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All things ski gear for plus sized, former expert, woman!
- Thread starter Babette
- Start date
Divegirl
Angel Diva
Hello Babette! I live on the South Shore in MA and ski Wachusett a couple times a week. Have also gone to Blue Hills and Nashoba. Maybe I'll see you there someday.
I am plus size skier (5" 2", 200). I think you asked about clothing along w/ skis & boots. I hope this info helps -
I have a number of Columbia pants & jackets. The pants run small on me. I love the Omni-heat stuff. I also discovered Boulder Gear and Kiltec jackets. Obermeyer also makes plus size ski pants. Some cool patterns & colors. Boulder Gear has the best pocket selection, Columbia is catching up. A lot of plus clothes lack the same pockets as regular sizes. Lands End, LL Bean & Eddie Bauer have some plus stuff jackets, pants but not alot of colors.
For base/mid layers - this is a bit harder. Lands End Therma skins - lots of cool patterns & colors, Columbia, Lands End, LL Bean quarter/half zip fleece pull overs - cool colors. I found men's Marker fleece lined stretch pants at the Boston Ski show a couple years ago & I have 2 pairs of Avalanche women's fleece lined pants at Frugal Fannies in Westwood. I wear them over the therma skins. I found a couples pairs of fleece lined tights at Bed & Bath of all places.
Socks are a big problem. I wear Smartwool Mens' PhD ultralight socks in L/XL as my calves are very large. My bootfitter told meet to boil the feet to shrink the foot to fit better. It works.
I am plus size skier (5" 2", 200). I think you asked about clothing along w/ skis & boots. I hope this info helps -
I have a number of Columbia pants & jackets. The pants run small on me. I love the Omni-heat stuff. I also discovered Boulder Gear and Kiltec jackets. Obermeyer also makes plus size ski pants. Some cool patterns & colors. Boulder Gear has the best pocket selection, Columbia is catching up. A lot of plus clothes lack the same pockets as regular sizes. Lands End, LL Bean & Eddie Bauer have some plus stuff jackets, pants but not alot of colors.
For base/mid layers - this is a bit harder. Lands End Therma skins - lots of cool patterns & colors, Columbia, Lands End, LL Bean quarter/half zip fleece pull overs - cool colors. I found men's Marker fleece lined stretch pants at the Boston Ski show a couple years ago & I have 2 pairs of Avalanche women's fleece lined pants at Frugal Fannies in Westwood. I wear them over the therma skins. I found a couples pairs of fleece lined tights at Bed & Bath of all places.
Socks are a big problem. I wear Smartwool Mens' PhD ultralight socks in L/XL as my calves are very large. My bootfitter told meet to boil the feet to shrink the foot to fit better. It works.
newboots
Angel Diva
@Babette , you must be at 50 posts by now!
I will join the rest in saying @nopoleskier ’s advice is always worth listening to, whether gear, skiing (ski with her if you have the chance), or real estate! She has been a help to me in 2 of those areas!
If you make that trip to Northern Ski Works, all of us locals should join you for lunch! I’m a bit south of Woodstock.
I think @Abbi will check in sooner or later, and she has ideas about what skis preserve knees.
I will join the rest in saying @nopoleskier ’s advice is always worth listening to, whether gear, skiing (ski with her if you have the chance), or real estate! She has been a help to me in 2 of those areas!
If you make that trip to Northern Ski Works, all of us locals should join you for lunch! I’m a bit south of Woodstock.
I think @Abbi will check in sooner or later, and she has ideas about what skis preserve knees.
Babette
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
So great to log on and see messages.
@Divegirl I'd love to meet up with you to ski next season and I THANK you for the clothing suggestions. I've also found some Obermeyer things that I think will fit. But the coolest thing of all was reading about a woman who got fed up with her limited ski wear choices and started her own company "on the side." Here's the article about this issue, and about her:
https://www.outsideonline.com/22905...k&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=facebookpost
And here's something about her company:
https://www.alpinecurves.com/Default.asp
@newboots Dh and I were talking this evening about going to Killington in mid-September, mid-week to pay a visit to the storied Hal. I told Gary (dh) that I was getting boots fitted this year and told him he should too. He said "I like my ski boots." They are TWENTY years old!
Lunch with other Divas sounds perfect and I've got it in my calendar to check in a bit closer to the date.
@Divegirl I'd love to meet up with you to ski next season and I THANK you for the clothing suggestions. I've also found some Obermeyer things that I think will fit. But the coolest thing of all was reading about a woman who got fed up with her limited ski wear choices and started her own company "on the side." Here's the article about this issue, and about her:
https://www.outsideonline.com/22905...k&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=facebookpost
And here's something about her company:
https://www.alpinecurves.com/Default.asp
@newboots Dh and I were talking this evening about going to Killington in mid-September, mid-week to pay a visit to the storied Hal. I told Gary (dh) that I was getting boots fitted this year and told him he should too. He said "I like my ski boots." They are TWENTY years old!
Lunch with other Divas sounds perfect and I've got it in my calendar to check in a bit closer to the date.
Babette
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
marzNC
Angel Diva
So true!
My primary ski buddy, Bill, was using boots that were 20+ years old when we started doing trips out west together with other friends. During a Diva week at Big Sky in 2012, he saw one morning that one boot was cracked. When he looked carefully, so was the other. He lost a morning of skiing having to buy boots from whatever inventory was available at the resort's ski shop. Had to have tweaks done during later ski trips for a couple seasons before they were okay. But still not ideal.
Dh and I were talking this evening about going to Killington in mid-September, mid-week to pay a visit to the storied Hal. I told Gary (dh) that I was getting boots fitted this year and told him he should too. He said "I like my ski boots." They are TWENTY years old!
Hmm, perhaps you can get him to take his boots into a Boston boot fitter for a look. Let someone else be the one to tell him how boots have changed since he bought them.
Although I've never heard people talking about them before, the Ski Monster in Boston sounds very interesting. Started out as online only, but opened up a big store in downtown Boston in 2014. I may try to check them out during one of my visits this fall.
https://theskimonster.com/about/
Divegirl
Angel Diva
@Babette - thank you for the links. I stumbled on that web site last year and have it book marked
Here's a link to Boulder Gear - https://outdoorgearinc.com - You kind of have to watch their site - their stuff seems to disappear fast. I found my jackets on Amazon at the end of the season.
I read you are interested in the Black Pearls - Stan & Dan's in North Conway had them for demo. I demo'd the 2015 - loved them. Went to demo 2018 last Feb - every pair gone, even the demos in mid - Feb. There were no other Black Pearls in N. Conway either, I checked every ski store.
I do hope to meet up w/ more people at Wachusett. I also plan to go to the Boston Ski show - need to find the dates.
Here's a link to Boulder Gear - https://outdoorgearinc.com - You kind of have to watch their site - their stuff seems to disappear fast. I found my jackets on Amazon at the end of the season.
I read you are interested in the Black Pearls - Stan & Dan's in North Conway had them for demo. I demo'd the 2015 - loved them. Went to demo 2018 last Feb - every pair gone, even the demos in mid - Feb. There were no other Black Pearls in N. Conway either, I checked every ski store.
I do hope to meet up w/ more people at Wachusett. I also plan to go to the Boston Ski show - need to find the dates.
marzNC
Angel Diva
I went ahead and started a meetup thread in the Divas Only Meet On The Hill section.I have the dates for the Boston Ski Show: November 8-11. I vote for going on the first day, midweek before the crowds descend. I can't wait to go ... unless it snows!
volklgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm about your size and find that Obermeyer and some Marker pants fit in an 18, but their coats don't. In general, I end up with men's pants in an X or XX, and shorts if they are available. Big thumbs-up for Boulder Gear - their 2X coats fit like they were made for me, and I love their colors and features. You can find my enthusing about their coats in the Jacket Slut thread. 
No one can give you reqs for boots on line. Read the Gearipedia threads so you have the vocabulary and the fit information, then find a fitter you like that can help you live. You will live in those boots for 2-5 years, so choose wisely, with an eye to the future you.
As to skis, I wouldn't go right to an 88 width after a knee replacement (sorry BP lovers). Instead, start with something under an 80 waist until you're sure your knees are good with it - the wider the ski is, the more sideways torque there is on your knees and the harder you'll have to work at first. I'd even go so far as to say rent or lease for your first season - then you can start out short and skinny until you get your ski legs back and bump up in width and length as your skills progress and your strength returns. So you know where I'm coming from, I just had my left ACL done, along with double meniscus repairs, so I have some idea how you're feeling right now. I plan on starting my season on my super skinnies (okay, so they're 84s and 88s, but I'm a strong and experienced skier and not trying to deal with relearning AND rehabbing).
Another thing to consider is that skis and ski techniques have changed DRASTICALLY in the last 10 years. Take some lessons. Seriously. You'll progress and gain confidence so much faster and avoid ingraining inefficient movements and bad habits.
No one can give you reqs for boots on line. Read the Gearipedia threads so you have the vocabulary and the fit information, then find a fitter you like that can help you live. You will live in those boots for 2-5 years, so choose wisely, with an eye to the future you.
As to skis, I wouldn't go right to an 88 width after a knee replacement (sorry BP lovers). Instead, start with something under an 80 waist until you're sure your knees are good with it - the wider the ski is, the more sideways torque there is on your knees and the harder you'll have to work at first. I'd even go so far as to say rent or lease for your first season - then you can start out short and skinny until you get your ski legs back and bump up in width and length as your skills progress and your strength returns. So you know where I'm coming from, I just had my left ACL done, along with double meniscus repairs, so I have some idea how you're feeling right now. I plan on starting my season on my super skinnies (okay, so they're 84s and 88s, but I'm a strong and experienced skier and not trying to deal with relearning AND rehabbing).
Another thing to consider is that skis and ski techniques have changed DRASTICALLY in the last 10 years. Take some lessons. Seriously. You'll progress and gain confidence so much faster and avoid ingraining inefficient movements and bad habits.
Babette
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Thanks for a really terrific post. Yes, lessons are at the top of my list. I know I'm going to have a lot of knee rehab to do before even beginning to address the rest of my body! Or, if my knees progress maybe I can start with some very gentle conditioning. I found out that my town's Sr. Center offers about 6 courses in things like balance & mobility; chair yoga; muscle conditioning, etc. Thing is these classes are taught by well known instructors in town and, because it's the Sr. Center, the share is 3.00 per lesson! Whoo hoo! I'll outgrow that with time, but it sounds like a promising way to begin.
nopoleskier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
nopoleskier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I had those Rossi's! You'll love the new ski technology and I'll bet you'll get hooked up easily. K2 still makes some wonderful Fun Skis. Since we're such enabler's maybe you'll have a couple/few ?? pairS of skis.. I have 'rocket' ski (atomic 11) they are 71 under foot- because they are demanding not much of a sweet spot I have to be 'on' them, plus they like to be on edge they hate being skidded so they go really fast, I find they sometimes tweak/hurt my old knees way more than my Renoun 90's.
I have wrecked MCL's and well used old knees. This past winter I re-wrecked one of my knees, I ended up on the renouns (90 under foot) pretty much every day because of no knee pain! I have demo'd skis and taken them right back because they hurt my knees. I seem to end up getting skis in the 160-165 with the rocker technology too short hurts my knees. (150-156cm)
You'll have a blast demoing and finding the right ski for you! I love how Technology has really changed skiing for the better and I think made skiing a lot easier. The new skis plow thru death cookies and don't veer off like our old straight boards did. Even bindings have been developed to help lesson knee injuries.
SallyCat
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@Babette
I was a gear junkie for while there and it was super fun. My favorite pattern was to go to skis.com, evo.com, and the skimonster.com for gear reviews. Then I'd check out Level Nine sports, Steep and Cheap, The House, Sierra Trading Post, and of course E-bay to find a good price. I found many sweet, high-end baselayers on e-bay for under $20.
Now I'm totally set and don't need any more ski gear, so there's no need to brow...alpine touring, you say? Right here in my backyard!? I'd better look into that....
I was a gear junkie for while there and it was super fun. My favorite pattern was to go to skis.com, evo.com, and the skimonster.com for gear reviews. Then I'd check out Level Nine sports, Steep and Cheap, The House, Sierra Trading Post, and of course E-bay to find a good price. I found many sweet, high-end baselayers on e-bay for under $20.
Now I'm totally set and don't need any more ski gear, so there's no need to brow...alpine touring, you say? Right here in my backyard!? I'd better look into that....
