What should I look for when choosing a ski that's shorter or longer than another one by 7 centimeters?

[Tony Storaro]

I can't believe for one second someone is unable to tell the difference between 180 and 172 for example.
7-8 cm is a mile.

 

[AtleB]

I agree that you will certainly feel a 7cm difference in ski length. Chin length skis sound short to me, I would definitly not go shorter than that. Try one size up the next time you are at the rental shop and see how you like it.

 

[MikeHunt]

I can't believe for one second someone is unable to tell the difference between 180 and 172 for example.
7-8 cm is a mile.

I agree that you will certainly feel a 7cm difference in ski length. Chin length skis sound short to me, I would definitly not go shorter than that. Try one size up the next time you are at the rental shop and see how you like it.

But how do you know you're just changing your ski technique and reaction because you KNOW you're skiing a shorter or longer ski?

In other things, you can do a blind test so you know for sure your biases are not affecting your perception.

Obviously, a blind test is harder with skis is as you need visual cues when skiing. You need to look downwards or down on your skis lest you want to fall.

Maybe if a visual blind test can be made, that would determine if you're just not letting biases affect your perception of ski length.

I'm thinking some sort of "blurring" high tech device built into goggles, where it would blur the skis, would make a true blind test possible with short or long ski blind test.

 

[Tony Storaro]

But how do you know you're just changing your ski technique and reaction because you KNOW you're skiing a shorter or longer ski?

Not sure I understand that. It is not what you feel, it is how the ski objectively behave. You put them on edge, the shorter ski normally turn way quicker. Usually.
You want the same turn shape from longer skis-you need to push more and bend them more.
The difference becomes even more obvious when you put them straight and try to hit 90-100 km/h.
180 cm-doable, 172 cm-not so much or at least not with the same confidence or comfort. Totally different.

 

[François Pugh]

But how do you know you're just changing your ski technique and reaction because you KNOW you're skiing a shorter or longer ski?

In other things, you can do a blind test so you know for sure your biases are not affecting your perception.

Obviously, a blind test is harder with skis is as you need visual cues when skiing. You need to look downwards or down on your skis lest you want to fall.

Maybe if a visual blind test can be made, that would determine if you're just not letting biases affect your perception of ski length.

I'm thinking some sort of "blurring" high tech device built into goggles, where it would blur the skis, would make a true blind test possible with short or long ski blind test.

I use the same technique on short skis as I use on long skis, shape the ski using forces from me and the snow
and use that shape to get me where I want to go. I may alter the timing of moves to account for things like stiffness, turn radius and shape, i.e. I'll apply pressure to bend the forebody of the ski before I start tipping my antique 208 cm SGs that have a ~70 m sidecut turn radius, but I don't do that on my Fischer SCs that have a 13-m sidecut turn radius. Nor do I do it on pre-shaped (rockered skis). The longer the turn radius and the more camber and the longer the ski the more I do it.

There is no need for a blind test. It's easier to tell the difference between 157 cm and 164 cm by the way the ski skis than by looking at the skis on your feet.

Moving the binding forward and backward on the ski also makes the ski feel different. Moving the bindings forward makes the ski feel almost the same as if it were shorter.

 

[dovski]

Let’s not forget that rockered skis especially those with lots of early rise and twin tips will ski much shorter and depending how they are shaped can have a pretty tight turn radius. In cases like that you can have a much longer ski that skis significantly shorter than say a ski with full camber and no rocker. So ski length is really going to depend on the ski design as well as the skiers ability

 

[DanoT]

2) Do you know of any ski names like your example that have the width in the name but still scale it by length?

Head Kore 93 are 93cm wide waist in the 180cm length and the tip, waist, tail width are scaled up or down with different lengths. AFAIK, Head does this with all of their Kore skis.

When I worked at a demo centre, beginners and timid intermediates would get a chin length ski, intermediates would get a chin to eyebrow length ski and advanced skiers should already know what length of ski to select. If they didn't they would get an eyebrow to mid forehead length.

 

[Prosper]

Obviously, a blind test is harder with skis is as you need visual cues when skiing. You need to look downwards or down on your skis lest you want to fall.

My wife took a group lesson a Beaver Creek a number of years ago. She’s a intermediate contented cruiser skier. The instructor was from the Czech Republic, very direct and a very good according to my wife. One of the takeaway points during that lesson was not to look down at your skis. He would say to the students in the lesson, “Do not look down at your skis. I guarantee you they will not change and they look the same as they did at the beginning of the day.” The point is to look downslope a few turns ahead and not down at your skis.

 

[DanoT]

I can't believe for one second someone is unable to tell the difference between 180 and 172 for example.
7-8 cm is a mile.

Half of the 7-8cm is in front of your foot in the tip of the ski and half is in the tail behind you, so 7-8cm is only a half mile difference.

 

[Tony Storaro]

I may alter the timing of moves

I'd say the ski alter the timing themselves.
165 SL 13 m ski-put on edge, on Mississippi 4 they point uphill.
180 GS 24 m ski, on Missisippi 4 they point in pretty much the same direction relative to the fall line.

If you want something different, you have to step in.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Half of the 7-8cm is in front of your foot in the tip of the ski and half is in the tail behind you, so 7-8cm is only a half mile difference.

Half mile, sold.

 

[François Pugh]

I'd say the ski alter the timing themselves.
165 SL 13 m ski-put on edge, on Mississippi 4 they point uphill.
180 GS 24 m ski, on Missisippi 4 they point in pretty much the same direction relative to the fall line.

If you want something different, you have to step in.

I just-now read about the timing difference I first noted when I switched from antique SG to modern SL skis in this article quoted by @slow-line-fast , except in reverse and applied to going from shorter radius cheaters to longer radius gs.

Came upon an article re: pluses and minuses of longer vs. shorter radius GS skis.

https://usskiandsnowboard.org/sites/default/files/files-resources/files/2017/Newsletter%20fall%202017%20color.pdf

 

[François Pugh]

Half mile, sold.

Maybe 2/3rds for directional skis vs park skis?

 

[Tony Storaro]

Maybe 2/3rds for directional skis vs park skis?

I will take your word for that, I do not know what park skis is.

 

[Tony Storaro]

I just-now read about the timing difference I first noted when I switched from antique SG to modern SL skis in this article quoted by @slow-line-fast , except in reverse and applied to going from shorter radius cheaters to longer radius gs.

Very interesting article.

Makes me want the Head eGS RD Pro Master in 189 cm/ 27m even more.
As a step further to something batshit crazy like 188 cm FIS GS ski....or even...God help me...195-207 cm SG ski...

 

[KingGrump]

Very interesting article.

Makes me want the Head eGS RD Pro Master in 189 cm/ 27m even more.
As a step further to something batshit crazy like 188 cm FIS GS ski....or even...God help me...195-207 cm SG ski...

So when is the viewing or is it a closed casket affair?

 

[Jack skis]

I figured out long ago that 5cm was only about 2"s, and that I could handle that amount of added length in a ski. Putting the added length up to 10cm wasn't so bad for me either. Admittedly that's just me and anyone else might have different ideas about what shorter or longer meant. Once not so long ago skiing down from the top of the Silver Queen lift at Crested Butte on a longer, wider ski I realized these things felt like driving a pick-up truck or large SUV as opposed to the sports car feeling of being on my slalom skis. Not bad, just different.

 

[Tony Storaro]

So when is the viewing or is it a closed casket affair?

Haha, man, I just cant control that. That feeling when half of your brain is screaming: OMG,OMG, this time you went too far, too far, we are gonna die, we are gonna die and the other half is like: Shut up bi*ch, I got that, we are just fine!

Riding the shockwave of adrenaline is what skiing is all about for me at this point. Riding super steep icy slopes is like what I imagine surfing Nazare in Portugal is. A mix of sheer paralysing terror and out of this world excitement.
Cant wait for the next season, I will be doing even more of that.

 

[KingGrump]

Haha, man, I just cant control that. That feeling when half of your brain is screaming: OMG,OMG, this time you went too far, too far, we are gonna die, we are gonna die and the other half is like: Shut up bi*ch, I got that, we are just fine!

Fortunately, or unfortunately, I am old and married (a long time). My hearing is not what it used to be. Can't hear much of the screaming and have learned to keep my mouth shut.
I am at peace. Most of the time.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Now i cant post with a straight face but swing weight alone is very noticiible.