So I'm afraid of hills...

[SkiNana]

One thing that really pisses me off is the totally bizarre and tiny sizing for women's technical gear (ski, hiking, yoga, you name it).
WTF is it with this stuff? Athletic women are assumed to be tiny? Who the devil considers a size 14 to be an XL?

Boo. Hiss.

Amen and thank you Serafina!!!! my husband has been trying to buy me a Spyder jacket for YEARS! Forget it! I am in a 14 before I can even hope to zip the d*** things and then the profile is decidedly matronly!
When I do find a jacket that fits, the sleeves are invariably too long!
It's maddening and insulting!

 

[canadianjem]

I am5' 3", 130 pounds....not super skinny but not fat. I have the same problem! Why am i a large to x large in every sport clothing I try on? Who are these people who can fit into the smalls and why do the stores only bring in a few of the larger sizes and loads of the smaller!

 

[Serafina]

I do not know. It's crazy. I don't even bother with Prana, Mountain Hardwear, North Face for women, what the heck?

I will say that I've bought some Royal Robbins gear from Steep & Cheap over the last year, and that stuff is sized for Normal People. I had a hard time believing the size chart Royal Robbins had on S&C because I'm so used to XL being a 12 or 14, but RR has an XL that is a 16, and it's a "true" 16. FWIW.

 

[litterbug]

I was almost freaked out by Patagonia's sizing of most of their women's winter jackets. Right now I do look a little sausage like with layers underneath my uninsulated jacket, but that will ease up within a month of skiing twice a week and probably starting a little yoga again because otherwise I tighten up between days on the hill. Most of the year the jacket looks completely normal on me. The sleeves are long, but because it's a soft fabric they don't bunch up as aggressively as some do. My micro and nano puff Patagucci jackets fit, too. Yay for the Patagonia outlet!

I'm still scared to try their other clothing, though a friend of mine who's also not a small person wears their men's ski pants and shirts with no problem.

 

[Serafina]

I'm still scared to try their other clothing, though a friend of mine who's also not a small person wears their men's ski pants and shirts with no problem.

That's the key. The men's sizes are appropriate for women (i.e., men's large really = women's large). Which creates just as much a problem for men, who are apparently supposed to be 9 feet tall and 120 lbs. My dude scored a pair of Columbia ski pants last year. He's 6 feet, 210 lbs, and required an XXL. He was depressed for a week.

Sporthill also has reasonable sizes. I've just gone to wearing a set of Sporthill XC soft-shell top + bottom with waterproof shell pants from LLBean and my (men's) North Face system jacket on top. It's not glamorous, I'll never pick anyone up on the hill, but it's comfortable, warm, and dry, and I just peel down to the softshell for apres-ski. And while I don't look glammy on the hill, my softshells are way glammier than any pair of proper ski pants in the bar.

 

[Lilywhite]

Hi Alice, sounds like some great advice given out on here as usual, like you I'm cuddly but my weight does not stop me doing what I enjoy, I also used to get very fazed on steep slopes, the best lesson I ever had addressed this by getting to a very wide but slightly steeper than I was strictly happy with slope, then myself and another scaredy cat started from opposite sides and were challenged to make as many turns as possible from top to bottom, the winner made most turns not arrived down first, needless to say we were not taking notice of the pitch of the slope as we were competing, we did this a few times across 3 or 4 slopes trying to do the tightest diagonal lines we could possibly do, our tracks looked more like a crazy lie detector test than elegant carved s's! However when we reached the bottom of the last slope of the day and looked up we were both somewhat shocked at what we had just come down, It was a European red (roughly American tough blue or easier black). Our instructor was very smug! Ok we had not pointed our skis down and flown but we had proved that we could easily get down a reasonably steep and narrower run perfectly in control without messing ourselves and have fun doing it. Enjoy yourself on the slopes and your not going wrong whatever the colour or pitch of slope. Enjoy the forthcoming festivities however you celebrate them xxx

 

[altagirl]

I do not know. It's crazy. I don't even bother with Prana, Mountain Hardwear, North Face for women, what the heck?

I will say that I've bought some Royal Robbins gear from Steep & Cheap over the last year, and that stuff is sized for Normal People. I had a hard time believing the size chart Royal Robbins had on S&C because I'm so used to XL being a 12 or 14, but RR has an XL that is a 16, and it's a "true" 16. FWIW.

Makes me crazy too. I tried on Eider women's ski pants in a size XL - their XL is a 12! Yeesh. I could kindof get them on, but couldn't really move in them. Hehe. I bought their Men's Large version of the same pant and they are roomy and comfortable.

And there are some European sized garments that make my husband crazy with the slim fit. He's normally an XL, but he tried on a Rab jacket and it's like a sausage casing around his chest and middle but with sleeves that are 4" too long. I guess it's good to have something that fits that super tall skinny guys, but he was bummed out.

 

[pinto]

Well, luckily there are brands in all shapes, since there are people in all shapes. It sucks if you want something in a brand that isn't your shape, though. Brands with a mountaineering heritage are going to run smaller, for several reasons. Brands with a snowboarding heritage are going to run bigger, etc etc.

Arc'teryx has come out with a new "fit" this season that is more geared toward resort skiing, and apparently it's what FlyLow is trying to do: gear that works on the up and the down (basically, style and material of mountaineering gear, but looser cut of resort gear).

You all know pant length is my bugaboo -- I understand why these companies can't make every cut in every length, but I wish someone would figure out a way to make pant adjustable in the cuff; some of the companies do it for kids' gear, now, you know. Obviously it needs to be more bomb-proof for adult gear, but can it be that difficult?

 

[mustski]

My pet peeve is pants that are loose around the waste when I am standing and skiing and then dig in in the front when I sit on the chair. If I buy a medium they are great skiing and standing but too tight when sitting. If I buy a large they are too loose standing and skiing and still too tight when I am sitting! What is up with ski pants that bag out at the back when you sit down and pinch in the front?

 

[SkiNana]

So I'm afaid of . . . jackets?!

This is so funny! the thread started out as "I'm afraid of . . ." and ended up being a lament about clothing sizes! Now we know what Divas are really afraid of!

On the original subject: I trained with our handicap skier volunteer program (EagleMount) over last weekend, and the whole first day (to my surprise and delight) was a ski lesson for us! At the end of the day we were in "The Bowl" (which I hate: it's steep, bumpy and in full sight of the lift! Can anything be worse?). I was so busy "softening my knee" on the inside ski, and aiming for good spots to "pivot slip" that I never even noticed that I was skiing the entire thing from top to bottom without stopping to scope out my next turn!

On the other subject: I have an "Alpine" jacket - I had never seen one before nor have I ever seen another since that SNIAGRAB sale five years ago - and a Marker jacket, and both fit fabulously well and are soft and comfy. Of the new stuff I have (I'm embarrassed, but whoever started the term "Jacket slut" is to blame!!) all have sleeves too long and are . . . "crispy". How long until I get them nice and soft? Anybody have any hints that won't ruin the waterproofing? Like sleeping in/with them maybe?

 

[altagirl]

Well, luckily there are brands in all shapes, since there are people in all shapes. It sucks if you want something in a brand that isn't your shape, though. Brands with a mountaineering heritage are going to run smaller, for several reasons. Brands with a snowboarding heritage are going to run bigger, etc etc.

Arc'teryx has come out with a new "fit" this season that is more geared toward resort skiing, and apparently it's what FlyLow is trying to do: gear that works on the up and the down (basically, style and material of mountaineering gear, but looser cut of resort gear).

You all know pant length is my bugaboo -- I understand why these companies can't make every cut in every length, but I wish someone would figure out a way to make pant adjustable in the cuff; some of the companies do it for kids' gear, now, you know. Obviously it needs to be more bomb-proof for adult gear, but can it be that difficult?

I would agree with this if it actually was consistent. I fit in an old-school Arc'teryx women's mountaineering pant, no problem. (I've worn those for about a decade now!) Yes it's slim-fit, but it is actually sized perfectly for my curves. I don't really want a loose cut, just something that comes in sizes large enough to get into...

 

[SkiNana]

My pet peeve is pants that are loose around the waste when I am standing and skiing and then dig in in the front when I sit on the chair. If I buy a medium they are great skiing and standing but too tight when sitting. If I buy a large they are too loose standing and skiing and still too tight when I am sitting! What is up with ski pants that bag out at the back when you sit down and pinch in the front?

The answer is BIBBERS! These may not be the latest fashion . . . and you're always the last one out of the rest room . . . but they sure are comfortable: skiing OR sitting. The problem comes when you discover a pair you can't zip anymore. Sure solves the problem of New Year's resolutions! :Cry:

 

[abc]

The answer is BIBBERS! These may not be the latest fashion . . . and you're always the last one out of the rest room . . . but they sure are comfortable: skiing OR sitting.

Bib are for people who have square'ish shoulders!

The bib I have the shoulder strap keep sliding off my shoulder when I bend over to buckle my boots. Since it's inside the jacket, it takes ages to move them back up to my shoulder...

Still, bibs have the advantage they come up high, all the way almost to the chest. So I now just wear them like a pair of pants, without bothering with the shoulder straps! It's surprsingly comfortable, warm too.

 

[Jilly]

My avalanche pants came with suspenders. They can be removed, which I did. DH keeps his on!! So they work like Bibs!

We had a great day skiing. Never skied on Christmas day before. Just finished a really nice dinner of turkey breast, stuffing and veggies. Now we're going for a walk around the village here at Tremblant. Maybe partake of une cafe et digestif ici!

 

[snowhound]

Otherwise I tend to think that everyone on the mountain is better than me, and that's demoralizing.

I sympathise with everyone else who stands at the top of a run and is certain they are the most incompetent skier there - I am convinced I am - having lessons and seeing and hearing that others have the same thoughts about themselves, and reading posts on the forum is quite heartening. Next time I am skiing I am going to try to focus on what I can do, what I have achieved since those first days on skis, rather than beat myself up that I don't look like the people who glide down runs seemingly effortlessly.

My mantra will be "so long as I am enjoying myself, and improving even slightly, that is all that matters"

 

[Jskier]

I felt that way last seassion I was renting skis that were shorter then my sholder and renting boots I just switched from 3 years of snowboarding(so that was my first year) but I was able to get free private leassons since our mountain is low profile That got me from begginer to intermidate. This seasson however got new boots and Volkl Alley 158cm skis that tower over me! They are completly awsome I developed a new skiing style and bomb down the hill with complete control. I'm now skiing down blacks without hesitation ! Your rig really does matter and a good few private leassons make all the difference!

 

[SkiNana]

I ski on really short skis for my height (and, God knows, weight) because I have a strength issue . . . some call it a health issue, but I believe in the power of denial. I like to make small, "technical", turns, plenty of them and am pretty much afraid of speed - tho I got a Ski Tracks App for my iPhone and it registers speed. It has gotten to be a game to see if I can go faster down our (easy) home stretch to the locker than I did the day before. Today I hit 41.2 mph!!! That's it, I'm through beating previous records! Nonetheless, it has served to get me "out of my head", a big problem. Like some others have said, I feel that most of the people I ski with are far better than I. Braver, fer sher!

But this topic has me wondering is a longer ski and improved stability wouldn't give me more confidence on the big stuff. I'm working on bumps and the idea of getting great long skis around in bumps is pretty intimidating. Any thoughts? All right...5'6 and 153's. I know, I know . . .

It's sort of beside the point, there's no way I can afford new skis..... (Maybe some of those year old ones down at Bob Ward's tho . . . . )

 

[litterbug]

It's sort of beside the point, there's no way I can afford new skis..... (Maybe some of those year old ones down at Bob Ward's tho . . . . )

Denial can be a good thing...I'm always skiing happily 'in spite of' and feel lucky every day I can strap on the gear and go. In my case, I also have to make sure my body gets the rest it needs so I can do the same thing next time. I'm just so happy to be able to ski until my legs poop out instead of having to stop because my energy dies.

You've no doubt heard this before, but don't be shy about checking out 2-3 year old skis; most aren't terrifically different from current models, you'll find lots of Divas who've skied them, and they can be found lightly used for cheap, cheap, cheap online, especially on eBay and such. My Geishas were demos and the topsheets are quite dinged up, but I got them freshly tuned with bindings for $400, which ain't bad.

 

[Inoffensive Nickname]

I sympathise with everyone else who stands at the top of a run and is certain they are the most incompetent skier there - I am convinced I am - having lessons and seeing and hearing that others have the same thoughts about themselves, and reading posts on the forum is quite heartening. Next time I am skiing I am going to try to focus on what I can do, what I have achieved since those first days on skis, rather than beat myself up that I don't look like the people who glide down runs seemingly effortlessly.

My mantra will be "so long as I am enjoying myself, and improving even slightly, that is all that matters"

Thank you. I needed to hear that. I've been berating myself for my fears ever since I started.

 

[Lilgeorg]

Inoffensive Nickname, a book that really helped me get over my fear is In the Yikes Zone! by Mermer Blakeslee. Mermer is a ski instructor and says the book is a conversation with fear. It made soo much sense to me. Give it a try.