Ski Buying Guide

Introduction

We're often asked what the ultimate ski is. The truth is that no single ski can be the one best. The best ski is the one most suited to your ability and the kind of terrain you intend to ride. Choosing the right skis is balancing the shape, flex, and characteristics to meet your requirements.

This guide will help break down how you can find the best ski for your needs.

Skier ability

Novice

Skiers tackling green and blue runs confidently, wanting to move onto more demanding terrain. While their technique is good on easier terrain and at slower speeds, bumps and icy or steeper runs are attempted with caution. Skis in this category have soft tips and tails, so they initiate turns smoothly and easily. Sidecuts are designed to be helpful. Camber profiles use standard camber for grip and control, with only small amounts of tip rocker for ease of turning. They are forgiving skis that will boost confidence and aid progression.

Intermediate

Stronger skiers with the confidence to tackle reds and attempt easy blacks and some ungroomed snow, while still working on their technique. Bumps and steep runs can affect their fluidity; off-piste is a mystery to be cracked. These skis are torsionally stiffer to provide grip at faster speeds; sidecuts are more targeted to end-users, often deeper with a shorter radius on the piste-orientated skis. Camber profiles use standard camber underfoot for good grip, all-mountain category skis use tip rocker to aid control in softer snow.

Advanced

Good skiers with all-round skills to tackle most of the mountain, with solid technique in nearly every condition and slope. Shapes and designs are more specific to end-users and have associated increases in performance. Profiles vary radically as do sidecuts and radii. Skis in this category are stiffer, with excellent stability and grip at speed; they're also less forgiving.

Expert

Top-level skiers, professionals, committed seasonnaires, instructors, ex-racers. These are specific-usage skis for those at the top of the ability level. Shapes, dimensions and profiles vary according to the terrain they are used in, leading to huge differences between skis. All models offer the very best performance.

Ski terrain choice

Piste

Built with narrower waists for quick edge changes and often with a shorter turn radius for tighter, faster carves; traditional cambers provide energy and grip. They're perfect for blasting around the pistes and carving up the groomed snow.

All Mountain Carve

Incorporate a lot of the features of a piste ski, with slightly wider dimensions for a bit more float and stability. They still work on pisted snow, plus they love to take a few runs down the side of the pistes to experience ungroomed conditions.

All Mountain

Can be a combination of dimensions and designs, resulting in very different models. Waists, radii, and camber profiles vary considerably. These are go-anywhere do-anything skis created to find challenges on and off piste. Whilst some models may be more piste or soft snow focused, they all work in every condition. More tip and tail rocker indicates increased soft snow bias.

Freeride

Typically with a longer radius and always with wider dimensions. Big waists ensure maximum floatation; reverse cambers plus interesting profiles and shapes dramatically improve handling in soft snow. They're built for powder, steeps, bowls and trees.

Powder

Super-wide waists, lots of rocker at the tip and tail, sometimes no camber at all, and plenty of innovative shapes. These skis are made for exceptional float and smooth handling in deep, soft snow.

All Terrain Freestyle

Twin tipped skis that are usually softer flexing than similarly priced all-mountain models. Dimensions, camber and sidecuts are built to go-anywhere and as such there is quite a variety of different shapes and profiles. Make great alternatives to more traditional all mountain options. Freestyle Twin tipped skis with waists of 80-90mm and softer flexing than similarly priced piste models. Tips and tails are more forgiving; camber profiles can include lots of rocker. Freestyle skis are about freedom of expression and skiing in any environment.

Park

Good ‘pop' and more flex at the tip and tail for buttering/pressing. Switch riding is improved with more symmetrical cores and sidecuts.

Freestyle Backcountry

Twin tips with super-wide waists. Rocker technology, cutting edge shapes and soft flexes improve powder riding. Work equally well as dedicated powder skis or soft-snow freestyle options.

Selecting the correct ski size

The size of the ski you need depends on a combination of factors such as weight, ability, flex, shape and the intended use. As a rough guide:

Piste

Chin height to eye level, for easy carving and responsiveness. Longer for extra stability and wider, bigger turns.

All Mountain

Nose level to forehead, can also depend on the width of ski chosen.

Freeride

Forehead to over head height. Go ‘as big as you can handle' for maximum floatation.

Freestyle

Eye level for the maximum ease of spinning and rail tricks, go bigger for all mountain versatility or extra stability and speed.

Park

Eye level for maximum ease of spinning and rail tricks, go bigger if you want the very best stability for landing and jumping.

Freestyle Backcountry

Top of head and way beyond. The bigger the ski, the better the floatation.

It is also worth considering the size of your previous skis as this can have a bearing on what would be suitable in your new model.

Ski design

Ski Radius

Ski design

Sidecut & Shape

Ski design

Camber profile

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