How long should shaped skis be

This is because longer skis provide a wider base to account for your higher center of gravity, while also giving you more surface area to offset your weight. Longer skis also make for higher speeds and wider turns, which is why they are generally prefered by more advanced skiers.

Shorter skis, on the other hand, offer better control and are better suited to inexperienced skiers, less aggressive skiers, and skiers who prefer moguls over straight-up, downhill speed runs. Of course, our understanding of how to size skis is relatively new. Early skis had a much less clearly defined curve than the ones we now all know and love. The skis were also very long, and very narrow, and it was not uncommon for skiers of all sizes to use skis that were longer than cm.

At the time, a basic rule of thumb was that you should choose skis that were as long as the height of your body with your arms extended above your head. However, with the parabolic revolution as skis became more curved , everything started to change. This allowed people to bring their ski lengths down to something more manageable. But despite being a relatively new advancement, this technology is being used more and more frequently in all skis, from carvers to park and powder.

So what does have to do with ski sizing? In order to counteract this, we often recommend going a little longer on skis with this kind of design. How much longer is a bit harder to generalize, and really depends a lot on the skis you select. Just check out our ski selector, or get in touch with our customer service department. Sign up for the Newsletter to be notified when Spa Tunes are back!

Want our definitive word on what to know for buying skis? Enter your email and we'll send it to you. Note: The topic of ski length has been revamped for , and the new article can be found here. In the straight ski days of yore, all you really needed to think about was length. Sidecut and rocker have changed that. Now, you need to know how these three fundamental ski shapes interact in order to design the perfect ski for you.

Because rocker brings the spots where a ski contacts the snow closer to the boot, the ski effectively becomes shorter and easier to turn. The more rocker, the easier the ski is to turn and the better flotation it gives. Rocker in the tail helps you smear turns, while less means more powerful, directional, fall line turns. The turning radius is the virtual circle that a pair of skis makes on edge. The shape, length and width or a ski determines how long or short of a turn the ski is designed to make.

A sidecut with a or meter turning radius makes for quick, slalom turns, while a or meter, GS-style sidecut is designed for bigger arcs. There are multiple sidecut variations. These skis can make tight, sharp turns but are less stable at speed. The bulk of skis in the market, however, have a moderate amount of sidecut. They have less drastic dimensions compared with the carvers and are designed to blend the ability to make short and medium sized turns while retaining some stability at speed.

Skill Level Beginner Intermediate Expert. Skiing Style Easy-going Average Aggressive. Need Help? Size Calculator: Gender Female Male. Foot Width Narrow Regular Wide. Men's Shoe Size 4. Women's Shoe Size 4. Shop By Skier Weight: Over lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs Under 75 lbs. Shop By Your Height: 3'4" and shorter 3'4" - 3'8" 3'9" - 4'0" 4'1" - 4'4" 4'5" - 4'8" 4'9" - 5'0" 5'1" - 5'3" 5'4" - 5'6" 5'7" - 5'9" 5'10" - 6'0" 6'1" - 6'3" 6'4" - 6'6" 6'7" and taller.