Waist width is how wide skis are underfoot - directly under the binding at their narrowest point.
| Snow Conditions | Waist Width | Skier Type |
| Hard Snow | 84mm and Narrower | For skiers who primarily ski groomed trails and rarely ski ungroomed trails. |
| Mixed Snow East | 80-94mm | For skiers who ski a mix of groomed/ungroomed trails in moderate snowfall regions. Often for East Coast skiers. |
| Mixed Snow West | 88-102mm | For skiers who ski a mix of groomed/ungroomed trails in high snowfall regions. Often for Western skiers. |
| Soft Snow | 100-112mm | For skiers who primarily ski ungroomed trails in high snowfall regions. |
| Powder | 112mm and Wider | For skiers who want a dedicated ski for soft snow and powder days. |
Playful skis are easy to maneuver, and are generally more flexible and forgiving. They excel in trees, bumps, and on side hits. For some skiers, they may leave something to be desired when making big fast turns.
These skis bridge the gap between playful and demanding. They have enough backbone to carve at speed yet can make short quick turns when needed.
Demanding skis are confidence inspiring at speed, especially when carving bigger turns. They excel at hard snow carving and big mountain ripping. For some skiers, they may leave something to be desired when making short quick turns.
A demo ski is a used ski that comes with bindings on it. Some bindings can be adjusted to any boot size, others are fitted to a specific boot size (you can find that information under "condition". Buying used saves resources, and is one of the best ways a skier can lower their environmental footprint. Our used skis come from demo fleets and customers (like you!) through our customer trade in program.
New skis have never been skied and never seen snow. New skis often come without bindings, but others come as a "system set" and are listed with "bindings" in the product title.
Some skis are paired with bindings while others are not. If a ski does not come with bindings, they must be purchased separately, as bindings are required to use a ski. We have a large selection of bindings available. When you select a ski you will see compatible bindings.
If a ski is referred to as "flat" it means the ski does not come with bindings.
Does the sound of fresh corduroy being sliced up in the morning make you more excited than a powder day? Or, are you adding a narrower ski to the quiver for those days between storms? The carving ski category is for you. Shop our selection of new and used carving skis below. We categorize carving skis as less than 84mm underfoot. That will deliver the best on-trail performance for superior edge grip on firm snow.
Looking for advice on what skis are right for you? Reach out to one of our ski experts, or take a look at our Powder7 Buyer's Guide.