Ski Size Calculator

Stand a ski on its tail beside you and the tip should reach somewhere between your chin and the top of your head. In numbers, a beginner takes about 17 centimeters off their height, an intermediate 13 and an advanced skier 9, before adjusting for weight, style and terrain. A 175 cm skier of intermediate level therefore starts near 162 cm and ends up around 169 cm once an average build and all-mountain skis are counted in. Skis are sold in centimeters everywhere, so a height given in feet and inches has to be converted before it means anything against a size chart — the calculator above does that and returns a recommendation as a band rather than one exact measurement.

Yes. A shorter ski is lighter to swing and takes less effort to turn, so it gives a beginner maneuverability at the slow speeds where learning actually happens, and it forgives a late edge change on an icy slope. The usual figure is around 17 cm below your height. That advantage fades as you get quicker: an intermediate making longer turns on a groomer wants some of the length back for stability, and an expert carrying real speed wants all of it. Sizing yourself a level above where you honestly ski is the most common mistake made in the shop.

Weight decides how hard the ski is pressed into the snow, so it moves the answer by a few centimeters either way. The common rule adds about 1 cm for every 10 lb (4.5 kg) above a 100–119 lb reference band and subtracts the same below it. Two skiers of the same height who are 25 kg apart should not be on the same ski: the heavier one needs the extra length to stop the tail washing out, while a lighter skier cannot bend a long ski far enough to engage its camber, and feels it skid instead of grip.

Yes, by as much as 10 centimeters. A carving ski for piste and groomers is sized at or below the chart figure, runs narrow at the waist — under about 90 mm — and has a short turn radius that bites quickly on hard snow. An all-mountain ski sits in the middle of the width range, 91 to 114 mm, and is sized close to your height. A powder ski or freeride ski is bought longer and wider still, 115 mm and up, because length and width together create float. A freestyle ski for the park is usually one size shorter so it spins and lands easily, and a touring ski is kept lighter and moderate in width because you carry it uphill.

Longer than your piste skis — typically 2 to 5 cm more, and often more again on a heavily rockered ski. Rocker is why the number looks alarming: with the tip and tail lifted clear of the snow, the contact length of a 185 cm powder ski can be shorter than that of a 175 cm carving ski, so it turns like something shorter than its measurement suggests. Width does as much work as length here, which is why deep-snow skis start around 115 mm at the waist.

About 0.69 times your height, rounded to the 5 cm step poles are sold in — roughly 120 cm, or 48 inches, for a 175 cm skier. The shop test beats the arithmetic: turn the pole upside down, grip it under the basket with your thumb against the basket and stand the grip on the floor. Your elbow should form a right angle. Between two sizes take the shorter pole, drop one size again for a freestyle ski setup in the park, and use adjustable poles with a touring ski so they can be shortened for the descent.

By height first, with the tips landing between the chest and the nose rather than above the head. Children under six should be on skis whose tips stay below the chin, and under-twelves somewhere around the middle of the face. Weight matters more than the chart for juniors, and there is a strong case for the shorter end of the range: a child who can steer easily learns faster than one fighting skis they cannot turn. Have the boot fitted first and the binding mounted and set by a technician — a growing child's release setting changes every season, and it is the one number no calculator should hand you.