The right ski is not the best ski on the market: it is the one that matches your actual level, today. A ski that is too demanding holds back your progress just as much as a ski that is too basic holds back a good skier. Here is how to get it right.
If you are new to skiing or in your first few weeks, you need a short, soft, forgiving ski. Being short, it pivots easily and is easy to control at low speed. Being soft, it forgives weighting mistakes instead of punishing them. For length, aim for roughly chin height. The goal at this stage is simple: turn without effort and build confidence.
Comfortable linking turns on blue and red runs? Move on to an all-round ski, a little longer (between your chin and the top of your head) and a little more stable. It handles more speed, holds better on hard-packed snow at the end of the day and helps you towards a cleaner, carved turn. This is the level where your choice of hire range really changes how the skis feel: our article on ski hire ranges explains why.
From a good level upwards, the question is no longer "which ski for my level" but "which ski for what use". Pistes only: a precise, lively ski built for carving. A bit of everything, including the edges of the piste the day after a snowfall: a wider all-mountain ski. Keen on fresh snow: a freeride ski, wider still, that floats in powder. In Val Thorens, with the 600 kilometres of slopes in Les 3 Vallées and very cold days at altitude, an advanced skier is better off choosing a ski for the week ahead than by a general label.
Hiring removes the risk of getting it wrong for three years. You describe your level and your plans in the shop, and we kit you out accordingly. And if the ski doesn't suit you or your level changes during the week, come back and see us. Book your equipment online and collect it from the shop nearest your accommodation.
