Relatable ski names and graphics for women

[ADKmel]

Well you ladies have said pretty much all my thoughts, well said.
I've mostly skied men's or unisex skis my whole life. I was excited when 'women's skis started. My first were "Peaks" Rossi's designed by Picabo Street. I loved those skis they ripped. They had pretty cool graphics too. I like skis for "how they ski". I really don't care about the top sheets. Sure there's some beauties which I'd love to look down at on the lift, but I'm not buying for looks or to match my coat. I buy for purpose. I have had some that were way too frilly (atomic heaven's gates went all pink flowers on me YUK). I do not want the naked ladies and yes some are just so boring. Pink annoys me I like bright colored skis "Just in case one comes off" will be easier to find in the white snow! I Was thinking that skiing my white renouns out west after 70 inches at Mammoth! (don't fall, don't loose a ski, why didn't I put powder cords on?) In the ski photos, I do like the Purple skis.. I totally agree with @Analisa on all points. I don't need a cute name. Some names are very bad as mentioned. I don't care if they are called Ranger.

I agree if the ski is built differently (different flex, rocker, dimensions) having it's own name makes sense.
I'm ok if it's the same ski in all ways but without metal I like the idea of "L" for light version vs W or F,
I like how technologically advanced skis have become, the more people ski companies can market too the better so by not having them W
but instead L, lighter men would purchase too? I'm all for uni-sex skis, in the olden days they were...

I also agree it's hard to get consistent data on skis, if we can't demo the ski we need to rely on reviews.
because of all the names, initials, same ski just shrink-ed and pinked it does make it difficult to sort thru.
I'd like an easier way to know the men's and women's ski is the same ski just different top sheet (because I'll take the one on sale LOL)
or if it is 'Light" no metal.or is the flex different and the dimensions or rocker.

I do like video reviews to see how the reviewer skis the ski. I like knowing who the review is and are their stats close to mine along with how the reviewer skis.
This site is great for sorting skis and does good comparisons, your reviews are very helpful to me.

@Tricia I'm curious- do ski designers who make 'women's skis" look at how women are physically different than men and try to make a better ski 'just for women' or is it shrink and pink..Since women come in all sizes, many women will always be in a man's ski.

Seems to me Marketing as Uni-sex would sell more skis. I wonder if newer lady skiers are intimidated by the 'manly skis' when in fact one of them might be the best ski for them but the ski shop sees 'female' and steers to a ski that is not suitable?



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[Tricia]

@Tricia I'm curious- do ski designers who make 'women's skis" look at how women are physically different than men and try to make a better ski 'just for women' or is it shrink and pink..Since women come in all sizes, many women will always be in a man's ski.

They definitely take women's shape and build into consideration, however, there are also some women's skis that are the exact same build as the unisex skis.
One example is Rossignol. Their entry and mid level women's skis are unique to the line and have a lot of emphasis on the difference in a woman's body, while the more advanced skis in the line are same construction as the unisex skis but with scaled sizing.

 

[Tricia]

Also, many thanks @Tricia for keeping this chicks only!

It was at the suggestion of the guys I was talking to at the trade show. I'll bet they will read this.

Are the Dynastars a right and a left ski? Because I can ski a Legend, but I can’t ski an endLeg!

That made me chuckle.

@Tricia you do realize that all of the women who are active on this board are statistically different from the average "woman who skies". For the most part we are female skiers, so you still are not really going to get the information they are looking for................

Trust me, I know that we are (what Phil calls) the lunatic fringe. We aren't the average group of female skiers, but we do represent a variety of female skiers.

To the men who have posted, thank you for bringing the information from the ladies in your life.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

WRT names - Alsacia says "people care about this? I'm going to scrape my skis".

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I don't care flor the naming convention in Fischer using my for ladies skis, seems condescending somehow. Even though how the ski performs is most important to me, I do generally prefer cool designs on skis, love bright colors.

 

[Tricia]

WRT names - Alsacia says "people care about this? I'm going to scrape my skis".

Well, the industry people I was talking to care about what we care about so they want to know if it matters.

 

[Tricia]

Liberty is introducing the women's version of the VMT (Vertical Metal Technology) soon (like really soon) so stay tuned for the full images.
The W is subtle and they added some pink but its a pink that blows my mind, its so gorgeous.
Teaser

 

[Lauren]

They figured this out in Texas a long time ago.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilgore_College_Rangerettes]

Not going to lie...This actually crossed my mind. I mean, it’s kind of what Salomon did with the Rocker and Rockette.

 

[Wendy]

The better a ski skis for me, the more I like its graphics.

Getting to Tricia’s original post:

I never liked Fischer’s “my” naming scheme. It does indeed seem condescending, as @surfsnowgirl says. I keep thinking of “My Little Pony.” I do like the Ranger name and the graphics on the skis. Kudos for not using pink or light purple.

I kind of like the Legend graphics, but @Jenny ‘s “endLeg” comment was hilarious, and well, if you ding an edge and need to switch your skis to the other feet, you will indeed be skiing “endLegs.”

The Rossi’s are ugly, but I think that’s because I don’t like the honeycomb tips.

I am looking forward to Liberty’s V series for women. All of their skis are beautiful. I fondle them often in the shop.

I do think an “L” designation is better than a “W.” If the ski is indeed completely different than the unisex version, name it differently. Otherwise, use an “L.”

K2 needs to kill the Luv name.

I like how Elan keeps with the green color theme on their skis, even if it’s just a hint of green on a black ski. Their women’s skis do not have fu-fu graphics, except for some white lower end women’s models.....but still, they are rather understated. The Speed Magic women's ski looks unisex and it’s a legit ripping ski.

I saw Icelantic’s new graphics at a show the other week. All of those were beautiful.

Nordica so needs to get rid of their purple/blue/pinkish graphics. Nordica had demos at the Subaru WinterFest on the mountain today, and the colors are just.....ick. I wasn’t even tempted to demo.....I was having too much fun on my brown, unisex, Renouns!

 

[Tricia]

K2 needs to kill the Luv name.

Stay tuned.

 

[Seldomski]

My wife outsources (rental) ski selection to me, so I have the task of trying to adjust what I like for:
1) Height/weight difference
2) Speed/ability/terrain preferences
3) Expected local conditions

I take this to guess at the appropriate men's ski, then try to map that to the women's ski (which are available in the shorter lengths/lighter flex).

Edit to add:
So what I do is something like -- "I would really like this ski for myself this week because conditions are (choose one: hardpack, packed powder, few inches new, expecting snow, etc etc). A male at her ability/ski speed would therefore want men's ski Y. The women's equivalent to Y is X. So I will reserve X."

I am all in favor of a naming scheme or some sort of reference table that helps me do that....so I will generally select whatever skis make that easiest for me to figure out. So the "W", "L", or "My" are very helpful, though I agree that L seems best. Is there an app for this ?

Shop personnel are useful about 20% of the time in recommending something... last time we rented, the tech was a male snowboarder and had never actually been on skis. If the shop tech is knowledgeable I'll let him/her persuade me to something else, but I need to go in with some idea on what to get.

 

[cantunamunch]

What if the name of the unisex ski is quite masculine, as noted with the Fischer Ranger?

Without bothering her, I can tell you she doesn't care, and the proof is she skis both the Maven and the Ranger.

She just looked at this thread and reminded me that she drinks and skis and bikes and hikes with at least 4 NPS and USFS rangers who happen to be women. She completely rejects the 'masculine' nature of the word 'ranger' and finds the very notion job-sexist. I did not call that one.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

She completely rejects the 'masculine' nature of the word 'ranger' and finds the very notion job-sexist. I did not call that one.

Right? The Fischer guys think of "Ranger" as Army Ranger (thus the camoesque top sheets). I told them that my AD&D playing mind thinks of Strider/Aragorn when I see the name.

 

[ADKmel]

Liberty is introducing the women's version of the VMT (Vertical Metal Technology) soon (like really soon) so stay tuned for the full images.
The W is subtle and they added some pink but its a pink that blows my mind, its so gorgeous.
Teaser
View attachment 63221

OK That's a cool "Pink"

 

[Jilly]

Stay tuned.

Oh GOOD!! Tried the Burnin Luv years ago and didn't Luv it!!

Really interested in the "L" vs "W" discussion. Why I brought it up was I remember that our local shop had them and a small guy came in for skis. The owner sold him the "L" skis, not as ladies, but as light. It worked.

 

[Talisman]

Why I brought it up was I remember that our local shop had them and a small guy came in for skis. The owner sold him the "L" skis, not as ladies, but as light. It worked.

A buddy who is tough on gear wanted to buy some replacement skis late in the season and the men's version he wanted were sold out. The "women's" ski was identical except for graphics and he bought them. It made him stand out in tram line and they never got stolen.

 

[Jerez]

Hate frilly names and colors for women's skis, which made me wonder, why do I hate that? Realized it is because obviously "women's" labels subliminally indicate something somehow compromised in quality or seriousness. And that attitude is just wrong. Shame on me!
​

I would much rather have "L" or "W" than a new name if the ski is mostly the same. However, I don't see why it's necessary.

A ski in the same line being slightly different as it is scaled down makes sense physically and shouldn't need a gender designation.​

Have

ski manufacturers gotten themselves in a box by marketing women's specific equipment? Unisex skis adjusted for lighter, smaller skiers seems functional and logical and frankly better marketing for a company because it won't turn off male skiers that might do well with that ski.

​

Reviews that segregate the categories makes it harder to compare across gender lines. The main reason for looking at women's reviews is to weed out all those skis that don't come in shorter sizes.​

Boo on naked lady or violent graphics. No place for that IMO. Totally agree with L over W if you have to, and the consensus on the "my" label. Yuck. Don't mind the legend or Ranger name or graphics. I also do like bright colored skis and clothing for functional reasons. Finally, skiing is playful and fun and equipment that reflects that is nice.

the ugliest skis I ever owned were the first women's skis I ever owned, the Rossignol S7W. And they were horrible skis on top of it.

 

[Tricia]

She just looked at this thread and reminded me that she drinks and skis and bikes and hikes with at least 4 NPS and USFS rangers who happen to be women. She completely rejects the 'masculine' nature of the word 'ranger' and finds the very notion job-sexist. I did not call that one.

FWIW I did not think it was masculine, but I was asked if women in general would think its masculine.

I just did a bootfit on a woman who is a park ranger on furlough

 

[Wendy]

She just looked at this thread and reminded me that she drinks and skis and bikes and hikes with at least 4 NPS and USFS rangers who happen to be women. She completely rejects the 'masculine' nature of the word 'ranger' and finds the very notion job-sexist. I did not call that one.

I totally agree with “herself!”
In another life, I would choose to be NPS or USFS ranger.

 

[Tricia]

K2 needs to kill the Luv name.

Stay tuned.

The All mountain skis will now be called Alliance, which reflects the K2 Alliance program that K2 has has for several years, promoting their women's ski program.

The frontside skis will be called Anthem to fall in line with Alliance, more empowering and less cute.