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So today I went to my local sports store to pick up a dope pair of skis for a great price. Im 6ft tall so I went for 179s as they are twin tipped and I primarily ski the park. The “ski professional” was trying to dissuade me from buying those skis because he says that pro skiers that ride Slopestyle and park have skis up to their chests and that the 179s are too long for me. I don’t believe this for a second. For example, Henrik Harlaut’s skis are like 10cm above his head. Is this guy right or am I? Im honestly confused at this point as I got skis that match my height almost perfectly.
I bet it's a lot easier to get a triple around on short skis, but it looks way better on long skis. If you're not doing huge spins I doubt it makes a ton of difference but I'm no expert.
Do they make a 186? I am your height and that is what I would be looking for. I am just mobbing around though and don’t care about spinning so 179 might be right for you. Center mounted 179s are not gonna have much ski in front of your boot so it will feel short
Im upgrading from 172s and I ski a hella small resort. Shouldn’t really make a difference. I like the length. But totally understand what you mean. I heard some people say the K2s run long and a 179 is actually a 182 or 183. Ill measure when I'm able to and post it on here.
OregonDeadDo they make a 186? I am your height and that is what I would be looking for. I am just mobbing around though and don’t care about spinning so 179 might be right for you. Center mounted 179s are not gonna have much ski in front of your boot so it will feel short
**This post was edited on Sep 16th 2019 at 10:40:50pm
I’m 6’1” and I rode 171 blends that were basically up to my chin. They were sick in the park! Now I ride 181 kartels that are up to the top of my head, and they are also sick! It’s personal preference. A short ski will be lighter and easier to spin. A longer ski will have more control out of the park and will be better for landing jumps. It’s up to you for what exactly you want out of your skis.
You’re welcome to ride whatever you want, but that guy is way off the ball
henrik rides particularly big skis for a park contest skier, but the norm is 100% nowhere near people’s chest lol...it’s around head height give or take
No hate on shop dudes but some of the world’s biggest gapers work at ski shops. Don’t let him sway you on what you’re spending your money on
OregonDeadDo they make a 186? I am your height and that is what I would be looking for. I am just mobbing around though and don’t care about spinning so 179 might be right for you. Center mounted 179s are not gonna have much ski in front of your boot so it will feel short
I second this. Op, it sounds like the shop guy has a small penis. Go big.
But I overlooked the part where you said you ride a small hill. So a small ski that's easy to whip around may be what the doctor ordered.
Moral of the story, buy why you want, it doesn't really matter. There's only a 6 inch difference between a 170 your mom would ski and a 185 your local ripper shreds on. At 6ft tall there's few park skis that would genuinely be too long for you.
I remember in Blizzard of Aahhs when Plake took a huge slam in Chamonix.
He said;
"I would have landed it if I had my bigger skis the 223cm ones'
Or something along those lines...
CA17So today I went to my local sports store to pick up a dope pair of skis for a great price. Im 6ft tall so I went for 179s as they are twin tipped and I primarily ski the park. The “ski professional” was trying to dissuade me from buying those skis because he says that pro skiers that ride Slopestyle and park have skis up to their chests and that the 179s are too long for me. I don’t believe this for a second. For example, Henrik Harlaut’s skis are like 10cm above his head. Is this guy right or am I? Im honestly confused at this point as I got skis that match my height almost perfectly.
Guys a dipshit
Buy what you want. it's a preference thing. Also rockered skis ski like a shorter ski, with center mounted skis feeling shorter still so you're good man
Yeah this guy is stupid, the top pros who are ripping triples and big corks usually use skis shorter than their own height, but in the regular world most park skiers have something as tall or taller than them, or just whatever they prefer.
Its personal preference... but he's wrong. There is no reason to get a ski shorter than your chin ever unless you literally want ski blades. Look at podium pics, any of those skis look that short compared to the rider?
Yea I'm 5'10 and ride either 178 or 181 skis depending on what I can get my hands on. Most shop dudes like that like to flex the "knowledge" they have.
wasatch_ratIts personal preference... but he's wrong. There is no reason to get a ski shorter than your chin ever unless you literally want ski blades. Look at podium pics, any of those skis look that short compared to the rider?
I think andri spaghetti rides like 173s from what I've seen in pics, still probably chin height for him, most other pros besides him and the fagans seem to ride skis as tall as themselves.
Pro's that rip shorter skis can sacrifice the landing forgiveness for lower swing weight because they can land more centered/balanced.
You, assumed not pro, should not do this.
Imagine slowly falling backwards on shorter skis vs longer skis. Which requires less force to put you on your back?
A lot more to it, but I feel like this is gonna be your main concern.
What should you tell him? "Shut up and take my money."
If he pushes back, "Go tell your boss your trying to put me on chest high skis."
A lot of shop dudes are fucking kooks, especially when they have an old school or racer perspective on the sport. Definitely pays to go in with your own base knowledge.
I remember looking to purchase my own set of twin tips for the first time & the shop dude telling me to back mount them an obscene amount. Luckily I had done enough research (thanks NS) to know what wasn’t it....chief
Titus69I think andri spaghetti rides like 173s from what I've seen in pics, still probably chin height for him, most other pros besides him and the fagans seem to ride skis as tall as themselves.
Jezus, since when following and unfollowing people on Instagram makes you a pro rider???
I’m your height for reference , my first park skis were 179 cm and outside the park they were just too short, in it just barely long enough , lot of “ over the handle bars feeling “
everything I ride is 185+ now , even 190s feel short with twin rocker and camber underfoot
Whether the shop guy knows anything is doubtful but he defenitly is wrong about chest height 🤣
unless your under 175lbs I think those are too short for your height
I'm 5'8", 160lbs and wouldn't even consider riding a park ski shorter than 179. Granted, I'm used to riding pow and all mountain skis in the 185-191 range so even 179s feel very short to me.
CA17Im upgrading from 172s and I ski a hella small resort. Shouldn’t really make a difference. I like the length. But totally understand what you mean. I heard some people say the K2s run long and a 179 is actually a 182 or 183. Ill measure when I'm able to and post it on here.
**This post was edited on Sep 16th 2019 at 10:40:50pm
I mean the shop guys at REI told me to mount a pair of Vishnu wets at -4 sooooo definitely don't always trust the shop or retail guys. they just wanna sound like they know what's best for everyone
Obie.Yeah I’m 6 ft 180 lbs and a 179 has never felt short for me unless they’re super soft
Are you fellow 6 footers at 180lbs + talking solely park? And are you very very good? For reference I’m 6-1 180/200 , bigger chest/back so a lil too heavy , I’m an advanced learner 🤷🏼♂️ and my 179s feel way short out of hard groomers and park , great for park when I’m landing like a roller blader and good for groomers but on off days I prefer the extra length I’m no pro, also I’m speaking for airs and landing more than rails for rails shorter the better
SavageBiffAre you fellow 6 footers at 180lbs + talking solely park? And are you very very good? on off days I prefer the extra length I’m no pro, also I’m speaking for airs and landing more than rails for rails shorter the better
I’m speaking on all aspects of skiing, except for pow I suppose, definitely would be 185cm+ range for that. I’ve been skiing for about 17 years (8 in park) so I have a lot of confidence on my skis in most conditions & terrain. In the park 178-181’s are just fine for my size as I ski mostly rails & smaller jumps / hips & jib features. I definitely don’t knock going longer, my next park sticks will probably be around 184cm. With the lighter materials & rocker profiles these days it’s much easier to go longer imo.
Bottom line to me is if you’re hitting big jumps or just ski at a big mountain with a lot of diversity & technical terrain i’d go longer. I skied the Midwest & east coast until last season so head- height was pretty standard.
