Gearing Up For Winter, Selecting the Right Ski For Terrain

Fischer race director Tyler Theis talks us through picking a ski that that best suits the skier

[@johnwalker2841]

I just discovered your channel. My 70th birthday is this month and I’ve been skiing for close to 60 years. In the last five years I’ve been less enthusiastic due to my aging and lack of ski partners. Due to your enthusiasm I am feeling more motivated. I’ve signed up for a 70+ ski club and your videos with the young boys have reminded me of what it’s all about. I am really starting to look forward and I have signed up for a trip to Big Sky. (PS: I’ve been to Taos many times over the years and it’s my favorite area-l had a ski week with Chilton Anderson - he was quite an individual)

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

I remember Chilton! I am so happy you found my channel and that you have new found enthusiasm. That makes me very happy!!!!!

[@theswiss5435]

I can tell you Deb, the Fischer RC ONE 86gt is an absolute banger. This thing goes down really well at all speeds, radii and on all surfaces. I love the ski, I'm skiing it for the 3rd season now and only change it when it's really powdery (then it gets wider under the binding for more fun). I wish you a great season on the RC ONE. Rock it and best greetings from Switzerland.

[@michaelaronson5507]

My skis are the Ranger 115FR and the RC4 CT! Best combo for the west!

[@franciscooper4771]

Thanks for the pre-season tease Deb. I couldn't help but notice only one set made it back to the vehicle!

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Ha!!!!! You are paying close attention. Actually the other two I had already at my house😉😉

[@vjr5261]

Yes they do chatter out. Always on the edge of control. I have a pair of 106 underfoot and decided to make those the bc skis.

[@thomasmedeiros5722]

Here in New England the Blizzard Brahma 88 with True Blend Wood core technology was my everyday driver last season. On the occasion when we got more than half a foot of snow I skied my Rustler 9 (94 mm) which is my Alta, Utah everyday driver. I do agree that so many skiers buy wide skis for the conditions they hope to ski but not the conditions they ski most often. I been in the ski business a long time and always appreciate your videos.

[@AlexSlok]

I recently bought a pair of Fischer Progressor F19 TI (not new) for training purposes, because my trainer told me to buy piste-orientated ski's instead of using my offpiste ski's (in Europe we have no boundary system). I like them a lot. PS. Keep up the good work. Loving your videos.

[@erinb4919]

I think choice of ski should definitely depend on what you are primarily skiing for the day and the snow conditions. A "one ski quiver" will always involve some compromises... I am lucky to have a bunch of different skiis (ranging from 78 to 121 ;)) and so can choose for the day, ie more narrow, heavy and stiff, if off-piste is crap and I intend to ski groomers at high speed all day, vs wider and lighter for powder. As I generally tend to ski off piste, skiing chutes and steeps, my typical ski is in 100-110 range. I also live in an area that frequently has light, dry powder (Canadian Rockies) so having wide powder skiis is fun. Watching what others ski, I would agree that a lot of ski buying tends to be aspirational. Many beginner- intermediates are on wide skiis... And can barely turn and certainly aren't going to be skiing powder anytime soon. It is unfortunate that they get sold these skiis, because I am sure people would progress more quickly on skiis with better edge grip etc

[@choski76]

Agree with you regarding aspirational purchasing. That may be an industry tool. And it impedes progress.

[@zukacs]

some of my friends who are really good skiers can out ski me with any skis you give them. i see lots of people blaming the ski itself for being cheap or not "task" specific for their bad skiing

[@bradleyanderson247]

Just like new clubs won't make a hacker a great golfer, new skis won't automatically fix your technical errors and make you a great skier. But I do think that skis that are well suited to your skills and conditions can make things easier and allow people to have more fun with less fatigue.

[@petercreagh8797]

Its quite tough when you are learning to ski whether its you, your boots or your skis holding you back and what I did when I was learning I bought very cheap skis and boots as I did not know how good I would get or if I would get addicted but I did get addicted quite early on and the first thing I noticed about my boots was my heel would lift and my foot would twist when I turned. I then went looking for new better fitting boots and skipped intermediate boots and went to advanced boots. Getting these boots with no heel lift and foot twist resulted in me falling over a lot less and after demoing a pair of GS race skis one day I got addicted to them too as I could see myself falling over even less due to the vibration damping technology they have in them. I went on to enjoy Volki AC4 and 50 Mid fat skis which were better off piste than race skis due to their width. So if you do fall over a lot a change of boot/ski could help as I found out. One thing with going to top end boots and skis is they let you know if you are not skiing them right by throwing you off so you save money on ski lessons.

[@andreaswimmer6864]

There is this misconceptions that fat skis are hard to carve and turn on groomers Try skiing them with boots unbuckled neutral stance and turn out of your feet with not much up and down motion. For carving you just step into them super hard at apex and the usual soft tails and tips sling ya around like no front mt ski can even dream of. Get away from stiff boots people, you ain't no Bode Miller. I:m 6"3' 200 plus and carve the living sh.. out of a 178cm 117 Line Outline Again, open some buckles and feel your feet on some flats in soft snow and let you feet and ankles do the talking, you'll see...

[@zbqb84a]

I have a pair of those Ranger 102s and love em but your comments are spot on. If I'm skiing REALLY fast I prefer to have some metal in the ski and my daily drivers (I ski in CO) have a width of 84.

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@kkrsnn5632]

The chicken soundtrack is gold🐔😁 Those 102s are good for the afternoon/evening overridden slopes

[@showze21]

i ski both the fischer rc one 82 gt and 86 gt, fischer got it right with these skis, they have some rocker and width, making them comfortable and forgiving in terrain, but they are still very responsive to technical inputs without requiring a lot of shovel pressure. i prefer the narrower 82 gt, unless the snow is softer and deeper. the 86 gt is a bit more powerful, and a good powder ski, when skiing powder on groomers

[@sketchyAnalogies]

If you had to pick one to be comfortable/confident in the most conditions or most of the time, what would you pick?

[@showze21]

@@sketchyAnalogies ive moved on, i am skiing the head e titan, really good ski

[@gregy1194]

There not "just a bunch of old skis", they're history. 😁 Loved the chat with Tom Gellie 👍👍👍

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Love it. Thanks!!!

[@mikescott7289]

Great info. I just purchased some wider skis 99 moving from my 85's. Hope I didn't overdo it.

[@rvinogradoff]

Ski and Chicken , unreal combo! Thanks from Russia!

[@ashchurova27]

Hi Deb, thank you very much for your videos and for your channel, I have learned so much from watching your videos. Much more than I got from my private lessons with an instructor. One question I do have is what ski you would recommend for an intermediate beginner? And how to progress to more advanced ski or at what you should process to a different ski level? Is it when you are comfortable with your current? This information would be very helpful. Thank you ❤️

[@rockstarr9000]

Love the review!

[@DanboShaw]

I've watched this and your previous videos about ski width, all with great info, and would like to add one extra consideration: Do you think using wide skis on hardpack may lead to knee injuries? Some studies claim that the risk of knee injury is increased with 100mm and up skis. I live in Vancouver and while demoing skis I found that 110mm skis on hardpack actually made my knees hurt, perhaps because I was increasing knee angulation to get them up on edge. I ended up getting an 88mm all-mountain ski (an Elan Amphibio 88 XTI, a precursor to their Wingman line). I now want to supplement that pair with a backcountry/powder ski like an Elan Ripstick in 96 or 106 and put a Shift binding on them. A 106 would make more sense for resorts like Revelstoke and the backcountry, and SkiEssentials reviews claim the 106 is versatile enough to carve decently on hardpack, but I'm worried about my knees! Given that I've been skiing powder (with difficulty) on my existing 88mm skis, perhaps 96 would be wide enough.

[@scottweimer1402]

Welcome to the Fischer Family, from Washington!!

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Thank you!

[@christiancoy3745]

Loved the chicken soundtrack/photobomb. So relaxing!

[@nosliwm]

Hey! I'm FROM Ojo Caliente! Wasn't expecting the shoutout there. :) Also, those chickens sure did like the fat ski.

[@vanessajordan6446]

I’m looking for skis and so overwhelmed! East coast conditions are so iffy and mostly ice

[@stephenholdsworth4315]

Nice background foliage

[@jameszeng2666]

I am very interested on how I can perform on that pair of FIS World Cup SL ... I might not be able to bend and carve it at all haha

[@mop9i40k]

Hello! Could you please make a video and explain from your great experience the difference and describe your feelings when skiing the "professional" and "casual business" skis from the same manufacturer product lines in SL, GS etc, since ski bloggers do not make such videos and it's extremely interesting to find out how different skis "behave" in different conditions and on different surfaces.

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Yes, great request!!! Give me some time. Ill try to get that done in Novemver

[@MsMsmak]

Perfect timing Deb! I'm looking at skis! What a conundrum, because so many skis seem to have susch great reviews. And then there are small ski co's like Coalition Snow that also seem to put out products that are well received. So the decisions are hard, especially for a one quiver skier. i dunno. ...and I see you have The Ski leaning against the shed there...I had a yellow pair with the block colors. They were the hottest thing, and then poof.,,gone!

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Are you able to demo skis anywhere before purchasing?

[@MsMsmak]

Yes but only the big ski companies products. The smaller guys aren't really available. It might be the deciding factor. Poop.:-(

[@tabcompletion]

@@MsMsmak There's no perfect substitute to demoing the exact skis you want to buy, but you can get pretty close if you find a similar ski from a different company to demo. Length and width matter, but also pay attention to weight, flex, rocker profile, and mount point. If you have a particular company in mind (like Coalition), familiarize yourself with their specs so you can compare - and if you can't find the numbers, many companies are happy to answer questions. Experimenting with skis of all different dimensions is so fun - happy shopping!

[@zaktaylor1226]

Those Ranger 102s are my 1 ski quiver! Love them on ALL conditions. I’m skiing mainly around Seattle: Crystal, Steven’s Pass, Mt. Baker, Whistler, Snoqualmie. Love the content, Deb! ⛷

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Love it!!! Ya, I bet those 102s work well in the NW pow! I know it well😉 take good care.

[@dennismalkowski4132]

That's quite a collection of vintage skis. Did you ski on all of them back in the day?

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

No, I collect. Have any for me?😉

[@death2pc]

Wide skis are so ridiculous. No Way ! Stick with the narrow !! I like the chickens !!! Special shout out forever to Diann Roffe-(Steinrotter) !!

[@sollamander2206]

I'm quite a slow skier. Do you think a ski in the 95mm range would be too unpleasant for West Coast inbounds skiing?

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

Wondering why so wide as 95 under foot? Why not narrower for inbound skiing?

[@melihileri]

Are stiff skis bad for moguls? I’d like to get something for the front side carving/ripping/charging through (former slalom and gs racer) but will they prevent me from hitting the moguls as well?

[@sir_bumpalot]

I'm doing moguls with my Head 165 cm SL RD. I wouldn't mind for "too stiff". At least i would go for a quite narrow ski, it is just much more agile from edge to edge. Im also doing moguls with my K2 Pinnacle TI 88 mm under foot. But the feeling is much better with a narrow ski. Faction eg has a special moguls ski. If you decide for such one, please let me know how that ski works for the other terrains.

[@melihileri]

@@sir_bumpalot thanks for the reply. I have a 120mm underfoot Bent chetler, and moguls are a breeze for me with it, because the tips just bend if I hit a mogul head on, and they’re very easy to smear because of the sideways rocker on the tip and tail (“hrzn-tech”). I used to have a Rossi experience 88, which was stiff, and they would come off my boots every time I made a little mistake on the moguls, but they were also pretty long at 188cm, and I was fairly new to moguls back then - to not put it all on the equipment. Based on your recommendation, I could just go with a Redster wb (75mm underfoot), and it might just be ok. Thinking ~ 175cm long (whatever is close to that length in the particular ski). I’m 186cm tall and 110kg.

[@sir_bumpalot]

@@melihileri I'm also not a pro bumps rider, my roots are in racing too. But take a look at K2 244 or Faction Le Mogul. They are using 66 mm underfoot, quite similar to a racing ski. The key seems to be short and narrow.(also narrow front and endings) I think any other skies are a compromise, but for me it is ok right now, since there is a lack of good moguls the most time. When i would decide to go for moguls only i would buy such a ski. For mixed skiing with a lot of funcarving and sone moguls i would stick with a SL or X carver.

[@chriscowan6630]

Let it snow!!

[@Rocstoneau]

Hay Deb, does a skiis weight matter as well?

[@DebArmstrongSkiStrong]

matter for what? powder? heavier skis generally have metal in them making the ski stiffer.

[@thomasmedeiros5722]

If you are touring in the backcountry for long distance a lighter ski saves energy for the ski down. However a lightweight Alpine Touring ski will not provide the smooth ride in the resort if conditions are icy with a frozen granular surface.

[@tabcompletion]

If you ski in an area that gets wet, gloppy snow (think Cascade Concrete or Sierra Cement) a heavier ski tends to be more stable. It's also more tiring, but worth it when you're the one bullying the snow around instead of the reverse.

[@felisaaero]

Never seen skis with chickens. Only from Deb! LOL!

[@gregormiller4037]

Hi Charley!

[@gregormiller4037]

After 15+ years, i lost my GSD. I now livealone, my life will never be the same.

[@TheBeingReal]

So many people over buy their skis. Follow the fat ski / full rocker trend yet never leave the groomed, full on WC race skies yet not the skill NOR the right boot set up to use those skis. I see people on my ‘local’ 500’ ski hill on full powder skis…you can hear the skis flapping against the snow 😆. I have Kendo’s for the softer/deeper snow. Head iSpeeds for near every day snow: hard pack to mid-thigh snow. They work.

[@tabcompletion]

Your point about boots is important and I don't think many people realize it. I went boot shopping with my dad recently (his first ski boots in 30 years after a hiatus) and for comfort reasons, his boots are so soft that he wouldn't have the control authority to drive Enforcers, let alone race skis. (Not that he wants to, anyway!) You can have fun with most skis in most boots, but if you get to either end of the stiffness or weight spectrum, your options get narrowed down.

[@TheBeingReal]

@@tabcompletion True! Many boots are sold on comfort at the shop…usually too big. They talk about the flex at 70F, while the reality the flex at 20F is a whole different story. Too soft a flex can ruin control.

[@JL-qs2tb]

Channel your inner feelings and showcase some mogul ski.....