snowboarder converts ski picks

Question
I have never skied before ... ever.  However, I've decided to ditch the board and try the skis for a while.  I'll be working on a resort this winter and I am planning on taking my learning pretty seriously. I'm in good shape and I am hoping on picking up skills somewhat quickly.  Therefore, I want to buy skis instead of renting.  I've been looking at all mountain skis and I want to purchase something that will stay with me as I improve but not be too much to handle as a beginner.  I am 5?拻 and weigh around 145 lbs. Any thoughts on specific lengths, skis, bindings, or general aspects of equipment?

Answer
Hi Lisa,

At 5' 7", your final ski length will be somewhere in the 155-165 cm length. But entry level can be pretty close to that without sacrificing too much. Often, your first pair of skis for a beginner lesson are like 135cm, but many beginners outperform their initial skis in a run or so, and with your snowboard experience and fitness level, you should too.

Since you want to purchase a pair of skis and keep them for a while, I think you should go with a mid-higher performance ski, in a shorter length. You'd look for a pair close to 150-155 cm.  If you want to spend less, look at 155-160 cm in a lower performance ski. Why longer at lower performance levels? Because low-end skis lack the substance to give you support and confidence on firm snow, or at speed, and a little length can make up for that. You can tune performance out of a good pair of skis, but you can't tune it into a bad pair. Bigger than 165 is even OK if you plan on being off-trail, or in powder a lot, but 170 is long, really long, for anything other than off-trail ripping or going fast- and I'd avoid anything bigger than 165, simply because the short term challenge is not worth the future performance gains.


Some factors to consider- is the resort you'll ski in the east or west? Eastern skiing lends itself towards narrow "waist" skis. Narrow skis have better grip on icy slopes, wide skis give you support in soft snow. 67-72 mm under foot is about right for all mountain- narrower is more on trail, wider more off-trail specific.

You mentioned all-mountain skis, which means you want a sidecut (radius) of about 12-14 meters (based upon the ski lengths we're discussing).

For ease of use at the beginner level, I'd look at the Salomon Jewel series. These skis are lightweight, women's specific, and pretty versatile. The Volkl Attiva Aire is also a nice choice, although it is definitely more on than off trail oriented. The K2 One Luv, and Tru Luv are both great skis, and ideal because of your athleticism. They lean towards the advanced skier side- so choose shorter rather than longer, and tell the shop to detune them a bit (but only lightly, you'll want that performance back soon). Among my favorites are the Nordica Olympia Victory- which might be a lot of ski to start with, but will stay with you no matter how adept you become. The Fox is cheaper and easier to start on, but not even close in performance.

Bindings are generally part of the deal these days, and the manufacturer pairs the performance level of the ski to that of the binding. Sometimes you have a choice though, and it helps to know why one is more expensive than another. What you get at different levels are; percentage of plastic parts- which usually factors in as weight on your feet vs. the solid "click" of a mostly metal binding, and release algorithms. At higher performance levels, the binding is designed to "return to center" if possible (i.e. if it thinks the fall is a false alarm, it keeps you in- or that is the theory) whereas lower performance bindings put less effort into this role. If you are thinking "mid-end", you are probably right on.

Take advantage of your resorts employee day, and be aware of new rules for resort employee purchases: Instead of getting an authorization form from the rep, you may simply need a letter from your supervisor, and most local shops will process your order. Be sure to keep it on the DL though- no-one wants you out advertising your employee price. Another option along this line is to check the employee bulletin board. Most instructors replace their gear regularly, and offer it at great savings. Just be sure the bases are well cared for, and that the bindings pass a safety check-usually offered complimentarily by the resorts rental shop to employees.

Good luck, and have a great season!