Relax knowing you've got your ski sizing right with advice from Resort professionals

Ready to put on your skis and take to the slopes? With all the best ski brands creating ever more specialised products, the choice is huge. Our teams are here to advise you and to explain what ski size you should get.

First criterion: level of skill

Whatever your level, you need manoeuvrability, comfort and pleasure above all. When you make the right choice, you can be sure of mastering your turns in complete safety. Ski size varies depending on your skill level: if you're a beginner or an intermediate skier, we advise you to choose shorter skis (5 to 15 cm less than your height) and slightly curved, such as parabolic skis. They will allow you to turn more easily on the bends and take them one after the other more rapidly.

For experienced skiers, the ski size must be at least equal to your height, to offer you greater stability when you pick up speed.

Remember, Club Med offers ski hire in its Ski Pro Shop and the on-site teams are always there to help.

Be well-equipped for the slopes

Second criterion: the type of skiing practised

The ski size varies depending on how you use them and the terrain. There are four kinds of skis: piste, all-mountain, freeride and freestyle.

Piste means packed terrains and leisure skiing. Short skis are recommended for better control on bends, whether on blue or black pistes.

All-mountain skis are for designed for skiers who are comfortable moving from packed pistes to powder snow. The size of these versatile skis depends on your skill level.

Fans of powder snow choose freeride skis with wide waists to get that feeling of floating on virgin snow. For increased stability and speed, the skis should be 5 to 10 cm longer than your height.

Lastly, fans of snow parks and acrobatic freestyle figures are looking above all for twin-tip skis for easy pivoting. For improved manoeuvrability, choose skis that are as long as you are tall or a few centimetres shorter.

Third criterion: body shape

Weight, height and gender are the last criteria to consider when choosing your ski size.

If you're fairly slim, don't choose skis that are too big, you could risk taking off. In the same way, if you're on the plump side, skis that are too short don't provide sufficient load-bearing capacity or the right sensations when skiing.

For younger skiers, it is sometimes preferable to choose shorter, children's size skis. They should come up to chest height for beginners or up to the nose.

Women's skis are not only distinguished by their elegant designs. Because women have a centre of gravity that's farther back and lower than men, the heel is raised and the fixings are farther forward.

Finding the right skis

Related themes

Ski hire: how Club Med can help you

Love skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or Nordic walking? We're  here to help, whether you're a beginner or looking to improve your skills.

Explore