Do Ladies Ski the Right Way?

Sorry, if the headline is a bit provocative but the- Although styling is very important make sure your
truth is that the humble ladies ski has come a longski has been designed for the right function
way since women first took up skiing.particularly when applying edge to avoid skidding or
Back in the grim old past ladies skis used to be just aunpredictable breakaway.
matter of putting 'girlie' paints usually pinks and purple- Find out more about the terrain that you will be
on existing skis or simply altering the binding mountingskiing on. Your travel agent should know.
position of the ski.- Seek help and advice from your local ski store as
But thanks to the ever-growing numbers of womenthe type of ski varies depending on the terrain.
skiing, the skis themselves have now been specifically- Ask which slope your ski is best suited for i.e. blue
designed to help a woman's different physical shapeor green, beginner or intermediate.
be more at ease on the ski and throughout the turn.- For high performance and racing skis choose
Manufacturers however, still like their skis to be cladshorter skis from the unisex section.
in flowers and some even feel the need to put a- If you are in the UK, it is advisable to buy/rent
mirror on the front, presumably for women to checkfrom your local ski shop or online store due to a
their make-up!currently high Euro.
As a general rule, ladies skis are generally lighter in- Make sure to choose the correct ski length.
weight and have a more forgiving tip section. SomeIf you're full conversant with the terms 'carve a
have entirely different side cuts than the men's, anddouble knife line' or doing a 'hockey stop' then you
some do have different binding mounting positions.most probably belong to the more experienced group
If you are a female high performance skier or racerof skiers and therefore choosing from the unisex
there are some skis in the unisex groups that will skigroup of skis, as these are especially designed for
very well in the shorter sizes.skiing on all terrain.
They are really forgiving, light and will help someoneFinally, if you're aiming to hold an edge on a long
who is either trying to develop their parallel turns or iscarve with no unpredictable breakaways then it's
just feeling lazy and wants a ski that doesn't bitebest to seek the advice of your local ladies ski shop
back.and you will definitely be on the slope skking the right
Below are a few quick tips on finding the right ski forway.
you: