How to buy skis: 5 different types that you should know
Do you also find it difficult to choose the right skis? In this video we show you 5 different types of alpine skis and what they are good at, as well as what they are less good at.
We dive into a ski buffet with 5 different categories, from narrow to wide under foot. Here are the categories we take a closer look at:
- Race carve – Piste Formula 1 car
- On piste – Enjoy whole ski days in the slopes (best carving skis)
- All mountain – The Swiss Army knife of skis (best all-mountain skis)
- Freeride – Charge in all types of snow out of bounds
- Off-piste – Fantastic flow
For each category of ski we talk about how the skis are constructed, what turning radius they usually have, how you choose the right length, what rocker profile they have and how wide they are. We hope that this overview can help you when choosing skis.
The video were made together with K2 which has a large and wide line with different types of fun alpine skis, in the winter of 2022 we see everything from the narrowest race carve ski to the fat off-piste ski. Andreas from K2 Sweden tells us in detail about the advantages and disadvantages of the different categories. The skis we look at are: Race carve – K2 Disruption MTI, Piste – K2 Disruption 78 Ti, All mountain – K2 Mindbender 99 Ti, Freeride – K2 Mindbender Ti 108 and Offpist – K2 Reckoner 112.
In addition to K2 which makes really good skis, there are also several other quality brands and what we go through in this video is general information and applies regardless of brand.
The video was recorded at the cozy restaurant Kastrullen, in the middle of Åre, where K2 has a Ski Test Center. On weekends during the winter season, you can test next year’s ski for free. Åre is Scandinavia’s largest ski resort and offers all types of terrain: steep, back pistes as well as simpler well-groomed blue and green slopes, fine forest skiing, a couple of classic backcountry bowls/canyons and a high mountain area with open snow fields at what is called “Baksidan” off the mountain. You can also make small ski touring trips up on the mountain called Västerskutan, go on steep off-piste adventures around Blåstensbranten, or why not do a day adventure of 1000 vertical meters all the way down to the village of Huså? Sweden’s longest and biggest vertical drop piste run can also be found here, 890 wonderful, thigh-sucking vertical meters from the top of the gondola all the way down to the valley station.
With all this ski terrain: Which skis work best where and why? Is there any type of ski that can handle the whole mountain with success?
And if you’re lying awake att night wondering how long your skis should be we made a nice little piece on that (including a handy script!).
More important than skis are actually your ski boots, and how to buy ski boots is also something we’ve got you covered on.
