I am looking for some skis for my husband and am at a loss as have not a clue about what intermediate skiers ski on (or men for that matter!)
He is 6'2" 100kg (although normally 90kg, he has been travelling the last six months and gained a little weight). He is an intermediate skier, I have attached link to a video of his skiing, no nasty comments please!
This is probably a video of him skiing to the best of his ability.
I am looking for skis to use exclusively in a large snow dome, we live 15 minutes from one of the biggest snow domes in the world. He is intending to have lessons once a week and free ski once a week. He has to use a different pair of rentals every time and they always put him on a 165cm ski. This is not productive so I think having his own skis to use would mean he could get more from the lessons without having to get used to a new pair of skis every time.
On holiday in North America he has used a pair of Salomon X-Wings previously and been happy with them. I use a pair of Rossignol Attraxion Echo 8 in the snow dome and they are perfect although I have been looking for some Rossignol 8SL Slantnose.
I would really like a ski that will help him gain more confidence and give him stability as well as helping I'm get a feel for carving and hopefully push him over the intermediate plateau. I suspect as he improves he will look for some all mountain skis (hopefully something like the Experience 83 Open or perhaps even the S3 if he improves a lot) for holiday. I am not looking for a pair of skis for him to 'grow' into or a pair of ski's that can do everything.
I really want the best possible skis for him to learn and gain confidence as quickly as possible, if they have to be sold once he becomes a stronger skier I would prefer that than him using a more advanced ski or an all mountain ski that may hold him back and knock his confidence.
Any suggestions graciously received. TIA.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
buttmonki, If he got on well with the X-wings, probably stick to something like the Salomon enduro LX800 or RXT750, or Rossignol Z72, poss Z76.
Would be much better for him to demo a few though. you really want to go with something that's not too stiff, but this also depends on skiers weight/ability.
The only real way is to test some.
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?
Kudos to you for actually posting a video of his skiing - I am surprised to see only one response so far.
First of all, does he have his own ski boots?
6'2" and 100kg (220 lb) means he is quite a big lad, so he *might* want a slightly stiffer ski than the average intermediate skier. As gatecrasher pointed out, the only way to find out for sure is for him to test different skis. Is there a ski shop at your snow dome?
I would encourage him to get piste focused skis with a short turn radius (up to about 13 m) as they are more likely to help him improve his fundamental techniques at this stage.
Come on Snowheads, there must be many guys of a similar height/weight/ability level who can at least recommend some rental skis they have enjoyed using.
Looking at the video of your husband again, if you can get him to start pole planting properly before each turn I think it would make a big difference and his skiing could become more dynamic quite quickly.
For learning in a potentially crowded snow dome, a ski length of around 165 cm seems ideal for your husband's height/weight/ability, as long as it has the right level of stiffness for him and doesn't feel too floppy or noodle-like.
At 100 kg, he might feel more stable on a stiffer ski intended for a better skier. I see a lot of larger male intermediate skiers using HEAD i.Supershape Magnum skis these days: 163 cm, 120-71-106, radius 12.4 m.
A more relaxed ski for intermediates and upwards: HEAD Integrale 007
71 or 72 mm at the waist, with a short turn radius of 12.2 metres in the 163 cm length. £329.95 at Edge & Wax and a description here: http://youtube.com/v/nJGlHP3t06U
Another ski that might work well for him:
Stöckli Laser SC, 163 cm, 122-72-104, 13.5 m
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Hi,
I have a pair of skis which should fit the bill, ROSSIGNOL ZENITH Z76 TI BASALT + AXM120 S 12 in 170 cm which are brand new and have only two hours in Canada over last Christmas. There was so much powder that I used my fat skis for the rest of the vacation
PM me if you are interested and the cost will be very reasonable
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
