Fitting a ski

Question
Mostly off-trail: powder, crust, wind-packed. Of course somtimes we'll have to ski trails, so they should function somewhat there too.

Mainly Im interested in the height of the ski. What is the right height for such a ski and to fit his 5'7'', 160lbs?

Thanks
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hi-
Im trying to fit my husband with a ski. He is quickly becoming an expert, is an
aggressive skiier, and skis anything, esp powder and crusted powder. Im
looking at the Atomic Sugar Daddys for him, 163''s. He is 5'7'' and 155 lbs.
Will that work?
Thanks!
Rachel
-----Answer-----
Hi Rachel,

Can you let me know what kind of snow conditions, terrain and what style or performance of skiing he is expecting to master in the selection of new equipment. The Atomic Sugar Daddy is an off-groomed deep powder(float) style of ski with minimal carving performance on groomed runs or hard snow conditions.  

Answer
The height is relative to the use of the ski and its intended function not just the weight of the skier. As the turn shape gets longer so should the length of the ski. The Sugar Daddy specifically has a 99 cm waist which at 163 cm will still be a turn radius above 25 metres (the 183 is listed at 29m) which is hugely ineffective for carving at speeds under 40 mph on groomed runs. However if you are looking for a general answer a 163 in this ski (as opposed to a 173 (which should be considered if all the skiing was going to be off piste at 25 mph plus)is probably your best bet if you are only going to have one ski and need it to be used in all conditions but want the best performance in the deeper snow. The reality is there are no such things as truly all mountain skis that will perform best in all conditions as the scale goees from grip to float and is relative to the speed. A real generality is that wider underfoot is better for deep snow and narrower is better for hard snow. I am 5'11" 150 lbs. expert skier (all conditions) and use a 173-177 for purely off piste in a 80 cm waist and 160 in 64mm waist for hard pack. If you have theluxury of having more than one pair to vary for the conditions you can be specific. Good luck.