Ski Sizes??

Question

How tall should your skis be on you for regular skiing and racing??

Answer 1

There really is no definitive answer to that question. It depends on a number of factors. The most important are your weight, your ability, your style of skiing and the conditions you ski in. Forget everything you've heard about how skis should be as long as you are tall or go to your eyes or whatever, your height plays hardly any role whatsoever. Generally speaking, a skier who likes higher speeds and bigger turns will enjoy a longer ski. A skier who isn't as aggressive and likes smaller turns will be happier on a shorter ski. If you ski off piste (ungroomed terrain like crud and powder) you'll want a longer, fatter ski.

As far as racing is concerned, it depends on your discipline. I'm about 190 and for Super G style skiing I'd be on a ski somewhere around 180 cm. For Slalom I'd be in the low 160's.

The best way to learn what size skis you should get is to go into a good ski shop and talk to one of the professionals there. They should be able to get you set up.

Answer 2

From my racing experience, I've learned a lot and a question about sizes can't be given a straight answer. If you are a more advanced, aggressive skier, look for skis about to your eye/forehead area. This will give you speed but less control, and skis this length are fantastic in super-G and GS courses. The skis with the ideal balance between speed and control would be about your eye/nose region. Skis with optimal control but less speed would be nose/mouth area, also good for slalom and moguls.