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Ski width for powder

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Cryingseal
Posts: 6 - Karma: 15
Hey everyone, ive been planing on buying a pair of skis for powder and talked a bit with a guy at the mountain i normally ski at and he recommended me to get skis that are as wide as possible under foot since im fairly tall and that might help in deeper powder. Now my question would be if there is much of a difference between a 116mm and a 120mm Ski?

For reference, im 196cm and about 91Kg and my current skis are 176cm (they were on sale and my first pair of fatter skis) and 96mm under foot and i had a lot of trouble trying to ski deeper snow in them.

**This thread was edited on Nov 11th 2024 at 2:55:05pm
6 months ago
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hi_vis360
Posts: 5277 - Karma: 54,554
You definitely need way bigger skis, I don’t think 116 vs 120 will be a huge difference but you should absolutely be skiing on pow skis that are 190+
6 months ago
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Cryingseal
Posts: 6 - Karma: 15
hi_vis360You definitely need way bigger skis, I don’t think 116 vs 120 will be a huge difference but you should absolutely be skiing on pow skis that are 190+


Yeah i thought so too, but from what i can find the longest skis are some skis from völkl, most other brands offer a maximum of 190-192.
6 months ago
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hi_vis360
Posts: 5277 - Karma: 54,554
CryingsealYeah i thought so too, but from what i can find the longest skis are some skis from völkl, most other brands offer a maximum of 190-192.


All of on3ps big freeride skis come in 191 which will measure closer to other brands 193s, Salomon qst blanks come in 194
6 months ago
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SchizoSkier
Posts: 2843 - Karma: 30,926
reckoner 122 191cm
6 months ago
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PartyBullshiit
Posts: 4685 - Karma: 19,934
CryingsealYeah i thought so too, but from what i can find the longest skis are some skis from völkl, most other brands offer a maximum of 190-192.


Moment makes the chipotle banana in 193.

https://www.momentskis.com/collections/24-25/products/chipotle-banana

they also do the ghost trains in 194 but unfortunately sold out atm.


6 months ago
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Cryingseal
Posts: 6 - Karma: 15
Thanks for all the recommendations, ill definitly check them out. I knew that i would have to get the longest option they had and im guessing its similar there, where 1-2cm wont make much of a difference compared to the couple of mm on the side profile. I was looking at the Bent 120s and those i believe come in 192cm. Ill definitely check out some other brands as well, my main concern was that if i found some skis that i really liked that came in 192+ but were a couple mm under 120 that it would make a difference.
6 months ago
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PartyBullshiit
Posts: 4685 - Karma: 19,934
CryingsealThanks for all the recommendations, I’ll definitly check them out. I knew that i would have to get the longest option they had and im guessing its similar there, where 1-2cm wont make much of a difference compared to the couple of mm on the side profile. I was looking at the Bent 120s and those i believe come in 192cm. Ill definitely check out some other brands as well, my main concern was that if i found some skis that i really liked that came in 192+ but were a couple mm under 120 that it would make a difference.


The chipotle bananas mentioned above are 122 in the 193 and the ghost trains are 126 in the 194. They also have the comi in a 135 192 but again that model is sold out unfortunately. Not sure where you’re located but based off the way you give specs I assume Europe. So moment may not be the easiest to get for you.
6 months ago
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FruitBootPro
Posts: 3176 - Karma: 14,523
There is not that big of a difference. Read some reviews and go with what seems cool. Your skis are WAY too short for powder and big mountain skiing in general. Going from those to a 116+ ski 190cm long will be a huge improvement either way.
6 months ago
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Cryingseal
Posts: 6 - Karma: 15
Yeah, im based in europe so Moment and On3p are more or less impossible to get a hold of unless im willing to pay a load of import taxes on them which would bring a 1000 dollar ski up to around 1400. I know that my current skis are too short for me, but since they were my first pair of freestyle skis and i really liked the design (Armada ARV 96 from 2019, the ones with the purple dog) i bought those back then. Im gonna try and see if i can try out some Bent 120s this season since i know some rental places in austria have them.
6 months ago
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michael_bc
Posts: 1398 - Karma: 801
It depends on the ski.

Underfoot width is just one of many factors that make skis ski the way they ski.

At 110+ underfoot it becomes more of a character thing, combined with the rocker type, shape, and stiffness of the ski. Some wider skis like to float on top of the snow - great for heavier snow. Some other skis will tend to immerse you into the powder - great for face shots on Japan-style days.

It sounds like you are rather new to powder but also have to deal with variable conditions.

In your case, I'd mainly focus on ski length and stiffness.

Don't get too caught up on brands. You don't need the latest core brand from the US. Völkl and K2 will do just as fine or better.

Also think about your boots and bindings. On wide skis, especially 120+ underfoot, bindings become critical, and you want your boot to be compatible. If not the ski will go flying off as soon as you hit some crud.
6 months ago
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Cryingseal
Posts: 6 - Karma: 15
michael_bcIt depends on the ski.

Underfoot width is just one of many factors that make skis ski the way they ski.

At 110+ underfoot it becomes more of a character thing, combined with the rocker type, shape, and stiffness of the ski. Some wider skis like to float on top of the snow - great for heavier snow. Some other skis will tend to immerse you into the powder - great for face shots on Japan-style days.

It sounds like you are rather new to powder but also have to deal with variable conditions.

In your case, I'd mainly focus on ski length and stiffness.

Don't get too caught up on brands. You don't need the latest core brand from the US. Völkl and K2 will do just as fine or better.

Also think about your boots and bindings. On wide skis, especially 120+ underfoot, bindings become critical, and you want your boot to be compatible. If not the ski will go flying off as soon as you hit some crud.


Yeah you pretty much summed my situtation up. I dont get too many days of actual powder per year and i definitely am quite new to powder. I first wanted to choose some skis, if possible try them out first, and then id look for a binding and maybe get another pair of boots if neede. Just from looks and specs and from what i have read the Bent 120s, some of the K2 models and the Whitewalkers (116) are the ones that looked the most interesting to me.
6 months ago
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PartyBullshiit
Posts: 4685 - Karma: 19,934
This shop in Greece has some k2 shreditors in 120 189.


https://www.snowshop.gr/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1968&search=Powder+ski&description=true
6 months ago
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WGalinski
Posts: 75 - Karma: 442
imo I’ve always felt that 86-100mm underfoot skis can be used on powder days up to a foot no matter the snow quality. Once its deeper and especially heavy/wet I have alot more fun having a ski in the 110+ range.
6 months ago
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Rodigan
Posts: 1313 - Karma: 1,891
CryingsealYeah, im based in europe so Moment and On3p are more or less impossible to get a hold of unless im willing to pay a load of import taxes on them which would bring a 1000 dollar ski up to around 1400. I know that my current skis are too short for me, but since they were my first pair of freestyle skis and i really liked the design (Armada ARV 96 from 2019, the ones with the purple dog) i bought those back then. Im gonna try and see if i can try out some Bent 120s this season since i know some rental places in austria have them.


Blacksheep Munich.
6 months ago
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lil.Boye
Posts: 2780 - Karma: 12,631
Hot take but skis wider than 110 underfoot is just for show. I have skied my fair share of 120+ underfoot and found out that it’s overrated and not as skiable, even in deeper snow.
6 months ago
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dopesnowenjoyer
Posts: 258 - Karma: 1,327
lil.BoyeHot take but skis wider than 110 underfoot is just for show. I have skied my fair share of 120+ underfoot and found out that it’s overrated and not as skiable, even in deeper snow.


ngl have to agree that 110+ makes them less skiable but there's this one dude at my local who always pulls up to the park with 120's and throws down some gnarly shit so maybe its just a skill issue
6 months ago
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lil.Boye
Posts: 2780 - Karma: 12,631
dopesnowenjoyerngl have to agree that 110+ makes them less skiable but there's this one dude at my local who always pulls up to the park with 120's and throws down some gnarly shit so maybe its just a skill issue


Yeah i think skill might be a part of it. Also had some knee issues and can’t really throw super heavy skis around without having knee pain in the evening.
6 months ago
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Cryingseal
Posts: 6 - Karma: 15
I mean, i only want them for powder and there im just trying to compensate the missing length with the width. Although it really doesnt have to be 120, like other people have stated here before 116 would probably not be worse in pow. I would love to try out some different skis this season but i probably wont be able to ski too much and the rental places close to the resort are quite limited in their supply of long wide skis....
6 months ago
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iDontHitRails
Posts: 290 - Karma: 2,806
192 armada whitewalker should be a great ski
6 months ago
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michael_bc
Posts: 1398 - Karma: 801
lil.BoyeHot take but skis wider than 110 underfoot is just for show. I have skied my fair share of 120+ underfoot and found out that it’s overrated and not as skiable, even in deeper snow.

Exactly 120+ underfoot skis become hard to ski in many conditions and tend to be less suitable as daily drivers. That said, skis like the Hellbents and EP Pros have a particular character that's really fun on a powder day. Especially spring days.

Nevertheless, adding some width underfoot adds stability especially for taller or heavier riders.

I use Lizzies as a teaching ski with beginners because I want shorter skis while teaching. The added width compensates well for the lack of length.

I agree with what has been said the 192 white walkers are probably a great choice 👍
6 months ago
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Cryingseal
Posts: 6 - Karma: 15
Thank you for the feedback. Ill probably pick the Whitewalkers up when they go on sale at the end of the season. Now i just need to find a suitable binding....
6 months ago
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SmokedGouda
Posts: 1226 - Karma: 6,824
I honestly think ski width can also correlate to body width. Whether youre more of an ectomorph or even endomorph, I find slimmer dudes get by just fine on skis under 110 while those with a wider frame tend to like even wider skis… i dont know how a bean pole person could enjoy a 120 even in pow, but someone whos legs are a bit further apart may actually enjoy that added platform and less of a strain to keep em twigs together. Just a thought. Dont think its been researched on much.
2 months ago
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