Help Needed: Second guessing purchase of skis due to the size

[shelbys]

Hi!

I recently purchased some 2018 147cm volkl yumi's, but I'm worried about the size now because of everything I've been reading online about sizing skis.

I am new to skiing, I'm a college student from Texas so I only get to go about 4 days out of the year. I first learned in 2019, and I would say I'm about an intermediate-level skier, I feel comfortable on all blues and some easier blacks. I do enjoy moguls and some steeper slopes but nothing too crazy because I am on the more anxious side. I'm just under 5'5 and weigh around 114 pounds.

I went with the 147cm yumi's because I had tried a pair last year and fell in love with them, I've never tried the 154cm but I have tried the 161cm and I felt they were way too long/heavy for me. I have always shied away from longer skis because I felt as if they were difficult for me to maneuver because I have chicken legs lol. But everywhere I've looked online has said that I would need at least 150cm given my height. I just like to ski for fun, obviously not trying to be competitive lol, but I do hope to improve my abilities each time I'm able to go. I wanted to ask for some opinions though if you all think the 147 cm length is okay for me given my circumstances. Any comments/opinions would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[AJM]

Hello fellow chicken legs !!! Even with the chicken legs I would suggest they are a bit too short, I'm 5'5" and currently ski the BP 88's in a 159. But hey if you tried the 147 cm Yumis and loved them then in my opinion you get out there and enjoy them x

 

[marzNC]

I recently purchased some 2018 147cm volkl yumi's, but I'm worried about the size now because of everything I've been reading online about sizing skis.

I am new to skiing, I'm a college student from Texas so I only get to go about 4 days out of the year. I first learned in 2019, and I would say I'm about an intermediate-level skier, I feel comfortable on all blues and some easier blacks. I do enjoy moguls and some steeper slopes but nothing too crazy because I am on the more anxious side. I'm just under 5'5 and weigh around 114 pounds.

I went with the 147cm yumi's because I had tried a pair last year and fell in love with them,

Welcome! Do you head to NM or CO to ski?

For the few days you get to ski, I wouldn't worry about it. My friend who is about the same height and not much heavier is a couple decades older. She didn't learned to ski until her 30's when her kids started (small hill in the southeast). At our home hill, she is using a pair of skis that are 149cm that I originally bought used for my daughter. She's a cautious intermediate who can ski any blue at Alta at this point. Usually she rents skis that are mid-150s and those work fine too.

What did you do for boots?

 

[MissySki]

I’m 5’4 around 120lbs and started on a pair of 146 length skis. I was also very timid for quite awhile, and they were fine for me until they just weren’t. How did I know when they weren’t? I started wanting to go a little bit faster and they started getting very unstable and chattery. Any crud was a bad time as well, I’d just sink and get all pushed around versus being able to cut through it.

Given your circumstances, I’d just use your skis until you don’t feel comfortable on them anymore as you progress. Or maybe you’ll like them indefinitely, and that’s okay too if they are working for you. People have a lot of preferences around skis, it can be very subjective. You could also demo at some point and try some others in the 150s to compare. In my case I now use skis in the mid 160s most often, and own pairs from 161-168.

 

[newboots]

I'm your height, but heavier. I ski some 153 old Dynastars, and 159 BP 82s. I skied 147 rentals my first year. They say, longer is faster, shorter is easier. (Sounds oversimplified to me!)

 

[liquidfeet]

I'm also advising on longer skis. The longer they are, the more support they give you fore and aft.

You are somewhat new to skiing, and only ski a few days a year. Those two support staying with the short skis. But .... the other things you say support longer skis.

You say you are an intermediate skier, comfortable on blues and easier blacks. You enjoy moguls and some steeper slopes. Those facts support skis in the mid 150s if you're tiny, and low 160s if you're average in size.

You are a college student, and your weight is light for your height. But your height is average. Bad news: it may be difficult to maintain that low weight as your age increases (speaking from experience here). It's a metabolic thing. I'm thinking your age and height support a ski in the low-160s more than a shorter length if you want to keep using them into the future. You are adventurous since you are cruising blues and some blacks and moguls, which also supports getting a ski you can grow into.

Nothing you've said supports a ski in the mid 140s. Those skis won't help support you appropriately on those blues and blacks that you ski, and that lack of fore-aft support will lead to sensations of insecurity. In other words, skis in the mid-140s may increase your feelings of anxiety instead of lessening them. They may leave you worrying about falling forward, which will encourage you to sit back. They may make you feel anxious in any situation other than going slowly on easy greens.

You say you are on the more anxious side. You also say you found longer skis difficult to maneuver. Fix these issues with lessons! I'm strongly suggesting that you not try to fix these issues by purchasing skis made for lower level skiers than yourself, since you are a college student who may continue to ski and work on building your skills.

---------------------------
The next discussion you need to have with the community here is about your boots. Boots matter more than skis. Someone here has already asked about your boots. New skiers don't realize the importance of how the boots fit. This applies to foot anatomy as well as calf thickness, chicken size or otherwise. Boots that really genuinely fit your feet and lower legs will eliminate most sensations of being out of control of your skis. Rental boots are notorious for fitting poorly.

 

[Christy]

I will side with those that say, if you've tried them and liked them, then you'll probably be fine for a while. I am your height and about 120 lbs and my sweet spot is 156-158. I have tried 161s and they were too long. My first skis were 146s and they were too short--I fell a lot. Some skis do ski shorter or longer, so keep that in mind.

If you only ski 4 days a year, and presuming these days are on the same trip, why not just rent each time? Buying doesn't pay off with 4 days and your skis do become outdated. Rent what they call "performance" skis/demos--those are better than the standard rental stock.

But like others said, boots are way more important than skis.

 

[Blue-CantBreathTilWinter]

Hi there!
It sounds like you may be going through a similar experience to mine while learning to ski (well, I still am!). I am a bit over 5'9", and I started on 120 rental skis. I was terrified to try longer skis. I eventually increased the length by demoing as many different types as possible on "free demo days" the mountain hosts one a year. I will say that increasing the length actually gave me more confidence, more grip, and allowed me to advance my ability. I spent about a year skiing the bunny hill, and now I'm comfortable on most blacks at my home mountain and will attempt the occasional double black.

I now range from about 161-169 depending on how much of the ski actually comes in contact with the ground and I am so happy I tried the longer skis. however, I still have some old 156 skis I take out sometimes and they can be fun too, so like others said, its all in what you prefer I like the shorter skis in the trees, I feel less likely to get tangled around a tree limb. If you ski in the East, I found the shorter skis are way less effective in icy conditions.

Ditto on what everyone else said on boots. I started with boots that felt great, but they were actually too big for my ultra narrow feet, and I think finding the right boot helped more than anything else. (by the way, I have chicken legs too...lol)

 

[ziggyzagski]

I'm 5'3 / 125lbs / athletic legs and got back into skiing after a long break on 147 Volkl Yumis from 2014/15. Different construction from yours since mine were solid wood and no metal, but I still thought they were great for learning to maneuver, getting comfortable doing short turns through trees and moguls, and were great on different types of terrain. I only spent a season on them, but I skied almost every weekend before getting longer skis (156s) with metal because I wanted to go steep and fast. Didn't love those skis, so I shopped around and now have the Kenjas (163) and Sheeva 9 (164), but still have the Yumis to lend out to friends.

Overall, they're a great ski and I think you'll gain confidence, but most likely will upgrade to another ski in the future more suited to your skiing style, especially if that includes speed and steeper terrain. For going out 4 days per season, I think they'll suit you just fine since you said you fell in love! If you're happy, they are the ski for you!

 

[tinymoose]

Those are definitely going to be too short for you long-term, but if you tried them and liked them ditto everyone else and just use them for now. I'm a low advanced skier, 5'1" and about 95 lbs. and I ski the exact same Yumi in a 147. The mint green, pink, and black one??? The one thing that may buy you some extra time on them is the fact they have a titanal band, so they'll be stiffer and damper than older models of the Yumi, which might somewhat offset the shorter length for you a bit. If you can trade them in for the next size up, I'd maybe consider that so you won't outgrow them as fast, but with older skis I know that's not always an option.

 

[newboots]

Hey, @Blue-CantBreathTilWinter and @ziggyzagski - two fresh faces on the same thread! So glad you are joining the discussion.

 

[scandium]

If you tried them and loved them, you may be fine for a while. I have friends who are strong skiiers who like shorter skis, and I'm an intermediate who prefers a longer ski.

I will echo what others have said about boots being the most important thing though. With slender legs and calves it may be more difficult to get a good fit around both your foot and leg especially if you also have a skinny ankle, and boot fit is so important for confident skiing!

 

[Iwannaski]

@shelbys … I skied narrow (74 mm?) and way too short skis (chin height) … tbh, the skis were awesome UNTIL the spring. Ski the 147s in conditions that suit them, and then look at where you have a hard time ... Maybe you can quiver build to compensate for when they don’t work great for you.

 

[MissySki]

@shelbys … I skied narrow (74 mm?) and way too short skis (chin height) … tbh, the skis were awesome UNTIL the spring. Ski the 147s in conditions that suit them, and then look at where you have a hard time ... Maybe you can quiver build to compensate for when they don’t work great for you.

Ahhh yes the other bad condition for too short skis.. sticky spring snow is NOT your friend.

 

[fgor]

Ahhh yes the other bad condition for too short skis.. sticky spring snow is NOT your friend.

My powder skis (104 underfoot) do double duty as spring slush skis! They're great for it. They still need a recent wax to cope okay with the snow once it gets to being that sticky slush, though.

 

[ziggyzagski]

@Iwannaski @MissySki @fgor I had no idea that spring conditions could be combatted with powder or longer skis! I’ve only taken out powder skis on true powder days and taken out my heavier, narrower skis for sticky, slushy, cement days thinking that would help me power through! I definitely still have trouble determining what skis to take out for what conditions

 

[Jilly]

With the wider platform you will float in the crud. But....you can get just as stuck like the narrower. If you're not floating, you're submarining. I prefer my tuned down race skis for spring slush.

 

[marzNC]

@Iwannaski @MissySki @fgor I had no idea that spring conditions could be combatted with powder or longer skis! I’ve only taken out powder skis on true powder days and taken out my heavier, narrower skis for sticky, slushy, cement days thinking that would help me power through! I definitely still have trouble determining what skis to take out for what conditions

For the sticky snow on warm spring days, another option is to have a pair of older skis that are on the wider side that are treated with DPS Phantom. That's the non-wax base treatment that's done once for the life of a ski.

I did an experiment during my annual late season April stay at Alta Lodge after Phantom was available. Had my old Black Pearls treated with Phantom, 88 underfoot, and my relatively new Stormrider 85s with warm weather wax. On warm days, I used the BPs far more. Then I still had fun after lunch when many people either didn't go back out or quick by 2pm.

There are good quick paste or liquid wax options that can be used in the spring. But rarely last more than a few runs. That's what I used to do before Phantom. At this point, all my skis that I use in all conditions are treated with Phantom. I tend to keep skis for quite a few years before starting the shopping process again.

 

[MissySki]

I did an experiment during my annual late season April stay at Alta Lodge after Phantom was available. Had my old Black Pearls treated with Phantom, 88 underfoot, and my relatively new Stormrider 85s with warm weather wax. On warm days, I used the BPs far more. Then I still had fun after lunch when many people either didn't go back out or quick by 2pm.

There are good quick paste or liquid wax options that can be used in the spring. But rarely last more than a few runs. That's what I used to do before Phantom. At this point, all my skis that I use in all conditions are treated with Phantom. I tend to keep skis for quite a few years before starting the shopping process again.

Funny, I DO believe that my Sheevas work well on spring snow with Phantom treated bases, but my favorite for sticky snow last season turned out to be the Stockli Stormrider 85. This surprised me, but seemed I could cut through more effortlessly and it saved energy in my legs that I was expending more with the Sheevas when it got really thick. They are very different skis though.

 

[ziggyzagski]

For the sticky snow on warm spring days, another option is to have a pair of older skis that are on the wider side that are treated with DPS Phantom. That's the non-wax base treatment that's done once for the life of a ski.

I did an experiment during my annual late season April stay at Alta Lodge after Phantom was available. Had my old Black Pearls treated with Phantom, 88 underfoot, and my relatively new Stormrider 85s with warm weather wax. On warm days, I used the BPs far more. Then I still had fun after lunch when many people either didn't go back out or quick by 2pm.

There are good quick paste or liquid wax options that can be used in the spring. But rarely last more than a few runs. That's what I used to do before Phantom. At this point, all my skis that I use in all conditions are treated with Phantom. I tend to keep skis for quite a few years before starting the shopping process again.

I have never tried the Phantom, but maybe I'll try it on an old pair! I definitely feel the need to wax my skis more often when the snow is sticky and I still can't believe the Phantom wax is a one time thing.

Funny, I DO believe that my Sheevas work well on spring snow with Phantom treated bases, but my favorite for sticky snow last season turned out to be the Stockli Stormrider 85. This surprised me, but seemed I could cut through more effortlessly and it saved energy in my legs that I was expending more with the Sheevas when it got really thick. They are very different skis though.

I do love the Sheevas in most conditions and as a daily ski, but also found that it was slower / more work in the spring conditions at Mammoth - Sierra cement. I switched to the Kenjas and I think the weight helped me powder through the slush and ended up saving more energy in my legs overall as well!