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May, 2025

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How to size powder skis?

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CalumSKI
Posts: 4379 - Karma: 26,123
Should you size up because of the heavy rocker?
6 years ago
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gnarballsianm
Posts: 621 - Karma: 703
for reference,
i am 6’, my park/ beater skis are 183 with a waist of 98, my all mountain AT setup is 108 underfoot at 185cm and my powder sticks are 132 underfoot at 188cm so yes, i guess you size up but i really didn’t mean to purchase them in ascending sizes, it just happened that way. it also depends on how aggressive of a skier you are, where you plan on mounting them, as well as how big of a person you are. also depends on ski design, like what kind of sidecut, camber or rocker, where the early rise is, how the tail is shaped etc, those factors are less important/ harder to notice, but still play into what kind of ski you will end up wanting for pow days.
6 years ago
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Cade2
Posts: 2124 - Karma: 2,706
Yes absolutely
6 years ago
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Non_State_Actor
Posts: 5097 - Karma: 18,666
Like 10cm overhead or whatever the biggest size is.
6 years ago
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JulianSharpe
Posts: 68 - Karma: 102
Twin pow sticks with deep rocker lines are basically blades - get them well above your head.
6 years ago
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BrawnTrends
Posts: 1102 - Karma: 2,440
Also depends how deep of powder you're skiing. For example where I ski 99% of the time I do just well enough with my 182 CT 3.0, but if I were to ski in Japan, for example, I'd definitely size up and bring my 186 Black Ops 118 instead.
6 years ago
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CalumSKI
Posts: 4379 - Karma: 26,123
JulianSharpeTwin pow sticks with deep rocker lines are basically blades - get them well above your head.


Is this true
I'm gonna get catamarans in 177 but I'm only 5"6

**This post was edited on Apr 2nd 2019 at 7:39:46am
6 years ago
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BrawnTrends
Posts: 1102 - Karma: 2,440
You'll be fine, they ski short
6 years ago
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JulianSharpe
Posts: 68 - Karma: 102
Weight should also come into it a touch, maybe re-consider if you're a feather.

But yeah, go big. For reference I'm 5'9 and have 190 bibbys/nomad 125s and hellbents (which come up even longer). The little sister is basically a midget and operates 177 apo rise ups.

Even if you can't ski them you'll look sick.
6 years ago
3 0
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CalumSKI
Posts: 4379 - Karma: 26,123
JulianSharpeWeight should also come into it a touch, maybe re-consider if you're a feather.

But yeah, go big. For reference I'm 5'9 and have 190 bibbys/nomad 125s and hellbents (which come up even longer). The little sister is basically a midget and operates 177 apo rise ups.

Even if you can't ski them you'll look sick.


im around 115 pounds but i think i should be good on skiing them
6 years ago
1 0
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shin-bang
Posts: 4106 - Karma: 7,037
1st of all, most brands of skis are shorter than what theyre listed as. dont believe me? do a tip to tail pull with a tape measure on your pair of sticks and compare to theyre listed length. i know on3p are true to size but not sure about others, i know my kitten factory and 4frnts were all a bit shorter than listed length.

2nd, yes you can always and probably should go longer when choosing pow sticks. lots of rocker and minimal camber contribute to a shorter feel and contact area. longer ski = more stability and float.
6 years ago
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7293 - Karma: 18,716
You don't have to no, I ski my park skis 184, my pow twins 184 and my pow directional 186. So long as the ski is stable you don't need to upsize.
6 years ago
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