Skis--How Long?

I am thinking of buying some second-hand skis, or maybe some new ones on
sale. But I don't know what length would be ideal. Some background:

I am a 40-ish woman in good physical condition with somewhat weak knees.
Today, after a 13-year hiatus, I went skiing again. I had a great time. I
now happen to live pretty close to good ski areas in the West, and I'd like
to do more skiing; mostly long slow beginner slopes with some easy
intermediates thrown in now and then. I don't want to test my knees, and I
don't have a need for speed, either.

Today I rented skis. Having been away for so long, and knowing I am not as
strong as I once was, the rental shop and I agreed beginner's length skis
were appropriate. I started with 150s. Satisfied after a couple hours, I
moved up to 153's. These had a different shape--wider? The first pair was
fine but I felt better on the second pair. (More control? Dunno. Maybe it
was psychological.) The rental shop guy set both pairs of skis' binders to
a beginner's release setting. In three hours of skiing, I never fell. I
felt wobbly once. So I think I'll stick with the beginner's setting.

When I was younger I went through two pairs of skis in a few years, so I
know a little about the process of buying them. But it's been a long time.
I am 64.5 inches tall. Can someone, especially maybe advanced
beginner-intermediate middle-aged female skiers, make suggestions about the
appropriate ski length to buy? Something I'll like for the next ten years,
say?

TIA

Also Sprach Elle Navorski :

I am 64.5 inches tall. Can someone, especially maybe advanced
beginner-intermediate middle-aged female skiers, make suggestions about the
appropriate ski length to buy? Something I'll like for the next ten years,
say?

Skis can't tell how tall you are, only how much you weigh. My mom, who is
60 yr old intermediate, but never leaves the green trails, weighs maybe
110-120. She usally skis a 140, but prefers a 130, and even likes the
softer flex of a kids ski.. but she has no intention of ever skiing more
challenging terrain. If she were planning to go on faster trails, I'd
definitely push her towards a stiffer 150, but the's happy there.

Dan

--
Canadians are just like Americans without guns.

"Marshall Banana" wrote
Skis can't tell how tall you are, only how much you weigh. My mom, who
is
60 yr old intermediate, but never leaves the green trails, weighs maybe
110-120. She usally skis a 140, but prefers a 130, and even likes the
softer flex of a kids ski.. but she has no intention of ever skiing more
challenging terrain. If she were planning to go on faster trails, I'd
definitely push her towards a stiffer 150, but the's happy there.

Thanks, Dan. This helps a lot. (I'm around 115-125 lbs.)

Elle Navorski wrote:
I am thinking of buying some second-hand skis, or maybe some new ones on
sale. But I don't know what length would be ideal. Some background:

I am a 40-ish woman in good physical condition with somewhat weak knees.
Today, after a 13-year hiatus, I went skiing again. I had a great time. I
now happen to live pretty close to good ski areas in the West, and I'd like
to do more skiing; mostly long slow beginner slopes with some easy
intermediates thrown in now and then. I don't want to test my knees, and I
don't have a need for speed, either.

Today I rented skis. Having been away for so long, and knowing I am not as
strong as I once was, the rental shop and I agreed beginner's length skis
were appropriate. I started with 150s. Satisfied after a couple hours, I
moved up to 153's. These had a different shape--wider? The first pair was
fine but I felt better on the second pair. (More control? Dunno. Maybe it
was psychological.) The rental shop guy set both pairs of skis' binders to
a beginner's release setting. In three hours of skiing, I never fell. I
felt wobbly once. So I think I'll stick with the beginner's setting.

When I was younger I went through two pairs of skis in a few years, so I
know a little about the process of buying them. But it's been a long time.
I am 64.5 inches tall. Can someone, especially maybe advanced
beginner-intermediate middle-aged female skiers, make suggestions about the
appropriate ski length to buy? Something I'll like for the next ten years,
say?

You maybe know this, but your best option is to rent - break even on
buying skis vs renting is around 10 days a year consistent. I'd suggest
you rent and try different skis until you begin to know what appeals.
Try "performance" or "demo" rentals to get better skis. You'll save
money in the long run, since you won't be buying a ski that you have to
replace in a year.

You didn't mention boots, which are much more important. Buy good boots,
fitted by a good bootfitter, before considering buying skis. (Get your
poles from the dumpster.)

FWIW, I just spent today skiing with some "old" friends - several
couples. The women are all in their 60s and 70s, in good shape, estimate
120-130 lb, and good skiers; skis were soft expert skis in the 160-170
cm range. (My wife, about your size, is on 178.) Dam fine skiers all ...

"lal_truckee" wrote
Elle Navorski wrote:
I am thinking of buying some second-hand skis, or maybe some new ones
on
sale. But I don't know what length would be ideal. Some background:

I am a 40-ish woman in good physical condition with somewhat weak
knees.
Today, after a 13-year hiatus, I went skiing again. I had a great time.
I
now happen to live pretty close to good ski areas in the West, and I'd
like
to do more skiing; mostly long slow beginner slopes with some easy
intermediates thrown in now and then. I don't want to test my knees,
and I
don't have a need for speed, either.

Today I rented skis. Having been away for so long, and knowing I am not
as
strong as I once was, the rental shop and I agreed beginner's length
skis
were appropriate. I started with 150s. Satisfied after a couple hours,
I
moved up to 153's. These had a different shape--wider? The first pair
was
fine but I felt better on the second pair. (More control? Dunno. Maybe
it
was psychological.) The rental shop guy set both pairs of skis' binders
to
a beginner's release setting. In three hours of skiing, I never fell. I
felt wobbly once. So I think I'll stick with the beginner's setting.

When I was younger I went through two pairs of skis in a few years, so
I
know a little about the process of buying them. But it's been a long
time.
I am 64.5 inches tall. Can someone, especially maybe advanced
beginner-intermediate middle-aged female skiers, make suggestions about
the
appropriate ski length to buy? Something I'll like for the next ten
years,
say?

You maybe know this, but your best option is to rent - break even on
buying skis vs renting is around 10 days a year consistent.

Yes, I've run those numbers, thanks. They point to a purchase.

I'd suggest
you rent and try different skis until you begin to know what appeals.

Okay, I'll give this more thought.

Try "performance" or "demo" rentals to get better skis. You'll save
money in the long run, since you won't be buying a ski that you have to
replace in a year.

You didn't mention boots, which are much more important. Buy good boots,
fitted by a good bootfitter, before considering buying skis. (Get your
poles from the dumpster.)

Okay. I already have the poles picked out from my local thrift store. I
wasn't going to go this route until I saw some shops in my area charging
typically $50 for new poles. I've always had second-hand poles.

FWIW, I just spent today skiing with some "old" friends - several
couples. The women are all in their 60s and 70s, in good shape, estimate
120-130 lb, and good skiers; skis were soft expert skis in the 160-170
cm range. (My wife, about your size, is on 178.) Dam fine skiers all ...

Now are these lengths for non-shaped skis?

I figured out today that when I was last sking several days a winter some
13 years ago, "shaped" skis had just been introduced, and I in fact did not
have them. I think the ones I owned last (13 years ago) were 160 cm.

Now I see that the shaped skis are shorter (as you know, the area is made
up for by increasing the width). So when I demo some skis using rental
shops, should I get the shop's recommendation and expect suggestions of, I
dunno, 140 cm to 153 cm for shaped skis? Or should I even bother trying 160
cm shaped skis? The 140-153 range is kinda what I'm hearing from the shops
at the moment and one online web site (crude guesstimaters that all these
sources are; I realize it's about personal taste to a great extent).

Thank you for the input.

Elle Navorski wrote:

"lal_truckee" wrote:

You didn't mention boots, which are much more important. Buy good boots,
fitted by a good bootfitter, before considering buying skis. (Get your
poles from the dumpster.)

You laugh. A woman at Mountain High broke one of her Goode carbon fiber
poles and threw the other one in the trash. As soon as I find another
woman like that I'm golden.

Okay. I already have the poles picked out from my local thrift store. I
wasn't going to go this route until I saw some shops in my area charging
typically $50 for new poles. I've always had second-hand poles.

Buck a pair, sometimes free. If they're too long you can remove the
grips and cut them down at the handle end with a hacksaw or tubing
cutter. I've never done this, but I believe the people who said it's
possible.

FWIW, I just spent today skiing with some "old" friends - several
couples. The women are all in their 60s and 70s, in good shape, estimate
120-130 lb, and good skiers; skis were soft expert skis in the 160-170
cm range. (My wife, about your size, is on 178.) Dam fine skiers all ...

Now are these lengths for non-shaped skis?

I figured out today that when I was last sking several days a winter some
13 years ago, "shaped" skis had just been introduced, and I in fact did not
have them. I think the ones I owned last (13 years ago) were 160 cm.

Now I see that the shaped skis are shorter (as you know, the area is made
up for by increasing the width). So when I demo some skis using rental
shops, should I get the shop's recommendation and expect suggestions of, I
dunno, 140 cm to 153 cm for shaped skis? Or should I even bother trying 160
cm shaped skis? The 140-153 range is kinda what I'm hearing from the shops
at the moment and one online web site (crude guesstimaters that all these
sources are; I realize it's about personal taste to a great extent).

Data point: 60mumble, 150 lbs, went from 195 MSLs to 160/170 Rossi
rentals and have some original Elan 163 parabolics now. I liked the
170s better. I think. I've only skied the Elans once, on a nasty
slushy day which caused me to write CROWDS ARE BETTER THAN SLUSH on my
calendar so I won't forget.

--
Cheers,
Bev
************************************************** **********
"Let them eat ****."
-- Marcel Antoinette, Marie's little-known brother

snip

Buck a pair, sometimes free. If they're too long you can remove the
grips and cut them down at the handle end with a hacksaw or tubing
cutter. I've never done this, but I believe the people who said it's
possible.


Just put the handles in very hot water for a few minutes and they will pull
off (might need to use something to hold the handles while giving the poles
a quick tug). Use a file to chamfer the poles edges after they've been cut,
use water to heat up the handles again and they will slide back on.

Joe

My wife recently transitioned from her old, straight ski, 180cm, to a
shaped ski. She demo'd in the 150cm range and found they handled
similarly in terms of speed and responsiveness to the longer straight
ski. She's about your height.

I used to ski 190cm on a straight ski and am comfortable with a
174-178 shaped ski. I tried a 183 shaped but found them a bit harder
to initiate a turn with.

One thing I've learned about controlling shaped skis is that I don't
lean as hard on the tips of the skis as I used to. Rather, I start a
turn by tilting my foot while leaning just slightly forward of the
center of gravity. Its the side edge of the ski that does the work,
not the tips.

You should try a few skis and narrow it down to the length that you
feel most in control. Different manufacturers vary the design of the
shaped skis and the best size on one make of ski may be slightly
different on another brand.

Good luck,
GF




On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 05:15:09 GMT, "Elle Navorski"
wrote:

I am thinking of buying some second-hand skis, or maybe some new ones on
sale. But I don't know what length would be ideal. Some background:

I am a 40-ish woman in good physical condition with somewhat weak knees.
Today, after a 13-year hiatus, I went skiing again. I had a great time. I
now happen to live pretty close to good ski areas in the West, and I'd like
to do more skiing; mostly long slow beginner slopes with some easy
intermediates thrown in now and then. I don't want to test my knees, and I
don't have a need for speed, either.

Today I rented skis. Having been away for so long, and knowing I am not as
strong as I once was, the rental shop and I agreed beginner's length skis
were appropriate. I started with 150s. Satisfied after a couple hours, I
moved up to 153's. These had a different shape--wider? The first pair was
fine but I felt better on the second pair. (More control? Dunno. Maybe it
was psychological.) The rental shop guy set both pairs of skis' binders to
a beginner's release setting. In three hours of skiing, I never fell. I
felt wobbly once. So I think I'll stick with the beginner's setting.

When I was younger I went through two pairs of skis in a few years, so I
know a little about the process of buying them. But it's been a long time.
I am 64.5 inches tall. Can someone, especially maybe advanced
beginner-intermediate middle-aged female skiers, make suggestions about the
appropriate ski length to buy? Something I'll like for the next ten years,
say?

TIA

Thanks Bev, Joe, and GF. Everything you all said is very helpful. I'm gonna
buy the nicer colored poles at the thrift shop soon and cut them down with
my trusty hack saw and file, as suggested. I'll go back to the nearest
mountain next week and demo some different shaped ("parabolic" skis)
further. Seems like 148-160 will do the trick, based on what folks are
saying here and my experience with the 153's the other day.

Good luck finding that other carbon fiber "throw-away" pole, Bev.

"Elle Navorski" wrote in message
ink.net...
Thanks Bev, Joe, and GF. Everything you all said is very helpful. I'm
gonna
buy the nicer colored poles at the thrift shop soon and cut them down with
my trusty hack saw and file, as suggested. I'll go back to the nearest
mountain next week and demo some different shaped ("parabolic" skis)
further. Seems like 148-160 will do the trick, based on what folks are
saying here and my experience with the 153's the other day.

Good luck finding that other carbon fiber "throw-away" pole, Bev.

She's too fussy. The only thing that has to match is length,