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Ski length confusion

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I am confused about ski lengths …I am 182 cm and 80 kilos.
Probably an 8 or 9 on the inside out skiing level. Need to be fitter for next holiday !

For the past few years I have been happily tooling about on nordica navigator 85 in 179 cm.
I really like them but on a Feb trip to San Cassiano with VERY busy pistes , I decided to rent something a bit narrower for better manoeuvrability / smaller turn radius and ended up on some blizzard Firebird wrc gs in a 170 length . I think I prefer GS over SL for cruising about.

I really liked them for the ability to keep out of peoples way in a hurry and good for short and long turns but felt I should have taken the advice of the shop and gone up to 175 cm as on occasion I felt too far forward on them at speed .

Just back from a week in Selva , left the Nordicas at home and rented some volkl race tiger gs but even shorter at 168…

(I had a bad experience many years ago on some 177 cm Rossignol P700’s and have a mental block about anything piste oriented longer than 170cm)

Found these great , even at high speed I never felt uncomfortable. Coped well on early hard pistes and OK in later soft bumps (although I missed my nordicas at that point)

On paper , the blizzards and the volkls are very similar (width under foot 67 to 68 and similar turn radii) but felt very different .

So now I am very confused …. Would you recommend the Oktobertest? Will there be SL , GS and all mountains available in various lengths to try alongside each other?


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 10-04-23 7:22; edited 1 time in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Skis don't know ho tall you are ...

Quote:

the blizzards and the firebirds are very similar


Isn't that because they are the same ski?

If the Volkls were mostly red, they are not as "detuned" as the WRC Firebirds, so probably stiffer, I'd reckon.

In any case, I think they're all too short. But as you aren't racing, it's a personal thing. Anyhoo, never having been to an Oktobertest I can't be too definitive but I'd expect a good mix of ski types.
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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?
under a new name wrote:
Skis don't know ho tall you are ...

Quote:

the blizzards and the firebirds are very similar


Isn't that because they are the same ski?

If the Volkls were mostly red, they are not as "detuned" as the WRC Firebirds, so probably stiffer, I'd reckon.

In any case, I think they're all too short. But as you aren't racing, it's a personal thing. Anyhoo, never having been to an Oktobertest I can't be too definitive but I'd expect a good mix of ski types.


Typing error , meant to say blizzards and volkls (I have edited)
The volks were racetiger gs (with a number 15 on the bottom - I have no idea what that number means , the ones pictured on the volkl website have an 18 )
Tip 115 mm, waist 67 , tail 98. Turn radius 15.4 m.
Tip rocker

Blizzards are 115.5 , 68, 97.5 . TR 16.5
Full camber.

Maybe I should try next size up (in GS) and give some SL a go (in 168 ish?).

My Nordicas feel like the right length , I just got nervy on them with so many people on the pistes…
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Choose a length (and profile) which allows you to make comfortable, effortless turns of all shapes and sizes but which gives you confidence and stability at speed

You have to kiss a lot of frogs
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@sheffskibod, I had worked that out haha!

THe number 15 almost certainly refers to radius, a somewhat misleading dimension if you aren't FIS racing.

It doesn't really give you anything to go on but I'm 60ish kgs and will maybe in the market for an easier ski to get back on snow post ACL recon and am thinking "old" 185cms FIS GS. (Current regs mandate a longer ski I think).
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In theory, for Piste skiing - 177 is about right for you; as is 179 for AM.....But preference - and indeed ski construction - pay a roll. Stiffer, damp skis, like Nordica and Volkl, can imv handle being skied shorter without feeling too soft.

Your best answer is to compare the ski you like in 2 different lengths.

I love skiing on both SL type skis (12 or 13m) and longer AM skis with an 18m radius. As you say, when crowded, the former is useful.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Old Fartbag wrote:
In theory, for Piste skiing - 177 is about right for you; as is 179 for AM.....But preference - and indeed ski construction - pay a roll. Stiffer, damp skis, like Nordica and Volkl, can imv handle being skied shorter without feeling too soft.

Your best answer is to compare the ski you like in 2 different lengths.

I love skiing on both SL type skis (12 or 13m) and longer AM skis with an 18m radius. As you say, when crowded, the former is useful.


Yes the rental shops usually try and give me a 175 or 177 cm GS - but I tried some 177cm rossignol P700's some years back in Val disere and "instantly" hated them .... I was a bit lighter then and just could not get off the back foot .
Skied down and changed them for 170 cms and loved those.
Ever since I have swerved longer piste skis...
Skied quite a lot since then so perhaps I should try again as my technique may have improved a little.

My nordicas have tip and tail rocker so ski shorter - but still not as quick to change direction as those Volkls.

I have never really tried SL - I assume they will be harder work as constantly wanting to turn .... over a long day of mileage it could be quite tiring ?
BUt what length though ? If my natural preference for GS is around 170 .... 165 for an SL ?? Or way too short...

The Volkl racetiger GS come in 168 , 173 , 178 and 183 cm. So the 168 really must be too short ... !
The SL racetigers come in 150 , 155 , 165 and 170 ....
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

The volks were racetiger gs (with a number 15 on the bottom - I have no idea what that number means , the ones pictured on the volkl website have an 18 )


Volkl make a huge variety of detuned race skis. The number refers to the radius of the turn that the ski will make, and may help you choose which one you want. Lower number = shorter turn!

FIS SLs will be 11/12m (although there is no regulation). FIS GS is 30M, so you can see that the skis you are looking at are going to be much more civilised.

SL type skis are hard work for a long day..
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
FWIW. My advice is (within reason), to go with what you like. Skiing is very much a "Mental Game" - so going with what gives you confidence, rather than something that is theoretically correct but removes it, is the best way to go.

I'm very light (65kg) and have found Nordicas a bit "planky" for me....whereas Volkl/Head/Rossignol/Dynastar have a liveliness that suits me better.

There is no doubt that you have to "Remain awake at the wheel" when skiing on SL type skis. They are more tiring - but so much fun....even worth getting fit for. I had some Atomic SL11 in a 157 (they weren't bound by FIS rules). With these recreational race skis, their construction is such that you can go with the length that suits you.

I have found that a radius of 14 - 16m is the most versatile for both long and short turns.


Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 10-04-23 18:18; edited 1 time in total
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under a new name wrote:
THe number 15 almost certainly refers to radius, a somewhat misleading dimension if you aren't FIS racing.


This is actually a pretty good point - some get obsessed with turn radius but the reality is that unless you are always carving tight radius continuously linked turns, which you most likely aren't unless you are racing, then it isn't mega important.
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Quote:

This is actually a pretty good point - some get obsessed with turn radius but the reality is that unless you are always carving tight radius continuously linked turns, which you most likely aren't unless you are racing, then it isn't mega importan


Surely the radius gives you some good info on what the ski will be like? Lower number harder work? As @Old Fartbag, says 14-17 for a do anything ski?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@ski, only to a point. My Bonafides are 13m, I spent a few days on Movement GO 98s which are 20ish and to be honest I really didn't see a huge diffeerence. The Blizzards are stiffer and less rockered, and despite a nominally quite a bit shorter radius, need to be worked a bit harder to get nice carved short turns out of them.

Very defo, wot @NoMapNoCompass, says.
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