New extra petite skier

[xxs_skier]

Hello everyone,

I just started learning how to ski with my family last year and have probably skied about 10 times total. While my family loves skiing, I'm still on the fence because it's been such a struggle to learn. My 9 year old is already skiing black diamonds and my 6 year old is already doing all the side hits. My husband hasn't caught up to their skill level yet, but he's further along in parallel while I'm still trying to figure it out.

A few stats about me: Ski on the West Coast (Vancouver), 40ish years old, 5'0 (or maybe a hair under), weight: 92 pounds, mondo size 215 with bunions. When I was starting out I use using rental equipment so I was in 22.5 boots with varying ski lengths. I bought gear when we decided to commit to the sport and had Nordica Speedracer Jr. J3 and Blizzard Pearl Jr. 130cm. I was getting foot numbness and went back to the shop where I bought my boots from and the sales associate decided that the jr boots that I was currently in weren't right, refunded me the purchase and put me in Lange with a 4 buckle system. It's currently being worked on to accommodate my foot issues, so I haven't skied with them yet.

When I was renting, the longer skis felt so big and heavy. The skis I have now seem to be ok, but would longer ones suit me better? Or should I work with my current skis until I get better? I'm not sure if what's holding me back is improper equipment, me not picking it up fast enough, or a combination of both.

 

[mustski]

There are definitely struggles for petite women with smaller feet. That said, there will still be a learning curve once the gear is dialed in. If the smaller skis are working, just go with it. You will switch out later anyway. Get the boots figured out first!
@tinymoose @badger @SkiBam can speak to this better than anyone.

 

[shadoj]

Welcome! You'll find good company here. The equipment struggle is real, and why many of us joined the forum!

A recent thread of interest:

Super petite woman in need of a pair of skis!!

Hi all, I'm planning to buy new skis this year and I need help with finding the right one. A little about me: I'm barely a 4'10 (146 cm) and weight 92 pounds or 42 kg. I'd categorize myself as an intermediate to advance skier. I ski black trails in Whistler and are working on my powder skills...

www.theskidiva.com

Let us know how the new Langes work out!

 

[marzNC]

Welcome! I'm an older petite skier who had the advantage of learning as a teen and than had a long hiatus before I got my daughter started on skis at age 4. She was better than I was by age 11 with only a few days of skiing per season. I had her in ski school but wasn't taking lessons myself as a competent intermediate.

Getting boots that fit is much more important than skis. Glad you seem to be working with a good ski shop.

As an adult beginner, lessons really are a worthwhile investment. Natural self-protection instincts can be counter-productive when the goal is to slow down or stop. Also a good idea to learn how to fall in a way that is less risky for knees.

 

[Cantabrigienne]

Wait till you get your boots back! Also: take some heart that the snow conditions have been pretty questionable much of this season because it's been so warm, so you're learning in challenging circumstances - whether Whistler or North Shore, odds are it's been icy boilerplate first thing in the morning and then heavy slush within a couple of hours. (I'm also in YVR, will PM you)

 

[xxs_skier]

Welcome! I'm an older petite skier who had the advantage of learning as a teen and than had a long hiatus before I got my daughter started on skis at age 4. She was better than I was by age 11 with only a few days of skiing per season. I had her in ski school but wasn't taking lessons myself as a competent intermediate.

Getting boots that fit is much more important than skis. Glad you seem to be working with a good ski shop.

As an adult beginner, lessons really are a worthwhile investment. Natural self-protection instincts can be counter-productive when the goal is to slow down or stop. Also a good idea to learn how to fall in a way that is less risky for knees.

I've done 2 private lessons so far and possibly thinking of doing a camp, although the embarrassment of being so bad and holding up the group is what's holding me back. The first lesson didn't go so well where I didn't even make it onto the magic carpet because my snow plow stop wasn't fast enough. I do want at least another lesson as we're doing our first family ski trip to Whistler during the break. The kids are doing lessons the first day as there's no way we're ready to take them on the terrain that they're capable of.

 

[xxs_skier]

Wait till you get your boots back! Also: take some heart that the snow conditions have been pretty questionable much of this season because it's been so warm, so you're learning in challenging circumstances - whether Whistler or North Shore, odds are it's been icy boilerplate first thing in the morning and then heavy slush within a couple of hours. (I'm also in YVR, will PM you)

We've been skiing Seymour and the conditions have been challenging. The week before it was icy and last week was more slushy, but much easier to ski in so I had no problem on the very steep part of the green and made it all the way through without falling. My goal is to get on a blue this season.

 

[tinymoose]

Hey, fellow small person! I'm 5'1 and 95 lbs, so we're very similar in size.

I'm not gonna weigh-in on the boots, b/c can't really say and not my expertise, but I have a few thoughts on the skis. I looked them up because I was concerned about them based on what you wrote, and this is not enough ski for you at your size. It's got a couple things working against it:

1) It's 130 in length. Even at our tiny size and weight, and even at a more novice level, this ski is going to hold you back.
2) The core of this ski is composite. They do this with a lot of kids skis to save on manufacturing costs. It basically means instead of an all-wood core there's some foam in there as well.

A little backstory, I started on some cheap 132??? Atomic skis back in the day and had a miserable first season b/c they were too short and too soft, even at my size. Going up to a stiffer, but still intermediate-level, ski at 142 the following year, made a HUGE difference in what and how fast I was willing to ski b/c the ski itself gave me more stability. I can't see how these skis are doing you any favors, tbh, and if anything they're probably holding you back b/c of their length and construction. Bottom line is these skis are 100% designed for kids, and not even big kids since 130 is the longest length it comes in.

GOOD NEWS is you can always easily sell kids/short adult skis b/c people are always looking to buy for their kids/tweens. Other good news is this forum will be MORE than willing to help you spend money on a new pair of skis.

 

[Pequenita]

^^^^^ yes to everything @tinymoose wrote about the ski length and construction.

 

[Cantabrigienne]

We've been skiing Seymour and the conditions have been challenging. The week before it was icy and last week was more slushy, but much easier to ski in so I had no problem on the very steep part of the green and made it all the way through without falling. My goal is to get on a blue this season.

Tip: The Family Zone in Whistler has a good progression from green to blue, it's much friendlier there than on Blackcomb (although the latter *is* quieter, so if you're staying on that side/signing up for ski school on that side, don't despair!)

 

[xxs_skier]

Hey, fellow small person! I'm 5'1 and 95 lbs, so we're very similar in size.

I'm not gonna weigh-in on the boots, b/c can't really say and not my expertise, but I have a few thoughts on the skis. I looked them up because I was concerned about them based on what you wrote, and this is not enough ski for you at your size. It's got a couple things working against it:

1) It's 130 in length. Even at our tiny size and weight, and even at a more novice level, this ski is going to hold you back.
2) The core of this ski is composite. They do this with a lot of kids skis to save on manufacturing costs. It basically means instead of an all-wood core there's some foam in there as well.

A little backstory, I started on some cheap 132??? Atomic skis back in the day and had a miserable first season b/c they were too short and too soft, even at my size. Going up to a stiffer, but still intermediate-level, ski at 142 the following year, made a HUGE difference in what and how fast I was willing to ski b/c the ski itself gave me more stability. I can't see how these skis are doing you any favors, tbh, and if anything they're probably holding you back b/c of their length and construction. Bottom line is these skis are 100% designed for kids, and not even big kids since 130 is the longest length it comes in.

GOOD NEWS is you can always easily sell kids/short adult skis b/c people are always looking to buy for their kids/tweens. Other good news is this forum will be MORE than willing to help you spend money on a new pair of skis.

Thanks for your input! So should I ski out the rest of the season with these or would I be better off with new ones? My 9 year old may be able to fit into them next year. She's petite like me (48 inches), but she rides aggressively and venturing into the blacks.

What length would you recommend? When I had longer skis, I found them heavy and hard to skate with on flats. I was also a very new skier with too big boots so I don't know if that also played a part.

 

[tinymoose]

Thanks for your input! So should I ski out the rest of the season with these or would I be better off with new ones? My 9 year old may be able to fit into them next year. She's petite like me (48 inches), but she rides aggressively and venturing into the blacks.

What length would you recommend? When I had longer skis, I found them heavy and hard to skate with on flats. I was also a very new skier with too big boots so I don't know if that also played a part.

How long were your rental skis? Weight aside did they feel unwieldy? The weight isn't really related to the length. I've got a pair of 150 length race skis that weigh a metric ton because of their construction and the metal bindings and race plate, and a pair of all-mountain skis at 154 that weigh next to nothing. Rental skis are just heavy b/c adjustable, heavy (read: durable) bindings and made out of a lot of material to keep them sturdy through rough use. In summary, they're pretty terrible but serve a purpose. lol

If you could find a good late/end of season deal, might be worth it to try to upgrade this year if you can? Given you live around Vancouver, do you have any options locally to demo skis? It's always ideal to try before you buy if you can, but obviously for some of us it's not always an option. And oftentimes, demos are limited in shorter lengths.

 

[xxs_skier]

How long were your rental skis? Weight aside did they feel unwieldy? The weight isn't really related to the length. I've got a pair of 150 length race skis that weigh a metric ton because of their construction and the metal bindings and race plate, and a pair of all-mountain skis at 154 that weigh next to nothing. Rental skis are just heavy b/c adjustable, heavy (read: durable) bindings and made out of a lot of material to keep them sturdy through rough use. In summary, they're pretty terrible but serve a purpose. lol

If you could find a good late/end of season deal, might be worth it to try to upgrade this year if you can? Given you live around Vancouver, do you have any options locally to demo skis? It's always ideal to try before you buy if you can, but obviously for some of us it's not always an option. And oftentimes, demos are limited in shorter lengths.

I got different lengths each time. It's been awhile, so my memory is foggy but the longest was maybe 150 and the shortest 136? The longest ones felt unwieldy when I was skating on the flat as they kept crossing over. Going downhill was fine.

I think there might be one place where I can demo, I'll call and see. Thanks.

 

[Iwannaski]

I know the exchange rate causes issues, but FWIW, I have Renoun Earharts and they are almost as light as my daughter’s 140cm Atomic kid skis. I’m a much taller/heavier skier than you, but they have done well for me on ice and in 8 inches of fresh snow.

My daughter is very thin and the first time she put on skis the rental counter put her 8 year old, 72 lb frame onto adult skis because she has larger feet. So, the boots were completely unwieldy (imagine how big the boot overall was on her skinny little leg) …
She could BARELY remain vertical.

when she hits 100 lbs and is ready for an adult ski, she’ll take these and I’ll upgrade my skis. LOL. But I would HIGHLY recommend the Renoun for a very light versatile and capable ski that can grow with you from an ability perspective. Buying it is like a demo, kind of. ;)

 

[Iwannaski]

Currently a deal on a 149 cm factory blemish Earhart…

Factory Blemish Earhart 88

Blemish skis are brand new but may have a small cosmetic blemish or scuff in the graphic. For example, the graphic is slightly off-center (1-2cm) or there is a gentle scuff from handling them at the factory. These cosmetic blemishes have no effect on the ski's performance or durability and most...

renoun.com

 

[xxs_skier]

I know the exchange rate causes issues, but FWIW, I have Renoun Earharts and they are almost as light as my daughter’s 140cm Atomic kid skis. I’m a much taller/heavier skier than you, but they have done well for me on ice and in 8 inches of fresh snow.

My daughter is very thin and the first time she put on skis the rental counter put her 8 year old, 72 lb frame onto adult skis because she has larger feet. So, the boots were completely unwieldy (imagine how big the boot overall was on her skinny little leg) …
She could BARELY remain vertical.

when she hits 100 lbs and is ready for an adult ski, she’ll take these and I’ll upgrade my skis. LOL. But I would HIGHLY recommend the Renoun for a very light versatile and capable ski that can grow with you from an ability perspective. Buying it is like a demo, kind of. ;)

Those skis look great but I don't think I'll be doing the ski any favours while I'm getting confident on bunny hills.

 

[Iwannaski]

But you won‘t always be on bunny hills, and unlike traditional skis, these don’t have to be heavy for performance. So you won’t “outgrow” them them same way you might another ski. Just food for thought. I”m not that far ahead of you in the learning journey, and have driven these on an easy green at 10 mph and a steeper blue (different resort) at ~30mph. At no point was the ski my concern, and that’s what you want. But it’s as light as a junior ski.

Just making the plug because it’s a great ski. And it’s SOOOOO light. Especially when compared to traditional adult skis. I’m really ruined for many other skis now.


ETA: I am not getting a commission. Although…

 

[Jilly]

I wouldn't spend the money on the Renoun's. (Damn things are made in Quebec, but we have to pay in US$$) Finish this year out on what you've got.

Next season look for a weekly season lesson. I'm sure one of the area's has one. (At Tremblant it's called Elle ski, women instructors too) Any issues with boots, I can recommend Barry at EVO in WB. He's my fitter when he's back in the east.

 

[xxs_skier]

I wouldn't spend the money on the Renoun's. (Damn things are made in Quebec, but we have to pay in US$$) Finish this year out on what you've got.

Next season look for a weekly season lesson. I'm sure one of the area's has one. (At Tremblant it's called Elle ski, women instructors too) Any issues with boots, I can recommend Barry at EVO in WB. He's my fitter when he's back in the east.

There's a group 2 day lesson I'm looking at, but it's end of March and here that could mean slushy snow and a lot of rain. What's holding me back from group lessons is that I'm pretty sure I would be the one holding my group back from progressing. Even the private lesson I did with my husband, he was catching on faster than I was. It was quite humbling that I didn't even make it onto the magic carpet on my first lesson!

 

[Jilly]

We did a Diva weekend course at WB in 2012. Great fun.

At this point you need mileage, without the testosterone.