What is a good length for first back country skis?

There are many factors to consider when purchasing skis, but for the most part, unless you're an avid skier and recognize the advantages of having one pair of skis over another then it's probably not going to make much of a difference for your first pair.

For example, I'm currently riding a pair of light camber 190's 130,95,110mm in the back country. They are excellent on the flat and on the ascent, and they keep me afloat when skinning, but they're a bit fast for my liking when I'm skiing glades, and they're a bit tough to keep my tips up. I know now that I would prefer to ride a shorter ski with more rocker, maybe even full rocker since I mostly ski off-piste. Since I'm going shorter I probably also want to go wider, since I don't want to lose any of the float my longer skis give me when skinning.

Until you understand how different styles of skis perform, and where you like to perform, then what type of ski you get is very subjective. The skis you've picked out sound like an excellent choice, and after skiing on them for a while you'll begin to recognize whether they're adequate for what you're doing or whether you need to switch to something else after a couple seasons for whatever advantage you feel you want from your skis. Your first pair will be your benchmark pair, and you'll learn pretty quick to recognize the advantages of other styles of ski.

posted almost 8 years ago

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ShemSeger‭

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