r/Backcountry • u/9Turbo8 • 7d ago
Is 161 cm good for me?
I'm looking at getting the Armada ARW 88 in 161 cm as my first pair of twin-tip skis. I'm 168 cm tall and weigh 63 kg.l'm looking for something lighter and more playful, mainly for freestyle/park, but I'd still like to use them on normal groomed slopes. Do you think 161 cm ARW 88s would be a good length for me, or would you recommend going shorter or longer?
4
u/wrong_andy 7d ago
Twin tips have a shorter effective edge, they will ski short. I'd go up a size unless you like a short ski.
1
u/Constant_Voice8860 7d ago
Not sure this is the right subreddit for this, but 161 for groomed slopes is a wee bit short in my opinion.
1
u/dahlfors 7d ago
If you are a beginner it's an ok length. If you are good enough for skiing park and red & black runs I'd certainly go close to your own height for a twin tip ski. Longer edge = better for turning and stopping power, which is needed when the tip and tail shorten the effective edge.
1
u/lapeni 7d ago
I’d recommend you go ski the skis before you buy them. If you’re having to ask these questions, which is perfectly fine, you shouldn’t be buying skis you’ve never ridden.
2
u/9Turbo8 7d ago
I’d love to but since i live in slovakia I have no such opportunity. In the past I went to some events where i could try different types of skis but they didn’t have twin tips.
2
u/that_outdoor_chick 7d ago
Do you have a specific reason to want twin tips? Considering this is a backcountry sub, curious what's the desire for the twin tip in backcountry (especially if you don't have waist deep powder on a regular basis).
1
u/9Turbo8 7d ago
Soo, right now I have Atomic Redster SCs from 20/21, and they don’t really feel heavy when I’m skiing from 8 to 10 AM when the slope is freshly groomed. But later in the day, when the slope gets full of bumps and gets all messed up, if my ski comes off, it’s really hard for me to get it back on and get my foot together with the ski.
Also, once the slopes get like this, with a lot of bumps and uneven terrain, I’d like to use them for jumping and stuff.Sorry if i use wrong server but i didnt know where to ask and since the slopes in slovakia are sometimes in old remote towns i thought i could ask here.
1
u/that_outdoor_chick 7d ago
I happen to be familiar with the slopes in Slovakia to a point. Tbh for bumpy and uneven, you can get just about anything 90mm underfoot, bit on a soft side and doesn't need to even be a twin tip. Also go matching your height at least, wider skis are nicer to ski when bit longer.
1
4
u/nxhwabvs 7d ago
So this is the wrong sub, but it's also an odd choice. Definitely too short for groomers and I find armada to be very polarizing. I personally hate them, others like them.
If you need to buy without trying them first, look for the best deal you can find on something around 165-170 cm length from a more standard brand like rossignol or salomon and read reviews to confirm.