What Kind Ski’s Should I Get?

Question

I have skied for 3 years now and only done season rentals. I can easily do Blacks without Moguls and can hold my own on Double blacks and am not bad on blacks with moguls. My favorite kind of skiing is the bowls you can hike up to that are very steep and not skied a ton. If I could have ratings on a ski this is what I would want it to look like.
40% Bowls
25% Moguls/Trees
15% Powder
10% Terrain Park
10% Groomed Blues/Black

I was looking at the K2 Apache Recons until someone told me that they might be to stiff
Now I am thinking about the K2 Public Enemy something in the Salomon XWing series or anything else that people can suggest.

Also I would appreciate suggestions on the style of boot I should get. Some people have told me that I should not get a stiff boot but I don’t know if that’s right.

If it makes any difference I am17 years old and very skinny at 6 feet 130LBS. My parents are pretty skinny so I won’t gain tons of weight.

Thanks for the help!!

almost forgot. what length would you suggest?

Answer 1

You should look into some Alpine Touring Skis, Boots, and Bindings. If you are spending a lot of time NOT on trails and actually in the bowls and trees, these would be a good choice. AT have bindings that allow you to use climbing skins so you won't have to boot up a hill...you just put on the skins and ski UP. However, if 90% of what you ski now is lift-serviceable and you don't plan to ski much in places that are not lift-serviceable, then AT is not for you.

AT and Telemark skis are often one in the same. I find K2 a bit stiffer in general. Karhu and Black Diamond somewhat flexible, and G3 really slinky. All of these, except the K2s can also be mounted well with good old regular bindings. (Karhu Jax and G3 Reverends are really nice for the kind of stuff you plan on doing. Black Diamond Havocs are a nice ski as well.)

Length needs to be determined once you choose a ski. Check the suggested length for your height at the ski shop. Weight has more to do with it than height and each model of ski will be a bit different. You can still apply the to-the-tip-of-your-nose rule and be OK...but check the chart.

If you get a regular downhill set-up or an AT set-up what you want to do is focus on ski width as well. Apache Recons are too narrow for what you tend to ski. The Apache Outlaws might be a better choice. You get 10mm more underfoot with the Outlaws...haven't skied them yet, but something with 88mm width under the foot is nice. The Public Enemy is a good park ski, but you say you're only in the park 10% of the time...so skip those.

If you aren't dying to get the planks right now...wait until you can demo some. Try out a few skis before you start dropping mad money.

Boots are another story. Harder boots take a lot of abuse, but you're light so you might be able to get away with a soft boot. Go try a bunch on at the shop. Drop some extra bling to get them fitted the right way...it makes more of a difference than the ski does. I'm more familiar with Telemark and AT boots nowadays but the qualities are similar to a standard alpine boot. Harder is better for racing and going fast. Softer boots generally are better for terrain and the backcountry. (Unless you are a fatass like me and NEED a hard boot because you'll blow anything else apart.)

Answer 2

K2 Public Enemies aren't bad skis. Salomon makes alright terrain skis. For the skiing youre thinking of, go a little bit softer than usual for the boot

Answer 3

I would suggest a 178 in a light ski. If you are agressive I would suggest a stiffer ski to handle the crud. I ski a 170 for slolum racing but it is very stiff for crud. It handles moguls great though!
I just switched to solomans

Answer 4

K2 PUBLIC ENEMY'S. ENOUGH SAID. theyre the greatest thing out there. i guess after that you could try armada, line, solomon, head, 4 front, maybe even rossignol, in that order. but k2 baby is the way to go. unless your skiing big powder everyday of your life, dont go for the fatter k2 models. the public enemy's are amazing. i love them with a passion and do probably the same stuff your looking to do

Answer 5

i dont know too much about skiing, as im a snowboarder.

BUT! LIBtech makes a sweeeeet pair of skis. they started making em last year, and theyre just awesome. theyre a twin tip, so you can ride faki and do all that good stuff in the park. they're a medium thickness so you can float on powder and still blaze down the hill pretty fast without all that drag, and best of al lthey have a new feature invented by LIBtech called magnetraction. you wouldnt notice at first, but the edges of the skis are wavy. theyre not just a clean smooth edge. it seems really weird, but i just bought a GNU altered genetics with magne traction and its friggin sick. you wouldnt beleive how well you can hold an edge, even in the slickest ice you wont slip out. its really cool.
as for length, i have friends who ski, and one of them is about your size and he rides about a 155 i think? dont trust me too far on length though. check out the LIB's though! theyre ill!!!