JOURNAL Blog Home

The truth is there are a lot of good skis out there, wrapped in cellophane and priced competitively on the ski shop rack. With all these offerings, you might be wondering why you should invest in full custom skis. 

Skiers often crux on one of the simplest parts of designing a new ski: the length. There are a lot of factors that influence the right length for you—and we’ll walk you through every one of them. Let’s get started.

Choosing your ski’s waist-width is one of the most important parts of the ski-buying process. It’s the biggest determining factor of what terrain your skis will be best suited for. In this article, we help you determine what waist-width is best for you.

Shape means exactly what it sounds like: the dimensions of the tip, waist, and tail, as well as the profile (camber and rocker). While the waist-width is part of the story—determining the general habitat your ski will prefer—the shape of the ski determines its personality. Let's dig deeper.

Sure, shape, profile, and length determine many attributes of a ski, but the materials are really the meat—and bread—of the proverbial sandwich. We’ll explain here what each material does for a ski, and how it can help (or hinder) your personal skiing.

A ski that’s too stiff will tire you out and feel unresponsive. A ski that’s too soft will be overpowered and make you feel like you’re “going over the handlebars.” Here’s what you need to know about flex patterns.

Too long, didn’t read? Here are the cliff notes on ski width, length, camber, stiffness, and materials by category. A bite-size guide with everything you need to know when picking your next pair of skis.

Eventually, any ski will reach retirement. How long can you expect solid performance from an older ski? Here, we look at when it's time to get new skis.