Gahan

Hi, I'm 16 years old and have been skiing for 5 years. I got my first set of ski's two years ago after being tired of renting. This will be my second full season on my Atomic Izor ski's (159cm) and Atomic B-Tech B 50 Ski Boots.

I feel now that I am starting to really become a good skier. I really like to ski what we call over here in New Brunswick back country. It's not like what some of you are used to, 3 feet of powder and so on, but occasionally we do get the odd heavy snowfall and get to ski a day or two in a foot of powder or more. But most times, I just like skiing the tight woods, the bumps, and small moguls. And when conditions aren't all that great for that fun stuff, I just stick to the machine groomed, fake snow for some carving fun.

I'm 5' 11", almost 6' feet. I weight 200 lb and am in good shape, how long of ski should I buy? What are the advantages to a longer/shorter ski?

Also, what is the most well known, best boot brand to buy? I want a comfortable boot, with great bang for your buck.

JIBlaunch22

I'm a big fan of the K2 Apache's. They are really shaped on both ends, especially the front tips. They are geared more towards advanced skiiers, so according to your post you should be just fine. I recently demo'd a pair of these out in Park City, Utah and I was real please with them. I'm 6'1" and I ride 163". For you I would suggest going a little short, maybe mid-150" or so. AS far as the boots, I usually go with anything Salomon makes.

Kjerstin Klein

I agree the K2 Apache series is a great collection of skis - they range from the value packed HAWK to the PONTOON - what K2 calls 'the ultimate powder tool'.

Salomon makes some great boots but the FALCON and the race boots run narrow and most of the rest of the line runs quite a bit wider.

It sounds like from your post you are looking for what is typically classified as 'All-Mountain' gear. Meaning you are tackling a wide variety of terrain and conditions.

It is my feeling that your boots are the most important peice of your equipment as it is what you use to manipulate your ski. All-Mountain boots tend to be a little softer, in the 85-110 flex range but fit is the most important thing to consider. As I said, the Salomon Falcon and Impact both run fairly narrow as does anything with a 100 mm last while while anything in the 98 mm and below range is considered a high performance boot in need of a custom fit - often refered to as a 'plug' boot. Nordica boots are built in the mid range - around 102mm and Tecnica HVL boots and the Head Edge boots tend to run a bit wider -clser to 104 mm.

It is important to know your foot - wide, mid or narrow then look for a boot that will work. Most websites will have this info and a custom fit in a quality shop can help you to fine tune it just for your foot.

For skis search in the All-Mountain catagories. Some of my favorites are the K2 Crossfire and the Volkl AC30.

Hope that helps!

See ya on the slopes!

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Kjerstin Klein

SkiDreamer

Tecnica's are the most "adjustable" alpine boots out there so many can get a great fit, Lange is also top's however harder to fit. I am a devotee of Raichle a Swiss boot company
that recently went out of business after many world cup wins and being around for hundreds of years.

All mountain skis should do the trick for you, I am a strong beleiver in less is more, try to find a ski with a titanium or kevelar sheet and less bells and whistles. Wood or synthetic cores not foam.

Michael Everio

hi, I am Michael Everio. I'm skiing since 12th June 2004. At first my friends Chris Freville and Amber Sharman adviced me Tecnica boots. They are really great.

Kjerstin Klein

Ski Dreamer - Raichle is not truly dead, just repackaged Line's Full Tilt boot is a reincarnated Raichle Flexon boot and the Dalbello Krypton boots are an updated version of that technology.

The lasts and molds for Raichle boots still exist, they have changed hands but are still being produced with the same care and craftsmanship they once were.

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Kjerstin Klein

SkiDreamer

But it's not the same as a multi century old company. I'm aware of the Full Tilt and Dalbello's boots. I didn't like the Dalbello's feel and will get a full tilt and save for when my current Raichle's need replacing. Cat Tracks CAT TRACKS keep them like new. My first boots were a pair of leather Raichle's circa 1959 and even then had the strangest buckles of any ski boot. Got my first Flexon Comps in the 80's the first season they came out and never looked back.
I didn't elaborate on my post because the Flexon's narrow lasts make it tough to fit many feet without customizing so not worth recommending.

nacg8or

I know this is a little late for the OP's question but here it goes.
The "best" boot is the one that fits you the best. Going for the most popular boot isn't a guaranty that it will fit you. If you buy a popular boot and then spend your day in the lodge because your feet hurt then what's the point. I like Tecnica and ski a TNT Explosion 8 because they fit me better than other brands. I've always liked Langes but they never fit my foot. I also own a pair of Salomons that are nice but I ended up with ingrown toe nails on both feet. That's what I get for buying a pair of boots whose last was too short eventhough the shell was the correct size.

The only way to get the best boot is to spend time trying boots. Spend several hours in a shop with good boot fitters. Go late in the day when your foot has expanded. It's easier to to buy a good fitting boot right off the bat then to buy an ill fitting boot and trying to make it fit later (of course there are always people that have foot problems, so that's a different story). I also highly recommend getting a custom footbed. Some are expensive, but they are worth the cost since they give you a more custom fit.

Kjerstin Klein

Ski Dreamer~

Oh so true! Change is hard especially when you have found something that really fits your foot. nacq8or is correct that the BEST boot is the one that fits I have extremely hard feet to fit - so hard in fact that I had to marry the best boot fitter in the country just so I could keep skiing

Making boots easier to fit while retaining performance is a major challenge for the industry - looks like we have some really good people in positions to make a difference and the boot companies appear to be very committed to listening to the customers and the sales people to find what works/doesn't work.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the near future eh?

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Kjerstin Klein

mronhifi123

hi, I am Michael Everio. I'm skiing since 12th June 2004. At first my friends Chris Freville and Amber Sharman adviced me Tecnica boots. They are really great.

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