 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I am new here so be gentle!
I have just bought K2 Hardsides 11/12 174cm skis. I am 5'8"/175cm 150lbs/11 stoneish. I am an intermediate skier comfortable on blacks and learning off-piste. Previously I skied Atomic Peak 159cm skis.
I am finding the Hardsides really hard, mainly because they are so fast! Also, when I measured them they are actually 177cm. I really want to learn how to ski well off-piste in all conditions especially steeper and tighter areas. At the moment I am doing a ski season and really want to improve quickly.
I am worried the 174cm (in reality 177cm!) are too long for me and while I could "grow into them" with time I want to ski the right skis for me now so I can improve as fast as I can and take full of advantage of the time I have in the mountains.
Most ski length charts I have looked at say I should be skiing 170cm skis with a bit added on if they are rockered. I am prepared to bite the bullet and sell on the Hardsides and buy a different pair if it will help me improve more quickly. At the moment I feel like I have taken a step backwards which is really frustrating.
What do people think?
Cheers
Tom
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ecotom1, welcome to snowheads.
I have some Hardsides and love them. Mine are very slightly longer than me. They are stiff skis, but I find them good both on and especially off piste. They did take a few days to get used to, and need a bit of concentration.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I also have the Hardsides (174 cm - i am 5 ft 10) and love them. however, based on K2's own size charts the skis may be around 10 cm too long - depends really how intermediate you are. moving up nearly 20cm in ski length will be very marked for most/all skiers so I would focus on your technique before ditching them. ie give them a few weeks.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It's just a personal opinion of mine but I believe that 10cms extra ski for a halfway competent skier should make very little difference. Those are perhaps a tiny bit longer for your weight and height than a normal piste ski would be demand, but if you truly want them for off piste they should be fine.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ski length charts aren't very helpful at the best of times, and they certainly aren't much use for rockered skis. Consider that the Hardsides are also a wee bit fatter and have a longer turn radius than the Peaks (probably different weight and stiffness too), so they're bound to feel quite different. A couple of cm difference from some arbitrary notion of perfect length is not going to drastically affect they way they feel for you!
I'd stick with em; they're a pretty good touring ski and you'll appreciate the length in due course, even if you're suspicious now 
If you're considering switching skis, try demoing some alternatives before buying. I'd still aim for a similar length though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'd say that they were about right for you. You will grow into them fairly quickly I imagine. I'm only slightly heavier and 1.5 inches taller than you and ski a 98mm 177 ski.
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Longer,stiffer skis are fast if you are carving turns, but off piste the snow usually knocks a fair bit of speed off.
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