably not the case for you.

If you are a middle weight skier , that is, between 130 and 160, your range can be anywhere from 165 to 180. Again, this is contingent on skill. Beginners, still to the lower end, 165-170 and better skiers can hit the upper end.

If you are a middle heavyweight skier , that is, 160 to 185 pounds, you will probably want a ski between 175 and 185, again based on skill.

Lastly, if you are heavy skier , that is, 185 lbs and up, as is my case, you will want something 180 cm or higher. Smaller skis will simply not perform like you want, and you will put too much force on the center and wont get the contact and control from the tips that you want.

As a final note: park specific and all around skis will definitely differ from big mountain and powder skis. Park and all mountain skis might stick to the shorter end of some ranges, while powder skis can go a bit longer. Also, know the flex of the ski you are considering. If it is an extremely soft flex ski, it might need to be a tidge longer than you would expect, and vice versa for stiff skis. We should make a table of the flex of different skis... whew, that is a good start I think.
 
See, I was thinking about that, but ski length really has nothing to do with height at all. It just so happens that height has a directly, but not causal, relationship with weight and length. Understand?
 
You do have a good point there, and those are some pretty good general guidelines for most people to follow.
 
Good post.

Skill is one thing but there are alot of skilled skiers that don't ski hard.

How hard and how fast you charge make a big difference.

If you do charge harder and ski faster then you're putting alot more force into your skis and are going to want to go for a longer or skiffer ski.

In that case, only experience can determine exactly what you want. Also keep that in mind when choosing a ski. The last thing you want to do is get stuck with a ski that'll jump around when you're pushing your limits.
 
Skill is an extremely important factor making a decision in buying a ski, as is weight. Triple-Strum is pretty much dead on with the weight distrubutions for each ski length. However there are numerous other considerations when purchasing a ski (and the major fact that I won't reall go over in this post is the fact that everyone should demo the ski they like before purchasing them).

One major consideration that has not been really been mentioned is height. I understand Triple-Strum that you don't think that height is a major factor, and for most "average" sized guys, it doesn't. However, when you come accross a 6'2" 130 male (which can happen but that sure as hell ain't me), the size you suggested is not the correct one. for someone who is 6'2", the correct size would be a ski within the 170-180cm range if not longer. but that of course is all based on skiiers skills and my next topic of dicussion, the ski itself.

the second thing that must come into consideration when choosing a right length of ski is the ski itself. Certain skis are stiffer and certain skis are softer than others. certain skis perform one way and other perform another. a 177cm volkl karma will ski extremely different than a 181cm 1080. that is because the construction of the ski is completely different. each manufacturer has different style of skis at various lengths. for example a 179 Fujative will ski much different from a 179 PE because each ski is constructed different. The Fujative is a softer ski, a more park oriented ski while a PE will be a little stiffer because its more of an all mountain oriented ski. even if you are taller and weight not that much, it is still fine to choose a longer ski, but my suggestion would be to choose a softer ski because a stiffer ski will be harder for someone who weighs less to turn the ski, where as a guy like myself who is a heavier ex-racer will have little difficulties. different skis are produced for different things and therefore each ski is not created equal though they might be the same length. which brings me to my final point.

my final point is that different conditions and different purposes will also dictate your ski length. if you are a park rat, some people like shorter skis no matter what their height is because they like that lower swing weight. however, when you are a powder junky, you probably will want a longer ski because it will help you float better when you are ripping up that 2 feet of freshies. when you buy a ski like the Made'n AKs versus buying a ski like the Invaders, different considerations have to come in play regardless of your height or weight. this is why a ski like the Made'n AKs or the JP Vs Juliens come in such long lengths because these skis are made to be skiied longer.

all these suggestions that triple-strum and i have outlines in this thread have a large caveat. we are assuming you the skier have some decent skills in ACTUAL skiing. an ex-racer type won't have trouble with a longer ski that is stiffer no matter what their weight is because they are probably used to stiff race skis and they have enough skills to be able to carve on almost any ski. however, if you are more of a park rat, a stiffer ski might not be the choice for you. like i mentioned before, what you use this ski for will heavily dicate what length you might want to choose.

i hope my post helps out a little of the confusion and answers some more questions. there are lots of different factors that will help you choose what ski to get and at what length to get it at, and there really is no exact science to it. thats why my bottom line is that EVERYONE should demo a ski before purchasing it to make sure that it is indeed the right ski for them.
 
yes!! i am so happy you did this. NOOB SHALL NO LONGER MAKE THIS POST AGAIN!

thanks you triple strum
 
Awesome thread. All I have been asking for but never find is the flex info on the skis. Too bad companies dont put the ski on blocks at the ends of the footprint and stick a 100lb weight at boot center and measure how much the thing bends. This would make shopping around so much easier.
 
you can usualy get a good Idea of the flex from other people nad gear reviews are helpull also, and as odd_Job said try to try bgefore you buy; unfortunatly many people cannot do this before they buy in september to november, I think ski companys should go around in march or april with next years skis for people to demo.
 
ya man thats some good guidelines everyone just needs to remember ability does change the height so keep that in mind and follow those guidelines. werd.
 
this all makes perfect sense, but where do the elizabeths fit in all this, we couldnt leave those beauties out of this post
 
The elizabeths are fairly shorter but a very fat ski. Basically, you want to run the 172 elizabeth if you normally would carry a ski around 180-185. The result is a ski that should float really well in powder but at the same time be set for park riding.
 
such a nice guy triple strum.. dedicating all your time to make ski shopping much easier for the everyday noob
 
I'm 5'11" & 175lbs and

Line 1260 is one I'm looking for.

Since 1260's very soft skis, should I go for 182 instead of 177?

Isn't 182cm any hard to ride in pipe?
 
I would like to add one more criteria to the already very well informed list...the terrain you ski. This may have been mentioned already but here it is again...

I ski in vermont and ski mostly woods, and those who have done a lot of tree skiing in the east coast know that a lot of it is pretty tight. I'm 6'2", 180lbs and I ride 179 SPs. I would consider myself a very good skier who's been on sticks for 23 years. It's not that I couldn't handle the 189s, but the 179s are a better fit for the terrain I choose to ski the most.
 
I'm 5"6 and weight 122lb and i have no idea what armada AR5's to get, i carve and play in the park, i dont know how hard i go but i ski pretty good, and i was wondering if i should get the 160cm, or the 170cm? it's a huge jump i know, but if i get the 170cm i want to be able to do shit on them this year..and the 170cm are taller than me...what should i do?
 
i dont feel that weight has anything to do with it... more than the height and the skill of the skier... i alwaysliketo getmy skis so there about as tall asme but thats just a personalpreference
 
^well your wrong. it has nothing to do with height. but people base ski size on height as people who are tall are usually heavy so need bigger skis. get it?
 
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