Race skis Jr v. Adult

[Tuckerman]

My current wife bought our u16 female athlete race skis yesterday. The sales ppl sold her Jr race skis, my racer is about 113 Lbs 5' 2" ish. I wondering if I should return them and get adult race skis. She has not been super aggressive, but has been in the weight room getting much stronger. I going to ask one of her coaches as well.

SL - Race Tiger 143 (she is now on a 136 Blizzard)
GS - Nordica Dobermann 163 (she is now on a 154 Blizzard) Maybe we should bump her up to a 170?

[oftpiste]

No FIS requirements yet, right? Adult race skis can take aggressiveness to bend and you can't turn unless you can bend 'em, so I'd say she's fine on junior. SL ski length seems kinda long for her height?

[Mofro261]

Our coaches would say way too short for that height and weight.

For comparison, my 1st yr u14 has been on 151 SL and 171 GS all season (still jr skis) at 5'2" and 105-110 lbs, very similar size to all of the other girls on the team in her age bracket. She'll bump up to 155-158 SL and ~178 GS next year as a 2nd yr u14, and likely to wm's adult skis.

[skibum220]

I'm a few years out of it but isn't u16/J3 when most girls go to 155 SL and 180 GS. I wouldn't recommend going to those lengths from a 136 or 154 though.

Talk to her coaches, they'll know what they want her on.

[Beyond]

Currently have kids just below her level. At her size, some junior skis might work for a while yet, depends on brand, but yeah, often U16 is the transition to FIS models. FIS has different specs for U16 than higher, BTW; she can ski on on 170-something approved GS with a radius in the low 20's, and (in some brands) a 150 FIS SL.

Mainly, at U16, definitely seek the coach's advice.

[RShea]

Can she even bend and handle the stiffer and longer adult skis? (IE demo or try a few pairs of other racers adult skis.) I know a smaller Nastar racer- male that is still on 155 cm Junior GS skis and is still looking at 165 cm junior skis. Coaches opinion would matter greatly also (since none of us has probably ever seen her ski before where as the coaches have worked with her and seen her progress.)

[Tuckerman]

Coach emailed me back saying 170 and 150 but no comment on jr v. adult. He says @ u18 she will be on 190ish and 155 @ the current fis regs.

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[Beyond]

Can she even bend and handle the stiffer and longer adult skis?

Keep in mind that odds are very high she is an adult, biologically, if she's in U16, with most of her growth completed, and a lot of adult women her size ski on FIS skis. Also, the middle you're thinking of when you say "bend" isn't that stiff longitudinally compared to a rec ski (definitely is stiffer torsionally, but you're not trying to twist it). It's the tips and tails that are longitudinally stiff compared to rec skis. Racing skis are meant to demand some good mechanics to enter and exit, but they can flex deeply in the belly of the turn. That's all more about technique and speed than weight.

[nyskirat]

Personally, I would bump her up in the GS and SL. I dont know if they make Jr. skis at that length anymore. But after racing all over NH, I think 170s and 155/150s should suffice. The transition to that new length should be easy if the coaches have her doing drills early in the season to promote good mechanics. Obviously first couple days in gates will prove to be "different" but not harder if done correctly. She is on the smaller side of things, especially with weight, but I would not worry too much. One of the fastest kids I raced was 5'7 155-165. Skis for CU now.

[waxman]

Dynastar/Rossi recommend 165 GS and 146/150 SL for her weight/age.
She would have to hit 120lbs to get to the adult construction "junior" skis
or ski FIS and then she would on the 157 SL and 183 GS, doesn't matter of course because FIS doesn't care about different sized kids just fucking up ski advancement.

[Tuckerman]

FIS and then she would on the 157 SL and 183 GS, doesn't matter of course because FIS doesn't care about different sized kids just fucking up ski advancement.

If you call a 30 meter ski an advancement.