Ski Length Guide

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST LENGTH OF YOUR SKIS

Choosing the right ski length might seem like a very hard thing to do, especially if you just started with skiing, or decided to try a new discipline. If you don’t have time, or the possibility to have your local ski store help you with the selection of the right ski, and you are left with the convenience of online shops, keep on reading this article. We prepared a guide for you that will help you pick the right length of your ski equipment which will accompany you on your next adventure.

Please note that this ski guide it primarily targeted for leisure skiers, and newcomers:

Expert skiers such as ski instructors, ski guides, professional riders or professional racers should know the best what kind and length of the ski is most suitable for them.

 

 

BEGINNER OR AN EXPERT? KNOW YOUR ABILITY LEVEL

First things first, the length of the ski depends on each riders specific height and the type of ski you want to use. Next, to that you should evaluate your current skill level or let us help you! See our basic skier’s skill level manual below:

 

Beginner

You have never stood on skis before, of you just took a couple of lectures, your motivation to ski is high but the current skill set is rather low. Choose your ski carefully, to make it easier for you to learn fast, and keep your stoke level high. You feel the best on mellow and wide built slopes, where you have enough space and time to make your next turn and it’s not too far from the next ski-hut.

 

 

Intermediate

You love skiing more than any other sport. You are an experienced rider, who knows his/her way around many various mountain terrains. You enjoy skiing fast and pushing your boundaries by exploring new skiing styles and techniques. You can ski technical short slalom turns with grace as ballin’ down the hill in Aksel Lund Svindal-kind of speed. But there is always something you can work on – technique, flow or style.

 

 

Advanced

Skiing is your life, you spend every minute breathing and living in your ski boots, strapped onto your skis. It is possible that you travel the world to experience the perfect winter, every month of the year, or at least you dream about it. You are a holder of some sort of certificate which authorizes you to earn your living by skiing. Until now you have not met a terrain that would be unskiable for you, and you challenge yourself with even more extreme adventures day after day.

 

Here you can find our overview, where you can find your ideal ski length according to your ability level and terrain – it is easy like that!

 

 

 

TERRAIN VS. DISCIPLINE

Next you should decide on what kind of terrain/discipline you would like to ride on your new pair of skis:

 

On Piste

You love the feeling of well prepared slopes, the freshly groomed terrain makes you smile. You don’t like to ride terrain difficulties, such as moguls, or ride in non-prepared terrain. Doesn’t matter if you like to cruise around and enjoy the panoramatic mountain views or charge fast and push your ski-edges to their limit, as far as you stay in the boundaries of the groomed slopes.

Here you can find on-piste skis for beginners, intermediate or advanced skiers.

SKIFAHRER AUF DER PISTE

Photo: Scott Markewitz Photography, Salomon

 

Race

Speed is your best friend, the adrenalin rush you get from overtaking all your buddies on the ski hill is something one cannot really explain. All you care about is the sharpness of your edges and how they slide through the different snow types you face on the mountain. You love to train your technique, doesn’t matter if it’s while short turns on steep slalom slopes or going straight and pinning it while skiing downhill.

Here you can find on race skis for beginners, intermediate or advanced skiers.

3 Schifahrer schirennen

Photo: Dynastar

 

All Mountain

You highly enjoy the feeling of being free in the mountains, the cold feel of snow and fresh air. When you go riding you don’t depend on weather or the current snow conditions, you enjoy freshly prepared slopes as much as some off-piste terrain, the main point is – get out there and ski!

Here you can find all-mountain skis for beginners, intermediate or advanced skiers.

 

Foto: K2

 

Freestyle

Maybe you call yourself a Newschooler and don’t care about what happens in the rest of the ski resort. Because all you need to have fun is a well groomed snowpark with big booters, perfectly shaped halfpipe and creative rail line. You like to overcome yourself by learning new tricks and enjoy a good day in the snowpark with your buddies pushing each other‘s limits.

Here you can find freestyle skis for beginners, intermediate or advanced skiers.

Skifahrer im Luft am skispringen

Photo: Pally Learmond, Völkl Skis

 

Freeride

Low temperatures and high levels of expected precipitation is what makes your heart beating. When the weather allows you to venture out of your usual ski resort and ride big fast and steep lines and almost float in the air. When the weather is not so good, which is most of the time when a lot of snow is coming, you don’t mind to ride some deep pow in tight tree runs.

Here you can find freeride skis for beginners, intermediate or advanced skiers.

Skifahrer in Powder Dust

Photo: Oskar Enander, DPS Skis

 

Telemark

Telemark is a very specific discipline for skiers. It requires a lot of strength in the whole body, coordination of your movements and the right technique, due to the ‘free heel’. It means that while riding your telemark specific binding and ski boot is letting you lift your heel off of your ski and lower down into telemark position.

Here you can find telemark skis for beginners, intermediate or advanced skiers.


Photo: Rauschendorfer/NordicFocus, Rottefella

 

Ski Touring

We dedicated a whole page to a ski touring specific guide, where you can find many tips on the whole topic of ski touring. Visit Ski Touring Guide here.

 

Ski Tourer hoch gehen

Photo: Dynafit

 

GENERAL TIPS & RULES

Here are some rules of thumb for choosing the appropriate length of your skis:

 

Shorter ski

    • you prefer to ski slower, and short turns
    • you do not consider yourself an advanced or expert rider
    • you would like to have skis with very little or no rocker, only camber

 

Longer ski

    • you like to ride fast and make long aggressive turns
    • you consider riding skis with twin tip
    • you would like to purchase ski with rocker