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Slalom ski length question..ski for race and carving on mountain
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Hey everyone. I'm in the market for some slalom skis, I got into racing this year. I'm 38, I've raced in the past about 12 years ago. I didn't race slalom since i didn't have a pair of skis for it. I'm 5'-10" about 185/190. I was thinking 165cm but i can't find any in my pricepoint online. I've found some nice pairs that are 160cm in length. I'm wondering if that is going to be too short. I'd like to be able to take them out on the mountain and carve too not just race. Not sure if the 160's are stable enough at speed. Any thoughts? It's only a 2 inch difference and I'm really not sure since the skis I normally ride on are 177 and 179. for all mountain and GS. Even used skis are expensive for racing. Any input is appreciated. Thanks
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Are you actually going to be cross blocking gates here?
What are the skis you are looking at? 165cm is the minimum length for men in world cup. 155cm is the minimum length for women. Those are (basically) the only sizes that slalom race skis come in. If a ski is something like 160cm, then it isn't going to be a real race ski.
Also, a slalom ski isn't going to genuinely fulfill the "stable at speed" requirement - they aren't designed for arcing wide open turns. They can do it, but you will just be fighting a 10m sidecut the entire time. They just want to make quick turns. It will be like trying to mix two worlds together than don't want to play together.
You are probably just better off looking at high performance carving skis in the 165-170cm length that have a radius around 12-15m.
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^^What he said.
Only other item I'd add is that you can find a 158 SL ski which is what taller women can use. I know Atomic does (used to) make some.
If you raced 12 years ago, you're at least familiar with parabolic ski shapes. I don't believe ski shape has radically changed since then (at least in SL) but stance has drastically.
If you can't find 165 SL skis in your pricepoint you're not looking hard enough. You may have to settle for a model from a few years back but as I said, not much has changed over the years. Some companies just change cosmetically, others have structural changes but overall the dimensions are the same.
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I know world cup requirements are 165cm min for men, but in the ski clubs here i've seen people with skis down to 160. I found a pair of Fischer 2018 RC4 Worldcup SC Skis, 160cm long, for $600, which I though was a good deal. But I think they might be too short. Everything else I'm finding online is around $800 to $900 minimum for 165cm slalom/carving skis. I did a bunch of google searches and was on sideline swap. I'd prefer the 165s, but a guy in a local ski shop that sells a lot of race skis said that 160 might be a good option if it's been a while since I raced, it would be easier to turn.
Thanks for the input!
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Have you checked Craigslist ? Im always seeing race skis on there
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