what ski

[eefke]

I'm searching for a pair of new ski's, but I am confused by the sheer number and the lack of information about the intended user weight to sort them out. (can't try them all) I'm a light weight intermediate skieer. (160cm, 60kg =110lbs?)

I started skiing a few years ago and make good progress. That means I can make nice carving parallel turns on blue pistes, but need to make a little step on steep red ones and can survive on the easier black pistes. I'd like to have a nice pair of ski's which help me to to develop my skiing abilities: carving and sliding + initiate turning with ease + good edge grip. Primarily slopes with mixed snow conditions (ice to mud and nice snow etc).

Which ski to choose? So far I tried:
-Head Fine thang (easy to initiate, not sure about the torsional edge grip)
-Head Cool Than (too stiff to initiate)
-Elan Wave Magic (easy)
-K2 One Luv (like the Elan, but not subtle)
(all skis ~153cm)

Does anyone have a suggestion what to choose to have a pair of skis which can last a few years of progress? (what about the K2 Burnin Love?)
cheers, Eefke

 

[ski diva]

There are two threads about the Burnin Luvs that might help you out:

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=515

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=549

 

[liquidfeet]

EefKe,
You are right. The industry makes so many skis that are tailored to so many different types of skiers and terrain, but can't figure out how to inform regular users which skis meet their iindividual needs. You need to be a gear freak to figure out what you really need. I'm becoming one.

Elan has a nice website (www.elanskis.com) with a solution to your problem. Go to the site, click on Products, then Ski Selector. When you get there, it asks you questions about who you are and how you ski. It then selects the skis Elan makes that fit your needs. You can write down the sizes, i.e. waist, tip, and tail widths, turn radii, and lengths of these skis. Then you can try Elan's as well as other manufacturer's skis that match those dimensions. K2's website also asks you about your skiing and selects their skis that match your needs, but it's less extensive. You can try the same thing there.

If you want to figure it out on your own, here's what I know so far.
1. Overall length: Ski length is geared to your height and weight, as well as your desire for speed and your expertise. Shorter is easier for newbies to handle, and works well in bumps; longer helps advanced and expert skiers maintain control while going really fast on flat terrain.
2. Waist width: Waist width depends on whether you are skiing hard snow most of the time or soft. Narrow (less than 70 mm) is for hard snow; more than 70 is for soft snow. There are skis that say they ski both; they have waists wider than 70. As an intermediate you might have trouble getting them to turn easily when on the groomed hard stuff.
3. Turn radius: The widths of tails and tips relative to the width of the waist determines the turn radius of the ski. This is the size of the turn the ski most easily makes when you tip it up on edge. If you want to go fast, you will be making wide turns, which reads as 15-21 meter turn radii. You probably don't want to do this if you are an intermediate. If you are skiing slower, especially on hard snow, you will want to be making shorter turns, thus you might want 12 - 14 meter turn radius. If the turn radius is not written on the ski or on the info at the website, the shop clerk should be able to look this up for you.
4. Stiffness/Softness/Flexibility: Some skis are softer/more flexible, which enables you to carve more easily and make mistakes and then fix them before you crash. Other skis are harder, and assume you won't make many mistakes; they are precision instruments for experts. Shop clerks can tell you which skis are the more flexible ones. Some women specific skis are made softer than unisex skis to accommodate either intermediate skiing skills, or just lighter weight people. If you weigh 160 lbs or more, you can use either an expert women's ski or a somewhat stiff unisex ski because your weight will help bend the ski.
5. Forward binding placement: Because of large hips and narrow shoulders, many women need their bindings centered on the ski. This means the bindings should be mounted in front of where bindings are usually mounted in "unisex" skis (thus this placement is called "forward.") Forward binding placement is assumed in women specific skis, but can also be accommodated in some but not all unisex skis. Ask the clerk. Or measure for yourself; the ball of your foot, just behind your toes, should plunk down on the ski in the exact center of the snow-touching length of the ski. When I buy my next pair, I'm taking a nice long tape measure with me.

Summing up:
Here are the factors to consider: length (not too long!), waist width (not too wide!), turn radius (not too big!), binding placement (forward!), and ski flexibility (not too stiff!).

Good luck.

 

[Quiver Queen]

Liquidfeet--you're "becoming" a gear freak???? I think you're already there so welcome to the club! (By the way, good advice, too)

 

[liquidfeet]

Thanks! I'm wondering if what I recommended will get revised and fine-tuned by seasoned skiers. That will be good, because I want to know it all. ALL.

 

[liquidfeet]

QuiverQueen,
Where is East Longmeadow? What is your home mountain? Are we neighbors? I'm on the north shore of Boston, and ski in New Hampshire.