TIPS FOR FINDING THE RIGHT SKI LENGTH

Finding the right length ski can be a tricky endeavor, especially when you are looking at a ski in 2D on the internet without actually putting boots in bindings and skiing the ski. There is a narrative out there that women should be sized down. This isn’t always the case and we wish it would die. This is especially true with our ski’s that have rocker in the tip and tail. Rocker reduces the effective edge (the part of the ski that is in contact with the snow) length, meaning you may actually want to size up, not down. The longer the effective edge, the greater the stability when skiing at higher speeds and/or taking a more aggressive approach. The rocker in the tip and tail helps keep the ski stay afloat in powder or charge through crud. All these recs are a great starting point but if you have any other questions, reach out to hello@coalitionsnow.com where we can offer more help to get you on the right ski length.  

In the charts below you will see that some recommendations include two possible sizes. Here’s the gist of what that means. If you choose the shorter of the two recommendations you will get more maneuverability in the trees and off-piste while still being stable on-piste, whereas if you go with the longer of the two recs, you will get more effective edge providing you with even greater stability when you’re waiting on the powder to arrive and ripping laps on groomers at higher speeds. In the charts below, find your ability level, height range, weight range, and then get your size recommendation.

SOS RECOMMENDATIONS

Our SOS ski is a true all mountain ski. It really is your go-to, all over the mountain, do it all, ski. It rips on groomers, will slash through crud, and will float on powder. It's stiff and responsive and a great one quiver ski. It has camber underfoot and rocker in the tip and tail which reduces it’s effective edge, meaning it skis around 6cm shorter than its actual length; just something to keep in mind. We do not recommend our SOS ski for beginners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REBEL RECOMMENDATIONS

Our Rebel ski is our badass carving ski. But it’s also important to consider your geographic location with this ski. If you’re on the east coast, it’s a great all mountain ski. This primarily has to do with the wider shovel, or tip. Because it’s bigger than most traditional carving skis, it will slash through crud and float on East Coast powder when you get it. And ice? Pfft. The Rebel ski carves on extreme hardpack like a hot knife through butter and it is very stable at speed.

If you’re in the West skiing the Rockies, the Sierra, or up in the PNW, then it would primarily be your go-to ripper for groomer laps when the snow hasn’t been flying for weeks. It also has rocker in the tip and tail like our SOS, but not quite as much, so that effective edge length applies here as well. 

RAFIKI RECOMMENDATIONS

Our Rafiki is our powder ski, but don’t let that nomenclature fool you. It may very well become your daily driver because it’s the friendliest ski in our lineup. Is it a surfy pow slayer? Yep. Is it also fun to rip on groomers? Yep. Why? Dual radius sidecut. The sidecut is a little shorter in the tips making turn initiation a breeze, while the longer radius in the tails helps maintain stability and control. It has camber underfoot giving you control on those groomer turns unlike a traditional full rocker powder ski which, as all of you know who ski on full rockered powder skis, when you hit that runout and initiate that first turn on the hardpack, all of the sudden the skis have flown out from underneath you and you find yourself sliding on your side instead of your skis. You won’t have that problem with these planks. Additionally, the Rafiki is a little softer than say our SOS, so it’s just a more forgiving ski.

LA NIEVE RECOMMENDATIONS

Our La Nieve is our backcountry specific ski. It’s lightweight and nimble, has a sidecut that’s great for medium length turns, and shines in negotiating trees and variable terrain. Because it is our backcountry specific ski, it will not perform well on hard-pack. Ski length for backcountry skis does come down to preference more so than any other type of ski. This is one exception where it is pretty common to actually size down for the extra maneuverability. 

BLISS RECOMMENDATIONS

Our Bliss ski is technically a park ski but it also performs tremendously well as a groomer ripper. It strikes a real nice balance as it’s not too soft and not too stiff. It also has rocker in the tip and tail and a milder camber underfoot than the rest of our lineup, which means stomping those landings will feel real smooth.

As always, if you have any additional questions about ski length or our skis in general, reach out to hello@coalitionsnow.com where we are happy to help.