marzNC
Angel Diva
On top of that, I married a man who adopted Duke when he moved to NC and became an adjunct professor there. We watch UNC-Duke basketball games in different rooms. ;-)
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Tips for narrow runs?
- Thread starter Nic Nic
- Start date
Nic Nic
Certified Ski Diva
Too funny! I met my mate AT NC State...so it's all good!
Serafina
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Mr. S. had a lot of trouble with narrow trails, and this is exactly how he overcame it. He'd find a nice wide trail, and mark out a narrow strip of it, and ski using only the part of the run within his "marked" strip. For him it was a really good way of getting used to controlling speed with lots of small turns, and gave him both the skills and the confidence he needs for actually taking a narrow run. This comfort level is a major Quality of Life issue for New England skiers - if you can't get comfy on narrow runs here, your options wind up really limited.
frenchgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Also it is easier to ski narrow runs with skis that have a short turn radius like 14 m or less.
Or if you're not trying to carve through it: a fat ski that smears easily. Or something rockered.
Nic Nic
Certified Ski Diva
This year I am on Line Shadow skis - twin tips, rockered, 147. I couldn't find what their turning radius was...wonder if that's not a good sign. The longer Shadow skis say they're a 16m turn radius - does that hold for the 147's too? (Remember, this is only my 2nd year skiing so my skis are still on the short side - I'm close to 5'8" and 140 lbs.)
bounceswoosh
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
If yours are shorter, their turning radius will be a smidge less. 14 or 15, I'd guess. There is no magic number for turning radius. I would not worry about it over much.
litterbug
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
147 is very short for your height. For example, I'm 5'3" and my first rental ski was a 160, though others my height might start with a 153 or 155. I now generally ski in the mid-160s.
My point being that although it might be counterintuitive, the lower stability of a too-short ski might be making it harder to make short turns, or to get comfortable with learning to make different turn shapes at all.
Just something to consider.
My point being that although it might be counterintuitive, the lower stability of a too-short ski might be making it harder to make short turns, or to get comfortable with learning to make different turn shapes at all.
Just something to consider.
Nic Nic
Certified Ski Diva
Believe it or not, I was on even shorter skis last year. My plan was to each year increase the length of my skis a bit until I was at a more appropriate length for my height. Even the couple of inches that I added this year is obvious to me in how much harder it is to skate without the backs of my skis hitting each other. I haven't really noticed more difficulty actually skiing with them though (theoretically, it should be MORE stable, right?). Do you think I should just start with long/appropriate skis right off the bat now that I'm past the awkward beginner stages? Will I have to unlearn bad habits by moving up in size more gradually? Gosh, I've never really considered this at all. .
Realizing that you have never seen me ski (solid non-graceful intermediate who likes wide groomed or ungroomed blue runs), what size and type ski would you expect me to end up with as 5'8" and 140lbs, East coast ice/crud skier who never really aspires to ski aggressively steep stuff (would like to eventually do blacks though)? Just wondering what I should request from the rental shop if I do take these back? Thanks Divas!
Realizing that you have never seen me ski (solid non-graceful intermediate who likes wide groomed or ungroomed blue runs), what size and type ski would you expect me to end up with as 5'8" and 140lbs, East coast ice/crud skier who never really aspires to ski aggressively steep stuff (would like to eventually do blacks though)? Just wondering what I should request from the rental shop if I do take these back? Thanks Divas!
I'm 5'8.5" and just replaced my 169 skis because they were just too short to feel stable at speed. (I did buy those when I was going through a phase of wanting to take it easier because of old knee injuries). Right now I have skis between 175 and 181. I'd go with something in the mid to upper 160s at least.
I don't think you're doing yourself any favors by going too short - skis that are too short feel more unstable the faster you go and it's likely holding you back in terms of feeling confident.
I don't think you're doing yourself any favors by going too short - skis that are too short feel more unstable the faster you go and it's likely holding you back in terms of feeling confident.
Nic Nic
Certified Ski Diva
Ok, just went and switched up to the Vokl PLR 155. Still not as long as recommended based on my height, but they are at least level with my nose now so I'm getting closer. Plan to try them out some tomorrow...will be variable conditions though...ice and hard pack stuff most likely given our recent weather. Will see! Thanks for all of your tips and help!
Mainly, skis that are too long for you would feel difficult to turn and like they are "taking you for a ride" vs. you being able to control them.
The thing with comfort at speed is that - even if you were an uber-confident daredevil, you couldn't possibly feel comfortable with very much speed on skis that are significantly too short for you. That's one of the issue with too-short skis - even if you have excellent balance and skills, it's not like they're going to be un-skiable, but they're going to make you feel unsafe going faster. If you have never skied anything the proper length, you may not be comfortable with much speed because you've already hit the "speed limit" of the skis that you are on. Something more suited to your height and weight might change that and make learning easier for you.
Also important to note: the longer skis are not to make you go faster, but to let you have more stability and control when you want to.
Also note that different types of skis measure differently. If you were shopping for slalom race skis, the whole range of recommended sizes is shorter. If you are shopping for rockered powder skis, the whole range of recommended sizes is longer. So it's worth looking at what the manufacturer recommends for your size, as well as finding a ski suited to your ability level and use.
Hopefully that helps.
litterbug
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Shorter than 147??
Someone should take whoever rented those skis to you out back of the barn and give them a good paddling. I can think of no good reason to sneak up on the right length ski, because dramatically short skis are only likely to hold you back once you're past the first couple of days of 'never-ever'-ness. 155 isn't as desperately short as 147, but AG knows whereof she speaks, and I'd trust her when she says to get at least into the upper 160s.
To give you a comparison, a "solid intermediate" skier should be on something between nose high and forehead high (longer if there's significant rocker), but your 147cm skis probably come up to the tip of your shoulder, maybe your collarbone. Their "sweet spot," the fore-aft balance point where the skis come to life, is much smaller than necessary, thus harder to find especially when you're in a tight spot. The tips are more easily deflected by crud, ruts, or chop. Even if you can get them on edge, they're likely to be squirrelly at even just cruising speed. And on ice, there's just not enough edge to hold you. None of this builds confidence.
As for what to expect on a longer ski, well, it'll feel very weird and awkward for a little while. Chances are that you skid and muscle your short skis around than more than you use better turning skills, and the longer skis probably won't let you cheat as much, so at first you might think longer skis are more tiring to ski. However, once you start to learn to use that length to balance against and use it as a tool to have fun on the mountain, you're going to be amazed at what you can do and how much easier it is to do it. If you're really worried about it, just schedule a lesson for the specific purpose of getting oriented to your new tools.
I think you're going to enjoy the transition to a ski that can really perform for you!
Nic Nic
Certified Ski Diva
Ugh, I'm up at Smuggs right now trying these longer skis and hating them so far. I felt so good and in control on the shorter skis. I was able to be a little playful and not so tense. Immediately today, my ankles were tired and sore just like the beginning of last year when I was a "never ever". So far have taken 3 runs and am so tired I'm not having fun. Definitely feel the skis flopping around more under me so I'm trying to remember to keep my weight forward, hands forward. Please tell me something to keep me from marching right back to the shop and get back my 147's! It's all I want right now...sigh.
bounceswoosh
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Take a lesson on the new skis!
