Ski Types: What the Numbers Mean and What to Ask for at the Rental Shop
Piste, all-mountain and powder in three numbers printed on the ski, how to choose a length, what DIN is and what really separates the grades at the rental shop.
A beginner wants a piste (carving) ski: narrow, 65 to 80 millimeters at the waist, soft, and up to chin height. All-mountain (80 to 100 mm) is for those already riding reds with confidence; freeride (100 and up) is for deep snow only. At the rental shop the basic grade is plenty for your first week, and the number that really matters is the DIN, the release force of the binding, set according to your real weight and ability. When the shop asks "what level?" and disappears for a moment out back, that's what's happening there.
In short, for the rental desk:
- Beginner: a soft piste ski, up to chin height, basic grade
- DIN set to your real weight and ability, and don't touch the screw
- After three good days: one grade up
- The wide, beautiful ski in the window: next year
What do the numbers on the ski mean?
Every ski has three numbers printed on it like 122-78-108: the width in millimeters at the tip, at the waist (under the boot) and at the tail. The waist is what counts. Narrow (65–80) goes edge to edge quickly and suits groomed runs, which are everything a beginner and intermediate ski on. Medium (80–100) is still nimble on a run and already floats a little in soft snow. Wide (100 and up) floats on deep snow like a surfboard, and on a hard run it feels like driving a truck down an alley.
The difference between the wide tip and the narrow waist creates the ski's arc, and that has its own number: the turn radius in meters. 12 meters means short, sharp turns, 20 and up means long, fast arcs, and a beginner ski sits between 14 and 18.
And two more concepts: camber is a ski whose middle rises off the floor while its ends touch down, an arc that presses into the snow with every turn and gives grip; rocker is a tip that lifts like a boat, making it easier to start the turn and floating in soft snow. Most skis today are a blend, and beginners want as much rocker at the tip as possible: the ski almost enters the turn by itself. And a soft ski forgives mistakes, a stiff ski is stable at speed and demands strength. A "pro's ski" in a beginner's hands is a heavy block of wood that refuses to turn.
The types
Piste / carving (65–80). The ski for groomed runs, and the ski for you. Beginners get a soft, forgiving version; advanced skiers a carver with a short radius that cuts deep arcs.
All-mountain (80–100). One ski for everything: a run in the morning, soft snow off to the side in the afternoon. For those who ride reds confidently and want to taste it all, at the cost of a little less precision on ice.
Freeride / powder (100 and up). For deep snow off the runs, with a guide. Not for the first week. On a big snow day advanced skiers rent one for a single day.
Freestyle (twin-tip). Two curved ends, for the snow park and riding backward. For teenagers.
Kids' skis. Short, soft and light, and you rent them, because a child changes size every season. Women's skis: lighter and softer, sometimes with the binding mounted a touch forward; if a good model like that is offered, great, and if not, a soft unisex ski in the right length does the same job. Snowblades, very short skis without poles that look "easy": a large Scottish study found them to have the highest fracture rate of any snow sport, mainly because their bindings don't release in a fall. No.
What ski length suits me?
Stand up straight and set the ski beside you. Beginner: the tip reaches your chin, or a little below; shorter is easier to turn. Intermediate: between the chin and the nose. Advanced: up to the forehead and above. Heavy or fast, a bit longer; light or cautious, a bit shorter. A ski that's too long is the common mistake of anyone who upgrades their level on the form.
What is DIN and why tell the shop your real weight?
The binding connects the boot to the ski, and its real job is to release it in a fall before the knee gets hurt. The release force is set on a scale called DIN according to weight, height, age, boot sole length and the type of skier, cautious, normal or aggressive. A beginner who declares "intermediate" gets a number that's too high, and the binding won't release in the slow backward fall, precisely the one that tears ligaments: in a study of nearly 500 skiers who tore a ligament, the binding failed to release in 78 percent of cases. Tell the truth, and don't touch the screw yourself.
What's the difference between the rental grades?
Rental shops in Canazei, like most across the Alps, offer three or four grades under varying names (economy, silver, gold, premium). What changes between them is mainly the ski's age and the number of rental days it has clocked, and only then the model. The basic: skis in their third or fourth season, sound and tuned, a little worn; for a complete beginner that's perfectly fine. The intermediate: up to two years old, a carving or light all-mountain ski, for those riding blues and reds. The top: this season's models, sometimes with daily waxing and sharpening and free model swaps.
When do you move up a grade? By feel, not by days. On the day the blue feels easy and you start wanting to carve, the basic ski begins to chatter at speed. Go back to the shop and ask for something that holds better; at most shops a swap within the same grade is free, and moving up a grade costs only the difference. Ask when you take it. For everything that doesn't touch the snow, see what to buy and what to rent, and for the board versus skis see ski or snowboard.
Not sure which level to say at the shop? Talk to us at Har Tayarut, and we'll help you word it.
Which skis suit beginners?
A narrow piste (carving) ski, 65 to 80 mm at the waist, soft, with rocker at the tip, and up to chin height. At the rental shop this is the basic grade, and it's plenty for your first week.
What do the numbers on the ski mean?
Three numbers like 122-78-108 are the width in millimeters at the tip, at the waist and at the tail. The waist is what counts: narrow for groomed runs, wide for deep snow. The difference between them sets the turn radius.
What is DIN in skiing?
The binding's release-force scale. The technician sets it according to weight, height, age, boot length and skier level. A number that's too high won't release in a fall, which is why you tell the shop your real level and weight.
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