 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi. I'm looking to buy first skis. I would describe myself as a confident intermediate skier. I’ve skied 5 weeks (1 week a year for last 5 years). I’m happy on reds and I’ve done quite a few blacks. I’m less confident on icy blacks. I tend to ski more on my edges than skidding but my technic is still a bit hit and miss at the moment – I’m still really learning to use my edges properly.
I’m 5’8” and weigh 82kg. I’m wondering about getting the Atomic Smoke TI in the 174cm length.
I’ve thought about the Atomic Blackeye TI but wonder whether that would be too advanced and I’ve thought about the K2 AMP Charger but wonder whether they would be too fast. I’m keen to progress with my technique and I’m much more interested in improving my on-piste ability at the moment and not as interested in off-piste.
Any advice appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I’m keen to progress with my technique
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then your best investment is probably in lessons (assuming you've got your own good-fitting 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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Rent skis and for god sake don't go near a boot fitter unless you have odd feet. Save the money and wait until you have rented and skied for a week one that you would like to buy.
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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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174's seem a bit long. I'm 5'10", 95kg and on 163 slalom skis. Only get a little wobble in straight lines if going very fast. This calms down when put on edge in a big carve I'd go with renting a bit longer until you're sure what you want. Try before you buy! You don't say whether you have your own boots, but thats usually the first thing to buy, before ski's.
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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 just bought some Rossi Experience 83's 168's - marvellous things. I am slightly taller and lighter than you and can't think a ski shop would recommend 174's. Had 165's before and shop - Roland Gay in Samoens say new rockers should be 3 or 4 cms longer than previous generation skis. Whatever it should be they work nicely for me.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sorry that should have been 171cm for Atomic Smoke TIs. It's available in 150, 157, 164, 171 and 178cm.
The Atomic Smoke TIs are mostly described as All Mountain skis (though one retailer seems to describe them as Freeride skis). Advice seems to be to go for a slightly longer length with All Mountain skis - though the Smokes are relatively narrow for an All Mountain ski at 77mm so I don't know whether that applies.
I've got my own boots. Have done since the second holiday I went on. I have funny feet. Very wide. I've had a lot of trouble with my feet and boots, lost toe nails, raw blisters etc. Most of that is sorted now.
I've had about 50 hours of lessons in all. Generally get lessions when I'm on holiday. Also ski at the Chill Factore a bit. We're going to Switzerland for a week this year and the rental will be very expensive (roughly £125) and that's sparked the interest in buying skis.
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Rent it's cheaper.... (I have 3 pairs of skis but if I go on an aeroplane my skis stay here)
buy your skis for £300... want to take them with you £25 out £25 back.... want the skis edged and waxed £30+.... (£125 for rental doesn't look so bad now... I belive there is a link on snowheads somewhere for a discount on rental too  )
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As Deerplay wrote, try before you buy. It is really important because we are all built differently and ski with different styles and what suits one person might not suit another.
After much frustration with rental skis, last year I tested six different skis: 1 Nordica, 2 HEAD, 1 Atomic and 2 Stöckli. One ski was significantly better than the others, for me and my skiing style. After a short while on them I knew they were the best skis I had ever used. I eventually bought the newer version of them from Edge and Wax and that was the first pair of skis I'd ever bought. I absolutely love them, so I'm content to swallow any transport and tuning costs.
As you are interested in improving your on-piste ability, perhaps trying various purely piste-focussed skis would be a good idea. They can feel more dynamic, precise, agile, grippy and exciting than All Mountain skis do. Mine let me carve more easily, with more stability, fluidity and control, at higher speeds. I can also ski them in a relaxed way if I want to and they are happy in a few inches of soft snow on the piste. For off-piste I would rent much wider skis though.
If you go to a good rental shop and tell them you want to try different skis every day, most won't have any problem with that at all. You just might have to pay a little extra in some shops.
5' 10"
65 kg
22 weeks spread over 31 years, mostly since 1997
Confident high level intermediate with decent piste technique
HEAD iSupershape Speed 163 cm, 115-68-99, R13.3
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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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widefoot, 90% of skis are decribed as all mountain skis nowadays, so dont worry so much about the retail blurb , but if you can demo in resort spend the time trying as many skis as possible and try and test them back to back on the same runs/condtions to give a true comparrison.then weigh up the costs of buying them in switzerland against the cheaper uk retailers . the smoke looks like a good chioce , good all round piste performance, with enough witdh and shape to do well when things cut up a little, has a bit of early rise so effective length will be feel shorter, but to confuse things a little more , you have to try various lengths as well as skis, 
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When I tested the Atomic D2 Vario Flex 73 (2010/11 model) in a 167 cm size in St Anton I didn't like it much because it felt heavy, a bit too long, and too much like hard work. It did carve nicely though. I had the feeling it was built for a heavier, more powerful skier than me (65 kg) because I just couldn't get any pop out of it. Having said that, I ended up buying skis that feel heavy in the hand but not at all heavy to ski on.
As you are heavier than me, perhaps 171 cm Atomic Smoke TI skis will suit you, but bear in mind that different lengths of the same model can feel wildly different to ski on. You will know quite quickly when you're on the right size for you.
Good luck. I spent ages reading about different skis and different people's opinions of them, had some helpful input from Snowheads, compiled a shortlist, then eventually was able to test most of the models I was interested in.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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widefoot, Teh Blackeye T's are good on the edge and I found a very forgiving ski. That said, for skiing one week a year with carriage and servicing v the convenience of not paying for either, then renting is by far the best option for you.
Put it another way - would you buy a car and garage it for 51 weeks of the year? 
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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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Widefoot also skis at the Chill Factore. I don't know what the rental skis there are like, but I hated the noodle-like rental skis at Hemel. They were much too soft flexing for me to enjoy them and it just put me off going there again.
I think it all comes down to personal preference and how much of a skiing addiction you have. I only ski about two weeks a year but I spend the rest of the year obsessing about the following year's trips, reading about skiing, watching videos, etc. I want my two expensive weeks on snow to be as perfect as possible.
Most of the people I ski with are experienced and not short of money, but they still rent skis because they don't like the "hassle" of transporting them. When we're on the slopes and I ask them whether they're enjoying their rental skis, the response is always along the lines of: "They're OK". For me, that's just not good enough when I'm spending serious money on a skiing trip. Just my opinion.
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Thanks for everyone's comments and advice. I'm going to rent this holiday and try out a few different skis. I'm actually looking forward to try them out. At least I know more about the skis that I can look for when renting. If I settle on something I like, I might still buy for next year but I'll see how it goes. As Walter-Spitty mentions, UK snow slope skis do tend to be a bit bland.
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