SKIS - And skiing ?

Skiing is a highly equipment related sport.  You cannot ski well on poor equipment and the equipment you choose must be right for YOU !

SYSTEMS - Every company is now selling most of their skis as an "integrated system". This means that the ski has a mounting plate/rail, etc. built into the ski at the factory. The special binding simply slides on to that tract when installing. There is no drilling to install the bindings. Most of these systems allow the ski have a better flex under the binding which gives better edge/snow contact. The prices on our website include the bindings if the word integrated is used. Be aware that many skis can be bought with or without integrated bindings so make sure you know what you are getting.  Regular bindings and integrated bindings cannot be interchanged since they mount differently. If a ski is offered with an integrated system, that is the way that we sell it since it is the best.

LENGTH - The most common question is "What is the right length for me?"
Here are a few factors to consider. The skis "feel" weight, they do not know sex or age, and height is only a small consideration. A 150 lb man and a 150 lb women put the same pressure on the ski when in a static position. A wide ski in a short length will have as much surface area as a longer, narrower ski and generally can be skied shorter. Deep sidecut skis are skied shorter then skis with more moderate sidecuts because they require more pressure (PSI)to get the entire edge on the snow when the ski is "on edge" (see below). High quality, top of the line, high performance skis can be skied VERY short compared to a few years ago. Indicated ski lengths will vary from company to company since many measure differently.  If one ski is a 158 and another is a 160, they are basically the same length, and a 160 in one companies length might be shorter then a 158 in another companies length.  The most common length for a man (165 - 185 lbs) in a top end ski with a waist around 74mm would be in the vicinity of 170 cm, and for women  (110 - 130lbs) it is around the 155 cm range.  If you adjust for these ranges you will be in the ballpark on sizing for the most popular models on the market. If in doubt on a size, go shorter.

SHAPE - Shape is the sidecut of the ski and it has changed dramatically over the past few years.  All skis have shape and always have, but the new ones have a lot of shape, hence "Shaped Skis" The figures 115-70-105 mean that the tip is 115 mm wide, the waist is 70 mm wide and the tail is 105 mm wide. You can visualize how the ski edges will make an arc on the snow when the ski is on a 15 - 30 degree angle to the snow and pushed down in the middle so that the entire edge is in contact with the snow. This arc, which changes with the shape of the various skis, helps the ski turn and carve. As the shape changes, so do the characteristics of the ski. Deep sidecut = short radius arc = quicker turning ski - BUT,as the sidecut deepens (bigger difference between the tip/tail and waist  measurment)  it also requires more pressure to get the entire edge to contact the snow since the middle of the ski is farther from the snow when on edge and that is why a really deep sidecut ski has to be skied short in order to put more lbs per square inch (PSI) in the center of the ski to get the edge on the snow.  SO, if you are an old timer who used to ski on 210's, the idea of going into a 170 cm. may seem out of the question, but IF you buy one of the skis that will be right for you, you will be amazed at the performance.  

DESIGN - The most popular skis are designed to work well in a variety of  conditions, but some designs are tailored to work better in specific conditions. Waist widths have become a reference point for skis. A ski with a waist around 80mm and above is usually designed to work better in softer snow conditions. Waists around 65 - 75 mm are generally better in harder snow conditions. The most popular, do everything well type skis (one ski quiver) will usually have waists in the 74 - 82 mm range.  However, a very high performance wide waisted ski can still work great in hard snow, providing the ski is of the highest quality, and the skier can ski ! !

MEN/WOMEN - Most companies are now making womens specific skis. In most cases they are slightly softer in flex and they may have the binding location set slightly forward to help with turn initiation since most womens center of gravity is slightly behind a mans.  HOWEVER, in most of the new integrated ski/binding systems the bindings can easily be moved forward or back without any drilling so binding position can be set to the individual. A lighter weight less aggressive man might love a womens specific ski, and the strong women skier might like the mens. Remember, the ski cannot tell if you are a man or women.

OPINION -  If writing us for an opinion on skis, be sure and include your weight, height, ability, sex, and if you ski in the east, or the rockies and points west,  and we will be happy to suggest some various models - - -

THIS IS IMPORTANT - Ski importers will warrantee the skis they sell for the country in which they import -  If a ski is imported into Canada and then sold into the U.S. it will not be warranteed in the U.S. ! !