• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Skis choices for heavier guy

rca81

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
Skier
Joined
Nov 17, 2022
Posts
4
Location
Pocatello, ID
Hi, I'm 40 years old 6'0 and 250 pounds. I've been skiing for the last couple of years after a 16 year break. I am currently skiing on a pair of 176cm Elan Amphibio 84 Ti's. I live in Pocatello, Idaho ( 2 hours straight north of SLC on I-15) so I ski at Pebble Creek and Pomerelle Mountain. Targhee, Jackson and all the UT resorts are all within 2.5 hours of me . I ski with my 4 kids who range in age from 8-16, so I cover all kinds of terrain. I spend time on the groomed runs and off trail in the trees, etc. Since my current skis are on the narrow side, so I sink quite a bit when I'm off in the trees. I was looking at all mountain skis like the Atomic Maverick and the Elan Ripstick. Will these 2 skis be pretty comparable to each other? I'm also not sure if there would be much difference between the Maverick 95's and the 100's as well as the Ripstick 96 vs 106 for width. I'm thinking about getting 180 cm skis in length. Are there any other skis that might suit me better? I can get a brand new pair of Maverick 100 ti's with Tyrolia Attack 14 bindings for $500 and the Ripstick 96 with the same bindings for $550. Any insight or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 

Marker

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Posts
2,350
Location
Kennett Square, PA & Killington, VT
Hi, I'm 40 years old 6'0 and 250 pounds. I've been skiing for the last couple of years after a 16 year break. I am currently skiing on a pair of 176cm Elan Amphibio 84 Ti's. I live in Pocatello, Idaho ( 2 hours straight north of SLC on I-15) so I ski at Pebble Creek and Pomerelle Mountain. Targhee, Jackson and all the UT resorts are all within 2.5 hours of me . I ski with my 4 kids who range in age from 8-16, so I cover all kinds of terrain. I spend time on the groomed runs and off trail in the trees, etc. Since my current skis are on the narrow side, so I sink quite a bit when I'm off in the trees. I was looking at all mountain skis like the Atomic Maverick and the Elan Ripstick. Will these 2 skis be pretty comparable to each other? I'm also not sure if there would be much difference between the Maverick 95's and the 100's as well as the Ripstick 96 vs 106 for width. I'm thinking about getting 180 cm skis in length. Are there any other skis that might suit me better? I can get a brand new pair of Maverick 100 ti's with Tyrolia Attack 14 bindings for $500 and the Ripstick 96 with the same bindings for $550. Any insight or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Welcome to the site! There are a handful of large skiers here on SkiTalk, including myself (6'6", 220 lb). A lot of normal sized skiers here will recommend skis that may be too soft for you depending on your skill level. I myself have some old Elan Amphibio 88 Ti in 186 cm that I still pull out on certain days for rock skis. I have found these to be rather stiff unless I'm skiing fairly dynamically, not cruising. But I tend to go for stiffer skis even if I'm not a speed demon because I appreciate their support in difficult conditions. I have not tried either of the skis you've mentioned and ski the east where a narrower skis is beneficial, but my impression is that the Maverick is a bit more stout than the Ripstick which may be too soft for you. Hopefully some other more experienced large guys I know will chime in, like @Guy in Shorts, a Volkl Mantra man, and @ScottB. I have been skiing some Dynastar Legend 88 the last two years as my daily ski and got a new pair of Dynastar M-Pro 90 for the coming season (the M-Pro also come in 99). These are usually more than enough for east coast fresh snow days, but I also have some Fischer Rangers for the deep days we get occasionally. The Ranger 102 has been a darling of western skiers here like @Winks. One way to get some quick insights is to read the Ski Reviews from the link at the top of the page.
 

Cameron

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Posts
566
Location
Southwest Ohio
I'm 270 or so and ski Nordica Enforcer 88s in most conditions in the mid-west. If I lived out west I'd probably look at 94s or 100s but every version of the enforcer I've skied has been awesome. I bought a pair of Elan Amphibio 18 Ti2 last season and while they are fun they definitely didn't have the hard snow and high speed performance I wanted out of them. Part of that was probably going with the 172 vs. the 178 but I wanted the smaller turn radius.
 

dovski

Waxing my skis and praying for snow
Skier
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Posts
2,859
Location
Seattle
I'm also around 270 and have the following skis that all work well: Stockli SR95, Stockli Laser AX, Nordica Enforcer 110. All three skis have a burly construction with two sheets of metal and a full sidewall construction. I find a stiffer ski makes a big difference for bigger people like me. By contrast I once owned a Soul 7 and it skied like a wet noodle as it was way too soft for someone my size.
 

cantunamunch

Meh
Skier
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Posts
21,884
Location
Behavioral sink
while they are fun they definitely didn't have the hard snow and high speed performance I wanted out of them. Part of that was probably going with the 172 vs. the 178 but I wanted the smaller turn radius.

Hunh, all y'all are skiing these things way shorter than I am. 238#

EDIT: actually I know @Tytlynz64 is on longer gear, don't know about @dovski
 

Bad Bob

I golf worse than I ski.
Skier
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
5,843
Location
West of CDA South of Canada
Another hoss here 6' about 230#. Home is Spokane but spent a winter down in Twin Falls, enjoyed Pomerelle, some fun stuff off of the left chair.

Skis are kind of like beer; they all work, but what flavor do you like. My taste runs to an Amber Ale; not too hoppy like an IPA, not too mild like a Lager. (If somebody else provides skis or beer enjoy them though.

The Enforcer has served pretty well for me, I ski the 88 and 100. If I were going to buy one pair to replace them would go the Enforcer 94 in something 180 or longer to compromise between the 2. They are kind of like a Swiss Army, they are pretty good at anything, not really great at anything. They will happily make different turn shapes in different snows at different speeds; if you screw up they don't immediately throw you down.
 

cantunamunch

Meh
Skier
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Posts
21,884
Location
Behavioral sink
I have skis of varying lengths. With most of my days being on a mid-western bump with crowded runs I find the shorter lengths work better.

You'd like my MR87s - that was exactly the idea behind the build.


Imagine a 186cm Dynastar Legend x88 except twice as stiff, with the tails cut off to make the ski ~175cm overall.
 

Marker

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Oct 16, 2017
Posts
2,350
Location
Kennett Square, PA & Killington, VT
I'm 270 or so and ski Nordica Enforcer 88s in most conditions in the mid-west. If I lived out west I'd probably look at 94s or 100s but every version of the enforcer I've skied has been awesome. I bought a pair of Elan Amphibio 18 Ti2 last season and while they are fun they definitely didn't have the hard snow and high speed performance I wanted out of them. Part of that was probably going with the 172 vs. the 178 but I wanted the smaller turn radius.
The Amphibio 18 are not as advanced and stiff as the 88 XTi and probably the OP's 84. Anyway, these are all getting kinda long in the tooth. However I thought I was skiing fast on the 88's until I got a pair of Rossi Hero Elite LT's in 183 cm. Those are the skis I prefer to use where I will let it rip if the slope is open in front of me.

@cantunamunch the Hero is my shortest ski at 183 and the Rangers are 188 with the others at 186. When I first looked at Sooth Ski, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see that most of the skis I liked were in the upper quarter of stiffness. But I'm not an ex-racer so I don't feel the need for the true ultimate in stiffness, especially since I have been trying to improve my bump skiing.
 

anders_nor

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Jan 18, 2020
Posts
2,597
Location
on snow
mavrik, ripstick etc, all light cored ski, imho not ideal.

I'd say enforcer maybe?

you are on the heavier side, way heavier than me, I was only 249,6 lbs yesterday :D :D at least you know we can go 1:1 for ski tips ;)
 

ScottB

Making fresh tracks
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Oct 29, 2016
Posts
2,163
Location
Gloucester, MA
Hi, I'm 40 years old 6'0 and 250 pounds. I've been skiing for the last couple of years after a 16 year break. I am currently skiing on a pair of 176cm Elan Amphibio 84 Ti's. I live in Pocatello, Idaho ( 2 hours straight north of SLC on I-15) so I ski at Pebble Creek and Pomerelle Mountain. Targhee, Jackson and all the UT resorts are all within 2.5 hours of me . I ski with my 4 kids who range in age from 8-16, so I cover all kinds of terrain. I spend time on the groomed runs and off trail in the trees, etc. Since my current skis are on the narrow side, so I sink quite a bit when I'm off in the trees. I was looking at all mountain skis like the Atomic Maverick and the Elan Ripstick. Will these 2 skis be pretty comparable to each other? I'm also not sure if there would be much difference between the Maverick 95's and the 100's as well as the Ripstick 96 vs 106 for width. I'm thinking about getting 180 cm skis in length. Are there any other skis that might suit me better? I can get a brand new pair of Maverick 100 ti's with Tyrolia Attack 14 bindings for $500 and the Ripstick 96 with the same bindings for $550. Any insight or thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I think the Mavericks are a little stiffer than the Ripstick. I agree with anders as not ideal. Since you are in Utah, you want some float in your ski, so 100cm +/- would make more sense for you. Also, 176cm is way short, especially for something with rocker that floats. 180+ is your size and even a 187cm would work depending on the ski.

The heavier you are the stiffer and wider you want to go, within limits. I weigh 250 and I like a Liberty Origin 96mm in 187cm. It would work for you. Its a highly rockered ski with decent carving and works every where, probably best in trees and off piste. The Salomon Stance is a good do it all ski, in 95-105mm and mid 180's would work. You can drive a "charger or power" type of ski as well which would suit your weight. Another option would be Nordica Enforcer 104mm which everyone seems to like as a playful soft snow do it all ski. Check out the ski finder on this site to narrow down some options and then read write ups and reviews online to make a decision.

IF you want float, add 10mm to the width of the ski compared to an average sized adult, and probably 5-10 cm in length too. You can ski shorter skis 175cm, but they need to be burly to handle weight.
 

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,419
The Salomon Stance is a good do it all ski, in 95-105mm and mid 180's would work.
Yeah just make sure you don’t go 176cm in that ski. It’s way too soft for you. There is a very pronounced difference going up to 183. You can see this in the store just by the thickness.
 
Thread Starter
TS
R

rca81

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
Skier
Joined
Nov 17, 2022
Posts
4
Location
Pocatello, ID
My go to is Maverick 95 in 188.
@Betaracer do you think I would notice much difference between the Maverick 95 and the Maverick 100? I think the 95 would do a little better on trail while the 100 would be a little better off trail. I guess my biggest question is, do you think I would really even notice the difference in width between the two? Also do you think I would be able to tell much difference between 180cm and 188 in length? Thanks.
 

DanoT

RVer-Skier
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
4,788
Location
Sun Peaks B.C. in winter, Victoria B.C. in summer
I'm 5'8", 215lbs and I love my Head Kore93 in a 180cm length. It is a lightweight ski but is actually stiffer than the fairly heavy Nordica Enforcer 94. However, the beefy construction of the Enforcer speaks to longevity.

I have demoed the Elan Ripstick 96. It is light weight and while I am not sure about its stiffness, I didn't really like it compared to the Kore 93.

My recommendation is demo before you buy.
 

ScottB

Making fresh tracks
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Oct 29, 2016
Posts
2,163
Location
Gloucester, MA
Blister has tested all the Mavericks and is worth a peek,

"And in that sense, I don’t think I’d say that the Maverick 95 punches above its weight when it comes to stability at speed. But especially on really clean groomers — and / or on lower-angle groomers — these skis do carve really cleanly and really well, and certainly provide a good bit of pop and rebound. So I might suggest that you ask yourself what carving skis you’ve tended to like most — lighter weight, poppy skis that produce a ton of energy? Or heavier, very planted skis that are very confidence inspiring at high speeds. If you know happen to know which camp you fall into, then you are off to a good start toward identifying what you’ll think of this ski."

Very good question to answer, and skiing with kids you might like a lighter weight ski that is easy to maneuver. If you want to ski aggressively, you should be on a heavier ski like a Blizzard Bonifide or Volkl Mantra M6 or 102.
 
Last edited:

Sponsor

Staff online

Top