This guide is for Alpine Skis. For help with Nordic Ski sizing, please call us at: (877) 812-6710.
Ski Sizing can be tricky, thanks to a combination of the ever changing ski technology. It used to be that if you extended your arm upwards, you should be able to reach the tips of your skis. Then parabolic shapes came along. Then skis got wider. Then rocker technology came along, and, long story short, there’s way more room for preference and interpretation than ever before. The good news is that the all around quality of skis is increasing, making it more possible than ever to find a ski that fits your specific style and preferences. The bad news, is that it can be a bit more difficult to do- but that’s why we’re here. Take a look at the chart below, and if you have any trouble figuring out your size range, scroll past the cart to where we provide more information regarding these categories.
Sometimes you just need to speak to a expert, so if you're still having trouble picking a size, please give us a call at (877) 812-6710.
Rules of Thumb:
Adults: Between Chin and Eyebrows
Kids: Between Chest and Chin
Height
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Expert
3'
65-75 CM
65-75 CM
65-75 CM
65-75 CM
3'2"
75-85 CM
75-85 CM
75-85 CM
75-85 CM
3'4"
80-90 CM
80-90 CM
80-90 CM
80-90 CM
3'6"
85-95 CM
85-95 CM
85-95 CM
85-95 CM
3'8"
90-100 CM
90-100 CM
90-100 CM
90-100 CM
3'10"
95-105 CM
95-105 CM
95-105 CM
95-105 CM
4'
100-110 CM
100-110 CM
100-110 CM
100-110 CM
4'2"
105-115 CM
105-115 CM
105-115 CM
105-115 CM
4'4"
110-120 CM
110-120 CM
110-120 CM
120-125 CM
4'6"
115-118 CM
118-121 CM
122-125 CM
125-132 CM
4'8"
121-124 CM
124-127 CM
127-130 CM
130-138 CM
4'10"
124-129 CM
129-134 CM
134-139 CM
139-148 CM
5'
134-139 CM
139-144 CM
144-149 CM
149-160 CM
5'2"
139-144 CM
144-149 CM
149-154 CM
154-165 CM
5'4"
144-149 CM
149-154 CM
154-159 CM
159-170 CM
5'6"
149-154 CM
154-159 CM
159-164 CM
164-175 CM
5'8"
154-159 CM
159-164 CM
164-169 CM
169-180 CM
5'10"
159-164 CM
164-169 CM
169-174 CM
174-185 CM
6'
164-169 CM
169-174 CM
174-179 CM
179-190 CM
6'2"
169-174 CM
174-179 CM
179-184 CM
184-195 CM
6'4"
174-179 CM
179-184 CM
184-189 CM
189-200 CM
6'6"
179-184 CM
184-189 CM
189-194 CM
194-205 CM
6'8"
184-189 CM
189-194 CM
194-199 CM
199-210+ CM
Skill Level Descriptions:
Beginner: Chances are you’ll know if this is you. Beginner skiers are classified as people who have never ever skied, right up to those just starting to dabble in Intermediate trails. Chances are if you’re the type of skier who typically skis with a “ski-mentor” or a friend who’s job it is to get you down the mountain. Skill wise, you’ll be able to control your speed with snowplowing, wedging, or forming a “pizza”. Turns will be slow and steady, and at the end of your time as a beginner, you’ll be starting to tip your skis to turn rather than pushing yourself to turn with your heels.
Intermediate: Congratulations! You’ve made it to the next level in skiing. Rather than snowplow your way down blue squares, you’re able to use the shape of your skis to make parabolic or carving turns. You’re likely still pretty cautious in regards to your speed, but are able to stop on demand and have a bit more confidence that you’ll make it to the bottom in one piece. Most intermediate skiers will be tempted to wander off trail, but may not be brave enough quite yet. Some certainly will, but if off-trail skiing becomes your preference, chances are you’ve graduated to the next level.
Advanced: This might be one of the hardest groups to identify. If you know you’re not an Intermediate skier still, but aren’t quite confident enough to call yourself an expert, then chances are this is you. Ski lengths on our chart above will fall somewhere between your nose and eyebrows. This is what used to be referred to as “Expert” until rocker skis came along and let experts go back to over head ski lengths. Characteristics of an advanced skier would be: the ability to ski most, if not all trails, an ability to ski fast, regular ability to ski off trail, and more traditionally, the ability to link full carving turns at full speed.
Expert: Hands down, you’re the best skier on the mountain. Ok, so maybe not the best, but you certainly could be a contendah, kid. Black diamond, double black diamond, centuple black diamond, it doesn’t even matter. You’re that good at skiing. Heck, you could probably even ski blindfolded and with your hands tied behind your back. Well, maybe not, but you get my point. If you’re truly an expert skier, you probably know it.
Other Considerations:
Weight: There’s no easy way to say it, but skiers who are carrying around a bit of extra weight should consider staying to the higher side of the scale. More weight means the skis will feel softer, and shorter. With a bit of extra length, the skis will have a more accurate flex and better weight distribution. Conversely, skiers who are exceptionally light should stick towards to smaller side of the scale, for similar reasons.
Use: This is a question that’s most relevant to advanced or expert skiers: Where are you skiing? If you’re looking to buy a powder ski, the natural notion is to go a bit longer. In most cases, this is the right call, but skiers should be geo-conscious before buying more than they can handle. For example, East Coast skiers may have visions of skiing wide open powder fields, but the reality is that 9/10 they’ll have to navigate tight trees before finding their 100 yard straight shot of glory. Out West, where things are a bit more open, it’s not uncommon to see skiers on skis much taller than themselves. Powder is likely the most common reason to adjust your ski size, but other specialties such as ski racing, park skiing, and moguls can all skew what size is proper for you.
Preference: Finally, there’s preference. While this isn’t a free pass to say “screw all that, I know I need 210’s!,” it is an official recognition that different skiers have different preferences which can easily change the length of ski they purchase. Myself? I size up. I like the extra stability on groomers, and with 102mm waist widths, the extra length allows me to use these skis in light powder on those rare East Coast days.
SKI POLE SIZING
Alpine (Downhill) Pole Sizing
The nice thing about sizing ski poles is that it's relatively straight foreword. To determine your size, simply flip a ski pole over, grab it under the basket, and place the handle on the ground. If you're holding the right size pole, you'll notice that your elbow forms a perfect 90 degree angle between your bicep and forearm. If the pole is too long, then your forearm will be angled slightly up. Too short, and you'll find your forearm angled downward. Of course if you don't have ski poles to try this out on, you can always use the chart below. Finding the proper length ski pole is important as ski poles too long will actually shift your center of balance to behind you, and a pole that's too short will put it in front of you.
Skier Height:
3'2 - 3'4
3'5 - 3'8
3'9 - 4'0
4'1 - 4'4
4'5 - 4'8
4'9 - 5'0
5'1 - 5'3
5'4 - 5'6
5'7 - 5'9
5'10 - 6'0
6'1 - 6'3
6'4 - 6'6
Ski Pole Length (IN):
32"
34"
36"
38"
40"
42"
44"
46"
48"
50"
52"
54"
Ski Pole Length (CM):
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
115
120
125
130
135
Nordic (Cross Country) Pole Sizing
Cross-country pole sizing is easy as well. For classic or touring poles, the correct size pole should reach your armpit. For skate skiing, poles should be a bit longer. The rule of thumb for skate poles is that they should come between your lip and your nose. So you can measure yourself, or you can just check out our handy-dandy chart below.
Skier Height:
4'11"
5'0"
5'1"
5'2"
5'3"
5'4"
5'5"
5'6"
5'7"
5'8"
5'9"
5'10"
5'11"
6'0"
6'1"
6'2"
6'3"
6'4"
Skate (CM):
130
132
135
137
140
142
145
147
150
152
155
157
160
162
165
167
170
172
Classic/Touring (CM):
120
122
125
127
130
132
135
137
140
142
145
147
150
152
155
157
160
162
We're looking for your Mondo Point size, and the conversion is easy! Find your street shoe size on the chart, determine men's, women's, or kid's, and find the corresponding Mondo size! Please keep in mind that ski boots DO NOT come in half-sizes. If you measure a Men's 8/Mondopoint 26, please select 26.5, for example.
BOOT SOLE LENGTH: What is it?
Your boot sole length is the actual length of your ski boot, in millimeters. This is the number that our ski techs will use to mount your bindings. While you’ll still need a final adjustment done before you can ski, providing us with your boot sole length is absolutely crucial if you’d like us to send your skis pre-mounted with your bindings.
HOW DO I FIND IT?
Finding your Boot Sole Length (BSL) is easy. On your ski boot, there will be a 3 digit number on the outside or inside heel of one or both of your boots. Keep in mind that there shouldn't be a decimal (ex. 28.5). If the number you see has a decimal, then you’re probably looking at your Mondo Point size which isn’t accurate enough to use when mounting bindings. Other hints that you're looking at the Mondo Point and not the BSL would be if it looks something like "270/275" or if the number is found on the bottom of the boot. If you’ve looked all over and still can’t find your BSL, it’s also acceptable to measure along the bottom of the boot from the very tip of the toe, to back of the heel- just make sure you measure in Millimeters!
ISN'T THE BSL THE SAME AS MONDO POINT?
Nope! The mondo point size is the generic boot size that every boot maker uses it. Think of it as a shoe size, like a "size 11" for example. The boot sole length is the literal length from toe to heel of that boot, measured in millimeters. It's entirely possible and very common for boots with the same Mondo Point to have different Boot Sole Lengths. Because ski bindings are so precise, it's crucial to have them mounted to the BSL and not the Mondo Point.
ALPINE SKI SIZING
This guide is for Alpine Skis. For help with Nordic Ski sizing, please call us at: (877) 812-6710.
Ski Sizing can be tricky, thanks to a combination of the ever changing ski technology. It used to be that if you extended your arm upwards, you should be able to reach the tips of your skis. Then parabolic shapes came along. Then skis got wider. Then rocker technology came along, and, long story short, there’s way more room for preference and interpretation than ever before. The good news is that the all around quality of skis is increasing, making it more possible than ever to find a ski that fits your specific style and preferences. The bad news, is that it can be a bit more difficult to do- but that’s why we’re here. Take a look at the chart below, and if you have any trouble figuring out your size range, scroll past the cart to where we provide more information regarding these categories.
Sometimes you just need to speak to a expert, so if you're still having trouble picking a size, please give us a call at (877) 812-6710.
Rules of Thumb:
Adults: Between Chin and Eyebrows
Kids: Between Chest and Chin
Height
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Expert
3'
65-75 CM
65-75 CM
65-75 CM
65-75 CM
3'2"
75-85 CM
75-85 CM
75-85 CM
75-85 CM
3'4"
80-90 CM
80-90 CM
80-90 CM
80-90 CM
3'6"
85-95 CM
85-95 CM
85-95 CM
85-95 CM
3'8"
90-100 CM
90-100 CM
90-100 CM
90-100 CM
3'10"
95-105 CM
95-105 CM
95-105 CM
95-105 CM
4'
100-110 CM
100-110 CM
100-110 CM
100-110 CM
4'2"
105-115 CM
105-115 CM
105-115 CM
105-115 CM
4'4"
110-120 CM
110-120 CM
110-120 CM
120-125 CM
4'6"
115-118 CM
118-121 CM
122-125 CM
125-132 CM
4'8"
121-124 CM
124-127 CM
127-130 CM
130-138 CM
4'10"
124-129 CM
129-134 CM
134-139 CM
139-148 CM
5'
134-139 CM
139-144 CM
144-149 CM
149-160 CM
5'2"
139-144 CM
144-149 CM
149-154 CM
154-165 CM
5'4"
144-149 CM
149-154 CM
154-159 CM
159-170 CM
5'6"
149-154 CM
154-159 CM
159-164 CM
164-175 CM
5'8"
154-159 CM
159-164 CM
164-169 CM
169-180 CM
5'10"
159-164 CM
164-169 CM
169-174 CM
174-185 CM
6'
164-169 CM
169-174 CM
174-179 CM
179-190 CM
6'2"
169-174 CM
174-179 CM
179-184 CM
184-195 CM
6'4"
174-179 CM
179-184 CM
184-189 CM
189-200 CM
6'6"
179-184 CM
184-189 CM
189-194 CM
194-205 CM
6'8"
184-189 CM
189-194 CM
194-199 CM
199-210+ CM
Skill Level Descriptions:
Beginner: Chances are you’ll know if this is you. Beginner skiers are classified as people who have never ever skied, right up to those just starting to dabble in Intermediate trails. Chances are if you’re the type of skier who typically skis with a “ski-mentor” or a friend who’s job it is to get you down the mountain. Skill wise, you’ll be able to control your speed with snowplowing, wedging, or forming a “pizza”. Turns will be slow and steady, and at the end of your time as a beginner, you’ll be starting to tip your skis to turn rather than pushing yourself to turn with your heels.
Intermediate: Congratulations! You’ve made it to the next level in skiing. Rather than snowplow your way down blue squares, you’re able to use the shape of your skis to make parabolic or carving turns. You’re likely still pretty cautious in regards to your speed, but are able to stop on demand and have a bit more confidence that you’ll make it to the bottom in one piece. Most intermediate skiers will be tempted to wander off trail, but may not be brave enough quite yet. Some certainly will, but if off-trail skiing becomes your preference, chances are you’ve graduated to the next level.
Advanced: This might be one of the hardest groups to identify. If you know you’re not an Intermediate skier still, but aren’t quite confident enough to call yourself an expert, then chances are this is you. Ski lengths on our chart above will fall somewhere between your nose and eyebrows. This is what used to be referred to as “Expert” until rocker skis came along and let experts go back to over head ski lengths. Characteristics of an advanced skier would be: the ability to ski most, if not all trails, an ability to ski fast, regular ability to ski off trail, and more traditionally, the ability to link full carving turns at full speed.
Expert: Hands down, you’re the best skier on the mountain. Ok, so maybe not the best, but you certainly could be a contendah, kid. Black diamond, double black diamond, centuple black diamond, it doesn’t even matter. You’re that good at skiing. Heck, you could probably even ski blindfolded and with your hands tied behind your back. Well, maybe not, but you get my point. If you’re truly an expert skier, you probably know it.
Other Considerations:
Weight: There’s no easy way to say it, but skiers who are carrying around a bit of extra weight should consider staying to the higher side of the scale. More weight means the skis will feel softer, and shorter. With a bit of extra length, the skis will have a more accurate flex and better weight distribution. Conversely, skiers who are exceptionally light should stick towards to smaller side of the scale, for similar reasons.
Use: This is a question that’s most relevant to advanced or expert skiers: Where are you skiing? If you’re looking to buy a powder ski, the natural notion is to go a bit longer. In most cases, this is the right call, but skiers should be geo-conscious before buying more than they can handle. For example, East Coast skiers may have visions of skiing wide open powder fields, but the reality is that 9/10 they’ll have to navigate tight trees before finding their 100 yard straight shot of glory. Out West, where things are a bit more open, it’s not uncommon to see skiers on skis much taller than themselves. Powder is likely the most common reason to adjust your ski size, but other specialties such as ski racing, park skiing, and moguls can all skew what size is proper for you.
Preference: Finally, there’s preference. While this isn’t a free pass to say “screw all that, I know I need 210’s!,” it is an official recognition that different skiers have different preferences which can easily change the length of ski they purchase. Myself? I size up. I like the extra stability on groomers, and with 102mm waist widths, the extra length allows me to use these skis in light powder on those rare East Coast days.
SKI POLE SIZING
Alpine (Downhill) Pole Sizing
The nice thing about sizing ski poles is that it's relatively straight foreword. To determine your size, simply flip a ski pole over, grab it under the basket, and place the handle on the ground. If you're holding the right size pole, you'll notice that your elbow forms a perfect 90 degree angle between your bicep and forearm. If the pole is too long, then your forearm will be angled slightly up. Too short, and you'll find your forearm angled downward. Of course if you don't have ski poles to try this out on, you can always use the chart below. Finding the proper length ski pole is important as ski poles too long will actually shift your center of balance to behind you, and a pole that's too short will put it in front of you.
Skier Height:
3'2 - 3'4
3'5 - 3'8
3'9 - 4'0
4'1 - 4'4
4'5 - 4'8
4'9 - 5'0
5'1 - 5'3
5'4 - 5'6
5'7 - 5'9
5'10 - 6'0
6'1 - 6'3
6'4 - 6'6
Ski Pole Length (IN):
32"
34"
36"
38"
40"
42"
44"
46"
48"
50"
52"
54"
Ski Pole Length (CM):
80
85
90
95
100
105
110
115
120
125
130
135
Nordic (Cross Country) Pole Sizing
Cross-country pole sizing is easy as well. For classic or touring poles, the correct size pole should reach your armpit. For skate skiing, poles should be a bit longer. The rule of thumb for skate poles is that they should come between your lip and your nose. So you can measure yourself, or you can just check out our handy-dandy chart below.
Skier Height:
4'11"
5'0"
5'1"
5'2"
5'3"
5'4"
5'5"
5'6"
5'7"
5'8"
5'9"
5'10"
5'11"
6'0"
6'1"
6'2"
6'3"
6'4"
Skate (CM):
130
132
135
137
140
142
145
147
150
152
155
157
160
162
165
167
170
172
Classic/Touring (CM):
120
122
125
127
130
132
135
137
140
142
145
147
150
152
155
157
160
162
We're looking for your Mondo Point size, and the conversion is easy! Find your street shoe size on the chart, determine men's, women's, or kid's, and find the corresponding Mondo size! Please keep in mind that ski boots DO NOT come in half-sizes. If you measure a Men's 8/Mondopoint 26, please select 26.5, for example.
BOOT SOLE LENGTH: What is it?
Your boot sole length is the actual length of your ski boot, in millimeters. This is the number that our ski techs will use to mount your bindings. While you’ll still need a final adjustment done before you can ski, providing us with your boot sole length is absolutely crucial if you’d like us to send your skis pre-mounted with your bindings.
HOW DO I FIND IT?
Finding your Boot Sole Length (BSL) is easy. On your ski boot, there will be a 3 digit number on the outside or inside heel of one or both of your boots. Keep in mind that there shouldn't be a decimal (ex. 28.5). If the number you see has a decimal, then you’re probably looking at your Mondo Point size which isn’t accurate enough to use when mounting bindings. Other hints that you're looking at the Mondo Point and not the BSL would be if it looks something like "270/275" or if the number is found on the bottom of the boot. If you’ve looked all over and still can’t find your BSL, it’s also acceptable to measure along the bottom of the boot from the very tip of the toe, to back of the heel- just make sure you measure in Millimeters!
ISN'T THE BSL THE SAME AS MONDO POINT?
Nope! The mondo point size is the generic boot size that every boot maker uses it. Think of it as a shoe size, like a "size 11" for example. The boot sole length is the literal length from toe to heel of that boot, measured in millimeters. It's entirely possible and very common for boots with the same Mondo Point to have different Boot Sole Lengths. Because ski bindings are so precise, it's crucial to have them mounted to the BSL and not the Mondo Point.
CROSS-COUNTRY SKI SIZING
Fitting cross country skis is different then fitting alpine skis. Instead of fitting the ski by height, the skis that we carry are fit by weight. Check the charts below to see which size you need. Still have questions? Don't hesitate to give us a call at (877) 812-6710 and let us help you.
This week in the world of ski news, we once again have plenty of competitive highlights to bring you. First up, we’ll recap the latest action from the FIS Alpine Ski Racing World Cup circuit before bringing you up to speed with the latest from the last stop of the Freeride World Tour. Then, we’ll share a number of exciting highlights and previews that’ll be sure to get you excited about the 2022 Winter Olympics, which officially got underway just hours ago. Finally, we’ll round out the week on a different note, sharing a story from David Goodman about how one formerly shuttered ski area in Vermont successfully turned to the community for help. Find out all you need to know from this week in skiing in this edition of Top Five Fridays!
Back in November, we shared with you an overview of the new 2023 Nordica Unlimited skis. This week, we're excited to say that we're back with an overview of a second brand new series from Nordica: the 2023 Unleashed skis. Borrowing traits from the Enforcer Frees, Santa Ana, and Soul Rider series, the new Nordica Unleashed ski is the mash-up we never knew we needed. Available in 98 and 108 widths for advanced skiers, as well as in a 90 for more intermediate skiers, the Unleashed series takes a "best of both worlds" approach to offering a mix of freestyle and freeride capabilities. We have plenty of things to say about these exciting new skis, and we highly recommend clicking in to give this comprehensive overview a full read!
This week we have a very, very special ski preview here on Chairlift Chat. Over the course of the last two years, we've had the chance to work with Fischer, alongside a number of other talented athletes, to provide direct feedback into their redesign of their incredibly popular Ranger line. Already huge fans of the Ranger series, being asked to get involved with the development of the ski was a huge honor for us, and we couldn't be more excited to share with you this complete overview of the 2023 Fischer series. We promise we'll be objective, but we've gotta say, we're pretty impressed with how well Fischer turned our feedback into reality. Click through to check out this exciting new line of Fischer skis!
This week in ski news, things got quite competitive. With major competitions going down in just about every genre of skiing, we’ve got plenty of exciting news for those of you who love watching live events. We’ll start the week as we always do, with a recap of the latest results from the FIS World Cup Alpine Skiing circuit, before bringing you updates from the first stop of the 2022 Freeride World Tour, the latest news from this year’s iteration of the X Games, and a ton of news regarding the upcoming Winter Olympics. Find out what you need to know from all of these events, and check out a handful of excellent edits, in this edition of Top Five Fridays!
A few weeks back, we reviewed the Blizzard Thunderbird R15 WB, a decidedly frontside ski, and a category we arguably don’t discuss enough here on Chairlift Chat. So, after that review received a warm response, we decided to come back this week with a review of one of our favorite expert-level frontside skis: the 2023 K2 Disruption Ti2. Not technically a race ski, the Disruption Ti2 has race ski performance with K2 attitude, making it a hell of a ride on days when you’ve got some pent up aggression to let loose on the slopes. While it’s not for the faint of heart, the K2 Disruption Ti2 is an incredible ski for the right person, in the right mode. Check out this full review to learn more.
This week in ski news, we’ve got a good one for you as we dive into a triple header of heavy content. Starting in Park City, we’ll share with you the resolution of the ongoing contract negotiations, before turning our attention to two new legal challenges that Vail has found themselves up against. From there, we’ll also share a story from Black Mountain, New Hampshire that seems minor at the moment, but sheds light on an issue that we suspect will become a hot topic in the months and years ahead. Of course, we’ll also bring you the latest race results from the FIS World Cup, as well as our favorite edits of the week, so don’t hesitate to click through and find out what you need to know from this week in skiing in this edition of Top Five Fridays!
There seems to be a new trend in the ski industry to release next year’s most exciting skis an entire year early. As gear nerds, we’re not made about it as it means we get early looks and reasons to stay excited for what our favorite manufacturers have in store in the year ahead. Today, that trend continues as Volkl has just released the all new 2023 Kendo 88. We were lucky enough to spend some time on this ski out in Sun Valley recently, and we’re happy to say, Volkl nailed it. Click through to learn all about this new ski in this full review!
This week in ski news, we’ve got a double header of FIS World Cup updates, followed by a double header of Vail-based updates. To start, we’ll share with you news from the world of Alpine Racing, where Mikaela Shiffrin has just set a new FIS record. From there, we’ll check in with the men’s and women’s freeski teams who both had a strong showing last weekend in Mammoth. After knocking out that double header, we’ll bring you updates from Vail, where it seems as though they’re starting to make progress towards solving some of the employee-based problems that have plagued them so far this season. We’ll give you all the details and share some of our favorite edits from this week in this edition of Top Five Fridays!
Since 2007, Atomic has offered one of the best powder skis on the market, the Bent Chetler 120. Since 2018, they’ve offered one of the best quiver-killing all mountain twin tips in the Bent Chetler 100. Now, for 2023, Atomic has expanded the Bent Chetler lineup to include a total of five incredible skis: the Bent 85, Bent 90, Bent 100, Bent 110, and Bent Chetler 120. We had the pleasure of hoping on theses skis last week for some test run, and now Atomic’s letting us share an official preview of this exciting new series. We’ll follow up with full individual reviews in the weeks to come, but for now, let’s take a look at the 2023 Atomic Bent Chetler Ski Series.
Being that it’s the first Friday of 2022, we would’ve loved to ring in the New Year in style, bringing you a full slate of positivity. Unfortunately, we don’t dictate the ski news, and we pride ourselves in keeping you up to date with the latest headlines, regardless of what they are. As such, we’ve got a pair of highlights this week that are sure to stir up some emotions regarding Vail Resorts and their Epic Pass. But, it’s not all negative news this week. In addition to those headlines, we’ve got FIS Alpine highlights, which bring some positive updates from the Shifrrin camp, as well as an update from Valemount, the mega-resort being planned in British Columbia. Learn more about those topics and catch our favorite edits from the week in this edition of Top Five Fridays!
Here on SkiEssentials, and across the ski industry in general, we’ve fallen into the pattern of only discussing certain types of skis. Mid-fat all mountain skis, free ride skis, powder skis… the categories that everyone knows and loves. That’s not necessarily the best, or most fair approach to discussing skis though as it neglects an entire category of frontside skis that serve their own, incredibly fun purpose: ripping groomers. This week, we’re refreshing our perspective on this category by reviewing the 2022 Blizzard Thunderbird R15 WB Skis - a frontside ski that’s the perfect reminder of how much fun carving hard and fast down groomers can be.
This week in ski news, we’ve got some good news, and some bad news. In the world of ski racing, Ryan Cochran-Siegle put up his best result of the year, while Mikaela Shiffrin tested positive for Covid and was forced to sit on the sidelines. Speaking of which, Covid’s back, and it’s becoming troublesome at resorts across North America. We’ll share some of those details, as well as a story from Stöckli, and one from the Beijing Winter Olympics, where the race course is a big question mark for alpine athletes. To learn more about these highlights and to catch the best edits of the week, check out this edition of Top Five Fridays!
Back in the beginning of November, we shared with you an overview of the brand new Nordica Enforcer Unlimited series skis, designed to be a lighter weight, tour ready version of the Enforcers. At the time, all we could do was speculate on their performance as we didn’t yet have snow to try them on. Now, in the depths of December, we’ve had a chance to test both the Nordica Enforcer 104 Unlimited, and the Enforcer 94 Unlimited. Having already shared our review of the 104, we’re eager to share with you our pleasantly surprising review of the 94. Click through to give it a read!
Accessibility. It's one the most talked about concepts in skiing these days as we all look to make our great sport more inclusive. Not to toot our own horn or anything, but it's also a concept we've taken to heart for years now, as exemplified by our Annual Youth Ski Fundraiser where we help raise money to support local youth ski programs in our area. This year was another banner year for that program, thanks in no small part to you! Click through to get the full recap!
First and foremost, merry Christmas Eve to all of our readers who celebrate! Despite being a pseudo holiday for many, our commitment to ski news prevails this week as we bring you yet another Top Five Friday. This week, we have potentially the most competitive ski news ever as the FIS Alpine World Cup hosted races at a total of 5 venues last week. Meanwhile, here in the U.S., Copper Mountain played host to the 2021 Dew Tour. We’ll share all the results we can, as well as a couple of headlines from Vail resorts and Bode Miller in this extra special half-holiday edition of Top Five Fridays!
