Skis

Choosing Your Skis

Whether you are new to skiing or a battle-scarred expert, choosing the right skis can be confusing. Whatever your skill level, it's important to match your skis to the terrain and snow conditions you typically encounter and pick the right skis to help you slay the slopes or the park.

For tips on buying skis and getting the right size and fit, check out our Ski Buyer’s Guide and Size Chart, or feel free to give us a call at 800.992.7245.

Types of Skis

All-Mountain Skis

Before you invest in a new pair of skis, you'll need to decide which type of skiing you'll do most! All-Mountain skis are designed for all types of terrain and snow conditions on the mountain. Generally used for groomed trails they can also work well for backcountry, powder-searching fanatics. If you can’t decide what your favorite style of skiing is and want something that is versatile and can go anywhere, then all-mountain skis are what you need.

Powder Skis

Sometimes called “super-fats”, powder skis are best for deep powder and backcountry skiing although many riders may use them for occasional groomed runs. To cope with the deepest snow, waist widths may run 109mm and higher for men’s and 100mm and higher for women’s. To also help improve float and give you a surf-like, playful feel, most powder skis now utilize a rocker profile, early-rise tip and tail, or even reverse camber.
Feeling intimidated by powder skiing? Check out these powder skiing tips!

Park and Pipe Skis

Also known as freestyle skis, these skis are designed specifically for the riders who love the terrain park and jibs, jumps and rails. Park skis are typically lighter and shorter than other types of skis and have twin tips.

As with other types you will want to consider the width and shape, length and construction. Around 80-85mm underfoot seems to be the sweet spot, with a shorter radius of between 11 and 16 meters. Construction is where you will find significant variation in park and pipe skis, but manufacturers are all trying to achieve the same results: light weight, durability, and “pop” or rebound energy for better takeoffs. Because of the extreme wear and tear on park equipment, consider looking for thicker edges, bases and cores for better endurance. Wood cores may be slightly heavier but offer longer-lasting performance than many other materials.

Backcountry & Alpine Touring Skis

Backcountry skis are designed to take you both up the mountain and back down. They are typically made with lighter weight construction and offer touring features like notches in the tip and tail for climbing skins that you use to ski up the mountain. You can find full-camber skis in this category, but most will feature a hybrid profile with camber underfoot and tip and possibly tail rocker.

Carving Skis

Carving skis are the recreational descendants of slalom and GS racing skis, with a pure focus on speed, edge grip, and precision turning. They are ideal for groomed runs or hard pack and do not perform well in powder. These skis typically have a narrow waist, generally less than 85mm, a pronounced side-cut for shorter turns, and camber underfoot to help control your edges.