How To Choose Your Skis

WHAT LENGTH SKIS DO I NEED?

The Basics: The length of your skis will depend on your body weight, height, and type of skiing you’re doing. General rule of thumb, beginner skiers will want to size skis closer to the height of their chin while more advanced skiers will look for skis closer to the top of their head. This can also be driven by personal preference, as shorter skis are more nimble, where longer skis are more stable at speed. Longer skis will float better too, but float is usually dictated by width more than length.

Pro Tip: Keep in mind there are other factors aside from just your height and weight that help to determine ski size including; conditions, terrain, personal personal preference and boot size.

Freeride

Longer skis for going fast as they’re more stable at speed. These can be 5cm or longer than your typical sizing. Consider sizing up for improved stability.

Powder/Trees

This is what we call “typical” conditions, so follow the sizing chart if this is what you generally ride. If you find yourself in tight trees a lot, you can size down a bit though for improved maneuverability.

Freestyle

Shorter skis help here as they spin easier and there’s less ski to get caught on things. These can be 5+cm shorter than typical sizing. If you’re between sizes, considering sizing down to improve your freestyle ability. 

Backcountry

Unlike splits, you don’t necessarily need to size up on skis for the backcountry. Longer skis can provide more float, but you usually experience tighter conditions (like trees or chutes) so the extra length can be harder to control. Other characteristics should probably drive your decision for backcountry skis.


WHY MAKE UNISEX SKIS?

We are thrilled to see all the thoughtful industry wide dialogue around providing women with hardgoods that help them reach their full potential in the mountains. We soundly reject shrink it and pink it and believe in providing women with the same world class gear as their male counterparts. We’ve spent the last several years working closely with our women’s team and guides to develop a program that we felt provided the best line-up of backcountry focused hardgoods in the industry, and empowered women to be at their best in the mountains.

With skis, we heard women skiers loud and clear. “Don’t make women’s skis, just make skis.” We recognize that ski selection has more to do with size, weight and ski style than what your gender is. We will however continue to release select skis in partnership with women artists to continue to support the culture around women’s skiing.

 

HOW WIDE SHOULD MY SKIS BE?

The Basics: Waist width (the width of the ski at its narrowest point) will affect how easy it is to turn and how it will perform in powder or hard pack snow conditions. Wider skis will float better in deeper snow while narrower skis are quicker edge to edge. 

For men, skis in the 100-110mm serve as good do-it-all skis as they’re wide enough to float in powder, but narrow enough to still be quick edge to edge. Women tend to go a bit narrower and seem to like the 95-105mm width. For skiing pow, going about 10mm wider will help with float, putting men in the 110-120mm and women in the 105-115mm range.

 

WHAT IS SKI/TURN RADIUS AND WHY DO I CARE?

The Basics: The ski radius, aka turn radius, essentially refers to the sidecut, or natural curve you see when you look at the ski between the widest point at the tip and the widest point at the tail. The narrower a ski’s waist is in relation to its tip and tail, the shorter the turn radius and therefore the deeper the sidecut.

A ski with a deep sidecut, or shorter turn radius, will naturally want to make quicker, sharper turns. 

A ski with a subtle sidecut, or longer turn radius, will have a tendency to want to point straight down the mountain for longer turns and faster skiing.

Blended sidecut radiuses can combine the best of both worlds. The bigger initial and final radius make the ski feel like it’s got a larger radius, but the smaller radius in the middle results in a quicker turn when aggressively carving. This also helps counteract the tendency of wider models to be sluggish edge-to-edge.

 

WHAT IS CAMBER VS. ROCKER?

The Basics: Camber essentially refers to the curvature of the base of your ski. 

Standard (or traditional camber)

 In a full camber ski, the curve of the base base mimics a rainbow, reaching its highest point in the middle, making the tip and the tail the contact points on the snow. Standard camber helps the rider to transition with greater energy from edge to edge and provides greater edge hold, but sacrifices float in deep snow. 

Reverse camber (or rocker)

In a full reverse camber ski, the curve of the base reaches the lowest point in the middle, mimicking a u-shape or upside down rainbow. This profile lifts the tip and tail of the snowboard to make the center of the board the initial contact point with the snow. Reverse camber helps the rider to initiate turns, is less catchy from edge to edge and helps float the board through deeper snow but sacrifices energy/pop and edge-hold. 

Why is camber underfoot good for skinning?

Better traction and efficiency. The convex arch shape, when weighted down, creates more contact area for skins to grip on the snow below and less opportunity for heavy snow to collect on top. 

 

FLEX

The Basics: A softer flexing ski allows you to turn and manipulate the ski with greater ease but may be more likely to “chatter” or feel loose at higher speeds. A stiffer ski provides more stability and edge-hold but may require more energy to flex for a lightweight rider.

Pro Tip: Look to balance camber + flex with your style of skiing.

Freeride

Look for stiffer flexing ski with a good amount of traditional camber under the feet for better edge-hold through uneven terrain and more stability at higher speeds. 

Powder

Take a ski that's softer flexing in the nose with a good amount of reverse camber to help float and keep you on top of the deep snow.

All-Mountain

Look into a good camber/rocker combo with a mid flex and a deeper sidecut to allow for smaller, tighter turns and improved play at a wide array of speeds and variable conditions.

Freestyle/Park

Take a softer flexing ski with a bit of flat or reverse camber to provide a consistent platform for grinds and landings, while allowing you to manipulate and press the ski. If you prefer the jump line to the jib line, look for something a little stiffer for hitting bigger air and stomping heavier landings.

 

SHAPE

The Basics: Different shapes of skis are designed for maximum performance in certain conditions and terrain.  

Directional

The ski has its mounting position set back a little towards the tail and the dimensions may be fatter from nose to tail. This will help you float in deeper snow and engage your turns with greater ease. Go-to for Freeride/Powder skiing.

Twin

The ski is identical from tip to tail and the mounting position is true center. True twin is the only way to go if you prefer the terrain park above all else. It will allow you to stomp switch landings, and play with ease. Perfect for Park/Freestyle skiing.

Directional Twin

The ski is identical in shape from tip to tail, but the feet may be set back just slightly towards the tail. A slightly stiffer directional twin can be an excellent option to provide versatility from park to pow. Ideal for All-Mountain skiing.