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Selecting A Ski

A Detailed Look At Skis
Sizing Skis
Ski Size Chart

     Once you have gotten some skiing experience using rental skis you might want to consider purchasing your own skis. Not only are you then able to pick exactly the skis that you want, but they are also yours to fine tune and get accustomed to. In this section we will look at what questions you need to answer before you buy skis.

A Detailed Look At Skis

   Before you can learn skiing you will first need to learn about its primary piece of equipment: the Ski. You will need to know what a ski consists of and what the different elements are before you can choose the ski which is best for you and how you should use your skis. In this section you will learn that skis now-a-days are highly technical feats of engineering. If you already have skis make sure you can identify the following elements:

Base

The Base is the bottom side of the ski, the part of the ski that touches the snow. Traditionally skis were made of wood. Although wood is sometime still used, most skis are now made from aluminum or fiberglass.


Camber

The amount of space beneath the center of a ski when it lays on is the camber, the flat surface and its weight rests on the tip and tail. This is the gentle arch the ski makes when you rest it on a flat surface.

Contact Points

The points at which the skis contacts the snow with out the pressure of the rider being displaced on the board. The contact points can be found by placing the board on a smooth, flat surface then slide a piece of paper under the center of the ski, slide it toward the tip or tail until it stops.

Edge

The metal edges on the sides of the ski. Sharp edges make sure you maintain grip in turns and that the skis do not slip. Holding an edge is important in turns.

Effective Edge

The length of metal edges on the ski which touches the snow. It is the effective part which is used to make a turn. The effective edge is in contact with the snow when the ski is in a carved turn. A longer effective edge makes for a more stable, controlled ride; a shorter effective edge makes for a looser, easier turning ski.

Tip/Nose

The tip is the front end of the skis. The tip is always pointed upwards to make sure that the front of your ski does not grip the snow and dig itself in.

Shovel

This is the widest part of the ski at the front of the ski is the shovel.

Overall Length

Overall Length is measured from the tip of the ski to the tail, usually referred to in Centimeters (cm).

Sidecut Radius

Sidecut radius is the measurement of how deeply or shallowly the ski's cut is from the nose of the ski to the waist (or middle of the ski). This is what helps the ski turn & maneuver easier. The smaller the sidecut radius the tighter you will be able to turn. A ski with a larger sidecut will make big arching turns. It is the radius of a circle that makes the hourglass shape of the skis and thus how it is defined and measured. It works in conjunction with the running length of the skis.

Tail

The rear end of the ski opposite of the nose/tip is the tail.

Top/Deck

Opposite of the base, top of the board is where the bindings are mounted and the skier stands. Most boards have mounting holes in the deck where the bindings can be screwed into. The holes enable you to connect your bindings to your board in different angles and stances.

Waist Width

The waist width is the narrowest point of the board. This is usually the middle of the sidecut.

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Sizing Skis

What is your Skill Level

Your skill level is the second most important factor in selecting the proper skis. You will want to buy skis that are designed for a skill level slightly higher than the one you currently posses. If you buy for your current level then it will hinder your learning curve. If you buy too high then you will be trying to figure out your skis most of the time instead of actually learning.

What kind of surfaces am I going to Ski on?

The surface is another important factor. Although all skis will basically work on all surfaces, many skis are designed to either perform perfectly under a specific surface or to offer generally good performance on a multitude of surfaces. Are you planning to stay on well-groomed pistes in resort areas or are you going off piste? If you are planning to go back country skiing then you will want to go for specific backcountry skis.

Do I need Gender Specific Skis?

Women have a different body build where their centre of mass is lower than a man's. This causes women to have the tendency to lean back more. Women also weigh less than men which means that their skis need to be more flexible to gain the same flex in turns as men do. If you are a woman, then it is wise to buy skis specifically designed for a woman. They are lighter in weight, more flexible and the bindings are set more to the front to accommodate the lower centre of mass.

What Shape should my Skis be?

Modern skis have taken much of the knowledge and expertise of snowboarding camber and sidecut radius to come with more effective ski shapes. It really depends on your skiing purpose to find the right shape for you. In general, a ski with more sidecut (and thus a rounder shape) will make it easier to make (carving) turns. Shaped skis should also be shorter then regular skis to further assist you in turning.

What length should my Skis have?

There are a couple of basic rules when it comes to choosing the right ski length. In general, a ski should have a length such that when you place it's tail on the ground the tip should come between your shoulders and your eyes. With the emergence of shaped skis and other factors, this rule has become somewhat a bit outdated. Things that determine the length of your skis:
  • Your Length: if you are taller then your skis should be longer
  • Your Weight: is most often connected with your length. If you weight more then you should have longer skis
  • Skill Level: in general, the better you are the longer your skis should be. The faster you ski, the more vibration your skis will face. Longer skis deal with vibration better.  
  • The Shape of your Skis: shaped skis work better when they are shorter. So, actually, at this moment, skiers are shifting to increasingly shorter skis

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* If your exact size is not available and you are unsure of what size to get, choose the smaller size. 


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