After having rented skis and some of the equipment several times, having had your first experiences in the snow and realising that you love this sport, it’s time to take the plunge and get your new equipment! It is clear that several elements are needed to complete full ski equipment, but… As you can imagine, one of the most important elements is the skis themselves. Once you get to this point, you will have different doubts (as usual): How do I choose the right size of skis? Are there different sizes?
Here we leave you a summary so that you don’t make a wrong choice with your new skis, taking into account different important factors such as your preferred discipline, your weight, height,and level on the slopes.
Ski level: First important aspect is to find the right size of skis.
When choosing new skis (and getting the right size), we must take into account our level when practising this sport, as this factor directly affects our needs on the slopes.
Long skis are designed to go down the slopes at higher speeds, so they are more stable but, due to their length, they are more difficult to manoeuvre.
If you are just starting skiing, it is better to have shorter skis that will be much more comfortable.
Indicative measurements according to your skiing level:
- Beginner: Short skis. Between 14 and 18 centimetres shorter than your height.
- Intermediate: In this case, we recommend skis between 12 and 14 centimetres less than the athlete’s height.
- Advanced: Between 10 and 12 centimetres less than the athlete’s height.
Preferred Discipline
As you can imagine, the type of skiing you are going to do is also very important when making the final decision and choosing the right size. Descending off-piste is not the same as enjoying the snow in ski resorts or practising a bit of everything.
Recommended skis according to the discipline to be practised:
- Multi-purpose: If you are still not sure about your discipline or you would like to practice several disciplines with the same skis, we recommend this type of ski. They are wide and have long tips (the part of the ski boards that is in front of the foot), so we get grip and ease of handling.
- Piste: If what you are looking for is to enjoy the activities and slopes offered in ski resorts, it is best to look for skis that are rather narrow and short.
- Off-piste: If you like adventure and investigating off-piste areas, we recommend wide boards. The wider the board, the greater the surface area in contact with the snow, and the greater the safety and grip.
- Freestyle: If what you like to do is pirouettes, turns, jumps and other acrobatics, you should get skis with low weight and double tip. They are ideal to move easily but at the same time resistant to the impacts they may suffer during landings.
Weight and height: Other aspects to consider when choosing your skis
Weight and height are also important when choosing your skis. As we have already mentioned, skis are usually between 10 and 18 centimetres long, and only freeriders usually use longer skis.
Indicative values according to weight and height:
- For skiers weighing less than 50 kg, we recommend using 1.40 m boards.
- For users weighing between 50 kg – 60 kg, skis of about 1.50 m are recommended.
- If the weight is between 60 kg and 70 kg, 1.55 m skis are best.
- If the weight is over 90 kg, skis should be about 1.70 m long.
In addition, there are other (somewhat less relevant) factors such as design, colours or brand, which you can choose as you wish. We hope this article has been helpful, do not hesitate to ask us any questions using our WhatsApp at +34 653 04 05 60 or +34 683 227 866 or send us an email to info@blancanieve.net.
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