 Poster: A snowHead
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I don't want to post a long, rambling post on here but i have some questions about skis that would be useful to get some advice.
if i were to buy skis to take on hols, i'm assuming if i get a well matched pair it will improve my skiing no end? (more so than a spyder jacket 
however i don't think i'm the easiest person to select for and getting conflicting advice...so here's the reqs,
*height is 5'6" and weight is over the 83k standard..i'm not telling how much but it's heavy!
*but female so would like to take advantage of skis with a proper female design, larger sweet spot etc as my problem last time was sitting back and tips crossing which i'm told is linked directly to women's centre of gravity.
*however female beginners skis are designed for small petite women and are very soft. i believe i need something stiffer if i'm heavier?
*also length wise will need over 160 i think. which is fine.
so this is what my research has led me to...head's product advidor recommended the cool thang which sits at level 2 on their bar rating, but they are calling advanced. if i get these will i be out of my depth and will it harm my skiing? the ones a level down are the "fine thang" but they perhaps seem too basic and might hold me back! certainly i would have to change them after a year.
http://www.head.com/ski/products.php?region=eu&tag=women&id=925
k2 true luv(intermediate) or sweet luv(novice). (again might be too soft)
http://www.k2skis.com/skis/ski.asp?ProductID=17
i skied for a week last year (not the whole time mind you!) and can do intermediate blues and stop with skis parallel. struggling a bit with my tips crossing, boots kinda hurt and really struggled when it came to a steeper blue.
any advice appreciated! want to get skis of a decent price so would like to get them off the internet. is it also worth telephoning head and k2 and seeking their advice?
might give the expensive jacket a miss for this season and concentrate on improving my form! everyone on here has been really helpful so looking forward to some great advice....
cheers
sarah
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 20-09-07 22:28; edited 2 times 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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as opposed to skis that don't match?
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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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tequilaslammer, I thought the same thing - perhaps most of the skis queen_sheba, has looked at have been a 155 matched with a 160 
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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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Beaten to it! I was going to say that I've got matching skis, but wouldn't say I'm an expert
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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"struggling a bit with my tips crossing, boots kinda hurt and really struggled when it came to a steeper blue."
You don't say if you have your own boots, but assuming not you would be better off buying your own boots from a decent bootfitter, and investing in lessons before thinking about buying the skis. Would respectfully suggest that at your current level it's probably better to hire standard piste skis of a shorter length, no longer than 160,perhaps a bit shorter, and think about your own skis when your skills have improved.
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can't i get both?
(prob for the price of a spyder jacket!)
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queen_sheba, suggest you go for good quality lessons rather than a cool jacket OR new skis... sitting back is something lots of us do, male and female, and needs correcting by learning sound technique, not acquiring hardware. You can still sit back just as easily on "women's" skis, I can assure you. I am no expert but I have never heard crossing tips being a result of female anatomy.... might be because of having the skis too long, I suppose, but more likely not using your legs in harmony. Technique again. Lessons, lessons, lessons. From what you say, you need easy turning, short (nose length absolute maximum) skis at the moment, but might want something different in a year or two. Probably best to hire at this stage; you can hire women's skis easily enough if that is what you want. When you want to buy your own stuff, boots is where to start because having sore feet will ruin a holiday quicker than anything, and having boots too big makes it hard to control your skis accurately. Snowheads boot clinic coming up?
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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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Of course you can.
But the most important first purchase is boots. Then the skiis.
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| Quote: |
can't i get both?
(prob for the price of a spyder jacket!)
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Good quality lessons aren't cheap!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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here's the info i gathered.
women skiing requirements are quite different from mens. i also intend to get lessons. private ones as i found i always got left at the back as i was being over cautious in the groups...the one private lesson i took last year i learned more in that hour than in a few days of group lessons, because i could see the instructor, follow her and copy her as well as hear her!
sorry just a quick edit as i was rambling...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/siforwomen/2001/january_february/gear_goddess/alpine_skis/
http://www.winterfeelsgood.com/winterfeelsgood.php?section=sports&page=buy_w_board_tips
Women typically have narrower shoulders, wider hips, and shorter legs than men do. That means women carry most of their weight low on their bodies -- between the waist and the knees -- whereas men carry most of their weight between the waist and the neck. This means a woman's center of gravity is lower and farther back over her heels. As a result, women are more prone to sitting back on their skis and, at lower ability levels, crossing their tips. In addition, since women usually weigh less than men of comparable height, they either need a softer-flexing ski or must use a lot more force in their turns to get the same response from their skis.
Women's Skis
Women's skis are generally lighter weight and have a softer flex than most men's skis. Bindings on most of the women's models are positioned farther forward to increase stability and make turning easier. Women can, of course, go with any ski model appropriate for their ability and terrain preferences. Some women, however, especially those with smaller builds, find that lighter women's skis are easier to control.
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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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If you want to get some skis, why not first hire some in resort, most shops will let you try a lot of different skis, until you find some you like. They will also often knock off the hire charge when you buy some. I would be reluctant to buy skis I had not tried, its next to impossible to decipher the marketing claptrap.
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queen_sheba, You mustn't mind us having some fun. There are a number of pedants around here and we all get our fair share of the fire from time to time 
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You know it makes sense.
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Save your cash for some correctly fitted boots.
Correctly fitting boots will NEVER be found at the hire shop but skis that you enjoy using can be hired.
Unless you are going away to skis more then twice a year its not worth owning your own.
Hire them and no:
Carridge charges on the airline
Hassle getting them to the airport
Servicing or repair costs
You can choose from a selection of skis at the hire store to suit your improving technique each trip , change them based on the terrain you are going to ski, change them if you dont like them.
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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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queen_sheba, There's no such thing as the 'Right Skis'. It's always a balance of your skills and the terrain you want to play in. Well fitting and comfortable boots first, then lessons, then maybe jacket, THEN skis . . . and be prepared to stick them on eBay as you outgrow them . . . or not. I've got my own skis but I have a lot of fun playing about on others and every time I do it reminds me of what I've yet to learn about body control and adapting to situations.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Get boots and lessons... forget the skis for now...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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queen_sheba, If i remember right you are from the frozen north so there are plenty of places you could invest in a few lessons. I love dry slopes but I am definately in the minority there! so what about Xscape? Then you'll get a head start when you go away and it will probably help much more than your own skis at this stage.
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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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queen_sheba, I don't think you should focus on the ski as the cause of you crossing your skis. I'd agree with others on here, don't buy any skis just yet, but use the money for some private lessons to iron out your weaknesses. If you want to use women's skis, you can request them when you hire them, but at your level, I don't think they'd make a lot of difference. I'm very impressed by all the research you're doing though, you are definitely a !
If it helps, I'm a girl and none of the skis (or snowboard) I own are women-specific. There's a whole other debate about the effectiveness of womens skis, but I'm not going to start that...
Good luck!
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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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| queen_sheba wrote: |
*height is 5'6" and weight is over the 83k standard..i'm not telling how much but it's heavy!
*but female ..... |
SNAP!
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*also length wise will need over 160 i think. |
I have been given 150-155-160 at hire shops and NEVER been told any are too short for me! What I did discover, which was even more important, was that hire shops tend to set your ski bindings too high if you are a bit on the chunky side, taking more account of weight than anything else because they are so focused on reading the tables they forget to use common sense in their judgement. On my first visit to Xscape at Castleford they did the height/weight thing and read off the table that I needed a setting of something like 6.5/7.0. In resort I was told that is incorrect and that the tables are only a starting point for the average skier. The principal factors for me should be my age, and the fact that I am a novice who skis very cautiously. There I was advised to use 3.75-4, so I have stuck with a setting of 4 since then, and the skis have never yet come off even when I have fallen, so I think that setting is probably fine for now.
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| I skied for a week last year (not the whole time mind you!) and can do intermediate blues ............ really struggled when it came to a steeper blue. |
SNAP again!
I'd certainly echo the advice to get your own well-fitting boots as a first and very high priority. Go and see CEM in Bicester. I found my own boots made a massive difference - for me it's because I have a problem ankle due to an old injury (non skiing!), and boots with custom footbeds allow me to hold that ankle at the correct angle, which unsupported I can't do.
I went through a period of thinking I would try to get my own skis, because if I could keep that factor as well as the boots constant, so only the snow conditions changed, I would ski better. I borrowed some skis and used them 2-3 times in Xscape and in Tignes; yes they seemed to suit me well, but they didn't magically make me ski that much better, so I tried to put that feeling aside and decided to spend the dosh on lessons instead. I also found taking skis with me abroad to be a pain, as they had to be separately paid for and dropped off/collected at a special desk at the airport, then, when we had a long wait in Geneva and decided to visit the city we found the left luggage lockers don't take skis - we had to take them to a different office, but leave suitcases in the lockers.
In a later post you mention lessons and being over-cautious. ME TOO!
I did a week in Serbia, during which the weather was far from ideal and so I skied only about 2-3 hrs each day with ice, mud, slush and fog and had private lessons (which are REALLY cheap over there, as I too was scared of group lessons leaving me behind! Then I managed a really late 3-day special offer trip to Tignes in the last week of the season and managed to ski again about 3 hrs each day before the sun got the better of the lower level snow. I still couldn't manage more than the easier parts of blues, anything steeper and I would just go rigid with fear which of course stopped me properly negotiating them.
Since then I have been to Xcape and Tamworth snowslopes a few times and have had a couple of real bargain price lessons at Tam - my Dad bought me a year's membership pack for my 50th, and that gets 30% off everything, and in the summer there's another 30% off, so 1hr private lesson cost me £34, which is not that much more than a group lesson at full price. My confidence is finally growing a bit, but it doesn't take too much to shake it still.
I am still unable to do parallel turns and I reckon I must be the most difficult person in the world to teach to ski! But I will get there!
So, next year, I have a trip booked with friends to Vallandry, and have managed to get in group lessons with NewGeneration, who have a reputation for small groups with instructors who really treat each student as an individual and don't just barge on at the pace of the best (boldest?) student.
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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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every time i hit the deck last year my skis came off. i thought that's what was supposed to happen? (to prevent injury?)
Yes - i do live in the frozen north where the nearest ski slope is 1.5 hrs away (heehee) weather permitting of course! so i could use them darn skis every weekend if i wanted!
No i'm looking forward to getting private lessons, maybe an hour a day for 5 days in the morning, spending the rest of the day practicising and then reviewing technique the next morning. if any lovely ski instructors think it would work better a different way - any suggestions are welcome. however one stipulation would be morning lessons, otherwise i love my bed too much!
i did hire skis last year but i was so intently focused on the boots i didn't notice if the skis were right or not for me. giong backwards and forwards every day to get the boots adjusted was a massive pain and i wouldn't want to do that just to try out some skis. lol. until i did my research i thought all skis were pretty much the same except length. but they're not are they! the right skis will help you progress in confidence and ability? if that's not the case the surely everyone would just buy the same ones?
ps - i've said i AM going for lessons and I AM going for boots. i'm enquiring into the possibility of ALSO getting skis. not a compromise but all 3! it's either that or dubai for a week before xmas!
cheers
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| queen_sheba wrote: |
ps - i've said i AM going for lessons and I AM going for boots. i'm enquiring into the possibility of ALSO getting skis. not a compromise but all 3! it's either that or dubai for a week before xmas!
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The usual advice is don't bother with skis because they're usually not a worthwhile investment for the 3 weeks a year skiier. If you factor in the investment, maintainence and carriage, I think it's usually about 3 holidays a year and keeping the skis for 3-4 years just to break even on investment. This is for a good skiier who will actually see the benefit of what they're skiing. Not to be rude, but it's not your skis that are making your tips cross, it's your technique - and that means you'll want beginner skis that you'll grow out of as soon as you get used to confidently making turns.
So, basically, I'd say Dubai is a better choice 
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If you decide to get skis go to Ellis Brigham at Xscape in Glasgow, they let you try their skis on the slope and one of the guys even came to the slope after 1 hr to change my skis for me so i could try 2 pairs in 1 session. If you are wanting to get some of last years models cheap then make a note of the dimensions of them, eg. tip, middle, tail widths and try to ski something similar OR ask the guys there what they would recommend for you, they are very, very helpful. Also try at least 1 pair of mens skis equivalent to a womens pair as I think many women, myself included seem to prefer the mens.
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see i'm quite surprised at that - i know hundreds of folk who have their own skis and only go once a year?! i suppose if you have the money it doesn't reallty matter so much.
like i said - i'm 1.5 hours from the cairngorms and glenshee and there are five ski resorts in scotland. so if anyone was going to get the chance to use them more than once or twice a year it would be me!
however, i do see your point about still requiring beginners skis. perhaps for this time as well though? i was hoping to progress onto reds by the end of the week, i just need to iron out a few of the minor technique problems i'm having but i progressed so far last year from never having skied on powder to sking across from morzine to les gets (admittedly i fell a fair few times) on my own. would i still need beginners skis then? i might get in touch with some of the hire shops in morzine and see what range they have available.
cheerie!
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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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There's a great indoor slope in Dubai...!
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i KNOW! how cool huh? it's massive too! with chairlifts and everything.
my pal works for the hilton so hoping for some cheap rates and the flights are on special offer with emirates/klm etc at the moment until 9th december.
imagine going all the way to dubai to ski! it's supposed to be average of about 25degrees in dec. LUSH!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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In that heat, how much energy does it take to keep all that indoor snow cold? 
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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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aye 25 degrees in december! it gets up to 40 in the summer (ouch) dunno is the answer to your question though.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
giong backwards and forwards every day to get the boots adjusted was a massive pain and i wouldn't want to do that just to try out some skis.
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That sounds miserable - having your own boots which fit well would make a big difference. But it's a mission - set aside some time, find a good bootfitter, and give it priority. Everything is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much nicer with comfortable feet.
Tell the bootfitter honestly about your level of ability, and the problems you had, and your priority for comfortable boots. Don't do what my sister in law did. She had once skied a red run, it took me ages to get her down it, but she did it and was very pleased. She ignored my advice, and told the person in the shop that she was a "red run skier" but the boots she got were not right for her - she should have said she was a nervous beginner skier who once, on a good day, did an easy red run very slowly!!!!!!!!!!!
She thought that the more expensive the boots were, the more comfortable they would be. Not necessarily the case! Be aware that higher level, more expensive, boots for more expert skiers are generally tighter fitting, because maximum control is essential. I gather that the downhill racers unclip their boots immediately after the run because otherwise they'd die of pain. Emphasise that you want comfort, not to be in the running for the next world championship....
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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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lol - good advice! yes i know where my main problems with boots are. calves are too low and big so i need heel lift and widest possible fastenings. by the end of the week i i wasn't getting pins and needles. but the boots i had were pretty basic and clunky - think they were blokes ones too.
the ladies ones with the lower calf part should hopefully do the trick.. looking forward to getting them now!
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Poster: A snowHead
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queen_sheba, my sister in law has such big everything, including lower legs, that there wasn't a pair of boots in the whole of Austria she could get done up. The lad in the hire shop was mortified, but she was looking for an excuse not to ski, and she found one. Sounds like you need to go and see one of the specialist bootfitters - lots of good stuff on here about bootfitters.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
There I was advised to use 3.75-4, so I have stuck with a setting of 4 since then, and the skis have never yet come off even when I have fallen, so I think that setting is probably fine for now.
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That sounds like they are still a bit high - or you are so catious you never fall at any real speed. They should sometimes come off when you fall. That is the whole point of the release mechanism - it is there to protect your legs.
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every time i hit the deck last year my skis came off. i thought that's what was supposed to happen? (to prevent injury?)
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Not every time, but quite often, yes. If they come off every time, then either you are not controlling your falls yet, or they are set a little too low, and you may occasionally get them coming off when you weren't falling (which will of course cause a fall).
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see i'm quite surprised at that - i know hundreds of folk who have their own skis and only go once a year?! i suppose if you have the money it doesn't reallty matter so much.
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It depends on what you can afford, and how important the convenience factor is to you. On a pure economic basis, skis are hardly ever going to be worthwhile for somebody who "only" skis once or twice a year. But if you can spare the money, and are willing to put in the time to wax and tune them (or pay somebody else to do so), and put up with the inconvenience of traveling with them, then it is nice to own your own, although the benefits to your skiing will never be as much as from having good boots.
I do have my own skis, but only because I won a pair in a website competition. I wouldn't have bought my own, but have bought my own boots.
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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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controlling my falls!! snigger. Don't think that was on my lesson programme.
i never hurt myself out of the 50 or so times i fell over the course of a week so i guess that's good! (though prob not controlled)
lol.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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queen_sheba, Another shout for great lessons and fitted boots. A dose of each sorted me out.
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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'm not sure how you do the maths for the economics of ski hire but I only manage a two and a bit weeks a year and I reckon my skis pay for themselves. I get at least 5 years out of a pair of skis = 10 weeks. Bindings typically survive two pairs of skis. You don't need to pay for servicing every week (or even every two weeks really). I don't think I've ever paid for carriage. Add all that up and you get a saving over hiring.
On top of that you get two significant benefits:
1. you know your skis, they just feel natural on the first turn and if you've chosen them well then they are the RIGHT for you which you can't guarantee from the hire shop
2. you arrive in resort and ski, this often means that I sneak out for an hour or two when others are trogging down to the hire shop with their credit cards. These stolen hours are fantastic (you feel that you've had a win) and mean that your ready to hit it the next day
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| queen_sheba wrote: |
controlling my falls!! snigger. Don't think that was on my lesson programme.
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It really should be, although I know many ski schools don't.
It is an important part of avoiding injury.
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i never hurt myself out of the 50 or so times i fell over the course of a week so i guess that's good! (though prob not controlled)
lol. |
That is certainly good, yes.
But may just have been luck 
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| little tiger wrote: |
| NewSkier wrote: |
I am still unable to do parallel turns and I reckon I must be the most difficult person in the world to teach to ski! But I will get there!
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I will bet you a Gin and Tonic or three that you are not |
It's tempting to take you up on that!
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| The ski school even thought of taking current video and splicing with the original to show what can be achieved with good instruction and some persistence... |
That would be so encouraging for those of us who are not naturals - I'd love to see it.
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| Skiing parallel very slowly is very hard.... it is easier with some speed - which a nervous person does not like... Work on balance and foot skills and parallel will come when you are ready. (I speak from experience there) |
Thanks - yes, speed is definitely something I don't like, because with it comes a feeling I am not fully in control. The instructor I had in Tignes had a good exercise - one beginner run ends up with an upwards slope, so you know you will slow down - when you get part way down, if it's clear, he says to ski as fast as possible in a straight line for the last bit. I did start to enjoy it, but had so little time there -- I needed much more.
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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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| NewSkier wrote: |
Thanks - yes, speed is definitely something I don't like, because with it comes a feeling I am not fully in control. ..... |
Ok - this is why i said work on the balance and foot skills....
Suggestion... Post this in Bend Ze Knees and ask for Fastman to chat about this with you... (Yes he skis fast but it is actually a play on his real life name)....
You are allowed to want to feel in control.... the trick is in learning how to feel in control at a higher speed than the current one... 
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| Quote: |
You are allowed to want to feel in control.... the trick is in learning how to feel in control at a higher speed than the current one...
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little tiger, I soooo..... see that as a concept!!
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FAQ
I am not really clear on it)....
....I stunk!!!! I mean I was absolutely horribly awful!!!! To the point that the ski school directors wife(who ran the private lesson desk) actually turned kind of white when she found I had skied overseas one summer....
