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Skis seem to be getting shorter.

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Just recently back from the Dolomites and noticed that every time I got in a bubble which is a lot in the Dolomites, I could quite clearly see my 173's were the longest. Despite many people there being taller than my 5'11". Is it because it's a brutaly groomed area as one previous snowhead commented so short thin skis are the order of the day. Or is it a trend in Italy and everywhere?
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Or is it a rental thing? I've had huge problems trying to persuade rental places to give me skis within 20 cms of my height and last month my son was first handed AM skis at 15cm less than his.

I've come to the conclusion that pre-ordering makes you a hostage to their whims but that's a different topic.
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my only trip to the Dolomites the rental place offered me something in the 150ish range to begin with, and I'm a bit over 5-11 too.
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Rental guys in France struggled to wrap their heads around me wanting skis taller than me.

Noticed most people skiing around shoulder or shorter. Euro thing? Didn't notice that in Canada.
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I think this is particularly noticeable in the Dolomites, compounded by the fact that everybody rides piste skis only. Understandable, given that the Dolomites is known for excellent piste skiing, but I did get a lot of stares last season when I got into a gondola with my 171 Directors, presumably because they are quite a bit taller than me (at 164) and also a freeride ski. I had more fun when it snowed all afternoon though, on empty pistes abandoned by fair weather Italians Laughing
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@FrequentFaller, Other than being the biggest boy in the bubble wink why do you like long skis?
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@red 27, Well I didn't think that my skis were long.
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I'm not sure that they're getting shorter, but before I bought skis it was non-trivial getting something 170cm+ for me (@ 193cm and 98kg). I wonder if they sometimes don't stock the largest size in some models? Dunno.
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I think rental shops do have a lot to do with it. There seems to me a trend that rental shops try and just stock stuff in 15-, 16-, and 17-. And maybe a few in the lower 18- range.

I am 6'7" and one of the reasons I bought my own skis was the inability to find shops who'd give me skis that are actually long enough. I went into Chill Factore last year (I know, not a proper rental shop) and the 'fully trained ski technician' they assure will serve you your skis gave me a pair of 157 skis and assured me they should be long enough Shocked Shocked
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@dp, not just when you’re tall though. I rented a pair for a day in November. The guy asked how tall I was (I’m standing in front of him, somewhat shorter...), I just said “get me something around 160”. He came back with a 148. I sent him back to the rack for the 160s.
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I think it's a regional thing
One year I took my 90mm wide 179s to Zermatt, then Chamonix.
In Zermatt I was paranoid they were too fat and long.
In Cham they felt narrow and short.

I'm on 97mm 186s now so I've gone wider and longer. Off to Cham soon though....
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@Scarlet, maybe it's just the local assumption (/snobbery) that as Brits, hiring skis, then in all likelihood we're probably one-week-a-year holiday skiers who know nothing about skis, and who'll benefit from the fact that short skis are slightly easier to use, and that we aren't good enough to notice the difference.
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Short skis suck...long skis truck.


(Honourable exception for FIS SL)

Sez he who skis on big macho skis with an effective edge less than a pre teen girl's ski.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I certainly haven't noticed anything like this in the dolomites but maybe I wasn't looking. I've hired skis there for the last three years and the ski tech has always done a height check to make sure the skis are somewhere around forehead height which sounds about right to me.
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Yep. I noticed similar in the same place. My i-titans at 177 were usually the tallest in the cabins. Honourable mention to the guy rocking a pair of the new qst Salomon at what looked like 188 or so in the yellow Boe gondola.
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 Poster: A snowHead
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@Roguevfr, on the PreBB I took my Preachers up for the day and had to put one in each snowboard slot on the gondola. The locals - half of whom are on ancient 2m no sidecut Kastles, and the other half of whom have upgraded to a modern day short-turn carving ski... were pulling funny faces at them.
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The last couple of trips I've been more interested in learning bumps and tricky stuff (was taken through trees on the last day) so I definitely want longer rather than shorter. I'm 178, usually got 173ish, last time I got 167 and loved the bumps like never before. Skill or skis I don't know, but it was nice for me. No real interest in top to bottom blasts - partly I'm no longer 20, partly also (I realise now) I'm tied to school holidays so most pistes are pretty busy and don't allow such blasting.
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Yes..not a lot of people know that the air in the Dolomites shrinks skis and the waistband on your trousers as those lunched with me can testify. Toofy Grin
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Mine have shrunk this year. Down to 186 from 191. They've got thinner too. Must be an age thing Sad
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Yeah, it's a funny thing, ski length. When I first started skiing, back in ... ahem ... a while ago, I was quickly up to 185cm (I am about 178cm tall) and over the years I went down in length all the way to 163cm. Then I started going back up again and the latest set of planks I have bought are 188cm (and 106mm underfoot). I think part of the reason is that once you decide to use rockered twin-tips, the effective length on-piste is shorter anyway. Then factor in that a lot of twin-tips tend to be mounted further forward (for riding switch and ripping through terrain parks, neither of which I actually do) and you want a longer ski to compensate (otherwise it doesn't feel like you have enough out front). In my experience, twin-tips are just less popular in Europe (when compared with the 'States, for example) and so my (probably misguided) logic doesn't really apply so much.
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Same here.

On my new skis 176cm and on 181's. Happy
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I’m on 191cm with 118mm underfoot, I’m 178cm tall. They work for me on piste just as well as short skis seem to do for others. People on gondolas gawp af them, equally I see people on powder days on short piste skis, and I think what’s that all about?! 🤣🤣 it’s what you get used to.....I cant imagine skiing sub 100mm now, my piste (if I have to) skis are 186cm 108cm.
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Markymark29 wrote:
I’m on 191cm with 118mm underfoot, I’m 178cm tall. They work for me on piste just as well as short skis seem to do for others.

You do know this is complete bs. Put on race skis once and you will see what works on piste. I'm skiing more then enough my pow skis which are 190cm and 120mm underfoot, so I know how these sort of skis "work" on piste. On the other side I ski more then enough on race GS (193cm, r30) and SL skis (165cm) to know what really means work on piste. And there's no way you can ski 120mm ski normally on groomed piste. You can come down, and if it's really soft you can actually somehow ski it down, but nowhere near anything that is meant for piste.
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Orange200 wrote:
The last couple of trips I've been more interested in learning bumps and tricky stuff (was taken through trees on the last day) so I definitely want longer rather than shorter..

???
I'm 185cm / 90kg and ski 170 on piste skis, I got some 95mm skis for offpiste at 181 (recommended to get 191s) but I prefer short skis for bumps & tricky stuff and sure enough the 170s rip through the bumps with ease but the 181s are not quite so easy to use in the bumps. Give me a short & narrow ski for the bumps any day.
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@primoz, Rude fcku, learn to ski then come back to me.
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@primoz, sorry mate the only thing that's bs is your post.

We are all different, so it's only logical that we all like different skis. The majority of us ski for fun, not for competitions. So the best ski, is the one that gives you the most enjoyment. Not the one that gives you the best race time.

I don't see why you think you're in any position to tell people their ski choice is wrong. If they're skiing with good technique, and having fun, then they're on the right skis. End of story.
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@dp, you said it better than me Laughing
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Skis have been trending shorter since at least the 1980s.

Shorter planks = more control.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:
@primoz, Rude fcku, learn to ski then come back to me.


I think he would outski you every day of the week, thin or fat, wouldn't matter. Would love to see it.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:


@primoz, sorry mate the only thing that's bs is your post.

We are all different, so it's only logical that we all like different skis. The majority of us ski for fun, not for competitions. So the best ski, is the one that gives you the most enjoyment. Not the one that gives you the best race time.

I don't see why you think you're in any position to tell people their ski choice is wrong. If they're skiing with good technique, and having fun, then they're on the right skis. End of story.


agreed, I've seen plenty of racers get angles on a 95+ underfoot like they're skiing a slalom ski. and coming from someone who's skiing 30m gs skis for no reason - leave them to the racers @primoz
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
You can measure angles with your eyes, wow.
But can you even get close to making them on ski's I wonder...
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Markymark29 wrote:
@primoz, Rude fcku, learn to ski then come back to me.

Ok I'm back Wink I think I know how to ski pretty damn good. Not sure about you though.
But let's make the end here. If someone think he can ski 120mm on ice the way they ski slalom ski, I'm fine with that.
@moseyp, @dp and the rest... I have spend more then enough time on skis, between the gates on injected courses and in deep powder, that I know perfectly well what each ski is capable of. So yes, I can tell you anytime, that you can NOT ski 120mm ski on ice the way you can ski 65mm ski. But as I said, let's make end of this, as obviously someone who spends 5 days a year (for last 3 years) skiing knows things better then someone who spend all most of his life racing, waxing and coaching.
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tangowaggon wrote:
Orange200 wrote:
The last couple of trips I've been more interested in learning bumps and tricky stuff (was taken through trees on the last day) so I definitely want longer rather than shorter..

???
I'm 185cm / 90kg and ski 170 on piste skis, I got some 95mm skis for offpiste at 181 (recommended to get 191s) but I prefer short skis for bumps & tricky stuff and sure enough the 170s rip through the bumps with ease but the 181s are not quite so easy to use in the bumps. Give me a short & narrow ski for the bumps any day.


D'oh! Clearly I meant shorter rather than longer... Embarassed
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@primoz, Don't worry about me, i'm perfectly happy with my ability thanks. No mention of ice or 5 days a year for last 3 years in my comment, maybe you're quoting others, who knows..... Keep going with your racing, waxing and coaching, if you can pass all the benefits of your superior and vast race experience onto others that's an honourable thing, my comment was merely that I ski wider skis than the Slalom/ GS skis you may be used to on pistes with no detriment, and that's not BS by the way its fact.
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Quote:


I think it's a regional thing
One year I took my 90mm wide 179s to Zermatt, then Chamonix.
In Zermatt I was paranoid they were too fat and long.
In Cham they felt narrow and short.

I'm on 97mm 186s now so I've gone wider and longer. Off to Cham soon though....


I was in Les Contamines with a couple of mates for a long weekend in Jan. Bucket loads of snow. I took out my Redeemers (120mm waist) which were perfect for the conditions. As I got on the gondola, the lifty said "where are you from? Chamonix?". I gave him a bit of a shamefaced grin "I know, I know but I got a cheap deal and couldn't resist". He It was very good natured but there was definitely a bit of a billy big balls / all the gear and no idea mickey taking going on and I have to say he had a point!

I guess 16 years ago I was up the Grands Montets and was a bit intimidated by how big a bunch of the skis were compared to the ones I had as I went up the Bochard (?) bubble. Until I saw their owners ski Toofy Grin


Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Mon 12-03-18 12:14; edited 1 time in total
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@Markymark29,
Quote:

I’m on 191cm with 118mm underfoot, I’m 178cm tall. They work for me on piste just as well as short skis seem to do for others. People on gondolas gawp af them, equally I see people on powder days on short piste skis, and I think what’s that all about?! 🤣🤣 it’s what you get used to.....I cant imagine skiing sub 100mm now, my piste (if I have to) skis are 186cm 108cm.

Those sound like 186cm R108s. I have some - they are great.
Not even vaguely close to being as good as my old stockli stormriders (174cm, 75mm, 18m radius - longer running length than the R108s) on firm pistes though. I'm not exaggerating - totally different performance level
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There is no way a fatter ski has the same sort of grip and rebound on a hard piste as a race ski and you do vet a diffefent experience skiing the latter. Not that I take my SLs everywhere despite being comfortably the tiniest skis I have they also are the heaviest thanks to the raceplate which has the mass of a small black hole.

Mind you I still like drifting fatter skis on piste if there is the slightest bit of scrape off piled up.
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@Markymark29, i’m with you. Prefer my fat skis everywhere now (as does my 7 year old boy incidentally although I’m not sure that’s a good thing for his technique development). After abusing you, your mate above changed the subject from piste to ice and went off on a tangent about injected race courses which somewhat misses your point. Noone’s arguing that a 65mm ski isn’t going to be masses better on ice or a race course but it is lots of fun and a different feeling to carve a wide ski down a piste in half decent condition and if there’s fresh or it’s slushy the fat ski will win out (on piste). And ice is no fun on any ski so why make a choice based on that?
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Quote:

Keep going with your racing, waxing and coaching

he's talking through his hoop, just ignore him @Markymark29
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