Snow Ski Question

[woodzie264]

I have been downhill skiing for a total of 4 days, but really love it.  I foresee myself continuing with this as long as I am physically able. I am looking to buy a pair of pre-owned skis as they will pay for themselves after a few trips of not having to rent them. I am not looking to spend more than $230 and have found plenty of options on-line. I have done some research on the height of skis, and waist measurements I should get, but knowing really nothing about skis, I'm not familiar with all of the subtle differences. I am super tall at 5'7" and would rate myself as an intermediate level skier as I can get down blues without difficulty on 143cm Rossignol Bandits. I made it down a black diamond without falling, but quickly realized my life may end if I continued to test my luck.  I am currently looking at 160cm Elan Amphibio 12's vs 150cm Elan Explore eRise. I don't see anything on-line really differentiating the two, but in general that the Explore eRise may be better suited for beginners.  If anyone out there has any recommendations on skis or what to consider, I'm open to any help. I mean, I may not even be able to tell the difference when using them so all of this may not even be important. Attached below at some pics of those with two other options as well.

 160cm Elan Amphibio 12's

150cm Elan Explore eRise:

155cm Fischer XTR Pro MTN:

160cm Rossignol Bandits:

[Golfingdad]

I'm no equipment expert so I have no recommendation for you; just love skiing and wish I could do it more than I get to. 🙂  I'm still on skis that are a generation behind what's out there now.  Mine were new when they first made the big technological jump to parabolic skis back in the mid 00's or so?  If I was going to guess though, I'd assume it's not too different than balls in golf - an intermediate like myself is probably not going to be able to tell much difference between any of those skis.

Boots, on the other hand, is where it's worth it to be very particular! 🙂

Dangit, now I want to go skiing!

[Club Rat]

Guess I'll show my age and write something.
Back during my Ski Bum days, I worked in shops and sold skis.
As a rule of thumb, the longer the ski, the more stable at higher speeds yet require a larger turning radius.
The shorter skis will turn easier allowing skiers to skid more to control their speed and descent.
Shaped skis became popular due to the ease of turning for intermediate abilities.
They are good in many snow conditions and preform better in the "crud snow"
They are easier to edge and carve in small radius turns.

If you want to ski moguls, you will need a shorter ski.
If you like to cruise the Velvet, then a slightly longer ski is better.

A suggestion about buying used skis, check the bindings!
They will often need to be remounted due to shoe size, person height and weight and adjusted accordingly.
Also, if the binding are too old, no ski shops will service them. (anything over 15 years)

Another tip on binding placement, I often positioned them forward slightly, for ease of turning.
Only a centimeter or two. Speak with any knowledgeable ski rep about suggesting the binding placement.

@Golfingdad I have a great pair of super cruisers, K2's Super G's-207 skis I'll give you... 😁

If anyone else is interested in a pair of Slalom Skis K2's -203 CVS shoot me a PM
I've retired my boots and no longer have any urge to hit the slopes.

 

[Double Mocha Man]

6 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

Back during my Ski Bum days,

Ahh, you're bringing back fond memories.  Back when I was in college I'd take off the Winter Quarter and head out to Breckenridge, Colorado to be a ski bum.  Did this for two years.  Sweet deal... the inn where I worked the front desk (4:00 to 11:00, perfect for a full day of skiing) provided free dorm rooms on the 3rd floor, free ski rentals and 3 free meals a day.  By the time I headed back to school in March I'd have enough money in my pocket to finance another 3 Quarters of school.

[woodzie264]

17 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

Guess I'll show my age and write something.
Back during my Ski Bum days, I worked in shops and sold skis.
As a rule of thumb, the longer the ski, the more stable at higher speeds yet require a larger turning radius.
The shorter skis will turn easier allowing skiers to skid more to control their speed and descent.
Shaped skis became popular due to the ease of turning for intermediate abilities.
They are good in many snow conditions and preform better in the "crud snow"
They are easier to edge and carve in small radius turns.

If you want to ski moguls, you will need a shorter ski.
If you like to cruise the Velvet, then a slightly longer ski is better.

A suggestion about buying used skis, check the bindings!
They will often need to be remounted due to shoe size, person height and weight and adjusted accordingly.
Also, if the binding are too old, no ski shops will service them. (anything over 15 years)

Another tip on binding placement, I often positioned them forward slightly, for ease of turning.
Only a centimeter or two. Speak with any knowledgeable ski rep about suggesting the binding placement.

I've not heard that bit about moving the bindings a bit forward; thanks for that tip.  Most the skis I'm looking at I believe are 5-6yrs old or more recent and looking at their respective specs, they all seem to be able to accommodate my boot size (although they may need to be adjusted). I appreciate it!

[phillyk]

I have a pair of k2 twin tips that I like and bought in 08’. I have bindings a but more centered on them. Ski technology these days don’t get as skinny in the middle, they stay pretty fat throughout. I want an upgrade myself but don’t go often enough anymore.

[Club Rat]

3 minutes ago, woodzie264 said:

5-6yrs old or more recent

Also, I should have mentioned to check the base's and edges.
Damage such as gouges and burred edges or rust are a sign of problems.
Early and late season skiing often have thin snow conditions, rocks / yikes - damage.
Base repair is costly and edge damage, yuk hate to even go to think about filing / beveling the edges enough...

A good used set, is a set with minimal use, less than 10 days by owners. 
This may occur over a couple of years when they only ski every other year or only a couple of times on vaca.
 

[Double Mocha Man]

Woodzie... try galacticsnowsports.com.  Got my last skis from there, and my son's full snowboard set-up as well.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Double Mocha Man

[dennyjones]

I might add, it makes a difference the type of snow you'll be skiing.   My brother (Breck) has several types for different types of snow.   Here in mid-Michigan, we don't get enough good snow to ski and the man made stuff is very poor.    

 

[Double Mocha Man]

19 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

I might add, it makes a difference the type of snow you'll be skiing.   My brother (Breck) has several types for different types of snow.   Here in mid-Michigan, we don't get enough good snow to ski and the man made stuff is very poor.    

 

Is your brother's name "Breck" or is he in Breck?  Breckenridge has that wonderful, dry, powdery snow... easy to ski in... no catching edges.  Out here the snow is dense and wet.  I'll take Colorado...

[FlyingAce]

I take off December-March of every year and move to the mountain so I can ski full time. I haven’t had the time yet to look up the skis you are looking at, but the 150cm are way too short for you at 5’7”. I am 5’3” and my quiver ranges from 154cm to 164cm. 
One thing about Elan skis - you have a left ski and a right ski, and if you mix them up, you are screwed. Most other skis are left/right interchangeable.

Edited February 11, 2021 by FlyingAce

[FlyingAce]

What region do you ski in? PNW(wet and heavy), Rocky/SW (dry and light) or Midwest/Mid-Atlantic/East (ice)? What do you plan on skiing? Groomed only? Moguls? Trees? Powder?  The skis you picked all have narrow waist and are front-side skis, likely best for groomed runs and will not do well in powder (wet or dry).

Elan Amphibio 12’s (2019) 160cm/78mm waist/13.3m turn radius, Rocker skis, titanium (stiff)

Elan Explore eRise (2017) 150cm/76mm/12.5m, Rocker, fiberglass (soft/light)

Fischer XTR PRO (2018) 155cm/71mm/13m, Camber+rocker tips, no metal (soft)

Rossi Bandit (2010) 143cm/ 80mm/12m (crap)

Major difference between the Amphiobio and Explore is stiffness.

The Amphibios have titanium in the skis.  Stiff skis offer more dampness at speed and will want to go faster, but require more skills to control (therefore rated intermediate to advanced). Also more difficult to turn, especially on moguls.

The Explore eRise and Fischer are both softer with no metal so they are better suited for beginners/intermediates because skis that are more flexible are easier to control.

Hard to compare turn radius since I think the 150cm and 155cm are too short for your height.  Need to look at your weight too. Rocker skis usually ski shorter than camber skis so you may need to adjust ski length accordingly.

When buying used skis, you need to look at:

1. Bindings - do they have demo bindings (adjustable up to certain sizes without remount, but heavier) or regular bindings.  If regular bindings, you need to find out what size boots they were mounted for. If close enough to your size, you may not need a remount. Remounts may or may not be possible depending on where the original mount was.

2. Damages - top sheet damages are usually cosmetic. Base damages can usually be repaired by Ptex. The base should still be smooth with any base repairs. If you see patches, don’t buy. I’d also stay away from damages on edges because those are usually not fixable and you need your edges.

3. If you are buying camber skis, you need to look and see if the camber is still there.  Camber is the slight upward curve on the base of the skis and it provides the “pop” in the skis when you turn. If you put the skis back to back, there should be space between the 2 skis.  As the skis get used, it will lose camber and the skis will flatten out. I don’t buy demo skis that has been used for more than 30 days.

I have purchased demo skis at Powder7.com and am very satisfied with their customer service.  I like that I can examine the skis and if I don’t like what I see, they will take the skis back.  Likely not able to do that on eBay and you will be stuck with the purchase if they turned out bad.

[woodzie264]

2 hours ago, FlyingAce said:

I haven’t had the time yet to look up the skis you are looking at, but the 150cm are way too short for you at 5’7”. I am 5’3” and my quiver ranges from 154cm to 164cm. 
One thing about Elan skis - you have a left ski and a right ski, and if you mix them up, you are screwed. Most other skis are left/right interchangeable.

Thanks for all of the info! From what I can tell, just starting its generally recommended I use a 160cm for my ability, but I was nervous about that as I’ve read the longer the ski, the harder it is to turn and I need (right now anyway) to be to control my speed with turns. So it sounds like you’d agree that 160cm is more what I should be using?

1 hour ago, FlyingAce said:

What region do you ski in? PNW(wet and heavy), Rocky/SW (dry and light) or Midwest/Mid-Atlantic/East (ice)? What do you plan on skiing? Groomed only? Moguls? Trees? Powder?  The skis you picked all have narrow waist and are front-side skis, likely best for groomed runs and will not do well in powder (wet or dry).

Elan Amphibio 12’s (2019) 160cm/78mm waist/13.3m turn radius, Rocker skis, titanium (stiff)

Elan Explore eRise (2017) 150cm/76mm/12.5m, Rocker, fiberglass (soft/light)

Fischer XTR PRO (2018) 155cm/71mm/13m, Camber+rocker tips, no metal (soft)

Rossi Bandit (2010) 143cm/ 80mm/12m (crap)

Major difference between the Amphiobio and Explore is stiffness.

The Amphibios have titanium in the skis.  Stiff skis offer more dampness at speed and will want to go faster, but require more skills to control (therefore rated intermediate to advanced). Also more difficult to turn, especially on moguls.

The Explore eRise and Fischer are both softer with no metal so they are better suited for beginners/intermediates because skis that are more flexible are easier to control.

Hard to compare turn radius since I think the 150cm and 155cm are too short for your height.  Need to look at your weight too. Rocker skis usually ski shorter than camber skis so you may need to adjust ski length accordingly.

When buying used skis, you need to look at:

1. Bindings - do they have demo bindings (adjustable up to certain sizes without remount, but heavier) or regular bindings.  If regular bindings, you need to find out what size boots they were mounted for. If close enough to your size, you may not need a remount. Remounts may or may not be possible depending on where the original mount was.

I have purchased demo skis at Powder7.com and am very satisfied with their customer service.  I like that I can examine the skis and if I don’t like what I see, they will take the skis back.  Likely not able to do that on eBay and you will be stuck with the purchase if they turned out bad.

As I’ve only been 4 days, I’m gonna be sticking to groomed slopes for a while and may upgrade skis in a few years, so I won’t need skis for powder. 
 

that’s all useful info about the titanium and sounds like I need to stay more with the Explore eRise. I will check out that website (in leu of eBay) and take it all in. Thanks so much!

[Double Mocha Man]

26 minutes ago, woodzie264 said:

Thanks for all of the info! From what I can tell, just starting its generally recommended I use a 160cm for my ability, but I was nervous about that as I’ve read the longer the ski, the harder it is to turn and I need (right now anyway) to be to control my speed with turns. So it sounds like you’d agree that 160cm is more what I should be using?

As I’ve only been 4 days, I’m gonna be sticking to groomed slopes for a while and may upgrade skis in a few years, so I won’t need skis for powder. 
 

that’s all useful info about the titanium and sounds like I need to stay more with the Explore eRise. I will check out that website (in leu of eBay) and take it all in. Thanks so much!

It's just as complicated as being fitted and buying golf equipment!  Sounds like you're having fun and have found a new sport.  Having shorter skis at this time in your skiing career is similar to buying game improvement clubs.  Making sure what you have is working for you and giving you pleasure.

[FlyingAce]

It is actually a good thing that you want to get skis that fits your needs right now, than to get too much skis (for your ability level) and try to “grow into” them. Learning is difficult enough and you want your equipment to help make it easier, otherwise you may never progress.  I think 155-160cm should be a good place to start and I will look for something that’s softer or without metal plates. I personally would pick camber skis between 78mm and low 80mm underfoot. You don’t want to go too skinny.  You should do a full ski tune and have a binding release check at a ski shop before taking them out. Some stores, like Powder7, will do a basic tune on the skis before shipping. 

If you decide to try snowboarding, I can answer questions too.  I am also a snowboarder! 

Have fun shopping and have a great time learning! Oh, don’t forget a helmet!