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April, 2025

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How Wide Should I Go? (For a Smaller Person)

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BackWoods420
Posts: 251 - Karma: 495
Looking for a powder ski. This ski will be used mainly in Tahoe but also other places out West
I'm 5 foot 8 and barely 140 lbs. (I have tried it all please no recommendations)
I have struggled to put on weight my whole life and have never weighed more than 155 lbs.

The skis I am considering currently:
Moment Deathwish 184
Moment Wildcat 108/116 184
ON3P Jeffrey 108 181
Atomc Bent Chetler 120 184

Before Covid, I skied in Whistler and Squaw Valley with some deep powder days. (~3-5 feet). I felt like my Kartel 96s kept me afloat plenty on any day below 3 and a half feet. When it snowed more, I tried Atomic Bent Chelter 100s and I felt like that was enough floatability.

I understand since I am a lighter and smaller person that staying above the snow may be easier, but I feel as if there is a point where going wider is providing diminishing returns on floatability for me.

What width has worked better for people around my size out west? Am I completely wrong and need to send something wider?
4 years ago
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CantCork
Posts: 186 - Karma: 1,110
I’m 5’11” and 165 and I ski park on the arv86 and it is honestly enough for everything except the deep days. For those I use the bent chetler 100s and they’re dope. I wanna try some wider skis to see the hype, but honestly enjoy the lightness and turn-ability of not complete fatties.
4 years ago
0 2
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Chrischi69
Posts: 652 - Karma: 5,064
Those are prolly fine for powder i skied my friends magnus 102 on park and they were fine im like 155 and 5' 8 so 110 ish probably isnt too bad
4 years ago
0 0
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broken_skier0
Posts: 132 - Karma: 288
BackWoods420Looking for a powder ski. This ski will be used mainly in Tahoe but also other places out West

Before Covid, I skied in Whistler and Squaw Valley with some deep powder days. (~3-5 feet).

What width has worked better for people around my size out west? Am I completely wrong and need to send something wider?


Unless you cat ski, heli-ski, or tour in the backcountry, you aren't skiing 5 feet deep of powder. In Whistler, the resort might get 90 inches in a good month.

**This post was edited on Apr 19th 2021 at 12:10:57am
4 years ago
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Non_State_Actor
Posts: 5084 - Karma: 18,594
115-120+ totally manageable and worth it when you're skiing in areas where the snowpack is usually heavy like Squaw and Whistler. Especially if you have other skis for low tide days. At either of those mountains I'd think your everyday ski should be 100-110?
4 years ago
1 0
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BackWoods420
Posts: 251 - Karma: 495
broken_skier0Unless you cat ski, heli-ski, or tour in the backcountry, you aren't skiing 5 feet deep of powder. In Whistler, the resort might get 90 inches in a good month.

**This post was edited on Apr 19th 2021 at 12:10:57am


There was a big ass storm the day before and I caught one of the first chairs.=]

**This post was edited on Apr 19th 2021 at 10:36:29am

**This post was edited on Apr 19th 2021 at 10:39:01am
4 years ago
1 0
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 7520 - Karma: 66,809
I have a 107 underfoot (made in Tahoe) that was really great for a daily driver in Tahoe. Ive had only one super deep, super heavy day where it was too skinny but at that point - the snow was awful.


If you want it for powder, maybe go Wildcat 116. If you want more of a daily driver/diverse, look at the Deathwish or Jeffrey 108.

**This post was edited on Apr 20th 2021 at 8:22:20am
4 years ago
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