Question about ski length

Post your questions/comments about Gear here

Question about ski length

Postby tigernbr » Sat Apr 10, 2021 4:40 am

I'm still very much a beginner in PMTS. I've attended 2 camps and will attend another this upcoming season. I bought my boots from HSS (great experience and highly recommended). I am trying to figure out if I can build my own Harb Carvers and if I can, I'll use my old boots for those and buy a new pair before camp. I have Head SS skis, vintage 2019 in the 163 cm length. I am 5'9" and about 165#. Would dropping to 156 cm make it easier or harder to learn PMTS? Is that necessarily a good or bad thing to ski relatively short skis?
tigernbr
 
Posts: 162
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 4:50 am

Re: Question about ski length

Postby jbotti » Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:47 am

Harald has in the past talked about putting beginners on very short skis (like 145s) because the turn radius is very tight, you can feel the sensations quickly and it just takes a little less force to get them on edge. Having said that there is a point where it may be less beneficial to be on very short skis (and 156cm would be very short for someone of your size and build). I rarely get on skis less than 170cm. On 165cm race slalom skis I can feel reasonably comfortable because they are meant to support someone of my size and weight (let's remember that Ramon Zenhausen who is 6 6" skis on 165cm slalom race skis). But when I get on short non race skis I start to feel like I am about to fly over the front end. 165 recreational slalom skis are Ok (but always feel too short) but I have been on some 160s and after 2 runs I pretty much said never again.

You might want to try and rent a pair for a day (not that easy unless you are in Europe as recreational slalom carvers are hard to find in the US in rental fleets) or borrow a pair from a friend and see how they feel.

Lastly if you have 2019 vintage skis they are Head Super Shape i.Speeds not the original Super Shapes (that were discontinued years before then and came in a 160 or 165cm length).
Balance: Essential in skiing and in life!
User avatar
jbotti
 
Posts: 2184
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 10:05 am

Re: Question about ski length

Postby ErikCO » Sat Apr 10, 2021 8:36 pm

I'm 5'9 and about 190lb, so slightly different weight class than you, but I can't imagine skiing something less than a 165cm ski. The question I would have is, what are you having the hardest time with in learning PMTS and is going to a shorter ski really going to help you with that. Based on what we generally see in the MA section of the forum, I would bet that issues you have are related to skiing terrain that is too steep not that your skis are too long. If you have been to 2 camps and have had a qualified instructor telling you that you can manage the basic movements of PMTS, I doubt you need to change skis. A shorter ski will give you a smaller turn radius and so a smaller turn (and associated speed control) for a given amount of tipping. What I would be concerned about is that you might get a shorter ski to cover up a deficiency in your ability to tip, which would hinder your long-term progress.
User avatar
ErikCO
 
Posts: 134
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 9:26 pm
Location: Colorado Springs

Re: Question about ski length

Postby tigernbr » Sun Apr 11, 2021 3:41 am

Thanks for the replies. It was more of a question out of curiosity than anything. As far as what I need work on....my balance on my skis is good. I can traverse the slope standing on either foot alone. While also traversing the slope on my downhill foot, I can bring my free foot to its little toe edge to initiate a turn into the slope like Diana does in several of the HSS videos. I ski mostly greens but I find the greens at ABasin would probably be blues at a lot of other places. While I am practicing those movements, I mainly do that on the ski school slope. If I had to pick my SMIM right now to work on it is keeping my feet together to help with tipping. I am still steering way too much. My counteracting needs improving but one thing at a time.
Last edited by tigernbr on Sun Apr 11, 2021 5:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
tigernbr
 
Posts: 162
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 4:50 am

Re: Question about ski length

Postby tigernbr » Sun Apr 11, 2021 5:43 am

Two questions about the Harb Carvers. They seem pretty straightforward to make except cutting the angles on the rear heel binding and the brake. How critical is it that the angle on the rear heel binding be 50 degrees? Is 45 degrees ok? That’s a much easier angle to cut.
tigernbr
 
Posts: 162
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 4:50 am


Return to Gear

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests