5’10” 150 lbs, 170 Volkl Mantra M6. These skis are absolute missiles compared to mold old atomic slalom skis. I can still cut        but having the ability to float when needed and absolutely bomb when wanted is insane. What a time to be alive with todays ski tech.

Summary: it depends

Several factors:
1. Skier height
2. Skier weight - especially in the extremes (obese skiers)
3. Skier ability (beginner-advanced)
4. Ski type - straight trail, dual tips, etc
5. Ski purpose - carving, powder, etc

Bottomline, support your local ski shop - make sure you tell the ski store rep about all these factors so they can pinpoint the right ski for you. For beginners, lean towards a carving ski or frontside all mountain/resort ski to learn best ski technique - trying to carve on a 110mm ski as a beginner is a hard ask.

Back in the "good old days" the measurement was as high as you could reach, & that's why everyone was on 200-220cm boards. 🤪

More factors to consider than just length:  MM width under foot (70-85 narrow, quick turning and good on firm conditions, 85-110 more loft in powder conditions, little less “quick”), side cut (width at tip & tail vs under foot) affects natural radius turn of ski (more side cut=shorter turn radius). Flex of ski - stiff flex better for faster speeds, lighter flex easier in bumps (heavier skiers 180 lbs and more, go stiffer too).  Even more important, buy the right boots. Most new skier’s are guilty of buying too big sized boots. I have an experienced boot fitter match a boot to the type of foot you have. Remember that new boots are the most snug they will ever be. The more you ski in them the liners will start to.”pack out”. If they are roomy and comfy brand new., They will likely be sloppy and loose as they get older. Bigger or faster. Skiers should go with stiffer flex boots.

It amazes me that people still recommend skis based on height instead of weight.

Learned To Ski In 1967 Hated it because I was 6'2" 175 pounds and my skis were as tall as i could reach. Then in 69' John Claude Killy originated the GLM Method. Changed Everything. I took the lip and heat for using short skis by establishment Cough for 30 years until snowblades became a thing. Long story short - I've taught hundreds of people to ski. My son has taught hundreds of Disabled Veterans To Ski. Resorts make big money on lessons, They DO NOT LIKE New Skiers after a couple of days flying like a Bat Outta Hell because they are having a blast on their Snowblade/Skiboards. My son was a Downhill Ski Racer couldn't get the long skis off fast enough. Propaganda has killed Snowblades/Skiboards. GLM WAS A WAY TO GET MORE PEOPLE INTO SKIING. BECAUSE OF MANY REASONS SKIING IS ON A HUGE DECLINE. There needs to be a radical change again like i 1969. Get People On The Slopes FAST - FILL UP THE HOTELS, BARS, RESTAURANTS AND RESORTS. BOTTOM LINE - SKI LENGTH TECHNICAL STUFF  IS LIKE BEING FIRST CLASS ON THE TITANIC. - GET UP THE HILL ... GET DOWN THE HILL - Forget The Olympic Fantasy - Most Can Be Proficient in a couple of hours.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1977/01/20/beginners-night-at-ski-liberty-and-the-snow-is-littered-with-the-fallen/9b6b35d2-3710-43f7-af9f-6868712926d5/

I'm 5'-6" tall and skied bumps on 204's when I was 25.  Now I'm skiing 165's on groomers when I'm 57.  Both seem like mistakes!

Rocker kind of throws everything about length out the window.  Longer is always better, you'll ski into the length compared to outgrowing them quickly.  Only time you want shorter is if you're not into advancing as fast or if you don't ski as much to grow into a ski.  It's about having fun.

Loved my 200cm K2s back in 94-95. And they were slalom skis. However my Head 170s fit so well these days, though still have my Volkl Racetiger 163s which turn so dang fast.

New subscriber that is getting back into skiing after a 15 year break.  Thanks for a very useful video.

I am 193cm, 105kg. Got assigned 177cm Rosignol Hero Elite LT by the ski shop after a chin test. I didn't know much about equipment, but was already an advanced skier, who preferred high speed carving. The skies felt fine, until last season, when I've spotted 185cm Blizzard Firebird WRC for really cheap in a ski store trading used equipment. The best purchase I've ever made. The difference was absolutely mindblowing, like I was crawling my entire life and have learned I can fly. I learned skies are not supposed to skid and shatter on high speed, for how long and stiff my Firebirds are, I had the most fun 2 seasons yet. Rosignol skies actually turned out to be a perfect fit for my sister, who is much lighter, but was also skiing on shorter skies. So now I am researching a lot about skiing equipment to avoid making mistakes in the future. Thank you for the video!

wow - skis have changed in the last 20 years since I bought my last pair - Still rocking my 190 Atomic R9's  Awesome for trails, but get into any Sierra cement and huston we have a problem!  Great in the real fluffy stuff but get that so rarly in Tahoe.  Its all  wet and heavy.

Still - once waxed up they will beat my adult kids on 20/30  y/o legs any day of the week!  Still have a pair of Blizzard 205 slalom's in the attic I got in the early 90's!  Tempted to get them out.

I'd say for beginners, don't spend too much money!  Most people go through a number of skis over the years and once you've been skiing for a while you'll know better what you want next.  That would be not just in length, but also width, camber/rocker, stiffness, etc.  I can't remember how many skis I've had over the years, but at least 7 pairs, not including rentals in the early days, and demo'd a number more.  They started out long before shaped skis were a thing, then got shorter and wider, then long again and even wider, and now as I'm getting older they are getting shorter again.  And this year I decided to try rockers, never saw the point before because why would you want part of the ski off the snow?  But now that I'm not as strong as I was in my youth it is starting to make more sense.  You can have a ski that skis short on hard pack, but is still long enough for soft snow.  I don't think they'll be great for carving, but everything is a tradeoff.  That's why many people have more than one pair.

I'm 6'0", 210lbs and ride a Volkl M6 184, absolutely love them for high speed carving

I was a snowboarder from 2007. Converted to skiing in 2016 as I got fed up having to unlciip all the time and on my backside when stopping. Had a gap until last year but getting back into it now. I've been renting skis but for next season, fancy getting my own skis and boots.

My experience is that people in shops consistently steer you toward skis that are way way too long.  With today’s  gear, go much shorter than you think, and shorter than what they tell you at the ski shop. You just don’t need long skis these days.

You video popped up in my feed because I started looking for new snowboard bindings.  It's funny listening to you talk about ski length in lengths that are also good for snowboards. Back in 91 before I switched to snowboarding I was riding 200-210 cm straight skis. This was before skis manufacturers saw what snowboards were doing with side cuts. The last time I skied they gave me 165 while my corduroy board was a looong 168 😺

Your videos are awesome! I need help finding the right ski for me. Every ski shop I go to I am told, "this should do good". They dont ask any questions. I am sure they know their stuff but are certainly not coming across that way. It gives you little confidence in them. Is there a way I can get ahold of you?

I’m a intermediate to advanced skier, but ski with skis that are in the shorter and more narrow side. So thinking about getting a little bit longer skis, video helped a lot