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Ski Length??

Rambo

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I see that ski length is now based on your weight instead of height. I am 210 lbs. and ski on older K2 Axis XP's at 175 cm. These seem plenty long enough but I see a lot of people on like 167's and they say those are plenty long enough. So I'm thinking about dropping down to 167's for my next skis.

Just wondering what length skis other posters here use?
 

andyzee

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Don't do it. I tried a 164 in the Atomic Metron 11s, was one of my favorite ski, but you could sure tell the difference when you get on a longer ski. More stable at high speeds and just a nicer feel. Presently my ski lengths from 178 to 182 and I wouldn't change it. 6', 235
 

drjeff

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6'3" 230lbs, 172cm Atomic B5 Metrons.

With the HUGE variety of sidecuts/widths nowadays, you really need to demo a few lengths to find out what feels right to you and your skiing style. Pretty much just throw out any formula nowadays as what length you should get based on height/weight.
 

djspookman

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I'm 155 lbs, 5'-9"

Tele: my regular sticks are 169 (k2 Piste Pipes), but I wish I went a tad longer, say a 175.. and my powder sticks are 175's, and PERFECT! (Volkl Sumo's)

Alpine, 178 is perfect for me. (Elan 662's)

With those sizes in mind, I'm a pretty aggressive skiier. All the above skis are for all mountain use.

dave
 

tjf67

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5'7" 175
both my allmountain and powder skiis are 177.

Those XP you got are a great ski. I had those in a 167 and loved them. I think you are to heavy for a 167.
 

madskier6

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I agree with all previous posters' suggestions. For Atomic Metrons, however, it is important to remember that those skis have such extreme sidecut that it is customary to ski them in shorter lengths. In fact, they didn't make them longer than 172-176, depending on the model. So using those lengths as a guide is not a good representation of what length should be skied on other skis.

Rambo: It depends on which skis you get but generally, I wouldn't go shorter than 175 just because others are going shorter. If you're talking powder boards, those should generally be longer than carvers or midfats. While weight is the primary factor in determining length of ski, your height is also relevant. If you're really tall or really short, the length should be adjusted accordingly. If possible, demo different lengths to see how they feel to you.

I'm 5'10" 220 lbs & I ski 178 for a midfat & 183 for my powder boards.
 

Vinstant

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Ski lengths...

2006 Head XRC 1400 163
2006 Volkl Karma 177
2007 Elan Magfire 12 184

I like them all.

I am 220, 6' 0
 
Last edited:

Greg

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6' 1", 165 lbs.

172 cm Dynastar Legend 8000s
179 cm (measure 174) K2 Cabrawlers
 

tekweezle

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i think it depends on what you are planning to ski most of the time. I usually use the short, stiff skis, narrower waist 167 length for the east coast hard pack and narrower trails. when i go out west, i use a slightly longer wider 170 ski.

I am 5 10 and about 192 pounds now. i was on my 167 K2 Axis on the variable conditions at killington this weekend(saturday packed powder over crust, sunday powder over crust). I kept thinking to myself that maybe a longer ski would be easier for me to balance on in the variable stuff at the expense of being forced to make longer turns. i was getting thrown around alot when i hit the cut up crud.b
 

tjf67

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i think it depends on what you are planning to ski most of the time. I usually use the short, stiff skis, narrower waist 167 length for the east coast hard pack and narrower trails. when i go out west, i use a slightly longer wider 170 ski.

I am 5 10 and about 192 pounds now. i was on my 167 K2 Axis on the variable conditions at killington this weekend(saturday packed powder over crust, sunday powder over crust). I kept thinking to myself that maybe a longer ski would be easier for me to balance on in the variable stuff at the expense of being forced to make longer turns. i was getting thrown around alot when i hit the cut up crud.b

those xp are 78 under foot and not the stiffest ski. Go fatter and stiffer if you want to bust through crud and stick underneath.
 

Greg

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those xp are 78 under foot and not the stiffest ski. Go fatter and stiffer if you want to bust through crud and stick underneath.

Depends. Some of the older Axis skis were 70 at the waist.
 

tekweezle

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yeah, my Axis are 70mm at the waist which felt huge when I got them nearly 7 years ago..

but I think one of the things influencing my skiing is the shovel weight being a little light for me now-I think I am overpowering the tips a bit. a longer ski might provide the additional stability. it;s either my ski technique or I could just accept the fact that these skis are not the best for certain conditions.
 
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I see that ski length is now based on your weight instead of height. I am 210 lbs. and ski on older K2 Axis XP's at 175 cm. These seem plenty long enough but I see a lot of people on like 167's and they say those are plenty long enough. So I'm thinking about dropping down to 167's for my next skis.

Just wondering what length skis other posters here use?

A 175 seems like a good length for you for a carving ski..167s seem awfully short..My shortest skis are 170 Length Atomic race skis..my Elan S12s are 176s, my Rossi Scratch BCs are 182s and my Nordica blowers are 193s..Your best bet is to demo a couple of different length..a difference in 8 centimeters is only 3 inches..
 

andyzee

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6'3" 230lbs, 172cm Atomic B5 Metrons.

With the HUGE variety of sidecuts/widths nowadays, you really need to demo a few lengths to find out what feels right to you and your skiing style. Pretty much just throw out any formula nowadays as what length you should get based on height/weight.

Love that ski!
 

SkiDork

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Ski Length == Penis Length.

Nuff said...

LOL%20cat.jpg
 

drjeff

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Love that ski!

I'm on my second pair now, and when the current pair is fatally damaged and/or skied out, there's a good chance that I'd get a 3rd pair of them! For my skiing style, there really isn't a thing that they can't do, and do pretty well! For me atleast this is a true "1 ski quiver" :) :) :)
 
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