This is a good problem to have: My husband wants me to get new skis!

[SkiQT]

I have been skiing for 12 years and presently ski 2011/2012 Fischer Koa 78 in 154cm which I have loved well. My husband recently upgraded from 2011/2012 Fischer Motive 80 to Nordica Santa Ana 88 and noticed a huge difference and thinks I would benefit from new skis since I have gained a good deal of weight (particularly in the past 2-3 years ). I am looking at all the options and am getting overwhelmed since the technology has evolved greatly.

A little about me:
5'1" and 230 lbs in my late 40s. I ski mostly eastern PA and Berkshires (western MA) but have gone to Vermont when I can get more than a weekend off. I tend to like green and blue slopes but will venture to easier black slopes as the season progresses; I don't tend to like to go too fast. When I bought my current skis, I had also demoed a Dynastar ski that was similar but noticed they were heavier and hurt my knees while riding the lift; therefore, I am concerned about the weight since I do not want to expedite the development of osteoarthritis in my knees . I am looking for a ski that can handle the variety of east coast conditions: hardpack, ice, and crud since I rarely have the opportunity to get out on fresh snow due to not yet being able to retire . Given my weight, my thought is I should go wider and possibly longer to better distribute the weight on the snow.

I went to a local shop and the guy immediately pointed me to the Blizzard Black Pearl 88 in a 159. I asked why that ski over the others along the wall and his answer was because it was the most popular women's ski. I then didn't feel too comfortable with his recommendation so I started trying to do my own research. Some of the other skis I have researched include Nordica Santa Ana 84, Nordica Wild Belle DC 84, Volkl Yumi 84--I thought mid 80's might be more appropriate over the upper 80's.

Would love to hear thoughts/suggestions....

 

[Jilly]

Yes, that guy is totally WRONG. Sorry, but the BP at your weight, is not going to support you and be a noodle. In fact any women specific ski is not a good idea.

Your list is good, but look at the unisex version of these skis brands.

 

[SkiQT]

One correction: my husband is on the Enforcer 88–the male version of the Santa Ana 88

 

[tinymoose]

No recommendations, but good to see you again @SkiQT !!

 

[SkiQT]

No recommendations, but good to see you again @SkiQT !!

Hope all is well with you!

 

[marzNC]

5'1" and 230 lbs in my late 40s. I ski mostly eastern PA and Berkshires (western MA) but have gone to Vermont when I can get more than a weekend off. I tend to like green and blue slopes but will venture to easier black slopes as the season progresses; I don't tend to like to go too fast.

I went to a local shop and the guy immediately pointed me to the Blizzard Black Pearl 88 in a 159. I asked why that ski over the others along the wall and his answer was because it was the most popular women's ski. I then didn't feel too comfortable with his recommendation so I started trying to do my own research. Some of the other skis I have researched include Nordica Santa Ana 84, Nordica Wild Belle DC 84, Volkl Yumi 84--I thought mid 80's might be more appropriate over the upper 80's.

Agree that mid-80s is better than 88-90 underfoot for the region you ski the most. I'm a lightweight petite skiers so don't really have good recommendations.

What do you know about the Head Total Joy, 85 underfoot? I liked the Absolut Joy, 78mm, for skiing in the east on groomers. They came with system bindings with separate toe and heel pieces. The carry weight is relatively low.

 

[SarahXC]

I’m only 175 lbs and have migrated from women’s skis to unisex (men’s lol) skis. So much more stability… definitely second that recommendation!

My east coast daily driver is a Kastle MX limited which is 84 underfoot. I don’t think they make it anymore but the Mx84 is what it is based on.

 

[Jilly]

I'm lighter and if I overpower a Joy, so will she. Unisex skis for this lady.

 

[kmb5662]

I'm also lighter but a fellow PA skier and what comes to mind that I would recommend checking out is something like the Head Supershape E-Titan SW which has 2 sheets of metal and 84 underfoot. It's more of a carving ski but has some extra width for a little more versatility on those occasional days when you do get some softer snow and comes in shorter lengths for your height (156 and 163). There is also the new Redster Q 9.8 which is similar to the Head ski and 84 underfoot and comes in a 159 and 166.

 

[floatingyardsale]

I'm in love with my Elan Wildcats (86) - the Wingman is the men's version. They don't love to go slow but they are stable and I don't think would be too soft for you.

 

[Mudgirl630]

I'm lighter and if I overpower a Joy, so will she. Unisex skis for this lady.

I totally agree.

 

[scandium]

I think you might want a little stiffer for support, especially if you are overpowering your current skis, but if you don't like "heavy" feeling you may need something with a lighter "swing weight" so that they feel light when you turn. So not just longer/wider as you need to get skis on edge to grip ice, and wider can be quite hard on the knees. I agree at looking at the shorter end of the men's range or whee the construction is the same in both men's and women's lines - if you are thinking all mountain with a piste bias, the Volkl Yumi is the same construction as the Kanjo, Experience Ti (rather than Basalt) is likely to give you a little more support. Kenja has lighter tips now but I would recommend demoing first if you are concerned about extra width.

If you can do performance rentals or demo, I highly recommend it - there are a lot of new changes in the last decade of skis!

 

[SkiQT]

Thanks all for the great info.

I actually do not think I am overpowering my skis since I am not very athletic and I have put on the weight due to being less active (e.g. working from home and other COVID-related precautions) and perimenopause.

I also have hit a plateau in my development related to fear (yes, I have read A Conversation with Fear) which has kept me as intermediate. My fear shows up in a couple of ways: 1) afraid of trying new mountains and/or trails 2) speed scares me so I am turning to stop 3) I tend to wedge more often than I should (particularly early season and on new terrain) as a coping mechanism. When I can get out of my head, I am able to ski well.

I feel like I need new skis since my current pair is well loved not because my ability outgrew them. My husband thinks I need something that can handle ice and crud since they both can trigger my fear.

I have spent time calling various ski shops looking for those that still do demos as my local stores stopped and have no plans to start again. I found demos at Blue Mountain and will see if I like their selection. (Ironically that means going to a mountain I haven’t skied in a while….I can already feel the fear….lol).

 

[tinymoose]

I did some demos at Blue last year midweek and it was a really nice setup, and the mountain wasn't crowded at all. Not sure if it's the same this year, but you can demo 3 skis for a flat rate.