• Forums
  • Gear Talk
  • First time buying wider skis, what should I be looking for?

Member of the Month

je_t.aime_canard
January, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

First time buying wider skis, what should I be looking for?

profile picture
Snad
Posts: 10 - Karma: 77
Now that I've got a big boy job out in Utah, I'm looking to spend some hard earned cash on wider skis.

Some background info: I'm 5'7, 150lbs, advanced skier. I spent all last season riding 2020 CT 1.0s lapping the park. My home mountain is Beaver Mountain and will be riding Snowbasin a bit as well.

I moved from the east coast so I never had the need for a wide ski, until now!

I'd like to keep my CTs as beaters that I can take on park laps/icy days, and have a nice pair for powder/all mountain. My first choice is the ON3P Woodsman. The thing is that I have no clue how it's gonna feel to ride a 102 or 108/110. I also don't know what length I'd get. My CTs are 170, so pretty small for that spin to win action.

Any advice for width/length recommendations? And any other ski recommendations?

Thanks
Oct 14 2021 4:13PM
3 0
profile picture
Non_State_Actor
Posts: 4985 - Karma: 17,925
SnadNow that I've got a big boy job out in Utah, I'm looking to spend some hard earned cash on wider skis.

Some background info: I'm 5'7, 150lbs, advanced skier. I spent all last season riding 2020 CT 1.0s lapping the park. My home mountain is Beaver Mountain and will be riding Snowbasin a bit as well.

I moved from the east coast so I never had the need for a wide ski, until now!

I'd like to keep my CTs as beaters that I can take on park laps/icy days, and have a nice pair for powder/all mountain. My first choice is the ON3P Woodsman. The thing is that I have no clue how it's gonna feel to ride a 102 or 108/110. I also don't know what length I'd get. My CTs are 170, so pretty small for that spin to win action.

Any advice for width/length recommendations? And any other ski recommendations?

Thanks


Woodsman 110, 177cm. You'll be fine. It will take a few laps to adjust much like any ski that's dramatically different from what you're accustomed. You could go longer but coming off the 170 cts and moving to a bigger chargier ski you might not want to make to large a step up size wise.

What was your thought process in selecting the woodsman?
Oct 14 2021 4:21PM
4 0
profile picture
Snad
Posts: 10 - Karma: 77
mystery3Woodsman 110, 177cm. You'll be fine. It will take a few laps to adjust much like any ski that's dramatically different from what you're accustomed. You could go longer but coming off the 170 cts and moving to a bigger chargier ski you might not want to make to large a step up size wise.

What was your thought process in selecting the woodsman?


Honestly, I just found ON3Ps site the easiest to navigate for finding a ski for the type of skiing I want to do. After looking around a bit, the woodsman was what matched my interests the most. My friend also won't shut up about the brand so I figured it was a good place to start.

Another ski that I've been interested in was the Armada Stranger. I want something really fun on an average groomer day, since that's what we got at Beaver more often than not last season.

So my thought process is that I want something that is fun to carve and mess around with on regular groomed trails, but that I can also use on powder days or take into the woods.
Oct 14 2021 4:43PM
2 0
profile picture
UncleDusty
Posts: 10 - Karma: 41
SnadHonestly, I just found ON3Ps site the easiest to navigate for finding a ski for the type of skiing I want to do. After looking around a bit, the woodsman was what matched my interests the most. My friend also won't shut up about the brand so I figured it was a good place to start.

Another ski that I've been interested in was the Armada Stranger. I want something really fun on an average groomer day, since that's what we got at Beaver more often than not last season.

So my thought process is that I want something that is fun to carve and mess around with on regular groomed trails, but that I can also use on powder days or take into the woods.


So last year I went from an 86mm to a 100mm, and honestly didn’t really notice any difference in the width change. Although I don’t have any experience on a 108, so I’ve got no input there. But going up to a 102, on softer snow and less ice, I can’t imagine you’ll feel any difference.
Oct 14 2021 4:47PM
1 0
profile picture
dmcdmc
Posts: 208 - Karma: 1,432
Worth taking a few skis out for a demo day, even if they're not the exact skis you'd want to buy. Just to get a feel for different width, rocker amounts etc. Nice way to figure out what matters to you and it's always fun to try different stuff out before pulling the trigger.
Oct 14 2021 5:22PM
1 0
profile picture
BigPurpleSkiSuit
Posts: 9472 - Karma: 69,797
At that height and weight, between 112-115 should work just fine! In this range, I recommend checking out:

Fatypus D Sender
Reckoner 112
Armada JJ 116
Faction Prodigy 4.0
Oct 14 2021 6:28PM
3 0
profile picture
Snad
Posts: 10 - Karma: 77
Honestly, I'm pretty fresh to the ski scene. I got heavily into park and the gear just a couple years ago because of slvsh lmaooo

Where do I get hooked up with a demo, just the local shop?
dmcdmcWorth taking a few skis out for a demo day, even if they're not the exact skis you'd want to buy. Just to get a feel for different width, rocker amounts etc. Nice way to figure out what matters to you and it's always fun to try different stuff out before pulling the trigger.
Oct 14 2021 6:36PM
3 0
profile picture
dmcdmc
Posts: 208 - Karma: 1,432
SnadHonestly, I'm pretty fresh to the ski scene. I got heavily into park and the gear just a couple years ago because of slvsh lmaooo

Where do I get hooked up with a demo, just the local shop?


There are often demo days from brands but it's usually mid season and generally just a brand or two at a time. There are often shops at the base of resorts that will let you demo / swap different skis. Not the necessarily the rental shops but the actual stores at the base. Kind of depends on the resort.

Local shops will definitely do it but then swapping in the middle of the day isn't easy.
Oct 14 2021 7:19PM
1 0
profile picture
HypeBeast
Posts: 9869 - Karma: 73,716
+1 vote for the woodsman 110. I feel like people underestimate how significant the rocker is to performance in powder on those skis. For example, I used to have armada arv 106 and switched to wrenegade 96 and the wrenegades perform way better in deeper snow I think simply due to the extra rocker they have. Extrapolating that to a wider on3p ski and you will be golden
Oct 14 2021 8:24PM
1 0
profile picture
sullivano*b
Posts: 1234 - Karma: 8,139
Snad
Oct 14 2021 9:04PM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)