Cross
Country Skis - Determing The Correct Cross Country Ski Length.The
old adage of raising your arm and having the ski tip come to your wrist is no
longer a valid method of measuring for the right ski length. Skis have become
very high tech in the past decade. Your height, weight, type of skiing, skill
level, when you will be sking and where you will be skiing will help us outfit
you with the right sized skis. Skis with the same length are not the same,
each set of skis will have a different midflex and half weight range. Midflex
is the amount of flex in the center of the ski with the skier's weight applied
to it. Half weight refers to how far the center of the ski is raised from a flat
surface when a 25-35 kilo weight is put in top of it. Based on your weight and
skiing conditions will help determine which midflex and half weight range is appropriate
for you. Skis can be seen as a soft or hard ski. A person weighing 150
pounds might find a ski 184cm ski hard, where as a person weighing 170 pounds
will find the same ski very soft. That is why when you get fitted to skis, it's
not just about how tall you are. Ski length will vary even for the same
person. Classical skis will be longer than skate skis, but then depending on the
conditions and purpose even those lengths can vary. For instance, on freshly groomed
powder you would want a shorter ski for skate skiing. Where as on colder and icier
conditions you would want longer skis for skating. It is important that
the salesperson asks you the following questions:
How tall are you?
What is your weight?
Are you looking for a Classical or Skating.
What is your skill level?
Where will you be skiing? All these questions will be used to determine
which ski is best for you. | 
