Buying my first skis..

[Brian Witty]

I am 6’2” 230 lbs. I’m an athletic guy and catch on to sports pretty quickly. I have only been skiing 4-5 times, but don’t have a problem skiing the blacks. I’m 41 years old. I went skiing last weekend and the guy in the pro shop gave me some HEAD the link Pro R skis in 160cm. I reminded him that I was 6’2” and 230 and told me this would be a good ski for me because of the conditions, (there had been rain and the temp had just dropped and a blizzard was starting) I said ok feeling like those skis were way too short but differing to his expertise... as it turned out, I really liked the short ski, I felt like I could quite literally do anything I wanted and I was able to ski for like 8 hours and was tired but not completely wrecked... I was in control as fast as I could go (which was pretty fast) and though the skis did skid in turns, I still felt in control.. my question is this, why should I be skiing the longer ski? If I buy the shorter skis, I’ve found several labeled as women’s skis (I’m secure in my manhood and labels don’t bother me) and a pair of 165cm Fischer skis that are labeled as boy’s skis... any reason I should stay away from those?

 

[raytseng]

as you progress and get faster, you begin to use more of the skis edges and a bigger person will need more edge than a smaller person. The shorter length wont hold as much and will slide or hockey stop out rather than holding where you want it to go.

That being said, different ski types have have different length brackets, so a race slalom ski for large men could be very short. Thats not the case here (you have beginners allmtn skis). To check, find the skis description page. They often have suggested sizing, but just look at the sizes avail and treat it like s m l. if you are L you probably are picking the longest or 2nd longest option, if you are small pick the shorter options.

If you're having fun on the short ski just go for it there are no rules. However to save money dont spend too much on this pair as you may grow out of it in 10 to 15 skidays and not need this. You maybe well served to buy a used ski or season lease where you can swap to hedge costs.

 

[AngryAnalyst]

If you want specific feedback you need to tell us where you’re skiing. Generically, stiffer and longer skis are better at speed. Shorter and softer skis are worse at speed.

The limitations of soft and short happen at lower speeds for big guys than small ones. Also, you self described as strong which all else equal would tend to push you towards longer heavier skis because (other than being tiring in small spaces) they are better than lighter skis if you know how to use them.

So, to the question you asked, is it ok to use short skis? The answer is yes. However, if you improve you will discover they are limiting fairly quickly.

You didn’t mention boots, but you should buy boots before skis. Unless you have good boots no pair of skis matters very much. Boots also have the great virtue of working with skis that are of a more appropriate length for your height and weight.

 

[graham418]

Don't get boys skis. While they may be the right length, they will fold up under the weight of a real man. Probably the same goes for for womans skis, though I want to be PC, and not offend any women

 

[cantunamunch]

Don't get boys skis. While they may be the right length, they will fold up under the weight of a real man. Probably the same goes for for womans skis, though I want to be PC, and not offend any women

*grin* you still have those Tantals?

 

[Mendieta]

This:

different ski types have different length brackets, so a race slalom ski for large men could be very short

And this:

If you want specific feedback you need to tell us where you’re skiing

You didn’t mention boots, but you should buy boots before skis.

All spot on. Once you provide that info, folks can help.

Otherwise, congrats! It is exciting that you are progressing so quickly. Are you taking lessons? If not, please consider that, as well (you can open a separate thread for that,I don't want to hijack this one).

 

[graham418]

*grin* you still have those Tantals?

No. I sold them. Too tough for me!

 

[raytseng]

all this being said, if you do demo next pair of skis, I can suggest the Rossignol 7 freeride series that have their "powder turn rocker" profile on them (soul, super,sin, a bunch of new ones that also start with s) . From what you describe that maybe a good fit.

 

[Jilly]

I'm not sure, but Head links are the rental skis here at Tremblant. So no real performance from those.

And we need to know where you are doing most of your skiing.

 

[Philpug]

all this being said, if you do demo next pair of skis, I can suggest the Rossignol 7 freeride series that have their "powder turn rocker" profile on them (soul, super,sin, a bunch of new ones that also start with s) . From what you describe that maybe a good fit.

These might be a bit wide for someone who has only 4-5 days on snow. I would follow some of the suggestions above, start with boots. Skis wise, a nice "package ski: about 80+/- mm underfoot and in the 175 +/- cm range is a good place to start.

 

[Brian Witty]

I will do the bulk of my skiing on groomed, hard snow. Manufactured snow. There are not a lot of options for skiing around me, Paoli Peaks and perfect north are where I’m skiing. Paoli has 16 pistes and none and is more of a hill than a mountain. My boots are Rossignol intense 2 boots- size 30.5..


Right now I’m looking at the Fischer Cruzar fire and pro mtn. In 165cm

 

[Mendieta]

My boots are Rossignol intense 2 boots- size 30.5..

These are huge. What's your street shoe size?

 

[Brian Witty]

13, to me they seem to fit right, my right foot is slightly larger than my left and the very tip of my big toe touches the end..

 

[Mendieta]

@Philpug , @Andy Mink and others, what would you think of the Head V2 @ 170cm? It comes with system bindings, so there are no extra costs, it can be adjusted to a different bootsize if needed in the future, etc. It seems great for the type of terrain @Brian Witty is starting on ?

 

[pykie87]

These are huge. What's your street shoe size?

I’m a US 13 and wear Raptor RS 140’s in 30.5’s.

So it’s probably around the mark.

 

[Brian Witty]

Thank you guys for the responses, I found a new pair of Fischer Cruzar Fire skis with Rs9 bindings in 165cm for $180... at that price if my level grows out of them quickly, I’m not upset.

 

[James]

Sounds good even though I've never heard of them. Any decent tuning shops where you are?

 

[Mendieta]

Thank you guys for the responses, I found a new pair of Fischer Cruzar Fire skis with Rs9 bindings in 165cm for $180... at that price if my level grows out of them quickly, I’m not upset.

Congrats on your new toy! How many days do you think you'll ski this season? Roughly speaking ...

 

[Brian Witty]

With a 2.5 hour drive to the nearest ski resort, I won’t get to go often.. I hope to get 3-4 more days this season.

 

[Brian Witty]

Sounds good even though I've never heard of them. Any decent tuning shops where you are?

No. Just the pro shop at the resort..