Skis too big?

[westcoastskigirl]

Hey guys! So I’ve been renting gear for about two years now and finally took the plunge for buying my own skis and boots. I average roughly twelve to sixteen days on the mountain so for sure saves a ton. That being said, when I was renting, I rented the nordica Santa Ana’s. One weekend I got the 88 in 158cm and the next weekend I did 93 in 172 or 158 I cannot remember. So I decided to buy the 88, but this is where is gets sticky. The store I demoed them from refused to sell them since it was mid season which fair, but I still had three more trips planned (one in whistler and the others in vail). I didn’t see the sense in spending roughly 600 in rentals when I could just buy now.
I started surfing online and found a demo Pair for a great price that I could use Affirm for !! Which as a new grad and tighter budget monthly payments was a huge win.
however, they were the Santa Ana 88 in 172cm. For reference, I’m 5’7 145 and an upper intermediate skier. I do mostly blacks and tougher blues. Can handle myself in the trees. Not a moguls girl, my left turning is not nearly as sharp as my right.
I’m worried I bought skis that are too long. I feel like I will be able to grow into them, but that being said I don’t want to be an absolute disaster while adjusting.
I can of course return them but what do you all think? Return or just go with it?

 

[MrsPlow]

I can't comment on the Santa Ana specifically as I've not tried them, but I'm 5'8 and only a little heavier, and 172cm is about right for me, even a little short in some cases.

 

[Jilly]

I have the SA's 88 in 165. I'm 5'4 and 160lb and old. You should be OK.

 

[Iwannaski]

(The ”I’m old” killed me, @Jilly )

 

[scandium]

I'm a solidly intermediate-trying-to-be-advanced skiier, 5' 2" (well, nearly) and 120lb, and if I were to get the Santa Ana I would get the 158cm (I demoed the SA 93 in that length). So to me the 172cm sounds more appropriate for you.

 

[ajs16]

I’m an intermediate sometimes advanced skiier, 5’8” and 140 lbs and I went with 158s on my Line Pandora 84s. The guy helping me told me it’s much more about weight than height when considering ski length. Not sure if he was just saying that bc 158 was the longest pair he had in stock. Either way I’m happy with them!

I used to ski a heavier, longer ski and they felt a little cumbersome (Black Crows Camox Birdies @ 164). But I definitely seem to be in the minority here!

 

[Jenny]

oops

 

[Jenny]

But I definitely seem to be in the minority here!

I'm there with you - 5'9", 145 and I like my skis in the 160s range. My BP88 are 166. I've skied the low 170s but I feel like Bambi.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

Have you tried them out yet? Each ski is so different, and so is each skier in terms of preference.

Do you have a turn size that you tend to make, short, medium, large? Do the skis, sorry for not being familiar, have a lot of early rise in tip and tail, making them an effectively shorter ski once on edge? So many factors.

I am 5'4" and 140#j and my shortest skis are 163, but they are a very stiff racing ski that I would have likely preferred in a 158 or so. My longest is a 178, and I think I could have gone longer and that is a powder ski.

You might love, them the length you bought, them but I worry when you say that you don't recall what length you demoed them in the second time as it is a full 2 size jump from the first demo day. The good news is that they are used and should already be a big softer and more forgiving in that respect if they are on the long side for you.

I mostly think of the weight of the skier relative to the individual ski rather the height of the skier, especially for an all mountain or carver. The ability to flex the ski is more influenced by skier weight than height. That being what it is and each ski has a different range depending on its intended use and user, with some companies being more specific than others in their information. After that, it becomes more an ability and skier preference matter. You might grow into a ski, but not necessarily the length of a ski. If I were handed a pair of true downhill world cup racing skis, it might be a bit harder for me to ski the longer ones, but at any length they would likely be too much ski for me and what I like to do with my skis.

I hope you get to try them out and fall in love with them. Try them on varying conditions too before making a decision either way. I am in the process of "breaking in" my first pair of racing skis and by the end of the day I love them, but at the start I am really despondent. Time will tell. Won't be the first or last pair that don't last more than a week as part of my quiver.

 

[WaterGirl]

If they have a demo binding you can always play around with mount point - putting them +1 or more may help if they seem a bit too much at first.

 

[lisamamot]

I rented the nordica Santa Ana’s. One weekend I got the 88 in 158cm and the next weekend I did 93 in 172 or 158 I cannot remember. So I decided to buy the 88, but this is where is gets sticky.

I am an advanced skier, a couple inches taller than you and similar in weight. I own the 2022 Santa Ana 93 172 and it is perfect for my specs. I also demoed the Santa Ana 88 172 and I didn't make a love match with them, and while I couldn't quite put my finger on why, it was not a length issue. If you preferred the 88 over the 93 and skied the 93 in a 172 you should be fine on the 88 in the same length. They make both in a 165 as well; I expect you would be fine on that if the 172 feels like too much, but the 158 would be too short.