# longest pair of boards you ever used?



## 2knees (Sep 15, 2006)

just wondering what was the longest pair of skis you ever had.  I was talking to the owner of a sporting goods store where i used to work and she got on my case for using 175's.  She knows her shit and was telling me i should drop down to a 165 or less.  Got me to thinking about this subject and how far we've come.  I used a pair of 205 atomic ARCs for one season.  The banana yellow ones.  damn they were big AND ugly.


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## ALLSKIING (Sep 15, 2006)

I still have a pair of Salomon F9 203cm.


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## tree_skier (Sep 15, 2006)

I have a pair of 210 K2 ELC in my shed but don't use them anymore have skied 224 DH boards


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## Vortex (Sep 15, 2006)

I skied on 203's in 2000.  Last pair of non shaped kneissl (SP)  I got them from a pro form deal.


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## Marc (Sep 15, 2006)

2knees said:


> just wondering what was the longest pair of skis you ever had.  I was talking to the owner of a sporting goods store where i used to work and she got on my case for using 175's.  She knows her shit and was telling me i should drop down to a 165 or less.  Got me to thinking about this subject and how far we've come.  I used a pair of 205 atomic ARCs for one season.  The banana yellow ones.  damn they were big AND ugly.



165 or less?


How much do you weigh?

If that's not too personal a question.  Or answer.


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## 2knees (Sep 15, 2006)

Marc said:


> 165 or less?
> 
> 
> How much do you weigh?
> ...



140-145.

from what i undestand, its common for people still to buy too long a ski.  not that i have a clue as i'm not a gear head in any way shape or form.


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## dmc (Sep 15, 2006)

207 K2 SLC Comps...

Bent them in a bump contest...


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## Greg (Sep 15, 2006)

205 cm Blizzards. The had the "turn control system" which was actually more dramatic sidecut than what was prevalent at the time (mid 90's). I skied these throughout my intermediate years. They were big and heavy and probably good to build skill. Once I got on my first pair of shaped skis (190 cm Dynastar Max Ones) around 1999, it seemed like I immediately jumped up a few notches in skill.


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## Marc (Sep 15, 2006)

2knees said:


> 140-145.
> 
> from what i undestand, its common for people still to buy too long a ski.  not that i have a clue as i'm not a gear head in any way shape or form.



Ooh, ok.  I was assuming you were heavier.  That makes sense.  I'm in the 165 neighborhood and of all the demo's I've done I feel most comfortable on ~175 cm.


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## highpeaksdrifter (Sep 15, 2006)

Spent alot of seasons on 205's. Several skis. I remember when I first got on 188's looking at them riding up the chair and thinking how short they looked, then came 177's and now 170's. I won't go shorter then that. I'm 5'8" and 190 lbs.


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## Birdman829 (Sep 15, 2006)

Marc said:


> Ooh, ok.  I was assuming you were heavier.  That makes sense.  I'm in the 165 neighborhood and of all the demo's I've done I feel most comfortable on ~175 cm.



I weight 180ish and I'm on Fischer RX9's in a 165.  Just goes to show different strokes for different folks.  The longest skis I ever had are actually on their way right now.  I just bought Volkl Karmas in a 177.  Longest non-shaped was a 175.


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## 2knees (Sep 15, 2006)

dmc said:


> 207 K2 SLC Comps...
> 
> Bent them in a bump contest...




thats pretty impressive.  I struggled big time skiing bumps on the 205's.  Among other things, i had problems with the tails actually catching the bump behind me when i would turn.


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## dmc (Sep 15, 2006)

2knees said:


> thats pretty impressive.  I struggled big time skiing bumps on the 205's.  Among other things, i had problems with the tails actually catching the bump behind me when i would turn.



I loved those skis...   they were extremely tough in tight bumps...  I bought them for big mountain skiing..

I made it to the second round and bent them...  
then I did my third round on a snowboard...  There were no rules saying i couldnt...  It was pretty funny..


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## rob56789 (Sep 15, 2006)

i just bought a pair of new k2 apache x's this season and thier 181s


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## Ski Diva (Sep 15, 2006)

Years ago (won't say when) I had 170s. And I'm 5' 1-1/2" and 108 lbs!

Down to 159 now, but I'd like to go shorter (not in height -- in ski length, of course!).


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## JimG. (Sep 15, 2006)

211cm K2 Extremes; bent 2 pair and blew out a sidewall on a third pair, all replaced free of charge by K2.

And those were my all mountain skis! My bump skis were 203cm K2 KVC Comps and I considered those very short.


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## tirolerpeter (Sep 15, 2006)

*Ski Lengths?*

I have skied on skis as long as 215cm.  My last pair of "straight's" were 200cm or 203cm Volant FX-2's.  They were and still are incredible on so called "eastern packed powder" (i.e., ice).  You could hit terminal velocity on them on any surface and they NEVER chattered.  I actually just gave them to a "traditionalist" friend who swears he will never ever use "shaped" skis.  He generally skis the "packed powder" at Whiteface.  I also have and still use my 183cm Volant "Power Karves."  They are excellent in powder, and will break through any kind of crud.  They too simply do not lose their edges on virtually any surface.  I now mainly use my Volant "Platinums" in a 164cm length.  Not quite as stable at speed as the prior two pair, but still good in modest (up to about 8" - 10") powder, and a lot of fun in bumps and in the trees.  I know, everybody says I will bend them in the bumps, but so far so good.  They work fine for me since I am 5' 7 and around 170 lbs.  When I move out west I intend to buy a pair of 175cm "powder boards" for those "powder days" in the Wasatch Mountains.


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## jack97 (Sep 15, 2006)

2knees said:


> 140-145.
> 
> from what i undestand, its common for people still to buy too long a ski.  not that i have a clue as i'm not a gear head in any way shape or form.



I weigh around the same, I prefer skis from 160 to 170. I still have a pair at 175, I bought them about four years ago when I was 15 pounds heavier, right know they just feel too clunky.


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## ski_resort_observer (Sep 15, 2006)

210cm Sideral Numero Uno's,  great for stable fast cruising but a killer in the bumps and trees which of course didn't stop me from trying...lol I only used them for a couple of seasons. I spent many years on my 207cm Rossi Strato's, 1970 model with the then state of the art Marker Explodemat's.


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## riverc0il (Sep 15, 2006)

204


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## Birdman829 (Sep 15, 2006)

Ski Diva said:


> Years ago (won't say when) I had 170s. And I'm 5' 1-1/2" and 108 lbs!
> 
> Down to 159 now, but I'd like to go shorter (not in height -- in ski length, of course!).



Darn. You beat me in shortest longest skis


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## WWF-VT (Sep 16, 2006)

Dynastar Speed SX at 186.  New Fischer RX-8's are 170


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## sledhaulingmedic (Sep 16, 2006)

I owned a pair of K2 5 Comp DH's that were 222cm.  You had to break the sound barrier before they would turn without "hopping" them.

I still have a pair of Rossi Super G's from about 1985 that are 215.  The bindings are servicable.  I keep threatening to take them out.

The last two seasons, I've skied a lot on B5 Metrons and M11 Metrons and they are almost embarassingly short for someone of my height and um, build. I think the B5's are 162's and I'm never wanting for more edge.  In really deep fluff I could use a little more floatation, but overall, they're fine.

The rest of the quiver is 175 - 190.  Until two years ago, I hadn;t skied anything shorter than 185 since 1971.


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## kbroderick (Sep 17, 2006)

I've got a pair of 215cm Rossi DH boards in the corner waiting for the right opportunity, and I skied on a borrowed pair of 217 Atomic ARC (red sled) DH boards the year before I got my own DH boards (the aforementioned Rossis).  I've also got a pair of early-80s K2 DH boards at my parents place that come in around 215; I picked those up at a swap to use as race-day warmup skis (as I hate warming up on a shorter pair of skis with more sidecut and then switching to less sidecut and/or more length).

The Rossis don't turn very well below 35 MPH or so, and the K2s just don't turn very much.  I remember getting airborne on the latter after cresting a roll during warmups at Sugarloaf and looking down because something felt a little odd--I never actually got the feeling one would expect when lifting off--that's how damp they were.

For this year, I'm planning on going with a 162cm Rossi Z9 (unless I can't put an AT binding on it, in which case I'll be looking for another ski of similar dimensions).  For what it's worth, I'm 5'9" and around 165 lbs, I've got a racing background, and I'm convinced that at least 90% of the skis I've been on in the past have been too long for me and all except my Rossi Course E's (which were cut) and my hopefully-soon-retired Rossi Soft boots have been too stiff.  Skiing on a short, soft pair of skis with a soft pair of boots over the past couple of years was one of the better things I've done for my skiing.


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## skibum9995 (Sep 18, 2006)

I currently have a pair of 175's which are the longest I've ever owned, I'm 5' 6" 135 lbs. I used some 195 Authiers that used to be my grandfathers once for fun.


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## mountainman (Nov 15, 2007)

*Fishers*

Pair of 215's here. Fishers nice boards great for ripping up. They are a little heavy compared to todays skis. Still use them once in awhile.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Nov 15, 2007)

198 K2 El Caminos which I purchased back in 1998..They were the skis that came with the VW Jetta K2....with the Wood-Grain..I think they were $500 with Marker M51 Graphite Binders..

I've also owned 4 pairs of 195s..

Pre M5a's
Pre M6a's
Rossi Vipers
Saloman X-tremes//


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## RootDKJ (Nov 15, 2007)

205's - K2 TRC Comp.  Still have them in the garage.


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## WoodCore (Nov 15, 2007)

Not the longest I've ever skied but here's your's truly skiing a pair of 205cm Blizzard Thermo SL's in a bump competition, late 80's. 







That was a great ski!!!


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## awf170 (Nov 15, 2007)

2knees said:


> She knows her shit and was telling me i should drop down to a 165 or less.



Seeing how you ski bumps, I would say no way to that.  I weigh 130-135 and feel that I would like something slightly longer than my 168's for the bumps, as long as the sidecut was minimal.  Especially if the ski you're going to get is a skinny bump ski, I would say that 165 or less would be pretty terrifying when going over 20 mph.


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## wa-loaf (Nov 15, 2007)

Had several pairs of K2's in 204 and 205 legnths. Still have a pair of 198 K2 Merlin V's. Current ski is a 178.


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## KevinF (Nov 15, 2007)

I had a pair of Rossignol 7SK's (their black-and-yellow slalom ski of the 90s) in the 198 length.  That's it for me -- shaped skis came along just before I graduated to the 200+ cm club.  :grin:


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## hrstrat57 (Nov 15, 2007)

my former favorite skis of all time were  1989 205 Olin RTS w/ Look z9 turntables.

I have also owned and ski'd regularly Olin DXK 205 w sal 997 equipe(orange and flat out gorgeous),  Rossignol 7gk 208 w/ Marker MRR(purplepeople eaters) and K2 TNC 207 w/ Looks/ Plakes rig of choice at the time.

In myski  instructor days I pro formed and owned many pair of Rossignol 4sk mostly in 203 and a couple of pair of 200's. Most of the Olins were pro formed too.

 I still have a mint pair of 203's with sal 957 equipes....my ownly remaining straight skis. About a dozen went in a dumpster last month. Had been holding onto them to build an adirondack chair...it wasn't gonna get done. Pulled off all the old racing bindings and sold them on ebay first of course...most still indemnified. 

My weapon of choice in h.s. was the Head standard 7"(approx 212 I think) w/ Look Nevadas, Orange lange flo's completed that cool rig:flag:


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## ski_resort_observer (Nov 15, 2007)

210 - Spaulding Numero Uno    circa 1985ish

You had to be going at least 40mph for the skis to turn. :wink:


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## Trekchick (Nov 15, 2007)

I had a pair of 187cm Dynastars in the mid 90's, just about the time shaped skis were coming around.  But I decided to buy the straight skis because I figured the shaped skis were going to be a fad:roll:

I still like a ski that's longer than recommended for me, but then I'm just difficult.


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## Hawkshot99 (Nov 15, 2007)

My longest ski ever is on its way to me now.  178 Scott Mission.

I have skied on a friends Atomic Crimson's, that I think wear 178.  I prefer a bit longer.


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## gorgonzola (Nov 16, 2007)

210 RD Coyotes 1989 I loved those skis and skii'd 'm about 10-15 days a year for the better part of 10 years til I bought into the shaped ski trend


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## Puck it (Nov 16, 2007)

215cm Head CR Radials.  Had a little shape to them.


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## JimG. (Nov 16, 2007)

221cm Stockli Mustangs. Made from solid hickory with nailed on metal edges. Cable bindings. Circa 1945.

My mom's original skis. Used them in 1969 when I was 11.


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## 2knees (Nov 16, 2007)

JimG. said:


> My mom's original skis. Used them in *1949* when I was 11.




hey i fixed that typo for you.


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## dmc (Nov 16, 2007)

207 K2 SLC

i tried race skis out once and they were super big... Maybe 215s but I don't recall anything except going really fast


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## JimG. (Nov 16, 2007)

2knees said:


> hey i fixed that typo for you.



Nice.

No appreciation for ancient history.


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## 2knees (Nov 16, 2007)

awf170 said:


> Seeing how you ski bumps, I would say no way to that.  I weigh 130-135 and feel that I would like something slightly longer than my 168's for the bumps, as long as the sidecut was minimal.  Especially if the ski you're going to get is a skinny bump ski, I would say that 165 or less would be pretty terrifying when going over 20 mph.



The bump skis i bought this summer are 171cm.  I guess i'll find out soon enough whether they are the right lenght or not.  I know one thing, i dont want to go back to skiing bumps on those volkls i had monday.


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## bvibert (Nov 16, 2007)

2knees said:


> The bump skis i bought this summer are 171cm.  I guess i'll find out soon enough whether they are the right lenght or not.  I know one thing, i dont want to go back to skiing bumps on those volkls i had monday.



I got the 181's and they're currently mounted with demo bindings if you'd like to do a comparison at some point once the bumps arrive at sundown...


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## Greg (Nov 16, 2007)

2knees said:


> The bump skis i bought this summer are 171cm.  I guess i'll find out soon enough whether they are the right lenght or not.  I know one thing, i dont want to go back to skiing bumps on those volkls i had monday.



My K2s measure about 174 cm and I'm glad I opted for the longer ones over the mid-sized 164 cms. The bumps skis are squirrelly enough as it is. Fun as hell though. Lightweight and very quick to turn. You will have fun on them. I think a 171 is reasonable for your height/weight.


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## lloyd braun (Nov 17, 2007)

I am 5'5 135lbs 

in the old days I skied 195cm

Dynastar Vertical Assults
Dynastar Vertical V8s

I raced on Dynastar Course  Super GS (gold with red ball at the tip) in a 207.

Current days

Dynastar "Inspired by Jeremy Nobis" 168 AT set up
Elan 777 in a 176 (new this year and unmounted cause we have NO snow)
K2 Axis Pro 174- rock ski
Volkl Mantra 177.

I have demoed skis up into the mid 180s but I don't have the weight to push them properly.


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## Sky (Nov 17, 2007)

My first skis were my longest.  Bought them when I learned to ski in Italy back in 1979.

210 Kniesel something-or-others.  Egad they weighed a ton.

Dumped them before the millenium for 205 Kastle something-or-others.  Vast improvement, still crap.

Dropped to 190 Atomic Beta Carves in 01.  My first real ski.  Loved them.

Dropped to 175 in 05.  Volkl Supersport Superspeeds.  *drool*

I demo'd K2 Apache Recons in a 171? a year ago and loved em.


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## bigbog (Nov 17, 2007)

*...$.01*

Circa 1980s...
180-190s...of the Head rental family...the 190s were too stiff.   180cm = my formative boards.   ....May the floppy noodles rest in peace!!;-)

Steve


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## Warp Daddy (Nov 17, 2007)

210's now on 170's


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## Mildcat (Nov 19, 2007)

I have to preface this by saying I'm only 5'6" and when I started skiing I was only 135 lbs. The third time I went skiing I was at Mt. Abrams on Prez day weekend and had to rent skis. It was so crowded by the time I got to the front of the line the only skis left were 210's. That was an adventure. I bought my first pair of skis after that.


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## Beetlenut (Nov 19, 2007)

Had a pair of 205 Kastle SG skis in the early 90's
went down to a 190 Rossi 7S  
then to a 180 Atomic BetaRide 9.22 - first shaped ski, very heavy but great ski!
then to a 168 Atomic C7
this year a 164 Atomic Snoop Daddy - still awaitng binders


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## SkiDork (Nov 19, 2007)

207 K2 5500

I had purchased a pair of Spalding Sideral (anyone remeber those) 215s at a swap when I was a teenager for $20 but I never got them mounted.  My parents gave me $hit when I brought them home...  I guess they knew what they were talking about...


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## Geoff (Nov 19, 2007)

SkiDork said:


> 207 K2 5500



I used to ski that 207 K2 5500 as my powder ski back in the day.  I think I owned 4 pairs of them.  They were a dentist and laywer ski so the 207 didn't sell very well and I could buy them dirt cheap.  They made great poaching skis since I didn't care if I pulled an edge.

My longest boards ever were Rossi Equipe GS skis in a 212.  I bought them used from a ski shop owner I used to work for back in college.

I owned tons of things in 205 and 207.  A few Salomon cap skis like the 2S.  K2 KVC.  K2 710.  Yamaha Paramount Custom SR.  A honeycomb ski called Century.  Dynaster Omeglass.  Dynaster S-730.  A string of Spaulding Siderals in high school that all broke after a couple of days.  Spaulding Squadra Course.  Kastle National Team SL.


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## 56fish (Nov 20, 2007)

PRE DH skis, think they were 223 or 225.

Circa mid to late '80s

Skied 215 Elans & 207 PREs until I turned to the dark side.

:beer:


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