Skip to main content

Learn Center

Carving Skis

woman wearing black outerwear and a white helmet skiing on groomers with rossignol carving skis

Carving Skis

Carving skis are meant for skiing on groomed trails, hard pack, or ice. They usually have a lot of shape which means they are wider in the tip and tail and are skinnier in the middle. Anyone can ski on carving skis. These skis are usually available for beginner to expert skiers. Carving skis are the ideal ski for those that like skiing mostly groomers or hard pack. They do not perform well in powder and usually have too much shape for mogul skiing. A carving ski could also ski well in the terrain park if they have twin tips, but this is usually not the case.

Which Carving Ski is Right For You?

For beginner skiers, the ideal carving ski would be one that is no higher than chin level, has a slight flex, and has a LOT of shape. You want the ski to be shorter because it is more easy to control that way. It should have more flex because again, it is more forgiving and easy to control. You want it to have a lot of shape because it will make turning much easier.

For intermediate skiers, your ideal ski will be similar to a beginner ski in that the ski shouldn't be much higher than chin level. The ski can be a little more stiff and have a fair amount of side cut, but a lot of side cut is still not necessary. For advanced or expert skiers, the ski can be higher than chin level if desired, but keep in mind that even World Cup skiers are sizing to down to smaller sizes, so you don't need it to be very long. The flex of the ski should be more stiff and a lot of sidecut is not required, but some sidecut is reccomended.

For more information on how to size your skis, check out our ski size chart or contact the experts at L9!