 Poster: A snowHead
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I started skiing seven years ago and have been every year since then. Each trip i have invested in half a days private tuition and as such feel I have progressed well to what i would call "good intermediate" level. I have not spent much time off piste as yet but may do in the future, for now i spend most of my time on red runs. I ski fairly aggressively and enjoy going as fast as my talent permits.
I am now considering buying my first set of ski's and was hoping for some advice. I have visited various shops but have not been filled with confidence from the advice i received, they seemed to just focus on price.
I hope to continue to improve but when i read reviews on some of the top ski's such as the x wing, i worry that they are geared more for experts and if purchased, may hinder my developent. can anyone recomend a ski that they think might be ideal for someone in my position?
I am in my mid twenties, 6ft 1 and weigh 95 kg.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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arr300, I must have lost my early grumpiness -
1. welcome to snowheads
2. while a usual response would be have you searched the threads - but in this case it's such a wide open question that I'm not sure you'd make much sense of the various discussions.
3. So I shall go out on a limb.
Generally speaking, you can divide skis (today's, restricted to what I presume you're talking about) into some broad categories.
specialist for racing, deep powder, touring, etc. Usually pretty easy to work out what these ones are. By racing, I mean fully conforming with FIS race rules on sizes, etc. not the detuned ones that you find in most shops marked "race". Most real "expert" skis will fall into this category.
beginner - cheap, huge margin, soft, probably not that much easier to ski on but marketed as such - usually the marketing tells you what they're all about (avoid)
intermediate - everything else. Better materials, still big margins, will perform better (don't ask me to define that), marketed as such.
There are very few skis truly marketed at experts. Real experts generally don't pay for their skis anyway. Most people buying skis are, at best, advanced intermediates, but ski companies would go out of business with even more regularity if their marketing programmes recognised that.
There are very few "bad" skis (except right at the cheapest end of the spectrum).
So you have a difficult task at hand.
Rule #1. try before you buy
Let's use a brand that I have some familiarity with as an example.
Rossignol have a couple of ranges aimed at on piste skiing - the Radical Oversize and the Zenith. I have seen many many skiers who I would class as "good intermediate" skiing on the Radical O (which Rossignol market as a Race ski (it's not). You may find that the Zenith is more forgiving (don't ask me to define that). But you need to try yourself.
Consider also that you really want to get some value out of them - so maybe paying a little more now will mean they work well for you for longer and payback more effectively.
More expensive is probably better.
Find a pair you like, then buy online at huge discount - or in resort in end of year sale. Decathlon also appear to offer good value...
Sorry, probably not much help!
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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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arr300, welcome to  's
What under a new name said
Very few skis are for "experts" some are stiffer than others but there aren't many bad skis.... If you want to ski on piste buy something upto 75mm wide. If you want to go 50-50 get something upto 90mm wide anything wider than that will be compromised on piste but better in the deeper snow.....
I have a pair of Rossi Zenith Z5 (74mm wide) which I use when there hasn't been fresh snow and a pair of Head Monster im88's (89mm wide) which I use when their has been fresh snow. I have skied a bit longer than you and am a little larger....
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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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arr300, thinking about what II rightly mentions, I would think, without knowing anything about your skiing that you will find anything much wider than 75 mm will hinder rather than help progress at this stage.
But I am somewhat prejudiced.
Again, buy before you try.
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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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II, I hope that's not completely correct - my new skis are 78mm underfoot (123,78,105) and I intend to use them mainly on piste (In fact I think they only just start to hit the criteria for a mid-fat usually recommended for off/on piste with a balance mainly off piste). I know that you are making a generalisation about the width, but surely extra width can be compensated for by correspondingly wider tips and tails to give overall carving performance on piste?
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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 agree with Megamum . I'm skiing on 78mm this year and they are fine on-piste, and I find I can turn as easily as with my old 65mm (it could be that I'm improving, but I wouldn't bank on it!).
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Megamum, What did you buy? And what are they like?
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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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arr300, get to a fridge with a Snow and Rock or Ellis Brigham attached and try everything they'll let you. Better still, do the same on a skiing holiday so you can try more conditions/speeds. Don't buy anything you haven't actually tried, no matter what anyone recommends. Then shop around for the best price, preferably at the end of the season.
Or do what I do and rent 2-3 different pairs during a week's hol for different conditions/itineraries. That way (so long as you have a friendly ski shop) you get to ski on the latest gear and always have a ski to suit the conditions.
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Megamum,
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but surely extra width can be compensated for by correspondingly wider tips and tails to give overall carving performance on piste
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No. That affects ski radius. You can make a 120mm underfoot ski with a 13m radius if you want (not that many people would want one!) but it'd still be slow edge to edge, have a high swing weight, have a different feel when edged due to boot "underlap", be generally heavy, be differently engineered (eg for soft and deep performance) etc etc.
welshskier, there is a great difference in how a 65mm ski feels/skis and how a 78mm ski feels/skis if they are skied as they should be, but there are certainly ways of skiing them so that they feel/do the same thing. 
arr300, I largely agree with II and under a new name. If you want a ski for piste whether just for fun or for improving technique, you should buy a piste ski (not necessarily 65mm but IMV <75mm). If you want to improve your experience and versatility in deep snow, slush, crud, side of piste etc, get an all mountain (this is what most people will buy, but don't think it won't compromise the piste experience to some extent at least). andyph, gives good advice too - go to dome/mountain with an idea of type of ski you are after and test, test, test. BTW Welcome to snowHeads
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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arr300, As you're not yet much venturing off-piste I'd stick to something <80mm waist. At your weight be prepared to spend some $$ - you can't afford to be palmed off on something not up to the job. Don't be fobbed off with anything shorter than 183cm or so. Tbh I'd be looking at spending around 3-400 quid.
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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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arr300, umm, just to contradict, I think Alexandra is being a tad aggressive. Length is mostly to do with weight and agression - I think you could easily go rather shorter.
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arr300, I'd agree with under a new name, Somewhere 174-180. The joy of the "new skis" is that you can ski shorter and get stability and speed. Some people seem to be drifting back to old lengths and ways!
Some bargains to be had from Sport Conrad - who are brilliant
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You know it makes sense.
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under a new name, stoatsbrother, perhaps I am being seen as "too aggressive" in this area, but the guy is 95kg and I do think people get put on skis too short for their ability/weight. He does state that he skis aggressively and he takes the time to make sure he takes tuition which I feel is positive.
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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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Alexandra, elsewhere, after a similar question, the all-wise smallzookeeper recommended the Nordic Enforcer. It only goes UP to 185cms. So what does the experienced, aggressive, 120kilo midget go for?
Most people these days don't get offered skis too short, honest. Why do you think that? I'm curious. Most people I know, who don't know what they're doing have to be forced to go longer if too short is suggested...
P.S. my quiver of skis goes from 160 to 210 with usual roof rack at 165 and 188. I know too short when I see it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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under a new name, You're very light though, whilst you are tall you are light.
I would imagine as OP is looking for a piste ski he's not going to be going for a mid-fat (distributing the weight more evenly) so I'd reckon he needs a little length.
What do the 120kg do? Get compromised...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Alexandra, I am not very light - only about 7-8kg lighter than arr300, and even for on-piste skis - long is not necessarily necessary, and will usually increase radius. It won't be his last pair of skis. I have done long and done short and I think something in between will allow him to progress without limiting him.
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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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Alexandra, me? tall? at 5'6"? Surely not....
As the OP is going for a piste ski, IMO he actually wants to go short...you want length for powder
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FAQ
Elan Magfire 78 Ti 168cm turned up smoothered in wrapping paper 
. As for what they are like - I will report back in a couple of weeks with a ski review - I leave for Les Arc's first thing next Thursday!! 
