Hi. I have searched this and other forums and have not seen a lot on this subject (some, but not a lot of first person accounts). I have twin, teenage daughters who will soon be ready for adults skis. At this point, I take the lead at researching these purchases and I am torn between what look like some really nice, mid-fat, junior skis (namely the Nordica Santa Ana 'S' and the Blizzard Sheeva Team; both are in the 90-93 range underfoot) and adult skis in a size that would fit them. My main question is whether anyone has skied junior skis as an adult. My daughters are ~4'11" & 5'0" and 95-100 pounds. They ski almost all terrain (we are in Montana, BTW), though they do not do a lot of freestyle skiing (park, jumps, etc.). I am not looking at $ savings, though the junior skis would be less. I just don't want to get them skis that are too flexy. My main problem with full-on women's skis is that finding a 150cm mid-fat is more difficult, whereas this size is common in the junior options listed above. So, anyone with experience succesfully using junior skis? How do they compare with a similarly sized adult version? Thanks!
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Youth vs Adult skis for small skier
- Thread starter gmach
- Start date
marzNC
Angel Diva
For what it's worth, my daughter is using adult skis and is that size even though she is in high school. She is petite but was an advanced skier by age 11 thanks to Alta Ski School.
I'm way older, as in over 60, barely 5'0" (not telling the real number), 112 lbs, advanced but not agressive. Have always skied women's skis since I started skiing more regularly at big mountains about 10 years ago.
My all-mountain skis for trips out west are 85 underfoot. For a powder day, I rent skis that are 95-100 underfoot for up to 15 inches of fresh. Hasn't happened often that I wanted anything wider.
@tinymoose , @SkiBam : do you remember when the discussion was about junior skis for petite women in the 100 lb range? Seems like it's been a few years.
I'm way older, as in over 60, barely 5'0" (not telling the real number), 112 lbs, advanced but not agressive. Have always skied women's skis since I started skiing more regularly at big mountains about 10 years ago.
My all-mountain skis for trips out west are 85 underfoot. For a powder day, I rent skis that are 95-100 underfoot for up to 15 inches of fresh. Hasn't happened often that I wanted anything wider.
@tinymoose , @SkiBam : do you remember when the discussion was about junior skis for petite women in the 100 lb range? Seems like it's been a few years.
volklgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Most adult skis in the 150 range are designed for weights over 100 lbs. My 160 lb mom skis on the Shiro Junior at 163 and just loves it. Generally, true juniors skis (not kids) will have the same or similar construction as the adults, but with less metal or a lighter core. Personally, I'd not jump them up to adult skis too soon as struggling with too stiff a ski will frustrate them and can cause them to develop really bad defensive movements.
Little Lightning
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm 5'1", 100 lbs. Under the weight limit for adult women's skis. Last year I demoed a variety of skis. One that stood out was the Head Wild Joy. It was very light and easy to turn. Smallest size it comes in is a 153 with an 89 mm waist. Didn't get to demo in powder or in bumps because my friend didn't ski off piste. Conditions weren't great either. Not a fan of Volkl, demoed a few but wasn't impressed. 2 years ago I demoed the Dynastar Glory. I thought it was a nice, light ski but didn't think it very aggressive. My top choice that year was the Atomic Vantage 90. I remember it had a lively feel. The Vantage 85 comes in a 149 length. Not sure if these skis are still available. This year I hope to demo the Elan Ripstick.
My skis are a pair of Goode ski's, 82 mm waist, 156 (I think). 2 older wider waisted Rossi's in a 161 length, which I love. One thing to think about is physical strength. With a good training program I've grown stronger. Last season I noticed that I appreciate the qualities of my skis a lot more now than I did prior to starting my training program 2 years ago.
Also, the amount of rocker on a ski determines how long or short a ski feels. That's why I can ski the Rossi's in a 161 length. The skis feel more l56. So with a little rocker 153 can feel like a 150.
My skis are a pair of Goode ski's, 82 mm waist, 156 (I think). 2 older wider waisted Rossi's in a 161 length, which I love. One thing to think about is physical strength. With a good training program I've grown stronger. Last season I noticed that I appreciate the qualities of my skis a lot more now than I did prior to starting my training program 2 years ago.
Also, the amount of rocker on a ski determines how long or short a ski feels. That's why I can ski the Rossi's in a 161 length. The skis feel more l56. So with a little rocker 153 can feel like a 150.
tinymoose
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My google-fu skills are failing me.
Thanks, everyone, for the helpful replies! Volklgirl's assessment regarding the similarity between the models, with the exception of some weight and torsional/stiffness material, helps me make the decision: I think we'll try the junior models for now. Regarding their age, they are younger teens but likely near their top height, at least, given genetics and they were preemies who have been eerily consistent in their growth percentiles and have plateaued in the last 18 months- but who knows what the next couple years will bring. Another reason to try to Juniors. They do quite a bit of bowl skiing and the lighter skis with some rocker may actually help in this regard. thanks again.
I ski the Volkl Shiro Jrs too. They pop off of features and still bust through crud. I prefer these to all my other skis.
That said, don’t some companies cheap out/ wimp out on jr skis, while others use the same construction as the adult skis? Does anyone have intel on which companies put the most love into their jr lines?
That said, don’t some companies cheap out/ wimp out on jr skis, while others use the same construction as the adult skis? Does anyone have intel on which companies put the most love into their jr lines?
tinymoose
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
It's not so much about specific brands as it is the ski model itself. So for example, Volkl will make some cheaper kids skis and then nicer skis that are more similar to the adult models like the Shiro. Safest bet is to look at the construction information of the ski. Is their foam in the core? Is it all wood?
