Downhill Skis
It's that time of year again. Time for heading off to the mountain for some quality powder time. But don't think that you have to be a skier of Olympic standards to have fun on the slopes. Skiing is an awesome pain for the whole family but can be fun if you have the right attitude, equipment and conditions.
Moreover, choosing equipment can be daunting if it's your first time making this type of purchase. Here is everything you need to know about skis  to start your season off on the right foot. There are lots of different skis for different kinds of skiers. Also, make sure that you don't get honking huge skis like the old days. These days, new ski technology makes shorter skis more stable and faster and so where you might have skied on a 193cm ski before, you might think about skiing on a 165 - 170cm ski today.
Whatever you do, do not show up on the mountain in white rear buckle Lange boots from 1985 with a pair of 205cm skis from 1990. If you do that, topped off with a neon one-sie you are sure to be ridiculed by all those around you.
If you're interested in nordic skiing, see our Cross-Country Skis buying guide.
Top Picks this Season
| Top Picks from the editors at Mens.Style.com | New Items for the 2006-07 Season
(Princeston Ski Shop) |
- Downhill Racer
- All-Mountain Expert
- Powder Pig
- Laid-back Cruiser:
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Factor #1: Gender and Age
The most basic considerations to start with are your gender and age. Males and females need different types of skis since their bodies are built differently. Women's skis are specifically designed to be more flexible and lighter in weight to compensate for the way their body distributes weight. Children will need basic kid's recreational skis to match their height and weight (allowing some room for future growth), which is discussed in the following section.
Factor #2: Height, Weight, and Ski Length
Time for the next step: determining the proper ski length for your weight and height. The rough guide recommendations below assume that your height and weight are proportionate. Keep in mind that everyone is different and that some slight adjustments may need to be made according to things such as your skill level, aggressiveness, and which ski type you choose. - Skill Level
- Beginner skiers need skis an inch or two shorter than their own body.
- Intermediate skiers should choose something very close to their height or slightly taller if they are advanced intermediates.
- Advanced skiers and experts should add length to their skis; 5 cm and 10 cm, respectively.
- Skiing Style
- For speed, choose a slightly longer ski.
- The more powder you ski in and the more "off-piste" adventures you go on, the longer you will want your skis to be so that they can help you "float". Add from 5 to 10 cm for freeride skis and 5 to 20 cm for big mountain skis.
- Slalom skis are usually meant to be short. Subtract 10 to 15 cm from your suggested ski length.
- Ski Type
- Recreational skis should be just tall enough to hit between the skier's chin and eyes.
- All-mountain skis should fall somewhere between the skier's nose and forehead.
- Free-ride skis should be about up to your eyes or taller.
- Freestyle skis fall at your nose level.
- Backcountry skis are the biggest and widest you can get in accordance with your skiing ability.
Factor #3: Skill Level
There is no sense in buying skis that are not adequate for your skiing level. It is true though that if you get skis with a little more oomph to them than you need, it will leave room to improve. However, skis that are designed with the advanced racer in mind will not help a beginner skier learn the basics. With the guide below, see which category best matches you skiing ability to determine which type of ski you will need.
- Recreational: Greens and Blues
- You have never skied before.
- You have gone on the bunny hill and have learned to snow plough.
- You can turn and stop and have tried your skills on some green runs.
- You have tried some blue runs and mastered them as well as stopping and turning with ease.
- Advanced: Reds, Moguls, Maybe Blacks
- You are up to red runs.
- You don't need to snow plough anymore and you are practicing parallel technique.
- You are trying out black runs and moguls.
- Ice and steep slopes combined are scary but you still manage on them.
- Expert: Blacks, Double Diamonds, and Off-Piste Skiing
- Double black diamonds are a piece of cake.
- You venture off the piste.
- You may have raced or taught before.
Downhill Ski Types
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Recreational
A great alternative to rentals. They're most common for new skiers who stick to the piste. They're easy to turn and comfortable in most conditions, allowing users to focus on their technique. |
All Mountain
Offering the performance of a race ski, without the required effort and skill, all-mountain skis are by far the most popular choice for today's skiers of all levels. |
Powder
This specialized style is wider, softer and longer than an all-mountain ski making them float over the snow. Fine for upper intermediate and advanced skiers who like powder. |
Race
Race skis are highly specialized tools. Due to their unique attributes they are not a great choice for non-racers since they're destined to advanced and experts skiers. |
New School/Freeride
Also known as freestyle skis, this type of skiing continues to gain popularity on the slopes. They are designed with aerial tricks in mind, for jumps and halfpipes. For advanced skiers. |
Features Explained
After deciding which type of ski best fits your individual needs, it's important to look at some of the features and what the jargon really means.
Sidecut -- This is the amount of curve in the ski's hourglass shape when viewed from above. You will hear the terms tip (front edge), waist (center), and tail (rear edge). They are simply describing the width of the ski at these points on the ski. Together, the dimensions of the tip, waist, and tail make up the sidecut. Deep sidecuts offer the skier more stability when carving tight turns, while shallower sidecuts are more suited for carving longer turns. - For powder, look for a wider "waist".
- For easy carving, look for a narrower "tail" and a wider "tip".
Stiffness -- Stiffness is an important factor depending on your ability. Here are general guidelines:
- Soft, wide, straight skis are ideal for beginners because they will slow the skier down.
- Intermediate skiers will want slightly stiffer skis that are narrower at the tail and center so that they can go faster.
- Experts skiers like stiffer skis to help transfer body weight evenly to the ski's tip and tail and for maximum speed.
- Soft-flexing skis are good for mogul skiers.
Construction -- The materials used to construct the ski give it strength, density, lightness, and flexibility. - Ever since the first Norwegian strapped wooden planks to his feet and rocketed down a mountain, skiing has been one of winter's most popular pastimes. No longer comprised primarily of wood, (though they often still have a wooden core,) skis are constructed of various components including glass fiber, Kevlar, Titanium alloy or composite materials.
- A common ski construction method is laminate construction, where layers of material are sandwiched together with glue.
- Torsion box manufactured skis are another common technique. These are built by creating an inner box like structure to transfer the skier's energy to the snow. Popular materials used in this type of manufacturing are wood and fiberglass.
Edge -- The outer edges of the ski.
- Usually made of carbon-steel, and located on the outer edge of the ski, which provides grip on hard snow.
- The thinner the edge, the more flexible and responsive the ski.
Base -- The surface of the ski in contact with the snow. - Ski bases are typically constructed with hardened polyurethane.
- High end skis often use additives to increase how fast the skis glide.
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