Cross-country skis: length and poles by weight and height

Why weight comes before height

For its Redster C5 classic range, Atomic puts the 195 cm ski in four boxes: 45 to 55 kg in the soft flex, 55 to 65 kg in medium, 65 to 75 kg in hard, 75 to 90 kg in extra hard [1]. Same length, a factor of two in kilos. That is the detail that changes everything: length is only a label, and the camber does the work.

Salomon puts it bluntly: in cross-country skiing you choose ski size mainly by weight, not height, unlike alpine skiing, and makers publish a weight-to-length chart you should follow [2]. The mechanism is the double camber of a classic ski: with your weight shared between both skis, as in the glide, the grip zone stays clear of the snow; when all your weight goes onto one ski, it flattens and the grip zone bites. REI sums up the two ways to get it wrong: skis that are too short do not glide as they should, skis that are too long are hard to grip with [3].

The training manual of the Coaching Association of Canada and Cross Country Canada goes further: the most common mistake is picking a ski that is too stiff. A slightly soft ski is better, because with a waxable ski you can then shorten or thin the kick wax [4].

Decathlon gives figures of the same kind for its classic skis (page in French): with a medium camber, 188 cm for 60 to 70 kg, 195 cm for 65 to 75 kg, 202 cm for 75 to 90 kg [5]. The ranges overlap, so at 70 kg two lengths fit. That is where your level decides, further down.

Classic or skate: how much shorter to go

Salomon gives the gap in one sentence: skate skis are generally 10 to 15 cm shorter than classic skis for the same skier [2]. REI says about 10 cm [3], the Canadian manual about 15 cm shorter than the traditional classic length [4]. The sources agree on the principle and argue only about centimetres.

Tied to height, the rules are alike too, with their nuances. Atomic advises adding 20 to 30 cm to your height for a classic ski, and adds that the more skilled you are, the longer the ski can be [1]. Madshus, according to the retailer SkatePro’s guide, suggests 20 to 25 cm above your height for classic and 10 to 15 cm for skate [6]. The French guide from Mon séjour en montagne gives 15 to 25 cm for classic and 10 to 15 cm for skate, and reminds readers that the maker’s chart always comes first [7].

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Elite skiers have made their choice. Among 87 men and 36 women at the 2020 Norwegian championships, classic skis averaged 112.6% of body height for men and 117.2% for women; skate skis, 104.4% and 108.0% [8]. For a man of 1.83 m, the group’s average height, that is about 206 cm for classic and 191 cm for skate. The authors note that the retail rules of thumb, 10 to 15 cm above height for skate and about 25 cm for classic, have barely moved since the late 1980s [8]. These are championship figures, not advice for a first outing.

Poles: one coefficient, several answers

The most quoted rule is Salomon’s: height times 0.83 for classic, up to the armpits; height times 0.89 for skate, up to the nose or ears [9]. Rossignol, in a size guide reproduced by the retailer Hardloop (in French), simply subtracts: height minus 30 cm for classic, minus 20 cm for skate [10]. For a 1.80 m adult the two are almost identical, 150 and 160 cm. Swix subtracts 35 cm for classic and 22.5 cm for skate, but from your height measured with ski boots on [11].

The catch is in the measurement. Swix specifies that height is taken with ski boots on, as the FIS does for its checks [11]; most of the others say ‘your height’ without saying so. The thickness of a pair of boots is enough to shift the result by a few centimetres. The simplest approach is to pick one guide, one brand, and stick to it.

Between two pole lengths the brands contradict each other. Salomon advises the longer one, and says a specialist retailer can shorten a pole by a few centimetres under the grip [9]; Swix advises the shorter [11]. REI suggests trying poles in the shop, tips on the floor, held up against you [3]. Its body landmarks, the armpit for touring, between the chin and lips for skate, do not land in the same place as Salomon’s: use them as a check, not a rule.

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In racing, the rule is a cap, not advice: in classic technique a pole may not exceed 83% of height measured in ski boots, and Swix publishes the matching table [11]. The Norwegian skiers surveyed report classic poles averaging 83.9% of their height, right at the limit [8]. Unless you race, you have no reason to copy them.

Between two sizes: your level decides

For skis, the sources agree. Salomon: the shorter ski for easy, safe skiing, because it is more manageable; the longer for performance, because it glides better [2]. REI: if you have never skied, the short ski gives more control and keeps your speed down, and experienced skiers prefer the long, faster one [3]. Decathlon: the lower size to start, the upper size for more flotation and a longer stride [5].

The US retailer evo lists reasons to go shorter, closer to the chin: you are a beginner or intermediate, or lighter than average for your height; and reasons to go longer: you ski fast and aggressively, or heavier than average for your height [12]. That is the same weight-first logic, said in other words.

The paper test, in the shop

The chart gives a length and a flex. A sheet of paper checks that the camber suits your weight. The Canadian manual describes the test for a waxable classic ski [4]:

1. put the two skis side by side on a flat, smooth floor and stand on them, toes at the balance point, weight evenly spread;
2. slide an ordinary sheet of paper under the wax pocket: it should pass along about 50 cm;
3. shift all your weight onto one ski: the paper should be pinched between the base and the floor;
4. repeat with the other ski.

For a skate ski it is the reverse reading: standing on one ski, you should still be able to move a sheet of paper freely under your foot [4]. A static test does not tell the whole story, and the manual advises trying borrowed skis from friends, if you can, to compare [4]. Finally, tell the assistant your weight, your level and what you plan to do: it is exactly what the maker’s chart expects.

Worth watching

L.L.Bean’s short how-to covers skill level, extra weight and snow conditions, then shows what the right ski length looks like next to the skier, and ends on a size chart.

The video is hosted by YouTube (Google): nothing loads until you play it, and Google may then set cookies.

Nolwenn Bastide

Trail running, snow, water, nature and destinations

Nolwenn covers trail running, snow, water, nature and destinations for Outfarer. Curious about everything, from meteor showers to night-train timetables, she has a knack for unearthing the one detail that changes everything, and putting it in a single sentence.

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