 Poster: A snowHead
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My friend is a beginner skier.
is a very large man 6ft 5 tall and about 17 stone.
Didn't find skiing the easiest the first week he went but perservered with private lessons and was skiing most blues by end of week.
Came with us again last year but had totally lost it despite a few lessons.
He thinks it was due to the length of his skies? Could this be the case. Because he was so big and said he'd skied before hire shop gave him really long skis about 190 i think or high 180s
The question is. Would he benefit from much shorter skis whilst he's learning or does he need that size skis because of his size. He's worried about coming again this year because of bad experience last year. Advice please
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 15-10-06 22:44; 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
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Where did you go last week? I'd say go with a 170 for dryslope or indooor.
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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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oops meant last year. let me edit.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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with the technology in modern skis he n should be fine on 170-175 there is no need for anything longer
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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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I agree with CEM, that should be about shoulder/chin height and about right for a novice
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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He'll be happy now if he knows he can have smaller skis. Now all i got to do is stop him drinking till 6 in morning or at least ensure he gets up for skiing the next day!
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Agree with chin height for a beginner/nervous 2nd weeker. Don't know what that translates out to tho' but if its chin height on him, it doesn't so much matter.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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garethjomo, As easiski, CEM, say - shoulder/chin height. Remember tho' that he doesn't have to stay on them all week.... so if they are too short/long.... go back and change them.
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Best bet will be to probably tell the hire shop its his first time skiing. If i say its his third they may expect him to be doing more adventurous skiing than he will be doing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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garethjomo, And insist on the length you want. I find a lot of Ski techs are really behind the times when it comes to ski lengths.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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easiski (and others, e.g. SMALLZOOKEEPER) I am just about to buy a pair of Rossignol 9S Ti's (I really enjoyed skiing on them last year in Tignes). I have skied for about 15 weeks over 20+years but mostly ski on-piste, though not always. I am medium-build (not a lardy so I don't know who I'll ski with at the EOSB  ) and fairly fit for a 49yr old git. What length should I be looking for - chin-length, nose-length?
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garethjomo, I have 175s, am about same height and a bit heavier. I would have thought 170s would be fine for him.
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What length should I be looking for - chin-length, nose-length?
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Nick L, Thank goodness you stopped there!!.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Nick L, 165 if going for Slalom. Around 180 in GS. I don't know the range too well sorry. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks SMALLZOOKEEPER, 165 it is then.
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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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ski, I couldn't remember if I had skied on 158s or 165s in April - but the concensus seems to be 165 (I am 177.5cm tall - ie about 5'10")
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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I have a pair of Rossi 9S WC (different construction but I think similar geometry). I'm a bit more than medium-build and happily ski on 165cm.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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garethjomo, quote - Now all i got to do is stop him drinking till 6 in morning
NO ! thats a requirement for snowheads 
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Thanks easiski, I have bought the 165s from Ski Billek via e-bay. I have paid approx £250 all-in - the cheapest price I could find in the UK was >£500.
Just waiting for them to arrive now.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Nick L, those should be fine for a piste ski, but people of our sort of size (I'm a bit bigger at 181cm tall and 14+ stone), shouldn't expect to do anything much off-piste with them. I have 160cm slalom skis and 184cm everything else skis. The shorter you go the tighter and faster they will turn - the 165 WC size is an artificial limit imposed because the skiers were going even shorter, and the forces were blowing their knees (but there's no lower limit for racing on plastic). The problem when going too short though is that the skis will bind on soft/slow patches and pitch you out the front. I also notice this on plastic if any two of a) the slope being a bit dry b) the bases getting low on wax, or c) skiing on just one ski. I did take some 160cm skis on a little hardish off-piste last year and it was of course possible, but a bit precarious, and I had a total nightmare with some 170cm touring skis a few years ago - I really had to sit on the heels hugely to avoid pitching out the front on every patch of deeper snow.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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easiski, I'm sorry but I don't believe that, as it just doesn't make sense. You're continual (mostly fair) criticism of my skiing is that I'm too far back, but when skiing too short or too dry it's the front of the ski that binds (just under or in front of the toe), and the only way to avoid that is to get even further back. Remember I'm probably 50% heavier that you, so to get the same pressure on the snow/plastic as you on 155cm skis I should be on 230cm skis.
Edit: Put it another way, I'd be far more inclined to believe you if you were saying you're perfectly happy in soft/cruddy/unpredictable snow, or one-footed on a dry dry slope, while skiing on 110cm 64mm wide skis.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Thu 19-10-06 12:16; edited 2 times in total
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Shoulders and nose infront of your toes. 
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GrahamN and easiski, thanks for your advice. It's very nice that Charlotte assumes that I can handle "deep snow" as an experienced skiier - but actually I struggle with it.
Prehaps this is something that I will be able to sort out at the EOSB - with a little help from certain  s
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FAQ
and I had to agree that we would pay for the skis if he managed to snap them in half. Not a lot of chance of that happening as he was having lessons on the gentle green slopes and hadn't yet quite progressed to cliff drops 
When he tried the shorter skis he did of course then progress much better, but I was quite shocked at the attitude of the hire shop.
The next pair of slalom skis I buy will be 155s. 
