How to Choose a Ski Length

Choosing the proper ski length will affect your skiing experience. There are a number of factors to consider when making your choice: the type of skiing you're doing, your skill level (or lack of), and your weight.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Inform the customer service representative what type of skiing you do. Whether it’s downhill, cross-country or alpine, among many others, these different ski methods each use specific ski types, lengths and bindings. It’s definitely not a “one-size fits all” for any type of skiing. The reps will point you to the correct ski types.

2. Be honest about your abilities. You want to have a ski length that works with your level of expertise. Why? Degree of control. Beginners are usually encouraged to start with a shorter ski for more control, relative to their lack of expertise, while experienced skiers have the skill to manage longer skis.

3. Give your true weight to the customer service rep. A ski’s load-bearing structure has to take weight into its design. You may require a shorter or longer ski relative to your height and weight.

4. See how the skis feel while in the store. The ideal option is to actually try them on in the store, so you can experience their “feel.” Lift your legs. Move around a bit, lean into them–do you find them easy to maneuver or awkward? Comfort in use is part of selecting the best ski length. And you may want to rent first (see Tips).

Tips & Warnings

• With all the choices, sometimes the best way to find the right ski is to rent before you buy. Plenty of ski shops and resorts rent both downhill and cross-country skis, as well as binding and boots. It’s a great way to try different brands, as well as lengths, and even ski widths (some are wider, some narrower). As you use the skis, really try them out, testing them in the same situations you frequently ski in. You’ll soon know if they’re the right ones for you.
• As an added benefit, many ski shops will sell their rentals toward the end of the season; you can pick up a good deal and the skis you like if you talk with them in advance.
• Metric measurements are the universal measurement when describing ski lengths, specifically centimeters (cm). To convert to inches, simply do the math: 2.54 cm equals 1 inch.

Resources

• Ski Sizing Chart
• Anatomy of a ski
• ABCs of skiing

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