Choosing Ski Length - Part 4: Final Thoughts

So, here is the bottom line. How should I determine my ski length? In the fourth and final part of this four part discussion we tackle these questions.

<!--more-->What specific type of skis should I be looking at?If you prefer speed, consider yourself aggressive, have low anxiety, are a risk taker, are strong and durable with fast reflexes, ski a good number of days each season, have no history of orthopedic injuries or replaced body parts and prefer top-to-bottom groomed runs or like to run gates ... these are all factors which would argue for a longer ski. Why? Because you will likely want to ski faster.

If you are older with slowing reflexes and fatigue easier than you used to, prefer skiing slowly, are not aggressive, have anxiety and want to avoid injury at all cost, have experienced a knee replacement, ski a small number of days per year, are not in as good a shape as you used to be and your intention is to primarily ski moguls and powder you want a shorter ski with a shorter turning radius. Why? Because you will likely want to turn easier and ski slower.

In a nutshell, our experience tell us that shorter skis are more appropriate for the majority of aging Baby Boomers.

Shorter skis have a smaller balance sweet spot that produces a more centered skier and facilitates better balance. Shorter skis turn easier, particularly in the moguls. A shorter ski typically has a smaller turning radius which means that you will spend less time in the fall line and that results in slower skiing and better speed control. The combination of better balance and better speed control will result in reduced anxiety, less fatigue, and the ability to ski more challenging off-piste terrain with more confidence.

Can We Be More Specific? For Boomers we are seeing great results with all-mountain mid-fat skis in a 150cm - 160cm length for men and 146cm - 150cm for women.
Last season our customers had many positive customer experiences with the K2 Apache Recon and the K2 Apache Crossfire for men and the K2 Burnin Luv for women. I just turned age 60 and ski 120 days per year (95% in mogul and powder terrain) and my "traditional" length ski last season was a 150cm Atomic Metron 10. We have no skin in the game re one manufacturer or another. Our primary recommendation is to go all-mountain mid-fat in a "shorter" length.

In all cases, keep in mind that what matters most to good skiing is neither ski brand or ski length but the ability of a skier to maintain balance and maintain speed control on whatever terrain they are skiing on. Said another way, it is more about the skier than the ski. So, in the end, achieving your skiing objectives is really 75% about ski technique and 25% about choosing the right ski length. However, choosing the best ski length, given your attributes and skiing goals, will either facilitate or inhibit achieving those goals.

A final thought on this four part discussion on choosing ski length. The recommendations presented here are based upon the demographics, preferences, goals and on-snow experiences of the people who ski in the BUMPS FOR BOOMERS mogul and powder ski lesson program. This profile includes skier's age (Baby Boomer and older skiers), their skiing style (conservative ... with a preference for balance and control over fast skiing ... and a desire to avoid potential injury at all cost), their terrain preference (desire to ski moguls and powder inside the ski area boundary), their fitness level (not as physically fit as they used to be ... and slowing reflexes) and skiing frequency (less than 15 days per season). If you are young, athletic, have lightening fast reflexes, love to ski fast, ski 60+ days a season and/or prefer out-of-bounds back country or heli-skiing in British Columbia then it would be appropriate for you to use a different set of guidelines for how to choose your ski length.

Choosing Ski Length - Part 1: Historical Perspective
Choosing Ski Length - Part 2: Five Decision Factors
Choosing Ski Length - Part 3: Making The Decision

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