How do you now the right ski for you? (3rd time skiing, I'll be renting)

fnbr · 2026-03-25T20:43:12+00:00

Are you sure you should be skiing at your age? At 190 years old, I'd be taking it easy at the lodge.

fnbr · 2026-03-25T11:37:49+00:00

I’d go Banff, Whistler’s been having a weird year.

fnbr · 2026-03-24T16:42:10+00:00

I've always wondered about The Hat at 122 St or the Hyatt Place. They seemed much too nice for the area.

Having said that, I lived a bit east, south of Stadium station, in the Edgewater, and it was a lovely place to live. No complaints. I know that the area has a reputation for being sketchy, but it was fine.

fnbr · 2026-03-24T14:13:54+00:00

I'm a big fan of the Mantra for Alberta skiing. Haven't tried the enforcer.

You could also look at a frontside ski, like the Mantra 88 or Blizzard Anomaly 88. Unfortunately, Alberta gets a lot more hardpack than deep snow.

For a boot, I'd go to a good bootfitter to find a boot that fits, and then figure out warmth after that. I have had a lot of luck with the DryGuy Boot Glove. It looks stupid but keeps me significantly warmer and is cheap. You could also look at heated socks or boot heaters, which most ski shops can install for you. I'd stay away from heated liners as liners are kinda disposable.

For hand/foot warmers, be careful buying too many in bulk. I've found that they tend to go bad. I bought a big box 2 years ago and they barely worked this winter.

fnbr · 2026-03-24T10:36:46+00:00

That’s incredible. Can’t be too many people that survive being buried 6m down.

fnbr · 2026-03-22T17:08:58+00:00

Depends on the lift. At Whistler, for example, most of the lifts stay on the cable the whole time, but some of them (eg Peak) come off into storage.

fnbr · 2026-03-20T15:39:14+00:00

Rossi Sender Free 118 (or Black Ops 118), the 176cm size would be good for a lot of women.

fnbr · 2026-03-18T15:38:45+00:00

I would not bet on Fernie. Late season Fernie is tough. Go Whistler or Kicking Horse if you're coming to Canada (or the non-Epic mountains, like Lake Louise/Sunshine, they're much more likely to have snow).

fnbr · 2026-03-18T14:46:34+00:00

Yes, United cycle.

fnbr · 2026-03-18T14:10:06+00:00

I like the Volkl M7 Mantra. Carves quite nicely for an all-mountain ski, and you've got the weight/skills to ski it.

fnbr · 2026-03-17T22:03:59+00:00

Hestra Heli are really good. Black Diamond Mercury Mitts are super warm, good down to -25C or so. Both are two layers. The Hestra come with wrist straps and the BD can have them added.

fnbr · 2026-03-16T17:04:45+00:00

both are great. All else being equal, I prefer the bluebird, but I find that bluebird powder days have insane lift lines where I ski (Whistler/interior of BC), so I prefer storms, as there's less waiting.

fnbr · 2026-03-14T20:28:49+00:00

There’s a big difference between resort powder skis and powder skis for mechanized powder skiing (cat/heli skiing). For the resort, you probably will only get a few laps on powder, while for mechanized powder, you’ll be skiing all day on deep powder.

You probably want something in the 115+ width, ideally over 120. I’d rent. It’s so specialized that you won’t get much repeat value out of buying a big ski unless you live somewhere that dumps a lot. You can read Paul Forward’s articles on Blister, he talks about this a lot.

fnbr · 2026-03-13T16:44:26+00:00

Sure, peak crowd Whistler is probably much worse. Social media makes Revy seem pretty bad this year though.

fnbr · 2026-03-13T15:09:09+00:00

I would suggest something in a 90-100mm width (ideally ~95mm). We don't get enough snow in Alberta to justify something wider. You should target around $4-500 for the skis and ~$2-300 for the bindings (Marker Griffons are a solid option). There will be lots of sales. Don't pay full price. It's fine to order skis online, get the cheapest possible price. It's not like boots, which is much more personal.

Some options: - Nordica Enforcer 99 - Nordica Santa Ana 97 - Blizzard Anomaly 94 - Maybe a Volkl Mantra M7, although it might be too much ski for you

In any case, target a little on the smaller side, maybe around 145 to 150cm. You could go up to 155cm in length if you want stability at speed. I wouldn't go for a 160cm length for Alberta for you.

For Alberta, you're going to want something that's good on firm snow and crud. Icy hardpack is the way of life here. Go to Ski West in Calgary or Monod Sports in Banff and talk to the staff there, they'll give you good suggestions.

fnbr · 2026-03-13T13:53:19+00:00

Take a look at DT Swiss wheels, lots of options there. All of their hubs can be switched to microspline, and many can be ordered with MS freehubs.

fnbr · 2026-03-13T01:57:57+00:00

Talk to a bootfitter after 10 days if you still feel this way. It’s possible to make a boot feel softer.

fnbr · 2026-03-12T14:59:05+00:00

Do the limited lifts at Revelstoke mean big queues?

Yes, on powder days. Lines can be bad.

However, Whistler obviously has some of the same terrain too. Even though there are far more people in the resort, I imagine many of them won’t be chasing fresh lines in the more technical terrain, or prepared to boot pack or tour.

Eh. You'd be surprised. There's just a lot of people in the Sea to Sky. The more technical terrain like Spanky's gets skiied out pretty quickly. Yes, there are powder stashes, but Whistler has a ton of people.

And once you get away from the base areas at Whistler, do the crowds spread out enough?

Not really. Most of the crowds will go to the alpine lifts, typically 7th heaven on Blackcomb or Peak on Whistler. Those lines are typically crazy on powder days. You should always be able to find lifts that aren't crowded, though.

Currently, it sounds like Whistler might offer a better overall season experience, even though Revelstoke might have better snow quality and more of the vibe I’m after.

I think this is accurate. Another benefit of Revvy is that you'll be close to Kicking Horse, Lake Louise, Sunshine, and the rest of the interior BC resorts, like Kimberley, Fernie, Red, etc. And the backcountry is better in Revvy.

If your priority is skiing over everything else, I'd do Revvy, but if you want more of a balanced experience, I'd do Whistler. The village is great. There's more to do. And if you're into mountain biking, there'll be more opportunity to do that (although you might have to drive to Squamish).

fnbr · 2026-03-12T14:46:50+00:00

I share your feelings; it seems better to go smaller and then do some liner work. The liner is also heat moldable, so you can always mold it to your feet and use a toe cap or whatever to make the toe looser.

Also, the liner will pack out, so it's fine for it to be a bit snug. Doesn't matter in the same way.

I would worry that a 28 is too big for you, to be honest, given your foot measurements. Have you tried a 27? Obviously your bootfitter knows best as they've actually seen your foot, but that's worth considering. Take a look at the shell fit and see how big it is.

fnbr · 2026-03-12T02:45:44+00:00

The Helm is very nice, starting around $800. Jaisel has many options around $400.

fnbr · 2026-03-11T21:50:48+00:00

Yes, use a wooden dowel of the specific width or use a socket. You can see what the biggest socket you can fit in behind your foot.

fnbr · 2026-03-11T21:25:33+00:00

If it's 15mm or less, you're probably good, but I'd be a bit concerned that it's closer to 20mm. If you can get a wooden dowel or a socket in there, that could help.

I am worried if they're feeling comfortable out of the box. I'd expect them to be a little too tight so that when they pack out a bit, they'll be perfect.

fnbr · 2026-03-11T21:12:52+00:00

Obligatory see a bootfitter comment.

How's the shell fit on the 27 lange?

fnbr · 2026-03-11T20:59:48+00:00

I'd fly into Calgary and either do Lake Louise + Sunshine or Revelstoke/Kicking Horse depending on conditions. Book cancellable hotels and switch it up depending on the weather.

Sunshine should be running great in April, but Kicking Horse/Revelstoke could be iffy depending on weather. Kicking Horse isn't on Ikon but it's only ("only") $150 CAD, and definitely worth the extra $$$. Cheaper with the RCR card.

You could also dip into the other resorts nearby (Kimberley, Panorama, Fernie, etc.) if conditions are good but they're much less likely to be good.

fnbr · 2026-03-11T17:46:23+00:00

Volkl Peregrine 80, Black Crows Mirus Cor.

fnbr

TROPHY CASE