To know what types of skis you need this winter, you will have to take into account several factors such as your fitness level, your gender, your age, your experience and the use you are going to give them. It is not advisable to go down a ski slope with skis that are not suitable for you, especially if you are a beginner. For this reason, we are going to give you some tips on how to choose your skis and enjoy the experience to the fullest.

Like in all sports, having good equipment (which does not mean that it has to be the most expensive or competitive) is a very important factor for you to have a gratifying experience down the slopes of a ski resort. In the past, skis were very simple, made of wood and with basic or even non-existent safety elements.

Nowadays, this has changed a lot and the engineering applied by manufacturers has evolved, greatly facilitating the learning and evolution of skiers in all types of terrain. The composition of the skis differs greatly from one to another, varying considerably in quality and structure, being able to be made of wood covered with special varnishes, sandwich designs, cores of different woods, composite materials or epoxy resins.

As you may have noticed there are different types of skis on the market, so here are some basic tips to help you choose the skis that best suit the skier in you. We’re sure you’re in the mood, so let’s get started!

What types of skis are there? 

There are different types of skis depending on the sport discipline you are going to practice, such as alpine skiing, skimo or ski touring, telemark skiing or even monoskiing. Also, skis can also be classified into junior/children’s skis and women’s skis, which we will deal with in another article.

Alpine ski models can be divided into four categories: piste, freeride, freestyle and all mountain skis. Depending on the use you are going to give them, you will have to choose one or the other, but first we want to give you some hints to know which skis to choose. In general, shorter skis are easier to use, although they are less stable at high speeds and offer a worse performance in deep levels. Below you will find a chart with the basic characteristics of the different types of skis you can find in the shops and their sizes. To clarify, these are only recommendations in terms of size because each skier should be advised by a professional as the use, level and weight have a great influence on the final decision:

Piste skis

They are the most commonly used and where you will find a greater offer in any specialised shop. Piste skis are, as their name suggests, those skis that are mainly used for downhill skiing in a ski resort. They are the most commercialised and the most used by a large percentage of skiers and can be for tourist or competition use. Touring skis are usually 10-15 cm shorter than the skier’s height and are specially designed to be used on the slopes. There are many types of piste skis, but maybe this classification will be enough to help you choose your ideal skis for this winter:

Entry-level piste skis: 

Ideal for beginners. They are usually very economical, quite flexible and ideal if you are only going to ski occasionally, especially if you have an intermediate level or are a 100% beginner. These skis allow you to make tight turns without the need to descend at high speeds. Since you will be gliding on groomed and groomed slopes, you won’t need exceptional technical skills to enjoy the descent since the piste skis have a special design, composition and structure that facilitates the turns.

Mid-range piste skis:

If you have an intermediate level and are wondering which skis to choose, you might want to opt for this range. They are usually stiffer than beginner skis and are recommended if you have enough technique to make sharp turns. Depending on their height and structure, the skis will invite you to make tighter or wider turns. Be careful, you will need to be in good physical condition to be able to control their reactivity and chain turns without tiring too much.

Top-of-the-range piste skis:

Exclusively for advanced levels. They are demanding skis that are usually heavier and require a high technical and physical level to be able to enjoy them. Moreover, these skis will allow you to descend at high speeds without vibrations, as well as to make short and/or long turns. As with mid-range skis, this will depend on their design, structure and length.

Competition piste skis:

Ideal for expert levels. These skis are usually replicas of the skis used by the alpine skiing elite in competitions. They are very demanding and specific, as they are oriented to each competition discipline (downhill, supergiant slalom, giant slalom, …). The size of the ski will depend on the discipline or event that the athlete is going to do, although for events that require short turns such as slalom they are 20 cm less than the athlete’s height and for events with very wide turns such as supergiant and downhill they are the same height or even taller than the skier.

Workshop piste skis:

These are usually worn by very demanding and professional skiers. These skis are custom-designed according to the physical and technical characteristics of the athlete, as well as the event or discipline in which they are to be used. The skiers who participate in competitions at the highest international level (FIS) use these custom-made skis to provide maximum performance and glide. There are also other types of workshop skis, mainly handmade, which can be destined to disciplines such as freeride, freestyle or even All Mountain, although there is not much variety and the producers are usually small companies with problems to enter the big distribution.

Freeride skis

They are used for off-piste skiing, in areas that are not marked or treated and considered to be outside the ski area of a resort. They are also known as backcountry skis. Given their use, this type of skis have a design and structure that facilitates buoyancy in different types of snow and it is recommended that they are 10 cm higher than the skier’s height. Normally this type of ski is intended for people who have an advanced technical level and who are able to descend comfortably on all slopes regardless of the level of difficulty. They are usually taller than piste skis and wider. Within this category, one could include “Fat” skis, intended for gliding in areas where there is a lot of powder snow. Their performance in spring snow and powder or hard snow, thanks to their rocket arc, make these skis the jewel in the crown for those skiers who do not want to go on the slopes, except to have a drink in the cafeterias and ride the ski lifts.

Freestlyle skis

If you’re looking to do tricks in a snowpark and wondering which skis to choose, the answer is probably a no-brainer: go for freestyle skis. They are extremely flexible to make landing a jump easier and are slightly shorter than piste skis. They can be equipped with a double tail or double tip, making it easier to glide forward and backward. There are different types of freestyle skis, although they are usually very light and some have reinforcements on the sole to be able to glide on rails and modules. If you like acrobatics and spend the day jumping on a halfpipe or doing tricks on the modules, these are definitely the skis that will best suit your goals. The range of freestyle skis is very wide, but they are not ideal for driven turns as the bindings are usually installed in the centre of the ski and can vibrate if you are descending a piste at high speeds. It is recommended that they are 10 cm shorter than the skier’s height.

All mountain skis

All-mountain skis can be considered the most versatile of all types of skis. If you’re wondering what skis do I need if I like to go everywhere? Allmountain skis might be the right choice for you. They are a hybrid between piste skis and freeride skis, as they are quite efficient on all types of terrain, including groomed trails. Their sidecuts and design, allow the skier to glide over all types of terrain and their performance on spring snow, hard snow or powder is good. All-mountain skis are usually 10 cm taller than the skier and allow for wide steered turns, but do not allow for short carving turns like piste skis. These skis have many similarities with freeride skis, although their tips are less flexible and the rocker is not as pronounced. They are a good option if you want to ride all types of terrain and perform well in almost all types of snow.