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Sizing a tall, skinny tween

trailtrimmer

Stuck in the Flatlands
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Help!

I'm helping to get a family member out on the snow for her second time and the shortest skis we acquired for her via family are just a little too long and stiff to get her going on a more solid footing.

She's 5' 2" and weighs about 95 lbs so she falls between a kids ski or a 140-143ish womans ski. She got out on a 148CM K2 beginner ski this past weekend, but they seemed a bit much.

Any suggestions on sticking with the shortest adult class, or should I drop down to a kids ski just to get her skills up?

Gracias!
 

WheatKing

Ice coast carveaholic
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Kids ski.. Just went through this earlier in the season.. Ended up with a tweener pair of volkls which i'm happy to say are working great for her..

unless she's highly athletic.. get a junior ski..
 

crgildart

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No worries going a little bit shorter than "recommended" with a beginner's ski. Try a little shorter and go with it as long as she is comfortable on them. Worry about longer/stronger skis when she starts hitting terrain that is steeper or skis faster and the ski she is on is no longer stable for her on that steeper terrain/speed.
 

Fishbowl

A Parallel Universe
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My wife is 5’2” as well and enjoys the Sir Francis Bacon 145cm Line skis on soft snow days. They are technically a Junior ski, but the ski doesn’t know how old she is.
 

Analisa

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I think the sizes you're looking between are perfect. In terms of women's vs. kids, I think stiffness and core materials matter more than the age group on the label. A soft foam ski like the K2 Luv 75 would be easier to flex than a wood core one marketed to kids. She's just luckily at a height/weight where she gets twice the amount of selection to choose from. Foam is usually a good call for the first few days out, and is what's offered for most resorts' basic rentals.

What skis were proving to be a bit much on her last trip?
 
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trailtrimmer

trailtrimmer

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What skis were proving to be a bit much on her last trip?

She's on a K2 Luv something in a 148, even though it's not the Burnin luv, it looks too stiff.

I did pull the trigger on a 140CM Jr. ski to help her get her sea legs and will soften the 65 flex boot a little too. Now that we know she loves it, it's worth the investment in time and equipment to help her excel.
 

Slim

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. A soft foam ski like the K2 Luv 75 would be easier to flex than a wood core one marketed to kids. She's just luckily at a height/weight where she gets twice the amount of selection to choose from. Foam is usually a good call for the first few days out, and is what's offered for most resorts' basic rentals.

What skis were proving to be a bit much on her last trip?

I don’t think that’s necessarily true. A very thin wood core, made from soft woods might be less stiff than a thick dense foam core. The biggest issue with foam cores is Moore their lack of durability, in that they lose stiffness and rebound over time. So, a brand new foam ski might be stiffer while w well used one might be super floppy.

The other issue with adult skis is that the bindings’ release value might not go low enough for her.
 

Plai

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My wife is 5' and around 110#. She's been on Fischer Aspires 140cm for the last handful of years.
https://www.the-house.com/8940fiabf9r1wb12zz-fischer-ski-packages.html
https://www.evo.com/outlet/ski-packages/fischer-aspire-fp9-white-skis-rs-10-bindings-womens
It's basically a nicer looking, better performing beginner ski. Very light. She was pretty happy with them until making parallel turns became more of a habit.

Her upgrade discussion thread is
https://forum.pugski.com/threads/need-recommendation-women-intermediate-skis-150cm.7860/

Good luck
 
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trailtrimmer

trailtrimmer

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Already acquired these guys and it was like flipping a switch. Went from pure struggle to great speed control to linking wedge turns to starting to french fry in half a day. The skis don't seem to be holding her back, but as her speed increases and carving improves, I'll find something with a little more backbone to help.

Not bad for $130 new :)

kidskis.jpg
 

PTskier

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longer/stronger skis when she starts hitting terrain that is steeper or skis faster and the ski she is on is no longer stable for her on that steeper terrain/speed.
Exactly.

The skis need to respond to the energy the skier puts into them. A light, slow skier needs short, soft skis.
but as her speed increases and carving improves, I'll find something with a little more backbone to help.
Exactly.

I let a friend take a run on my newest skis, a model he was interested in. When he took them out, I suggested to him that he not only feel if he likes the way these ski, but also if he wants more stiffness than mine offered him. He came back liking the skis and said, "I don't think I need something burlier than these." That length/stiffness in that model was to his liking.
 

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