Choosing the size of your skis
Every expert has their recommendations to help choose the size of their skis: +5 cm or -5cm here and there. It is true that among all the models available, choosing the right size for your skis is not an easy task. Indeed, you must take into account your practice, your level and your needs. Ekosport's advice in order to make the right choice
What ski size should i choose?
Before looking at the length of your ski tips, it's first and foremost on the side of your ski practice that you should look. Piste ski, all-mountain, freestyle or 100% dedicated to off-piste: each ski has its own characteristics.
Before selecting your category “beginner, intermediate, advanced, expert” ask yourself if you are at ease, if you are able to ski at high speed, if you have 100% control of your skis if unexpected events happen (a skier changing his trajectory, mogul, ice patch…) These are the good questions to evaluate you level of skiing.
The advent of parabolic skis
The era when the skis were 20cm over your head is over. Thanks to the parabolic skis, no need to have skis that long to have fun on the mountain. The waist is narrower than the tip and the tail, this shape offers a shorter radius that eases the turn entrance. Nowadays every skis are parabolic.
Which size to choose for the slope ?
Leisure ski, is what most of the tourists are enjoying on the mountain. You are not looking for speed nor showing off, nor sending crazy tricks in the air. You are looking for the wide-open spaces, share gliding fun with family and friends, a few moguls on the way down and to chat on the chairlifts. Most of the slope skis are made for that, soft and versatile that will forgive a few technical errors. These are slope skis that offer great stability and handiness for a maximum control.
To choose the length of your slope skis, you have to choose between -5 and -15 cm under your height. The most athletic skiers will go for -5 to -10 cm size.
The carving ski size
To carve big lines on freshly groomed runs, seeking speed, angle, adrenaline, here are what the carving skis are made for; they are also called racing or piste performance skis. With their wasp waist, those sportive skis are snappy and reactive. They shred the hard packed snow and stay right on track.
There is carving and "carving". For real slalom performances, you can go for -15 to -20 cm under your height. Shorter, the ski will be even snappier. If you are looking for Super G sensations, a ski matching your height will be better, it will be more stable at high speed.
The all-mountain ski size
You like the slopes, the side of the slopes but also off-piste. At ease on all terrains, you are looking for an all-mountain pair of skis. You just need to decide which size you need. A versatile ski offers many advantages to manoeuvre on all terrains: groomed, powder, slush, crud snow… Usually they have a wider waist to provide a better floatability in fresh powder and stay handy on the slopes. On top of that, they have a rocker to the tip to lift off in powder.
Be performing on every terrains, that's the ambition of the all-mountain ski. Tochoose your correct ski length, it is up to you to evaluate your ratio piste/off-piste. If you go for a 50/50 use, you will go for a shorter ski, and a bit longer if you spend most of your time off the groomed slopes (60 to 80% off-piste).
To choose your all-mountain ski size, you also need to take into account your level of ski. A beginner skier will prefer handiness to keep control of his skis and evolve with confidence in various snow conditions. A beginner will choose shorter skis. On the opposite, an expert skier, in need for speed, will go for longer skis, more stable and offering a higher floatability.
For an all-mountain ski, you have to choose the ski size according to your level of ski:
- Beginner skier: between -5 and -10 cm than your height
- Intermediate to advanced skier: - 5 cm than your height
- Expert skier: your height or up to + 5 cm than your height
Man ski vs Woman ski
In the shops, you can find men skis and women skis. Marketing strategy or real need? Except the top sheet, the main difference relates to the weight of the ski, usually women are lighter than men. The women skis are adapted to lightweight skiers. Size recommendations are the same no matter the sex of the user.
Which freestyle ski size?
First thing: In order to choose your correct freestyle ski size, you need lightness once you're in the air and stability for the landings. Unlike the other categories, the level of ski is not essential but the playground is! You can try to land some tricks in the snowpark or in the middle of nowhere (known as backcountry skiing), and each practice requires a different approach.
If you spend most of your time in the snowpark, choose your length adjusted to your height or down to – 5 cm. The landing will be optimum even in switch; the ski will be light and playful. Looking for more manoeuvrability on the slopes and for your tricks in the snowpark, you can go down to -10 cm.
However, if you go out of bounds, you will need a longer ski (dedicated to backcountry skiing with a wider waist). You can go up to +15 cm above your height without compromising the handiness. The longest the ski is, the best the floatability is. It is then a non-negligible criteria to be able to shred some powder and land some tricks out there in the wild.
The best freeride ski size
The freeride, or off-piste, is a really wide category with multiple practices. Choosing a freeride ski depends on your approach off-piste. For burnt heads looking to attack powder-filled steeps, for touring ski lovers and everything in between: there are skis for every freeriders out there.
Powder skis are designed to offer as mush flotation as possible in fresh powder. They have a really wide waist to increase their floatability in deep powder. From your height to + 5 cm, your skis will stay nimble on any playground even in downhill skiing, but you will not beat any record. It would be for beginner/intermediate skiers who start playing off the groomed slopes, you still have some improvements to make to have fun in every snow conditions (fresh powder, but also crud or slush snow….) and get some confidence on more technical runs.
The best skiers would go for skis up to + 15 cm than their height. The longest skis are for experts only, able to ski down corridors, coombs and really steep terrains no matter the quality of the snow. You need stability at high speed.
How to choose your kids ski size?
Our champion seeds grow quickly. Even if the budget can be a restriction, you need to adapt the ski size to the kid’s height every season. Up to 150 cm or 45kg it is better to go for a "kid" ski. Above, you can go for junior skis and certain adult skis if needed.
A longer ski will be more demanding and more tiring for your child, but he/she will improve faster though. Pay attention not to discourage him/her, first of all he/she needs to have fun!
For the youngest ones, up to 115cm you should select a ski that comes up to his/her chest or to his/her chin. For Children up to 155cm you can choose skis up to his/her neck for the beginners. Do not chose skis above his/her nose, except if your child is really sporty and has been skiing several weeks per year.
Size chart according to the level of ski :
| Practice | Beginner | Intermediate | Expert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leisure | -5 to -15 cm | -5 to -10 cm | -5 cm |
| Racing | Your height | -5 à -10 cm | -20 à -15 cm |
| All mountain | -5 à -10 cm | -5 cm | +5 cm |
| Freestyle | -5 cm | Your height | Up to +15 cm (backcountry) |
| Freeride | Your size up to + 5 cm |
+5 à +10 cm | up to +15 cm |
General advice is fairly meaningless, as it does not sufficiently take into account the variety of criteria needed to accurately establish the recommended size of a ski. It's a relaxed analysis of your desires, needs, and skills that you need to make before choosing your ski size. The more precise you are, the better you will be advised: level, favorite playgrounf, practice, but also if you want a ski to progress, a ski to go fast, an ultra-maneuverable ski, or a light ski. A lot of questions that will help you better understand your needs and therefore the size of your skis.