Instructor Said My Skis Were Too Wide

[TheFife]

I’m middle aged and just getting back into skiing this year after 2 decades off. I live in the Midwest and plan to split my ski time between Minnesota and Colorado. I bought my first pair of skis hoping for something that would ski all conditions well.

Yesterday I took my first private lessons of my life. I am trying to learn to carve instead of just skidding through turns. During the lesson the instructor said my skis were a bit wide for Minnesota groomed snow conditions. He said it would be easier to learn to tip my skis and carve with narrower skis.

For those with experience with groomed Midwest snow, what are your thoughts? How wide should skis be for someone learning to carve? For reference I’m 5’8” and weigh 140lbs.

 

[no edge]

Fife, How about - ask another instructor.

How wide are the skis and how long. What is the middle number of the three? What make and model?

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I'd say wider than 90mm is pretty much too wide. If we have to pick a number. Now cue up all the posts of people carving on wider skis.

 

[graham418]

Yes. Your instructor was right. Narrower skis are easier to tip on edge . For the harder snow where you are something in the low 70's waist would be appropriate.
How wide are your current skis?

 

[Scruffy]

Just keep the wide skis you have, whatever they are, for trips out west or pow days at your local hill, and pick up some 70-85 waist front side carvers for your lessons. There are a ton of good deals on new narrow skis right now, because everyone has been sold the bill of goods that wider is better. Or, pick up a used pair dirt cheap on ebay. Ask your instructor what skis would be good to learn on; get a few options and search the internet.

 

[Brian Finch]

If you are looking to learn, best be sub 70s

 

[EricG]

I dropped down to an 83mm waist to work on technical skills. Probably be even smarter if I dropped to a 75-78mm. if you look at what most instructors are teaching on, it’s not going to be wide. Especially if their focusing on the elements of carving.

 

[François Pugh]

The best skis to learn to carve on would be under 75 mm at the waist, with a sidecut radius between 12 and 15, and not too stiff (don't go buy a racing SL ski). Something like Head i. SL, but not the RD version.

 

[TheFife]

OP Here. Thanks for the responses. The skis I have are Dynastar Legend 88s. They are 165 long. I’m 5’8” and weigh 140lbs.

Based on initial responses, it sounds like improving my technique on something in the 70-75mm range would be easier.

Any recommendation on make/ model or general guidance on flex?

 

[graham418]

Head Supershape iRally, 163. Nice turny ski, 13m radius, easy flex

 

[mdf]

To add to thw chorus ;You can carve, and even learn to carve, on wide skis, but it is MUCH easier to learn on something narrower with a lot of sidecut.

 

[Lvovsky /Pasha/Pavel]

I picked up a last year model of Atomic X7 few weeks ago. Soft(er) carver, great price for new skis with bindings. Easy to find via google. I’m 5’11”, 160#. Love the way X7 carve...

Atomic Redster X7 2019
168cm
114.5-70-102
Radius 15.5

I used to ski on a similar skis before taking unexplained break from 2013 to 2019...

 

[rcc55125]

I instruct in Minnesota, I'm 5'-9", 175 lb. My every day ski is a 156 cm Head Supershape iSpeed. This ski has a 68 mm waist.
If you want to learn how to properly carve and do rotary this is the kind of ski you need for midwest hard pack.
It's the body movements you're trying to train. The narrower ski will make it easier. The wider the ski the harder it is to get on edge.
My every day out west ski is a 170 cm Head Raw Instinct; 78 mm waist. This ski is good for anything up to 6" of resort powder.
I also have a Head Monster 98 for those big out west dumps. They've only been used twice because I'm never out west when they get those big dumps.

Here's the opinion of one of the best coaches in the business; .

 

[SSSdave]

No instructor here. Well 88mm at boot is a midfat. That isn't as wide as your opening post, lacking info except relating "wide", probably conjured up in member minds. Instead of taking lessons to carve on narrow skis, since you now own a ski you ought to want to use, first ask for a lesson to ski better on your midfats whether or not that will be about "carving". In any case a traditional width ski is going to be more fun on your typical firm Midwest conditions so for that reason alone you would be wise to buy one for skiing your local resort.

 

[Uncle-A]

Head Supershape iRally, 163. Nice turny ski, 13m radius, easy flex

I will second the choice of the Head Rally it is a fine front side carving ski. You should have no difficulty getting it up on edge and it will carve a nice short radius turn.

 

[Ken_R]

I’m middle aged and just getting back into skiing this year after 2 decades off. I live in the Midwest and plan to split my ski time between Minnesota and Colorado. I bought my first pair of skis hoping for something that would ski all conditions well.

Yesterday I took my first private lessons of my life. I am trying to learn to carve instead of just skidding through turns. During the lesson the instructor said my skis were a bit wide for Minnesota groomed snow conditions. He said it would be easier to learn to tip my skis and carve with narrower skis.

For those with experience with groomed Midwest snow, what are your thoughts? How wide should skis be for someone learning to carve? For reference I’m 5’8” and weigh 140lbs.

If you cant ski well no ski will handle all conditions well...

I like fat skis but your instructor was right. It is easier to learn how to carve on narrow skis (and easier on your knees). How wide is too wide? Id say most times there is no need for wider skis than about 90mm (give or take a few mm) at any resort in NA most days. To learn how to carve I would say skis under 85~88mm are preferable. So about 80mm wide or so or less. Also skis within that width range are generally designed to carve well.

 

[mdf]

Also skis within that width range are generally designed to carve well.

Ah, yes. A lot of the reason width matters is because it is a proxy for the designer's intended use, not because there is anything magical about a few millimeters.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I love a sub 80s ski for lessons and clinics. You can take out a wider ski but narrow is just easier.

 

[PinnacleJim]

Don't disagree with the suggestion for the Head Rally, but you are light at 140 lbs. Consider the Head V8 instead.

 

[David Chaus]

I will defer to others about what is an appropriate range of widths for a frontside ski in the Midwest. That said, those Dynastar Legends are great skis, and a good choice for an all mountain ski just anywhere else west of where you are.