Sizing for Skis

[courtski]

Hi friends --

My first post here and i'm looking for help from some knowledgable women rather than ski shop boys.

I live in Southwestern Ontario (where we don't have many ski hills). 75% of the my skiing is on the west coast where I manage to take most of my annual holiday allowance (3 weeks), skiing

I'm a former ski instructor (Level 2), but have not taught for 15 years. When i get out onto west coast I am a true all-mountain skier. 30% of my day is spent on groomers, 30% on bumps, 30% on crud/steeps and 10% in the hot tub. When I ski the east coast 100% of my time is spent on groomers.

I'm looking for a new ski and in my experience, ski length can make or break an experience.

I'm 5'7" and 135lbs and 38 yrs old.

I've always skied Volkl, Atomic and Head skis but for the past 5 years its made my sense for me to rent on my trips. After several years of bad rental experiences I want to buy this year. I'm looking at the Aura and Great Joy but would love some input on these along with length. I do very much like to go fast but as I near my 40s my days of acting like a teenager are numbered.

Many thanks

 

[Jilly]

Welcome to our world! Another lax L2 in Ontario!!

Atomic and Head have some great skis. I've just ordered the Atomic Vantage 95W cti for myself. I demo'd them last March in Whistler and loved them. I'm 5'4 and ordered something in 160-165 I think. Might have been 171. Should be coming soon. I'm hoping to demo some Head's this year. They are the official rental ski now at Tremblant. I also know the area rep for them. I'm looking to replace my Rossi Hero's that are my daily driver.

But first - BOOTS!! Your boots are your connection to your skis. Spend $$ here. Get properly fitted. You might need to go to TO or wait till you get out west. If it's WB, that's where my boot fitter is. I can give you his name. He doesn't really sell boots, but he does work out of one of the shops. (CSIA 4 so he does courses etc there)

And don't forget - Toronto Snow Show coming up.....Last weekend of October - International Centre. Might be some deals there.

 

[courtski]

Hi Jilly -- Great to meet a fellow Canuck here!

I will defo check out the Vantage. Thanks for the heads-up. I've been trying to figure out what length is best for someone like me at 5'7". You get a lot of different opinions on this. Like everyone else I grew up skiing on mens skis then progressively more womens skis have come to market but the sizing I find always throws another variable into the mix.

If my house was burning down I would grab my boots before my jewelry. I have orthotics in mine and just love them. But mine are about 8 years old now so who knows, I may take you up on that offer at some point.

I didn't realize there was a snow show in T.O., thanks for letting me know about that. I've been looking at a few shops in southern Ontario who seem to be selling 2017 models at a good discount.

Thanks for your note and for moderating this amazing forum

 

[Jilly]

Also - Asogear on Ebay. It's really Corbett's in Toronto.

 

[Pequenita]

The Aura is a popular enough ski that I think you'll be able to find it to demo different lengths on the mountain. It would be a great ski for your out-west trips, other than the hot tub portion. It may be too wide for an east coast daily driver.

 

[santacruz skier]

I demoed the Head Great Joy for a week in Switzerland last March. I think you should definitely give that demo a shot. I really liked the way it handled on everything from powder to groomed. There are a few divas here that own the ski... @luliski and maybe @CarverJill ?

 

[nopoleskier]

Welcome! same as @Jilly I Loved the Vantage. Sorry to hear you've had bad rental experience. Maybe check where you're going if there are any "demo" days to test drive some skis and perhaps buy out west?

I'm heavier than you (sigh) and 5'6" I also grew up on Men's skis. Now skiing 165cm-170's makes for ease in bumps/trees and still carry speed. I'm 60 and I still go fast :-) . many I demo I don't like due to slowness or they feel to loagy with no pop..

I ski North East coast (ice) have Pocket rockets (Atomic 11's 71 under foot) for my daily driver. Elysians (pre Vantage) for western skis.
Older Black Pearls (159 too short) This year I bought Renoun 90's (165) they are worth checking into the stats and reviews, they are HIGH TECH.. (first pair I"ve bought without demoing) they may become my one ski quiver.. @ski diva demo'd the Renoun 77's last season and raved about them.. they are pricey and come w/out bindings, but are a one ski quiver for most that purchase

Happy Skiing and welcome to the best skiing forum!!

 

[santacruz skier]

BTW, I'm a lightweight, older skier 5'1 and demoed the 153 Head Great Joy but later heard I could have skied that in a 158.....

 

[SallyCat]

as I near my 40s my days of acting like a teenager are numbered.

^^ Nonsense. Caution and good decision making are for the weak.

I'm 5'8" and just bought the Atomic Vantange 90 cti men's ski in 176 after demoing them last spring, but I am thirty pounds heavier than you. My daily-driver Volkl RTMs are 177. I'm fairly new to skiing, but I definitely had some too-short skis in the past two years that were no fun. I've not regretted going longer. They go fast.

 

[elemmac]

I'm looking at the Aura and Great Joy but would love some input on these along with length.

Both are fantastic skis, although, it's tough to get a bad one these days. Based on your descriptions, experience, size and preferences I would go with the Great Joy in the high 160s, if I recall correctly it's the 168. With the Aura, I'd lean towards the 170. Although being as stiff as the Aura is, it may become a bit cumbersome when it comes to bumps. For reference I'm pretty close to your size, although slightly shorter, and can be comfortable on anything from a 160 (slalom type groomer ski) to a 176 powder ski.

 

[courtski]

Thanks so much to all of you for your thorough and thoughtful comments. This really helps so much! I was speaking to a friend of mine today who mentioned the Kenja's and Vantage 90s (not 95). Any of you with the Vantage 95's demo the 90s? Its tough for me because I do love bumps/trees/steeps but when I hit a groomer I do love to carve at speed. Ha.

Can't thank you all enough. I'm so glad I found this amazing forum!

 

[Pequenita]

I am partial to the Kenja as a very versatile ski.

 

[newboots]

^^ Nonsense. Caution and good decision making are for the weak.

@SallyCat - will you leave your sense of humor to me in your will?

 

[Jilly]

I had the 90 unisex version out at WB. It was too stiff for my liking. There is a layer of metal in the 90, both models. 95 doesn't have it.

 

[marzNC]

Thanks so much to all of you for your thorough and thoughtful comments. This really helps so much! I was speaking to a friend of mine today who mentioned the Kenja's and Vantage 90s (not 95). Any of you with the Vantage 95's demo the 90s? Its tough for me because I do love bumps/trees/steeps but when I hit a groomer I do love to carve at speed. Ha.

Can't thank you all enough. I'm so glad I found this amazing forum!

I had the Vantage 90 for a morning at Alta in April 2016. It was a groomer morning while waiting the off-piste to soften. I had a very good time with them. Opted to go shorter than my all-mountain skis, 153cm compared to 159cm. I switched to the Nordica Nemesis in the afternoon, which I already knew I like for soft snow and bumps.

The one run I did on the Vantage 95 during the free demo day that trip wasn't that much fun. But I only had them on firm groomers first thing in the morning. At 162cm, perhaps they were too long for that type of terrain. As a direct comparison, the next run I took out the Vantage 90W at 161cm and to my surprise they were fun for me.

I hope you let us know what you decide and how it goes when you have them on snow.

 

[luliski]

Hi friends --

My first post here and i'm looking for help from some knowledgable women rather than ski shop boys.

I live in Southwestern Ontario (where we don't have many ski hills). 75% of the my skiing is on the west coast where I manage to take most of my annual holiday allowance (3 weeks), skiing

I'm a former ski instructor (Level 2), but have not taught for 15 years. When i get out onto west coast I am a true all-mountain skier. 30% of my day is spent on groomers, 30% on bumps, 30% on crud/steeps and 10% in the hot tub. When I ski the east coast 100% of my time is spent on groomers.

I'm looking for a new ski and in my experience, ski length can make or break an experience.

I'm 5'7" and 135lbs and 38 yrs old.

I've always skied Volkl, Atomic and Head skis but for the past 5 years its made my sense for me to rent on my trips. After several years of bad rental experiences I want to buy this year. I'm looking at the Aura and Great Joy but would love some input on these along with length. I do very much like to go fast but as I near my 40s my days of acting like a teenager are numbered.

Many thanks

Hi @courtski , I'm about your size and have the Head Great Joy in a 168. I ski in Tahoe. We had a big winter and the Great Joys were awesome in powder and chopped up powder. They go through crud really well too. I felt a little less secure on them on steep, hard packed snow (not ice, but the Sierra version of ice).
I demoed the Aura a few years ago on a powder day, probably in about the same length as my Great Joys. Really enjoyed them in the powder, but they're heavier, and I got tired on them. I think they've changed that ski since I demoed (more rocker).

 

[santacruz skier]

Hi @courtski , I'm about your size and have the Head Great Joy in a 168. I ski in Tahoe. We had a big winter and the Great Joys were awesome in powder and chopped up powder. They go through crud really well too. I felt a little less secure on them on steep, hard packed snow (not ice, but the Sierra version of ice).
I demoed the Aura a few years ago on a powder day, probably in about the same length as my Great Joys. Really enjoyed them in the powder, but they're heavier, and I got tired on them. I think they've changed that ski since I demoed (more rocker).

You know I would purchase the Head Great Joys (same waist as black crows) just b/c they were so great in ungroomed soft chopped up snow. I was way ahead of my expert skier friend on a run on those puppies. At the bottom she said that was awful. I had the time of my life. And friend is waaaay better skier than me!

 

[CarverJill]

There are a few divas here that own the ski... @luliski and maybe @CarverJill ?

Just like @luliski I have the Head Great Joy in 168. I am 5'9" and about 150 lbs. I have the first model of them that are all purple without the octagon pattern. I demo'd tons of skis and ended up with these I am completely hap[y with them. They are very light, wide enough for deeper stuff and I really like the early rise and not a true rocker. My absolute favorite feature of them is their side cut. They were one of the few skis I could really carve well without slipping out on a hard carve. I have posted a lot about them here so if you can figure out the search features you can probably read more.

 

[vanhoskier]

After reading all the posts, I vote for the Great Joy. You seem like a close match to Carver Jill, whom I got to ski with last year....she rocks those Great joys.