Downhill Skis

It's that time of year again. Time to head off to the mountain for some quality powder time. But don't think that you have to be an Olympic-class skier to have fun on the slopes--skiing is an awesome activity for the whole family, if you have the right attitude, equipment and conditions.

Choosing equipment can be daunting if it's your first time making this type of purchase. Here you'll find everything you need to know about skis  to start your season off on the right foot. There are lots of different skis for different kinds of skiers.  Also, make sure that you don't get honking huge skis like the old days. These days, new ski technology makes shorter skis more stable and faster, so where you might have skied on a 193cm ski before, you might think about skiing on a 165 - 170cm ski today.

And whatever you do, do not show up on the mountain adorned in the ski adorned in the ghosts of skiing past. White rear buckle Lange boots from 1985 and, a neon onesie a pair of 205cm skis from 1990 won't cut it this season.

If you're interested in Nordic skiing, see our Cross Country Skis buying guide.

Top Picks this Season

Mens
Line - Blen  A 100 mm waist freeride ski with a 100% wood core and a consistent flex. Well suited for groomed terrain, for more advanced skiers.	Fischer - Watea 94  An all mountain ski that's sturdy, with a swallowtail design that reduces resistance and that allows you to glide across the powder in a nearly nautical way.	Nordica - Fire Arrow 74  Another ski that works like a dream on groomed terrain, for fans of frontside skiing. Handles short and long turns well, making it an advanced skier's dream come true.	Head - Peak 82  An ace in nearly every category, with high stability and ease of turning. It also conquers multiple terrains, equally at home in the East as they are in Aspen.

Womens
Icelantic - Oracle  A woman's ski that's light and strong, featuring a Fly-Weight core. A freeride option for the Advanced-Expert set.	K2 - Burnin' Luv  Stable and responsive, the Burnin' Luv is great for the Intermediate-Advanced range of skiers. A very popular (and forgiving) ski for carvers. Handles best on hard snow.	Volkl - Aurora  An All Mountain ski with an extended Sensorwood Light core. Handles bumps, hard snow and powder equally well, making it especially versatile.	Dynastar - Exclusive Legend Paradise  This All Mountain ski is light weight, flexible and very powerful, thanks to it's wood core. Features a rocker tip and tail for maneuverability and a camber underfoot for stability.

Which Skis are Right for You?

Factor #1: Gender and Age

The most basic considerations to start with are your gender and age. Males and females need different types of skis since their bodies are built differently. Women's skis  are specifically designed to be lighter and more flexible to compensate for the way their body distributes weight. Children will need basic kid's recreational skis  to match their height and weight (allowing some room for growth), which is discussed in the following section.

• Women's Skis
• Since women have a lower center of mass than men, they have different needs in terms of skis .
• Because of their center of mass, women lean back more, thus women's skis place them further forward.
• Since women are generally lighter, their skis need to be lighter and have more flex.

Factor #2: Height, Weight, and Ski Length

Time for the next step: determining the proper ski length for your weight and height. The rough recommendations below assume that your height and weight are proportionate. Keep in mind that everyone is different and that some slight adjustments may need to be made according to things such as your skill level, aggressiveness, and which type of ski you choose.

• Skill Level
• Beginner skiers need skis an inch or two shorter than their own body.
• Intermediate skiers should choose something very close to their height or slightly taller if they are advanced intermediates.
• Advanced skiers and experts should add length to their skis; 5 cm and 10 cm, respectively.

• Skiing Style
• For speed, choose a slightly longer ski.
• The more powder you ski in and the more "off-piste" adventures you go on, the longer you will want your skis to be so that they can help you "float". Add from 5 to 10 cm for freeride skis and 5 to 20 cm for big mountain skis.
• Slalom skis are usually meant to be short. Subtract 10 to 15 cm from your suggested ski length.

• Ski Type
• Recreational skis should be just tall enough to hit between the skier's chin and eyes.
• All-mountain skis should fall somewhere between the skier's nose and forehead.
• Free-ride skis should be about up to your eyes or taller.
• Freestyle skis fall at your nose level.
• Back-country skis are the biggest and widest you can get in accordance with your skiing ability.

Factor #3: Skill Level

There is no sense in buying skis that are not adequate for your skiing level. Skis that are designed with the advanced racer in mind will not help a beginner skier learn the basics. Once you've mastered a few blue runs, you can start thinking about skis that will give you room to grow, but for now, stick with your skill level. With the guide below, see which category best matches you skiing ability to determine which type of ski you will need.

• Recreational: Greens and Blues
• You have never skied before.
• You have gone on the bunny hill and have learned to snowplow.
• You can turn and stop and have tried your skills on some green runs.
• You have tried some blue runs and mastered them as well as stopping and turning with ease.

• Advanced: Steeps, Moguls, Maybe Blacks
• You are extremely comfortable on blue runs and in a variety of conditions (powder, hardpack, steeps, bumps).
• You don't need to snow plow anymore and you are practicing parallel technique.
• You are trying out black runs and moguls.
• Ice and steep slopes combined are scary but you still manage on them.

• Expert: Blacks, Double Diamonds, and Off-Piste Skiing
• Double black diamonds are a piece of cake.
• You venture off the trail.
• You may have raced or taught before.

Factor #4: Surface Type

Although skis will basically work on all surfaces, many skis are designed to work perfectly on a specific surface.  So look for the best skis for the conditions you usually ski. Skis designed today are for either Pure Powder, Groomed Powder, and the catch-all Packed Powder Conditions.  These are the conditions at most resorts. In general, the best powder is in the west and the east hopes for the best.  

Downhill Ski Types

Recreational  A great alternative to rentals. They're most common for new skiers who stick to the piste. They're easy to turn and comfortable in most conditions, allowing users to focus on their technique.	All Mountain  Offering the performance of a race ski but without the required effort and skill, all-mountain skis are by far the most popular choice for today's skiers of all levels.	Powder  This specialized style is wider, softer and longer than an all-mountain ski, making them float over the snow. Fine for upper-intermediate and advanced skiers who like powder.	Race  Race skis are highly specialized tools. Due to their unique attributes they are not a great choice for non-racers since they're destined to suit advanced and experts skiers.	New School/Freeride  Also known as freestyle skis, this type of skiing continues to gain popularity on the slopes. They are designed with aerial tricks in mind, for jumps and halfpipes. For advanced skiers.

Features Explained

After deciding which type of ski best fits your individual needs, it's important to look at some of the features and what the jargon really means.

Sidecut:  This is the amount of curve in the ski's hourglass shape when viewed from above. You will hear the terms tip (front edge), waist (center), and tail (rear edge). They are simply describing the width of the ski at these points on the ski. Together, the dimensions of the tip, waist, and tail make up the sidecut. Deep sidecuts offer the skier more stability when carving tight turns, while shallower ones are more suited for carving longer turns.

• For powder, look for a wider "waist".
• For easy carving, look for a narrower "tail" and a wider "tip".

Stiffness:  Stiffness is an important factor depending on your ability. Here are general guidelines:

• Soft, wide, straight skis are ideal for beginners because they will slow the skier down.
• Intermediate skiers will want slightly stiffer skis that are narrower at the tail and center so that they can go faster.
• Experts skiers like stiffer skis to help transfer body weight evenly to the ski's tip and tail and for maximum speed.
• Soft-flexing skis are good for mogul skiers.

Camber:  Modern skis have adopted this from snowboarding. New skis are shaped in such a way that they do not sit flat on a table. Instead the center bends upward off of the table while the nose and tail points touch the surface.

• This has allowed for much shorter skis, nicknamed "shorties", that have the same performance as longer flat skis.
• A reverse camber , where only the ski's center touches a flat table, is called "rocker "

Construction:  The materials used to construct the ski give it strength, density, lightness, and flexibility.

• Ever since the first Norwegian strapped wooden planks to his feet and rocketed down a mountain, skiing has been one of winter's most popular pastimes. No longer comprised primarily of wood, (though they often still have a wooden core,) skis are constructed of various components including fiberglass, Kevlar, Titanium alloy or composite materials.
• A common ski construction method is laminate construction, where layers of material are sandwiched together with glue.
• Torsion box manufactured skis are another common technique. These are built by creating an inner box like structure to transfer the skier's energy to the snow. Popular materials used in this type of manufacturing are wood and fiberglass.

Edge:  The outer edges of the ski.

• Usually made of carbon-steel, and located on the outer edge of the ski, which provides grip on hard snow.
• The thinner the edge, the more flexible and responsive the ski.

Base:  The surface of the ski in contact with the snow.

• Ski bases are typically constructed with hardened polyurethane.
• High end skis often use additives to increase how fast the skis glide.

Ski Brands

• Atomic 
• Dynastar 
• Elan 
• Fischer 
• Head 
• K2 
• Nordica 
• Rossignol 
• Salomon 
• Volkl 

Related Guides

Poles	Boots	Bindings	Jackets	Goggles

Salomon Ski Roundup	Learn to Ski	Intermediate Skiing	Expert Skiing

Skis

International Resources

For this resource in your home country, please see:
NL: Ski's Shopgids
ES: Esquí