Which cross-country skis? And how long?

Choice of length

Hhe right length of cross-country BC skis for you is determined by several factors. These are weight, skill, and height. On the Åsnes website, every model has its own table for weight, height and length. All skis are designed and built to bring out specific properties. So the tables are (for the most part) different. These tabled are very useful – but they’re only a guide. They’re definitely not the law (we’ll say why below). Here is an example:

Height	Weight (kg)	Ski length
-170cm	-70kg	180cm
170-180	70-80	190
180-190	80-90	200
190+	90+	210

The tables are are a rule of thumb; experienced skiers looking for something specific might use the table differently to the rest of us. In the example here, you can see we’re recommending that you buy these skis about 15–20cm longer than your own height – but weight is pretty decisive for most of us. We’ll get back to that, too…

Camber?

Camber – the height and stiffness of the ski’s central “arch” – has a very specific function in cross-country BC skis. And it’s measured differently. The camber’s designed to afford the ski specific properties appropriate to where it’s “supposed” to be used and the way power’s transferred for forward propulsion and turns. There’s not so much point in measuring a specific grip zone in cross-country BC skis as there is in classic langrenn cross-country skis built for the tracks. Cross-country skiing in the backcountry, good grip’s the first priority. Instinctively, we think about the grip zone, the area centred under the camber. But accounting for load (a pack or a pulk), skill level, terrain and conditions, and the use of skins, there are so many factors that it becomes impossible to calculate a specific a wax pocket.Now, we often see online that this is supposed to be measured by pushing the ski’s contact surface down to the ground with our body weight and noting where that contact starts and finishes. But with most cross-country BC skis, this method’s not massively useful. For a start, it only tells us something about the stiffness in the middle part of the ski. The length of the camber varies according to the ski’s shape, the curve fabricated into the wooden core, and the way stiffness is distributed along the ski’s full length. Most cross country BC skis are developed for buoyancy and propulsion in snow; this is achieved through a stiff middle section and decreasing resistance to pressure towards the front and rear skis. The camber is tuned so that you don’t entirely squash the centre section when you move it forward. In this way, friction against the wax pocket is almost halved. You save effort and reduce mechanical wear-and-tear on skis and skins.

General advice

Travel in rugged terrain calls for shorter skis than the open plateau and flats. Beginners might find shorter skis easy to handle. If you spend a lot of time on tracks, length isn’t a factor, because float isn’t an issue; instead, what’s important is camber. People with low body weight might prefer slightly shorter skis, heavier people longer skis. Also remember to factor in your own body weight and the weight of pack or pulk if you’re going to choose a ski for long trips.

Basic rules of thumb

General rules of thumb related to the construction of skis are quite universal. It’s a question of physics and design orthodoxy. For example: a wide ski has more material in it so it might be stiffer than a narrow ski.

Some general rules:

Want to know more about camber?

This article really goes into camber on cross-country BC skis. It’s written for those who want a deeper understanding of flex, depth and the other properties of cambered skis.

Read about camber here

Vekt faktoren er viktigst for de fleste

In the first place, ski length is determined by height, weight, and skill. And as we’ve shown in the example table above, weight is one of the parameters. For some, height and weight are difficult to square on the tables. This is all right: people are very different. So are skis, for that matter. But if you’re unsure about the length, we’d recommend prioritising your weight, the ski’s grip and your skill.

Good grip is the most important priority!

Again, most cross-country BC skis are designed to afford buoyancy and propulsion in snow. This is achieved through a stiff middle section and decreasing resistance to pressure towards the front and rear skis. The camber is tuned so that you don’t entirely squash the centre section when you move it forward. In this way, friction against the wax pocket is almost halved. You save effort and reduce mechanical wear-and-tear on skis and skins. What this means is that, choosing a length, it’s a good idea to settle on a ski neither too stiff nor too soft for your own weight. The aim is a ski that grips as well as it can while maintaining the properties required for gliding forward. Begin with weight in the table. That’s more likely to lead you to an appropriate length.

Factors playing a role in the choice of length and model

If you want to be really secure in your choice length, there are several factors at play. The most prominent are weight, skill, use, terrain, whether you have a dog with you and extra load. Here’s an overview of the connections between these factors and what this means when you have to assess the correct length. This provides valuable context when reading the table.

Weight: longer skis = stiffer skis / shorter skis = softer skis

  Logically enough, there’s a connection between the length of a ski and it’s stiffness along its length. This applies to all types of ski. If you choose a ski that too short in relation to your own body weight, it’ll be too soft; you’ll squish it flat, it won’t glide as nicely as you’d like. Conversely, a ski that’s too long will be too stiff; you’ll have problems using your body weight to engage the grip surface against the snow. If you weigh 75kg and you’re 175cm tall, your starting point is a 190cm ski. If you weigh 85kg and you’re 175cm, your starting point is a 200cm ski.  

Skill

  For a beginner or the less-experienced, grip will be of an even higher priority than for a more skilled skier, who may prioritise a glide to a greater extent. More, a shorter ski will be easier to handle than a longer ski, simply because it’s shorter. This is useful when you’re navigating trees or want a ski that’s easier to control on the descent. Remember, though: a shorter ski doesn’t glide as well as a longer ski.  

Use – what’s the ski for?

  What you intend to use the ski for plays a crucial role. If you’re only planning to do some fun climbs with some turns on the way down, maybe with telemark bindings, then you may be able to get away with a shorter ski. It’s easier to turn, and glide won’t be the decisive factor. On the other hand, if you’re going to have a ski for longer trips, going with loads, or exploring the terrain about you, then you may be annoyed that your skis don’t have the glide you want. You might consider an intermediate or a longer ski, especially if you have (or want to acquire) the skills..  

Terrain – where do you want to use the ski?

  In a way, this is almost the same as “intended use”. If you’re terrain where you’ll primarily be using skins, this should have some bearing on the choice of ski-type and length. Travel in rugged terrain calls for shorter skis than open expanses, where a narrower, longer ski with good propulsion might be preferred. If you ski tracks, and broken trail, float isn’t going to be an issue, so neither will length (long skis are better in deeper snow). In this case, camber is decisive. Longer and narrow skis are preferred for distances.  

Packing: carrying extra weight = heavier skier

  As we’ve touched on, you should choose a cross-country BC ski appropriate to your body weight – stiff enough to carry you, but soft enough to engage the grip zone for grip. The tables for bodyweight-to-length will indicate the ski you want. But they’re only and indicartion: when you put on a pack bag weighing 20kg, you’ve added 20kg to the load. Unfortunately, there’s no magic ski where the length’s appropriate for a both a 50kg skier and a 70kg skier. The most common solutions are a second pair of skis, or a decision based on whether for the most part you’re going to be skiing with or without a load. A ski that works optimally for you with a 20kg bag on the back might be difficult to engage for grip without it. Based on the table example, it works like this. If you weigh 75kg and you’re 175cm tall, you’ll basically go for a 190cm long ski in the table. If, on the other hand, you always head out with a 15kg bag, then the calculation becomes 75kg (own weight) + 15kg (pack) = 90kg (total own weight). Even if you’re 175cm tall, you should choose a ski that’s 200–210cm long.  

Height	Wight (kg)	Ski length
-170cm	-70kg	180cm
170-180	70-80	190
180-190	80-90	200
190+	90+	210