What size twin tips should I buy?

assuming youre proficient at skiing, the 171 is waaay too short. the 176 is still short but if you prefer really short skis, great. the 171 is definitely not what you want though

the rule of thumb is start with your height (so ~183 cm), plus or minus depending on your preferences and skill and style of riding

Titsandwich11assuming youre proficient at skiing, the 171 is waaay too short. the 176 is still short but if you prefer really short skis, great. the 171 is definitely not what you want though

the rule of thumb is start with your height (so ~183 cm), plus or minus depending on your preferences and skill and style of riding

Thanks for the advice.

What sort of preferences are we talking about exactly? I don't want to get a ski that's too short for me.

RoryCrispThanks for the advice.

What sort of preferences are we talking about exactly? I don't want to get a ski that's too short for me.

skill, what kind of riding you do, what attributes of the ski you care a lot about vs what you don't

so if youre not very good, you will find a smaller ski easier to control and maneuver

some people find big skis too cumbersome, which is understandable, but the smaller the ski, the less stability etc you have when going fast and landing etc. also consider what kind of turns you do mostly-- if you spend most of the time doing smaller turns, maybe in tight spaces and/or trees you probably want a smaller turn radius. if you prefer going mach 5 and laying out huge turns, youll benefit from a bigger longer ski and wont mind the extra size

for rails you'll probably want slightly smaller skis, but only get a small ski for that reason if rails is like, more than half of what you spend your time doing on skis

what have you used in the past? take the length you used and consider what you liked and disliked about it. did it feel perfect? then stay around that size and maybe add a little length (the more you ski the better you get, esp with that particular ski, and they'll feel shorter and shorter).

did you find yourself wanting more stability? maybe size up. did you feel like the skis were more in control of you than vice versa sometimes? get something a little smaller maybe (or, ideally, get better and hit the gym!)

see what i mean? also keep in mind that a ski with twin tips, and even more so with rocker, will feel and behave like a shorter ski

Titsandwich11skill, what kind of riding you do, what attributes of the ski you care a lot about vs what you don't

so if youre not very good, you will find a smaller ski easier to control and maneuver

some people find big skis too cumbersome, which is understandable, but the smaller the ski, the less stability etc you have when going fast and landing etc. also consider what kind of turns you do mostly-- if you spend most of the time doing smaller turns, maybe in tight spaces and/or trees you probably want a smaller turn radius. if you prefer going mach 5 and laying out huge turns, youll benefit from a bigger longer ski and wont mind the extra size

for rails you'll probably want slightly smaller skis, but only get a small ski for that reason if rails is like, more than half of what you spend your time doing on skis

what have you used in the past? take the length you used and consider what you liked and disliked about it. did it feel perfect? then stay around that size and maybe add a little length (the more you ski the better you get, esp with that particular ski, and they'll feel shorter and shorter).

did you find yourself wanting more stability? maybe size up. did you feel like the skis were more in control of you than vice versa sometimes? get something a little smaller maybe (or, ideally, get better and hit the gym!)

see what i mean? also keep in mind that a ski with twin tips, and even more so with rocker, will feel and behave like a shorter ski

Thanks for the reply.

I see what you mean. I've never really looked at the size of the skis they've given me (because I've always hired them, and I've always thought that they know what they're doing), but I've never been 100% comfortable with them. I'm not sure if that's because of the boots or because of the skis.

I think 181s are probably slightly too big, and that I'd probably be slightly out of my comfort zone (I think I've come to the decision that I swing slightly towards smaller skis as a pose to longer skis). I tend to just do jumps but I'm definetely willing to try out the rails when I build up my confidence. The rest of the time I tend to ski fast, doing longer turns as a pose to shorter ones.

Also you said in your first post
"the rule of thumb is start with your height (so ~183 cm), plus or minus depending on your preferences and skill and style of riding"
but I've seen alot of people say nose/eye level? Or is that for regular skis?

I don't want to get the 176s if they're going to be uncomfortable, but would the difference between 176s and 181s be noticeable?

Thanks again (and sorry for sounding like a rookie; I know how to ski but I haven't a clue about skis themselves!).

RoryCrispThanks for the reply.

I see what you mean. I've never really looked at the size of the skis they've given me (because I've always hired them, and I've always thought that they know what they're doing), but I've never been 100% comfortable with them. I'm not sure if that's because of the boots or because of the skis.

I think 181s are probably slightly too big, and that I'd probably be slightly out of my comfort zone (I think I've come to the decision that I swing slightly towards smaller skis as a pose to longer skis). I tend to just do jumps but I'm definetely willing to try out the rails when I build up my confidence. The rest of the time I tend to ski fast, doing longer turns as a pose to shorter ones.

Also you said in your first post
"the rule of thumb is start with your height (so ~183 cm), plus or minus depending on your preferences and skill and style of riding"
but I've seen alot of people say nose/eye level? Or is that for regular skis?

I don't want to get the 176s if they're going to be uncomfortable, but would the difference between 176s and 181s be noticeable?

Thanks again (and sorry for sounding like a rookie; I know how to ski but I haven't a clue about skis themselves!).

when you say "they," the people you "hired," you mean the rental people? yeah, they and most recreational skiers will tell you to go nose or eye level but that's sorta gaper-y and is a recommendation geared toward the occasional/mediocre skier

if you are uncomfortable with the rental gear it could be for many reasons, but for one theyre just okay skis, plus you have to get different ones each time, and same with boots so you never get to get used to them. speaking of which, are you getting boots? theyre super important, almost more important than skis

if youre confident 181 is too big that's fine, go the next size down, but i def wouldnt go lower than that (assuming youre a decent skier)

the difference between 181 and 176 won't be huge. honestly the mental effect of all this shit is probably half of the difference haha, us skiers over think all this gear stuff so bad

going on that point: no problem at all, keep asking any questions you have, we all know the feeling of not knowing what to get. but once you decide, FORGET about it and have fun. there are no bad skis nowadays and whatever you get will be awesome

k+ to the guy above me taking the time to write all that. and op i would go 176-185cm range depending on what type of ski. if your getting a ski with rocker i would go slightly longer. if full camber i would go about 180cm or so. im 6'1 and ride a rockered 183 in the park all day. as mentioned above its a little mentally discouraging, but youll appreciate that extra lenght when ripping all over the mountain.

Titsandwich11when you say "they," the people you "hired," you mean the rental people? yeah, they and most recreational skiers will tell you to go nose or eye level but that's sorta gaper-y and is a recommendation geared toward the occasional/mediocre skier

if you are uncomfortable with the rental gear it could be for many reasons, but for one theyre just okay skis, plus you have to get different ones each time, and same with boots so you never get to get used to them. speaking of which, are you getting boots? theyre super important, almost more important than skis

if youre confident 181 is too big that's fine, go the next size down, but i def wouldnt go lower than that (assuming youre a decent skier)

the difference between 181 and 176 won't be huge. honestly the mental effect of all this shit is probably half of the difference haha, us skiers over think all this gear stuff so bad

going on that point: no problem at all, keep asking any questions you have, we all know the feeling of not knowing what to get. but once you decide, FORGET about it and have fun. there are no bad skis nowadays and whatever you get will be awesome

shin-bangk+ to the guy above me taking the time to write all that. and op i would go 176-185cm range depending on what type of ski. if your getting a ski with rocker i would go slightly longer. if full camber i would go about 180cm or so. im 6'1 and ride a rockered 183 in the park all day. as mentioned above its a little mentally discouraging, but youll appreciate that extra lenght when ripping all over the mountain.

Thanks guys,

I'm quoting both your posts because I'm not sure if you'll see my reply otherwise.

The main problem I've found is that I can't find many freestyle skis anywhere. I live in Valencia in Spain, and they only tend to have bog standard mountain skis in the shops. Anyway I found some which are in my price range, and they look like they'll do the job (atleast for a first ski), but they come in 171 and 176 so I can't go any bigger than that in that ski, and if I don't get that ski I won't get any.

My main concern was would there b e any major problems if they came up too small on me, but I think they'll be fine.

Thanks guys

Titsandwich11when you say "they," the people you "hired," you mean the rental people? yeah, they and most recreational skiers will tell you to go nose or eye level but that's sorta gaper-y and is a recommendation geared toward the occasional/mediocre skier

if you are uncomfortable with the rental gear it could be for many reasons, but for one theyre just okay skis, plus you have to get different ones each time, and same with boots so you never get to get used to them. speaking of which, are you getting boots? theyre super important, almost more important than skis

if youre confident 181 is too big that's fine, go the next size down, but i def wouldnt go lower than that (assuming youre a decent skier)

the difference between 181 and 176 won't be huge. honestly the mental effect of all this shit is probably half of the difference haha, us skiers over think all this gear stuff so bad

going on that point: no problem at all, keep asking any questions you have, we all know the feeling of not knowing what to get. but once you decide, FORGET about it and have fun. there are no bad skis nowadays and whatever you get will be awesome

shin-bangk+ to the guy above me taking the time to write all that. and op i would go 176-185cm range depending on what type of ski. if your getting a ski with rocker i would go slightly longer. if full camber i would go about 180cm or so. im 6'1 and ride a rockered 183 in the park all day. as mentioned above its a little mentally discouraging, but youll appreciate that extra lenght when ripping all over the mountain.

Thanks guys,

I'm quoting both your posts because I'm not sure if you'll see my reply otherwise.

The main problem I've found is that I can't find many freestyle skis anywhere. I live in Valencia in Spain, and they only tend to have bog standard mountain skis in the shops. Anyway I found some which are in my price range, and they look like they'll do the job (atleast for a first ski), but they come in 171 and 176 so I can't go any bigger than that in that ski, and if I don't get that ski I won't get any.

My main concern was would there b e any major problems if they came up too small on me, but I think they'll be fine.

Thanks guys

Titsandwich11when you say "they," the people you "hired," you mean the rental people? yeah, they and most recreational skiers will tell you to go nose or eye level but that's sorta gaper-y and is a recommendation geared toward the occasional/mediocre skier

if you are uncomfortable with the rental gear it could be for many reasons, but for one theyre just okay skis, plus you have to get different ones each time, and same with boots so you never get to get used to them. speaking of which, are you getting boots? theyre super important, almost more important than skis

if youre confident 181 is too big that's fine, go the next size down, but i def wouldnt go lower than that (assuming youre a decent skier)

the difference between 181 and 176 won't be huge. honestly the mental effect of all this shit is probably half of the difference haha, us skiers over think all this gear stuff so bad

going on that point: no problem at all, keep asking any questions you have, we all know the feeling of not knowing what to get. but once you decide, FORGET about it and have fun. there are no bad skis nowadays and whatever you get will be awesome

shin-bangk+ to the guy above me taking the time to write all that. and op i would go 176-185cm range depending on what type of ski. if your getting a ski with rocker i would go slightly longer. if full camber i would go about 180cm or so. im 6'1 and ride a rockered 183 in the park all day. as mentioned above its a little mentally discouraging, but youll appreciate that extra lenght when ripping all over the mountain.

Thanks guys,

I'm quoting both your posts because I'm not sure if you'll see my reply otherwise.

The main problem I've found is that I can't find many freestyle skis anywhere. I live in Valencia in Spain, and they only tend to have bog standard mountain skis in the shops. Anyway I found some which are in my price range, and they look like they'll do the job (atleast for a first ski), but they come in 171 and 176 so I can't go any bigger than that in that ski, and if I don't get that ski I won't get any.

My main concern was would there b e any major problems if they came up too small on me, but I think they'll be fine.

Thanks guys

I'm 5'7 riding a 175, go for the 176 for sure. 171 would be way too short

RoryCrispThanks guys,

I'm quoting both your posts because I'm not sure if you'll see my reply otherwise.

The main problem I've found is that I can't find many freestyle skis anywhere. I live in Valencia in Spain, and they only tend to have bog standard mountain skis in the shops. Anyway I found some which are in my price range, and they look like they'll do the job (atleast for a first ski), but they come in 171 and 176 so I can't go any bigger than that in that ski, and if I don't get that ski I won't get any.

My main concern was would there b e any major problems if they came up too small on me, but I think they'll be fine.

Thanks guys

no problem at all dude

so can you not get some skis online? there are some great deals sometimes. or would shipping be too much for you?

if you can only get that one ski, and it's in your price range, go for it (in a 176 i would def say).


major concerns if theyre too short for you? no not really. we're talking a difference of like 4 inches haha. like i said, buy what seems the best, and then forget about all this technical talk bs and enjoy!

Titsandwich11no problem at all dude

so can you not get some skis online? there are some great deals sometimes. or would shipping be too much for you?

if you can only get that one ski, and it's in your price range, go for it (in a 176 i would def say).


major concerns if theyre too short for you? no not really. we're talking a difference of like 4 inches haha. like i said, buy what seems the best, and then forget about all this technical talk bs and enjoy!

The thing about getting them online is that if there's an issue you have to send them back etc and for such a pricey object it's not worth it. Plus postage and packaging is extremely pricey, abd if I were to get them from the US they'd take a while to get here. I will probably do this when I get ny 2nd set.

I really just want to have my own skis that I can use and get used to. I'm fed up of having to use old scrapped up hire skis!

I'll get the 176s next weekend. Fingers crossed and I hope they're what I expect them to be!

Last question! What size ski poles? I think they do 110 and 115cm. Where do they need to come up on me exactly?

Thanks mate

RoryCrispThe thing about getting them online is that if there's an issue you have to send them back etc and for such a pricey object it's not worth it. Plus postage and packaging is extremely pricey, abd if I were to get them from the US they'd take a while to get here. I will probably do this when I get ny 2nd set.

I really just want to have my own skis that I can use and get used to. I'm fed up of having to use old scrapped up hire skis!

I'll get the 176s next weekend. Fingers crossed and I hope they're what I expect them to be!

Last question! What size ski poles? I think they do 110 and 115cm. Where do they need to come up on me exactly?

Thanks mate

damn sorry dude, haven't logged on in a while

did you end up pulling the trigger on poles and/or skis? btw the rule of thumb for poles is how long the length is from the top of your hand to the ground when you have your shoulder straight down, and a 90 degree angle in your elbow (like youre holding a drink), then plus or minus for what kind of skiing you do blah blah blah. park skiers def prefer shorter poles in general, for what it's worth