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When you decide to buy skis, be completely honest about your skiing level and your physical fitness. A good salesperson will then know exactly which model to recommend. However, the best thing is to try the model you want at a ski test before buying, or to borrow a pair from a friend who already has them. Another option is to rent different models for a day each to see which suit you best. The result is often different from what you expected or wanted.
Don't choose your skis by colour to match your ski suit – they will be covered in snow 99% of the time anyway.
Today, skis mostly come as a package with bindings, so you don't have to worry about choosing bindings.
GENERAL INFORMATION
As a rule, longer skis are faster (for the same ski model, of course). Shorter skis are easier to control and make short, dynamic turns more easily, but they are less stable when skiing straight and at higher speeds. The reason is the ski's radius, which is usually larger on longer skis.
Narrower skis perform better on groomed, hard slopes, while wider skis are better in softer snow and on slopes in poorer condition. Wider skis are also better suited to deep snow.
Of course, there are big differences between models even within the same class, not to mention between manufacturers. The different design of each ski, combined with your ski boot, will make it behave differently in seemingly identical slope conditions. That is why we repeat: try before you buy.
Skis can generally be divided into beginner, recreational and racing skis.
BEGINNER MODELS
Beginners will be lucky with prices. Besides being cheaper, beginner skis are lighter, more flexible and make it easier to start a turn. Of course, the price is also reflected in the quality of the materials used to make the skis. The edges of beginner models wear out somewhat faster, especially on icy slopes – the engineers reasoned that icy slopes are not a beginner's favourite choice anyway. Such skis usually have no special anti-vibration systems, but they offer skiing with the least effort, especially for beginners and those with weaker muscles. The ski core, most often made of composite materials, also contributes to this.
Be careful when choosing the length. The general recommendation is to choose a ski that reaches somewhere between your chin and your eyebrows. Once you have mastered the basics and start making certain movements automatically, you can think about better models. Until then, a higher class is a waste of money. And not only that: higher-class skis will be harder to control, both technically and physically. The optimal radius for beginners is 12–15 m.
For beginners with a somewhat heavier build (over 90 kg), we recommend skis from the next category, because of vibration and ski twisting.
LOWER-END RECREATIONAL MODELS
Recreational skis have the widest range of models, which is why they are divided into three categories. Lower-end recreational models are meant for those who have mastered the basics and have 15–20 ski days behind them. Such skiers can already ski down red runs with a certain degree of confidence. Lower-end recreational skis are somewhat stiffer than beginner skis and have greater torsional rigidity, with some design features borrowed from more serious models, most often better vibration damping, better bindings and more durable edge material. As a result, they are somewhat more expensive and perform better in more demanding slope conditions (ice, moguls, skied-out snow...).
MID-RANGE RECREATIONAL MODELS
They are meant for those who already know a thing or two about skiing, have at least 30–40 active ski days behind them and have no trouble on red runs, but don't want to waste too much energy keeping their skis in check. These models are more advanced in design, and this is where wood first appears in the ski core. Such skis are stiffer, more stable and have better edges. Intermediate recreational skiers actually know what they want from their skis and what their skiing style is. If you make fast, dynamic turns, you will look for a shorter ski with a radius of around 12–14 m. If you want speed and stability, you will go for a ski that may even be longer than you are tall, with a radius of 16–18 m or more. If, on the other hand, you are most attracted to deep-snow skiing, you will be interested in wider skis that float well in such conditions. Generally speaking, this category contains the largest number of models the ski industry offers, and you can find a very decent pair at a good price. Most experienced skiers who go skiing for only a week per season should choose a ski from this category.
HIGH-END RECREATIONAL MODELS
They are meant for connoisseurs who want an excellent, top-performance ski but don't want to pay for marketing-driven race models. They have more than 50 active ski days behind them. These models assume a skier with a polished technique who regularly skis black runs – whether someone who prefers fast, dynamic turns on groomed slopes, someone who enjoys speed and moguls, or someone who roams both on and off the piste. This class of ski generally demands good physical fitness: the skis are much less forgiving of mistakes, and the skier is expected to steer them where they want with muscle strength and technique. In terms of design, these
skis are close to race models; the core is almost always made of wood, which provides considerable torsional rigidity and excellent behaviour at higher speeds. There are many models, and it is up to the skier to choose what they want.
RACE MODELS
Of course, these are not the actual race skis used in the World Cup. They are replicas of World Cup models, but still very, very serious skis that can lead to serious injuries under the feet of weaker skiers. Race models are made for fit skiers with very good technique, strong muscles and good stamina. Such skis are designed for groomed, prepared slopes, where they will perform superbly – stable, fast and reliable – if you know how to tame them. They are reserved for those with plenty of strength and many ski days per season. They do not cope well in deep snow, mostly because they are heavy and have a narrow waist that sinks due to the small surface. This class of skis is very stiff and very heavy, which gives them stability at speed. All the best design solutions from the laboratories go into these skis – a pure wood core, integrated bindings, hard edges, special anti-vibration systems... plus many technological details invisible to the eye but very visible in the often astronomical price. Slalom models have a radius of 12–13 m at a length of 165 cm, giant slalom models a radius of more than 18 m and a length of over 180 cm. If you are not an excellent skier, don't be tempted by these models – you could waste your money and end up disappointed.
Types of skis
Besides class, skis also differ by type, i.e. intended use. Here is some brief information that should help you make sense of the confusing names.
ALLROUND
This is the most common type of ski, and the name makes it obvious that it is meant to offer “a bit of everything”: mostly oriented towards groomed surfaces, but also intended for soft snow and off-piste skiing. Of course, this is more marketing than anything, because it is hard to make a ski for all conditions. Skis with a wider waist and larger surface are harder to initiate into a turn and much harder to put on edge, while skis with a very small radius have a narrow waist that sinks more easily in deep snow. Heavy, stiff skis are better on ice and hard slopes, but they generally float less in deep snow. Lengths and radii vary widely, so we leave the choice to individual preference.
ALLMOUNTAIN
Allmountain models are also meant to be versatile, but they are designed more for skiing in softer snow, with a somewhat larger surface and larger radius than allround models. Lengths and radii vary widely, so we leave the choice to individual preference.
FREERIDE
Freeride models are true lovers of the mountains and ungroomed terrain. With large radii, wide boards (their width is very noticeable, especially at the waist) and greater lengths than the competition, you will immediately know you are looking at a deep-snow cruiser of moderate stiffness.
RACE
Ski models made for hard, steep, race-prepared slopes. Steepness and ice don't bother them, but they are not
exactly fans of deep snow. They are made for fit skiers and speed lovers who have the technique needed to control such skis. Slalom skis have small radii and, in the recreational world, lengths of up to 170 cm; they are hard to ski in a straight line, but they are masters of short, dynamic turns. Giant slalom skis are longer, with larger radii; they struggle with short turns, but they are champions when it comes to stability.
CROSS
An increasingly popular category of skis in recent years, made up of models that are supposed to combine race-oriented skis with allmountain capabilities. In practice, however, they turn out to be closer to race models in both design and geometry, with perhaps slightly less pronounced sidecut (especially at the waist), but still quite stiff and generally more demanding than both allround and allmountain models. Deep snow is not what they are made for, but they handle speed and harder surfaces very well. Most cross models are not as demanding as race models (especially the lower-end cross models, which are closer to allround skis), but the strongest cross models can definitely be considered almost race models, with radii somewhere between slalom and giant slalom models.
PARK (FREESTYLE)
Models designed for tricks. They have upturned tips at both ends (so-called twin tips). They are soft, extremely flexible and resistant to torsion, with medium radii, and are definitely not made for high speeds.
See also: Ski equipment rental
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