Replying to Snowboard convert looking for an all-mountain freestyle ski
TL;DR
LOCATION - Colorado
HEIGHT/AGE/WEIGHT - 5'9"/28/160lbs
ABILITY LEVEL - Beginner on skis but an expert level snowboarder
BUDGET - Up to ~$800 for skis, but I could push that if I need to.
WHAT KIND OF SKI DO YOU WANT - All mountain freestyle
Long Version:
Yo newschoolers!
I'm an expert level snowboarder based in CO and I'm looking to pick up skiing this season. I'd like to find a playful all-mountain freestyle type ski. A ski I can take in the park on jumps, hit the bumps/trees, have fun on side hits, but not so noodly that it can't stand up to hardpack groomers or chunky snow at the end of the day. I'm not concerned about powder performance right now.
My snowboard style is very playful and I don't think that will change on skis. I typically ride all mountain freestyle snowboards (true twins for those that are familiar) and I hop between regular and switch constantly. I like the park, jumps more than rails, but most of my time is exploring the mountain, buttering around, and jumping off natural features. Definitely not someone that just likes to carve, nor someone that just likes to go fast. I primarily ride in-bounds, but do plenty of trees and bumps on my board. As soon as the skiing skill gets to that point, I'll do the same on my skis.
At the moment I'm looking at the Atomic Bent Chetler 100, Faction Candide 2.0, Armada ARV 96/106, and *maybe* the Icelantic Nomad 105, but I'm not sure that one is the right fit. I don't really want to buy a bunch of beginner level gear, because I think my snowboard and general snow abilities will translate to at least an intermediate skier way too quickly to justify such purchases.
Right now, the frontrunner is the Bent Chetler, but I think I might be in between sizes. I'm 5'9" (~176cm) and 160 lbs (~72kg). It seems like the 172 is probably a great size for me as a beginner, but potentially too short once I get better? But the 180 is literally taller than I am, and that seems like a stretch for someone that is a total beginner skier.
Any sizing thoughts? Any thoughts on the skis I listed? Any other ski suggestions?
**This thread was edited on Feb 6th 2021 at 11:58:05pm
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