Our Skiing And Snowboard Brand
Helpful, friendly advice from our skiing and snowboarding brand Wedze
Ultimately, your skis should help you glide through the snow safely, and when you’re ready, progress onto trickier runs.
But it can feel like there’s a lot of jargon to get your head around when it comes to choosing the right ones for you. On-piste? Freeride? All-mountain? Freestyle? Then there’s what size to choose. And should they be wide or narrow? Make sure you read our guide before making your decision.
Helpful, friendly advice from our skiing and snowboarding brand Wedze
The skis you choose will depend on the type of skiing practice you partake in.
Do you like carving nice turns on the ski slopes? If so, then we recommend downhill skis . Fairly narrow, these skis give you more responsiveness from one turn to the next, as well as good traction.
All-Mountain
If you’re just as happy on-piste as at the edges of groomed slopes, and love having fun with the way the slope undulates, choose all-mountain skis . They’re fairly wide (between 75 and 85mm) with a fairly long tip and a slight rocker that makes them a really versatile pick that’s easy to handle no matter the quality of the snow.
Free Ride
Prefer powder? Then it's a pair of free ride skis you need. They’re very wide (over 85mm) and have a rocker at the front and/or rear, so they float smoothly on powder snow while being maneuverable.
Freestyle
Finally, if you prefer terrain parks, doing jumps and trying new tricks, choose freestyle skis , which have double tips, and are light and strong for easy handling.
Level 1: Beginner
You’re a beginner if it’s your first time, of course, but in the skiing world, a beginner is someone who wants to progress but doesn’t want to tackle the tougher trails or slopes just yet. When you’re choosing your skis, make sure they’re beginner friendly. On our website you’ll see it called out in the description, and in store, one our friendly team members will be happy to help.
Level 2: Advanced
Advanced skiers are comfortable on green to red slopes and most snow types.
You’ve probably mastered skid turns and want to progress onto carving turns, or if you’re already there, perfect your technique.
Look out for ‘intermediate’ and ‘advanced’ when you’re shopping for your skis.
Level 3: Expert
You ski fast in all types of snow and on all slopes, and you know perfectly well how to vary the different turns (small radius, wide, carved turns, skid turns). You’ll be able to ski on most skis, but you should look out for designs specifically for expert skiers as they’ll enhance your performance as well as making your session more fun.
The shorter the skis, the more manoeuvrable they are. That's why beginners should choose shorter skis. Heavier skiers can choose bigger skis.
On-Piste
Generally, if you’re skiing on-piste, you can choose skis that are 5 to 15cm below your height.
All-Mountain
All-mountain skiers can choose skis that are the same height as them, down to as low as 10cm shorter than them.
Free Ride
Your range is from 5cm shorter than you up to 10cm bigger than you.
Freestyle
Opt for skis that are either your height or between your height and 10cm less.
Your weight will also influence your ability to control your skis. For example, a light skier will find it harder to control and ‘bend’ a rigid ski, so you should go for flexible to medium-flex skis. Heavy skiers should choose a medium ski. Rigid skis are only for expert skiers.
Decathlon UK Advice: How to choose your skis...
