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Alpine Skis Buying Guide How can you have more fun on the slopes and ski better too? By choosing the right pair of skis. Here's what you need to know about the variables -- length and flex, straight and curved, women's and, well, not women's. By Lisa Feinberg Densmore
Once you determine which category is for you, you're faced with a wide range of price and performance. Choose a model based on your short-term goals in skiing. That means buy a ski slightly better than what would work for you currently. When you buy up a little bit (but not too much), your skis will help you improve. They'll also be able to handle the better you, when your skiing inevitably evolves. Vive la Différence
Women typically have narrower shoulders, wider hips, and shorter legs than men do. That means women carry most of their weight low on their bodies -- between the waist and the knees -- whereas men carry most of their weight between the waist and the neck. This means a woman's center of gravity is lower and farther back over her heels. As a result, women are more prone to sitting back on their skis and, at lower ability levels, crossing their tips. In addition, since women usually weigh less than men of comparable height, they either need a softer-flexing ski or must use a lot more force in their turns to get the same response from their skis. Unless you are among the top 5 percent of female skiers in the country, choosing a women's ski is a good idea. Today, you'll find women's skis for most ability levels and types of terrain. They are usually lighter than men's skis and therefore less fatiguing to move around -- both on the snow and to and from the car. They have a bigger sweet spot with a forward binding-mounting point designed to help women be in better balance. And they are softer flexing, requiring less energy to turn. If you are among the elite experts on the hill, then a unisex ski is a viable, if not preferable, choice. With so much mileage under your skis and strength in your legs, you don't have the problems with your technique, such as sitting back, that are exacerbated by the feminine physique. Length Matters: Finding the Right Fit The better your skiing, the longer your skis should be. That's because you naturally ski faster as you improve. The extra length of your ski absorbs vibration, making speed feel more comfortable and you feel more confident. (Better vibration absorption also comes with high-priced performance skis, which tend to have superior construction.) For many years, proper ski length was determined by the skier's height. But height was really a guise for weight, since the taller you are, the heavier you are likely to be. With the advent of shaped skis, almost everyone is on a shorter ski than they were just five years ago, but optimal ski length remains relative to your weight and skiing style. The heavier you are and the more aggressively you ski, the longer your skis should be. So even if it goes against your instincts, be honest when asked about your weight in the ski shop. Weight is what contributes most to bending the ski into an arc under your foot, which allows you to turn. And don't be politely modest about how well you ski, either. If you tell the shop person you're 10 pounds lighter than you really are and you underestimate your ability, you'll likely end up on skis that are at too low a performance level for you and that are shorter than you need. A final word on length: If you are just switching to shaped skis, your new skis will probably be about 10 centimeters shorter -- but not necessarily. Shaped skis, with their wide tips and tails, have more surface area and edge compared with old-fashioned, straight skis of the same length. Many women who ski at an intermediate or beginner level have straight skis that are too short. In this case, your new shaped skis could be the same length, probably around 150 to 160 centimeters. At the other end of the spectrum, if you are an expert who always used a 195-centimeter straight ski, get used to the idea of 180 centimeters. Ski shops used to automatically move a woman's binding forward when mounting it as a strategy for getting women in better balance over their skis. But this usually isn't necessary anymore -- and it certainly shouldn't be done automatically. Shaped skis, especially women's models, have a wider sweet spot, so they are more tolerant of the fact that a woman's center of gravity is lower and farther back. If you are purchasing a woman's model, the mounting point on the ski has already been moved forward as much as 2 centimeters. By moving it forward even farther, you may have an easy time starting your turns, but the tails of your skis will skid more. How Flexible Should You Be? Your skis should be soft enough for you to flatten their arcs when you stand on them. Compared with unisex skis, women's skis are softer flexing, because women tend to weigh less. A stronger, more athletic woman can handle stiffer skis, because the extra energy she puts into each turn helps bend the skis. Stiffer skis rebound with more spunk when you take your weight off them at the end of a turn. As a result, skis with high performance ratings are usually stiff and energetic. Most skis that are rated for a respectable performance level have a wood core. Wood is remarkably responsive, reacting consistently turn after turn and absorbing vibration. Foam cores used to reside largely in inexpensive, low-end skis. But foam is now gaining favor in high-level women's skis because of its light weight. Still, beware of simple injected foam, which can feel lively at first but will likely be dead within a season. In better foam-core skis, the foam is preformed and reinforced with fiberglass or another material that increases longevity and performance. Designer metals, such as titanium (or its cheaper cousin, titanal), are also commonly found in ski cores. Metal absorbs vibration and is a must if you like to ski faster than about 20 miles per hour. With a little metal in your skis, you get stability with better response and control.
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