 Poster: A snowHead
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I am a first time user of this forum, so please forgive me if I'm a little foreign to it. I need some help in understanding the new era of skiing. I'm 31 now, when I was growing up in the late 80s and early 90s I lived for skiing. I had 4 day school weeks and from the time I was about 12-16 I skied about 50-60 times a year. I was a very good skier, I would say advanced to expert. I wasn't a heli skier or anything like that but there wasn't a run at any ski resort I visited that I couldn't ski well on. At the time (and now) I used Rossignol 4s skis that were 203cm. Since I was about 16 I fell out of skiing, only skiing once or twice a year, but feeling like I have been able to maintain most of my skills, maybe have gotten a little rustier though. My question comes in the fact that I have just recently taken a friend skiing for the first time and we both loved it. I feel like I'm ready to get back into it on a more frequent basis. I have started looking on the internet to buy new skiis, but it has overwelmed me. I don't know any of the terms and skiis have changed so much since my 4s skiis. The skiis are now short and wide and there are terms like freestyle, all mountain, freeride and so many more that I don't know. I feel lost! The longest skiis I even see now are in the 180s and 190s. I don't even really know where to start. I would so much appreciate anyone that will help out in starting me in the right direction to get to the 2008 skiing world. I'm stuck in about the 1991 world and am still ooing and ahhing over Glen Plake. Please help me Snowhead world.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jakea6, welcome to Snowheads!
You're right, there are so many different types of ski that without knowing what type you like can't really help you with what to buy. To start out I suggest hiring a range of different types of ski and having a few lessons on them. With your skill level I'm sure you'll pick up new techniques quickly with lessons, and figure out what you like.
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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 had a pair of Rossi 3gs back in the 80s, 200 cm. Modern skis are much more versatile and need a lot less forcing to initiate turns. If you ski well, you should adapt pretty quickly and find it much easier now. Assuming you weren't a legs glued together kind of skier back then.
If you were skiing 203 cm, you should be fine now on 175-185 cm depending on the ski type. All mountain skis (good allround piste / off-piste performance) at around 180-185 cm and 80-90 mm wide at the waist would be in the ballpark. Pure powder skis (Freeride) can be well over 100 mm wide and 190+ cm long. Or for a more nimble piste oriented ski, something at around 175 cm with a sub 70 mm waist. You've probably noticed twin tipped skis too, which are often termed "freestyle". You only really need to consider these if you're thinking of getting into "Park" skiing ie. jumps, rails etc. But you do still see them all over the mountain. Basically, there's a lot more choice out there now and very few, if any, really bad skis. In your position I'd probably re-learn on "All Mountain" skis, but not something excessively wide unless you're going to spend most of your time off-piste.
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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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jakea6, welcome to snowHeads. To help narrow the range it would be helpful to describe what kind of skiing you do mostly: groomed runs, short turns, long turns, backcountry, park, all mountain, etc?
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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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jakea6,The old Rossi 4S were their Slalom model before they introduced the 7S 'J' Turner. Things have changes so much since in Slalom ski technology, the FIS men's length is now 165cm. The edge grip and turning forces now available are scary compared to an old 4S, however the downside is that the new Slalom skis are much less versatile than your old 4S's, which apart from deep powder, you could take pretty much anywhere.
I'd recommend you trying something like a Head Supershape Magmum, they'd still out-turn and out-grip your old Rossi's, but they're still as versatile.
Welcome to snowHeads BTW 
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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 see you're in Wyoming so at a guess the sort of places you might have within local range for skiing are Jackson, Targhee, Utah. In that case go fat and long - maybe consider something like the Volkl Gotama or similar size skis.
If you are a closet lycra case or ski somewhere where hard pack conditions are likely by all means consider skinnier skis.
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Thanks so much for the quick replies guys. I'll post more information after work tonight. Thanks for the warm welcomes too.
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| Spyderman wrote: |
I'd recommend you trying something like a Head Supershape Magmum
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I really fancy a pair of those myself for piste blasting.
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bloxy
bloxy
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Hi
I made the transition from old school to new school about 10 years or so ago having started skiing in 1982.
I used to ski Rosi 4S 195 or 200cm (broke 3 pairs in one season, the edges were sooo fragile!) and my last pair of skinny skis were Salomon Force9 2S 203cm, I used both for off piste, bumps, powder, everything. Can't imagine being on them now! The revelation of what the modern ski could do for me was the Salomon XScream, I bought one of the first 6 pairs to be available in France when they first came out all those years ago. The transformation was amazing, suddenly what had been hard work was easy!
I now ski Atomic Snoop Daddys in a 174cm when I ski in Utah, Jackson or Tahoe they are 88cm wide under foot. I also have a pair of 168cm AK HyperPRO (Swiss hand made skis I bought in a sale at Kirkwood CA!) all mountain skis which I have used in the harder snow conditions in Avoriaz France in the last couple of years, narrower under foot and a modern slalom ski shape and they carve a really mean edge. (as a guide to length I am 6ft and 196lb and ski at what would be classed in definitions like SCGB as an expert category on and off piste)
I am happy with what they call a mid fat (80-90cm under foot), there are much wider skis out there and there is a big fixation on floatation but I guess because I did so many years of skiing on long skinny skis I find the performance of a mid fat skiing in western US conditions in anything from bottomless pow in the back country to hard pack or bumps a perfect compromise when I can have only one set of skis. (If I lived out there I would probably have 3 sets for different conditions. All mountain slalom style like an Atomic B5, a mid fat like my Snoops and a true fat like a Sugar Daddy for powder days). You may have guessed I have become an Atomic fan!
You can always demo different skis in places like Jackson.
Hope that helps
(only 16 days and I'll be in Jackson Hole!)   )
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Thanks again for all the replies. To answer a couple questions, I ski in southern wyoming and colorado. I really only ski at resorts at this time and don't have a lot of days where I'm finding bottomless powder. Spyderman, you were dead on about the versitility of my 4s skiis, they are great everywhere but suffer a little in the powder. My main wants in a modern ski would be very responsive, good bump ski, good on packed and groomed rooms, and to be somewhat versitle if I run into crud or powder conditions. I'm not wanting a powder only type of ski, because to be honest I really only see great powder in my dreams. As far as ski sizing for my body type, I'm 5'11 215lb. I really appreciate the comments so far and would love to hear anything more.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| uktrailmonster wrote: |
| Spyderman wrote: |
I'd recommend you trying something like a Head Supershape Magmum
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I really fancy a pair of those myself for piste blasting. |
Believe me you would not be disappointed. Fab Skis. 
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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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Sounds like something in the 80-90 waist dept with a reasonable sidecut could do the job. IME Colorado hardpack is not like European hardpack so a good piste ski in Europe might not be the best ski for you.
Why not demo a couple of skis next trip you take (and any good shop should knock the rental cost off the purchase price) and listen to the shops recommendations?
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Definitely go out and rent. I don't know about your local ski resorts, but here in Whistler, you can rent and try a different ski every day, no extra charge. You most likely have similar deals at your local. this will give you an idea of what the fatter skis are like, and if you like them. As a general rule, the fatter skis want to go straighter, so if are the kind of person who likes doing a lot of turns, then you will settle for something smaller.
I like the 85-90mm waist for an all round ski. I am starting to ski my Prior originals which are 96mm every day, really enjoy them, but we are having a great season, plenty of powder and soft snow around.
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bloxy
bloxy
Guest
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| fatbob wrote: |
| IME Colorado hardpack is not like European hardpack so a good piste ski in Europe might not be the best ski for you. |
Definitely having skied extensively in the West USA , Colorado, California, Wyoming, Utah there is a real difference(except in a thaw/refreeze cycle). Which is why I use a 88 wide mid fat in the USA and a 76 wide all mountain ski in France.
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