 Poster: A snowHead
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hey all. Im off to Alpe D'huez in a few days and i need to know what skis to rent. This will be my third week skiing ever but i've gotton pretty good. I want to try practice carving (I've got the theory down) but i will also want to do a fair bit of off piste skiing. Any advice would on what skis to rent?? I dont really know much about what types of skis available so any help would be great. Thanks snowheads!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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scrubyjoe, Speak to the staff in the store and arrange to swap skis each day if you are not sure what you want. For messing about between on and off piste just try skis with a waist of 82mm to 105mm depending on how much float you require.
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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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Scarpa, 105mm wide skis for a third weeker!? 
scrubyjoe, I agree (though not with 105mm...), speak to the guys in the shop, see what they reckon and find out if you can change your skis every day or two. About 85mm should be right if your starting to dabble in off-piste, anything wider will play havoc with your attempt to try carving/railing.
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If the majority of your skiing will be on piste, and that's where you will be trying to develop your technique I'd not go any wider than 80mm underfoot, especially if you are keen to try your hand at carving.
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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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scrubyjoe, Are you going to take lessons? If so I think your instructor could point you in the right direction.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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skisimon, Well that would be pushing it a little but depends so much on what the store has and what the conditions are like off piste. You are right though... high 80's to low 90's seem to be about right for heading into the great ungroomed.
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scrubyjoe, I'd go with rob@rar. Fat skis won't do you any favours on piste and I suspect you'll want to do a fair amount more of this to have a fighting chance in anything other than piste-like off-piste conditions! Dunno how heavy you are but you might not even want to go above mid 70s. 
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I'm a fairly light (73kg) skier and I was on 76mm skis from day 5. Progressing quickly I was doing stuff like the Robert Blanc at les Arcs by mid third week. If, as scrubyjoe states he has pregressed rapidly then he may want a slightly fatter ski if he intends to do a lot of off piste learning. It may be an idea though to ask the shop if he can change back to piste based skis for days spent mainly on the groomed runs.
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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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Completely agree with rob@rar and slikedges - under 85mm and probably best under 80mm.
scrubyjoe - do yourself a favour and hire some piste skis that will allow you to develop your technique.
Let me share a personal experience...
I'm learning to telemark. Last your, for a laugh, I tried learning on some skis that are 105mm underfoot. I did ok, but struggled. This year I'm on some skis that are 82mm underfoot. "Suddenly" I can telemark.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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slikedges, Oh, I couldn't use them efectively  Took me a while longer to get to my current level of ignorance. I suppose that 76mm was a good level for me as it let me get off the slopes into the softer stuff a bit whilst still letting me get on an edge with ease.
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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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Thanks all. Im very much enlightened. clive5, I do plan to take 1 or 2 private lessons when im over there.
My plan now is to stay on piste and take lessons for the first 3 days of the trip and get skis that around 75mm underfoot and then try change for some slightly wider ones after that maybe around 85mm for the final 3 days where i'll spend more time, as scarpa says, in the great ungroomed. Scarpa, to answer your ealier question im about 68kg. If anyone thinks im doing wrong please let me know. Cheers snowheads!
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scrubyjoe, that sounds like a good plan. Have a great trip.
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You know it makes sense.
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scrubyjoe, As others have pointed out.. my view was based more upon your progression and intention to do 'off piste' during this trip. Fatter skis WILL hold your technique back on the groomed slopes... but if you are intending to do a whole day off piste then the store should let you take a wider ski out for no extra charge for the last couple of days.
Have fun... and give it a damn good go. It took me a fair few weeks of regular snow baths before I gained even a modicum of off piste inability. Such good fun though 
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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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scrubyjoe, if you're 68kg then 75-80mm underfoot will provide you with plenty of float. There's no need to got fatter.
Personally, I'm (err) much "fatter" and the amount of ski underfoot is much more relevant.
Phillip to BASI Trainer - "What's the one thing I could do to improve my off-piste?"
BASI Trainer - "Lose around 20kg, so that you're skiing on top of the snow, not through it..."
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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slikedges, That may be logical but from my humble experience at 73kg 76mm skis sure sank in and made me fall over a lot when getting into the first few weeks off piste.
IF... I had been a good skier then I could have overcome this.
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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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Err, thanks for that slikedges. But I think you've got the point I was trying to make.
Scarpa - falling over a lot during the first few weeks of off piste skiing was probably a LOFT issue. Ski girth can only do so much to help. Mileage and practice are really the only things that can really help.
* LOFT - Lack Of F...ing Technique
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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FlyingStantoni, Very true... my technique on the soft stuff really needed improvement. Getting there now. Great fun though
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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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FlyingStantoni, sorry, just my attempt at humour  Certainly on-board with your point and indeed have made the same point on this forum many times before.
Scarpa, nevertheless, (assuming all lengths the same) you were likely getting as much float on 76mm skis as the 100kg guy on 100mm, and if you find it easier on 90mm skis, it'll be like the big guy on 120mms!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| slikedges wrote: |
| FlyingStantoni, sorry, just my attempt at humour |
Completely understood 
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FAQ
However would you say you were the exception or the rule (not referring here to your other "exceptions", well known here on sH 
)? How many 3rd week skiers other than your good self have you met who can claim to use skis effectively? I regret that I've met none.
