consumer GS skis

Question
I recently bought an Atomic D2 Race GS 169cm (113.5/70/97 w/ 17.2m radius) after years of rental.  I would like to know if this ski is too short for me.

I am 5'10 and 170lbs.  I am an advanced skier and using this ski for recreational use.  Thank you for your valuable time.

Answer
Hey David,

Length of skis vs. height is kind of a moot point with new technology in today's skis. Being a Race GS ski, it should be plenty stiff enough for high speeds but still carve nicely with the radius built into these skis. They may seem a bit short the first few times on them but you should be able to adjust to them fairly quickly.

For example, I was using 207cm in an old style GS ski for years. Then I went to telemark skiing and my first pair of shaped skis were 200cm. My current pair of tele's are 188's and they are the best ski I've ever had the pleasure of riding. So, length is not much of a factor, it's more the skier adjusting to the newer technology built into new skis.

Give your new Atomics a few days of varying conditions and then see what you think. If they are too squirrly at speed or are carving too tight for you, ease off a bit until you get accustomed to the performance of the skis. After a weeks worth of riding them and they still don't feel right, you might consider something longer. But, you should be able to push these skis fairly hard as a GS Race ski should be plenty stiff enough for speed and yet hold tight on turns, despite the length.

Hope this helps.
Keep on skiing,
Windlover