The 12 best skis to hit the slopes this season

We are firmly in the middle of the ski season, so if your current pair is not getting the job done, now is the time to upgrade and find something that will do. Whether you are a mountain veteran or a budding beginner, navigating the web for a new pair of skis can be a difficult process. That’s why we’ve been putting together some of the best options on the market so you can find exactly what you need for the rest of the 2022 season.

For those of you who do not already know, skis are all about length, width and profile. Everything from the width of the ski under your boot to where and how the ski touches snow during turns has a huge impact on the performance and behavior of the skis. Before we get to our list of the best skis for men, let’s take a moment to explore what each of these elements means to you.

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Length

This element tends to be the most well understood of all ski measurements. Men’s skis are often between 120 cm at the shortest point and 190 cm at the very longest, which translates to about 47 to 75 inches. In most circumstances, you will want to aim for something that is everywhere between your chin and the top of your head. In general, longer skis are more geared for experts / intermediaries and shorter skis are geared for beginners / beginners; however, if you tend to weigh less than normal for your height, plan to shrink — and vice versa for heavier.

Width

Skis are measured at three different widths — the widest point at the tip; the narrowest point of the ski under the boot (also referred to as the waist); as well as the widest point at the tail of the ski. For example, the widths of these 178cm Salomon ski is represented as follows: 137/112 / 126mm. This means it is 137 mm at the widest point in the tip, 112 mm at its narrowest under boot, and 126 mm at its widest point in the tail. Together, these different widths work to determine the ski’s turning radius – a measurement in meters used to define how fast or slow a ski tends to turn. Skis with a shorter radius (m) are more equipped for fast turns, making them ideal for notches and rapid changes in direction, and those with a longer radius (m) are better at sweeping turns at higher speeds. The ski waist width is also often the most important measure used to determine how well a ski handles deep powder — the wider, the better.

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Profile

This element is much less empirical than the first two and refers to where and how the ski makes contact with snow. The first variation of this is called camber. In this profile, the unweighted ski has a natural upward curve, allowing you to achieve even pressure along the entire edge of the ski when fully starting for a turn. In general, camber takes more precision when turning; in return, however, you can expect great control and power on hard snow packs. The reverse of camber is called rocker and is more powder-focused — due to its ability to float you over deep snow pockets. Certain skis also contain a mixture of these profiles, which gives them advantages in both categories. As you will see, the majority of the skis that appear in this list have a profile called Rocker / Camber / Rocker, which means that it offers the benefits of rocker in the tip and tail of the ski and camber under the boot – think of this as the best of both worlds.