How to Pick Snow Skis

The size and style of the skis that you choose is dependent not only on your physical dimensions, but the style of skiing that you favor as well as the level of experience you have. Choosing the right set of snow skis, thus, is largely about analyzing yourself. Although standards to exist to help beginner and intermediate skiers develop, the only way to find the perfect snow ski is by trial and error.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • Large, open space
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Instructions

  1. Choosing Your Weight and Height Class

    • 1
      Choose a set of skis that are about the same height as you are.

      Measure your height from the ground to the top of your head, and then measure the length of the skis that you are considering. Typically, the skis should be about three to five inches shorter than your own height, although you may to choose to vary this dimension based on your own personal comfort. As a general rule of thumb, the skis should measure in height somewhere between your chin and the top of your head when standing upright next to you.

    • 2

      Weigh yourself using your scale in lbs. As a general rule of thumb, if you weigh between 100 and 110 lbs, you should choose a ski about 140 to 145 cm in length. If you weigh 130 to 160 lbs, you should find a ski between 155 and 165 cm, and if you weigh 190 to 200 lbs, find a ski about 185 cm or longer. The more that you weigh, the more weight there is to proportion across the ski's planks, thus requiring more length.

    • 3
      Finding the right set of skis is very much about compromise.

      Figure out the dimensions of both your weight and height before deciding on the length of the skis that you purchase. Typically, you will need to find some agreeable compromise that allows you to find a pair of skis that are short enough for you to control, but long enough to keep you above the powder line.

    Choosing the Style of Ski You Need

    • 4

      Figure out how frequently you like to make sharp cuts and turns. If you tend to favor the slopes with excessive amounts of moguls and sharp turns, then you should find yourself a set of parabolic skis. The parabolic ski is designed with an hourglass shape that lets the ski cut through powder more easily than the average straight ski. If you like to make cuts when you ski, then the parabolic shape will suit you well.

    • 5
      Down hill skis are designed straight for less friction.

      Figure out how frequently you like to ski on downhill slopes. If you like to barrel down the mountain at the fastest speed possible, then you should find a set of straight skis. While parabolic skis favor sharp turns and cuts, straight skis are better suited for picking up speed while moving down the slope.

    • 6

      Choose a pair of skis for the type of snow that you typically ski in. If you usually find yourself in extremely slushy conditions, then wide bottomed skis, or “fats” are best suited for your conditions. Wider skis are designed so to proportion your weight more evenly across the length of the ski, allowing you to stay above the powder line better than you would be able with a set of parabolic skis.