Ski Shopping Wizard

Find your perfect ski length with our expert sizing tool. Answer a few quick questions and we'll recommend the ideal size for your skill level and skiing style.

Takes a minute • 5 quick questions

What Type of Skis Should I Buy?

Step 1: Choose Your Ski Type by Terrain

The first step to choosing what type of skis to buy is deciding on what type of terrain you plan on skiing most often. Downhill skis are categorized by ski type: frontside skis, all-mountain skis, powder skis, and freestyle skis are each designed to perform best on a specific terrain. Take a look at the different types of skis and the specific terrain they were designed for—you’ll want to make sure to choose skis that are for the part of the mountain you plan on exploring most. Keep this in mind, you'll take this into account when calculating your ski length later.

  • Shop all skis

Frontside

Terrain: Groomed or packed snow

Skier Ability: All skier abilities. Groomed runs are typically where beginners spend most if not all their time

Ski Width: 88mm and Narrower

Sometimes referred to as carving skis, frontside skis have a narrower waist so that they can easily roll from edge to edge very quickly and are ideal for mastering your turns. They hold an edge when snow turns into ice and have a shorter turn radius, so they take less effort to get them to turn.

SHOP FRONTSIDE SKIS →

All-mountain

Terrain: Groomed to powder and everything in between

Skier Ability: All skier abilities, great for beginners that haven’t decided what terrain they like best

Ski Width: 89mm – 104 mm

Just like its name, all-mountain skis are designed to ski all over the mountain and can perform on variable terrains and conditions. They will float in powder without coming to a halt but still give you control and be maneuverable in less-than-ideal snow conditions (like when the snow turns slushy or icy). All mountain skis are a common ski type for ski resort riders because of their versatility: instead of having several skis for different conditions or terrain types, you can just have one pair of skis to reign all.

SHOP ALL-MOUNTAIN SKIS →

Freeride

Terrain: Deep powder, backcountry, not ideal for groomed runs

Skier Ability: Typically, advanced skiers who have experience skiing on varied terrain

Ski Width: 105mm +

Designed for going steeper and deeper, these wider skiers were made for untracked snow found beyond resort boundaries. All-mountain powder skis have rockered tips and tails that curve upward to help you surf above the snow without slowing down. Because of their construction, All Mountain Powder Skis aren’t great for carving fast on groomed runs, but newer skis have evolved to handle the occasional groomed run.

SHOP FREERIDE SKIS →

Freestyle

Terrain: Terrain park, pipes, rails and jumps

Skier Ability: All ability levels

Ski Width: 80mm – 95mm 

Freestyle Skis are designed for those who plan on spending most of their days tearing up the terrain park. They’re constructed with durability in mind to handle jibbing, riding rails and catching air. A common trademark among freestyle skis is that they will have twin tips—meaning both tip and tail are identical so that you can ski both forwards and backwards. 

SHOP FREESTYLE SKIS →

Step 2: Determine Your Skiing Style

Your skiing style affects ski length more than ability level:

CAUTIOUS

Prefers to ski at slower speeds and sticks to mostly gentle to moderate pitches. If you are uncertain about your classification and are new to the sport, you’ll likely be a cautious skier.

AVERAGE

An average skier will ski at variable speeds and terrains from gentle to steep runs. Typically, Intermediate Skiers fall into this category.

AGGRESSIVE

Aggressive Skiers prefer to ride fast and forceful on moderate to steep slopes. Expert to Advanced skiers are likely aggressive skiers.

Skiing Ability Levels

Skis can be also classified into ski ability levels, although this is becoming less common as skiing style better reflects what kind of skis will perform best for your specific needs. Here are typical (not always!) characteristics found in skis of each ability level.

beginner

beginner

Beginner skis are soft flexing, meaning, the ski will bend over bumps, turn easier, and can be skied at slower speeds. These skis are usually the most forgiving and can tolerate mistakes and less-than-perfect technique; by the same token, riders may not be encouraged to learn correct technique as quickly.

INTERMEDIATE

INTERMEDIATE

Intermediate skis will feel stiffer and more stable at high speeds than beginner skis but will require more input from the rider. These skis will be less forgiving than beginner skis and will not tolerate mistakes as well but encourage better technique (like not skidding into turns).

ADVANCED & EXPERT

ADVANCED & EXPERT

Advanced to Expert skis are torsionally stiff, meaning they’re stiff from edge to edge and tip to tail so they can perform at high speeds but are difficult to turn at slower speeds. These skis don’t tolerate poor technique and can dump you if you make a mistake.

Step 3: Determine Your Size with the Ski Length Chart

Now that you have decided what terrain you plan on skiing most and what your skiing style is, you’ll be able to take this into account when calculating your ski size. First look at your weight and what type of skier you are, then modify the length based on the terrain you decided that you’ll be skiing most and your skiing style.

SKI SIZE CHART

*If height is greater than 6'2" and weight is less than 170lbs, start with 170lbs category. If height is less than 5'2" and weight is greater than 150lbs, start with the 140lbs category.

Weight (lbs)BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
100-109139143147
110-119144146150
120-129146150154
130-139150154159
140-149154159163
150-159160164169
160-169165169173
170-179170174178
180-209172176180
210-219175178180
220+178180182
  • Shop Now

Skiing Style

Cautious | - 3cm
Average | No Change
Aggressive | + 3cm

Skiing Terrain

Frontside | No Change
All-Mountain | + 3cm
Freeride | + 6cm
Freestyle | + 3cm

What if a brand doesn’t have my ski size?

Once a final length is determined, any ski within 3cm longer or shorter is the ideal range for a skier because not every brand will carry your ski length.  If a final ski length is 174cm, then skis 171-177cm are in your ideal range. If two lengths of a ski fall into an ideal range, the shorter length will offer more control whereas the longer length will offer more stability at speed.

What else you might want to know

  • A ski’s dimensions are made up of three measurements from one edge of the ski to the other at the tip, waist and tail. The tip and tail are measured at the widest spot while the waist is measured at the narrowest spot.

    Ski Tip | The ski tip is responsible for the initiation of turns. A wide tip is better for soft snow, while a wider tip and narrower waist combined are better on groomed snow if you want high-tempo, short turns.

    Waist Width | The waist width is the number one thing to look at in a ski’s dimensions and can tell you how easy a ski will be able to turn and what terrain it would be best on. Narrow waist widths means that it will be easier to get skis to move edge to edge quicker which is important for going faster on groomed runs, while thicker waist widths allow you to surf on deep powder.

    Tail | The tail of the ski helps you exit turns. It usually will have different lengths and shapes for different purposes. You'll notice race skis tails have a flat square profile, this keeps your skis on edge and controlled without loosing its grip.

Have More Questions on How to Buy Skis?

Our friendly staff knows buying skis can be complicated. But it doesn’t have to be. Visit us in store at our Michigan locations and we'll help you find your dream planks.

Visit UsArrow Right
Loading...