Body fit
01
Length fit
Ski length sized to your height, weight, and ability level.
Longer skis are faster and more stable but harder to control. Shorter skis are easier to pivot and maneuver. A beginner at 180 lbs needs a different length than an expert at the same weight. We calculate the ideal range using all three inputs together.
02
Waist width fit
Underfoot width matched to your terrain and snow conditions.
Waist width is the ski's narrowest point, measured underfoot in millimeters. Narrower (75–85mm) carves better on hardpack. Wider (95–110mm) floats better in powder. Most all-mountain skis sit between 88–98mm. Region and terrain together determine the target range.
03
Flex pattern fit
How stiff the ski is, and where — matched to your aggression and ability.
Flex pattern describes where a ski bends: tip, mid, and tail. A progressive flex (soft tip, stiff tail) helps beginners initiate turns easily while giving advanced skiers energy return at exit. A uniform stiff flex suits high-speed carvers. Your style and aggression level determine which pattern fits.
04
Rocker profile fit
How much tip and tail curve off the snow — matched to your turn preference.
Rocker means the tip or tail curves up off the snow, making turns easier to start and exit. Camber means the ski arches in the middle and presses into the snow, generating more grip and rebound. Most all-mountain skis use rocker-camber-rocker: easy initiation, powerful mid-turn, clean release. Quick-turn skiers benefit from more rocker; carvers benefit from more camber.
Performance
05
Edge grip
How firmly the ski holds an edge on hard or icy snow.
Determined by sidecut geometry, edge angle, base bevel, torsional stiffness, and whether the ski uses metal layers (titanal or carbon). Critical for East Coast and European skiing where hardpack and ice are the norm. Weighted higher for those regions in the scoring.
06
Forgiveness
How well the ski recovers from bad form or off-balance moments.
A function of flex softness, rocker profile, and tip/tail shape. Forgiving skis stay controllable when technique breaks down. This is the most important dimension for beginner and intermediate skiers who are still building consistency.
07
Stability at speed
How calmly the ski tracks when you push it hard.
Driven by ski mass, length, damping materials, and torsional stiffness. Skis that chatter or deflect at speed feel unpredictable; stable skis feel planted as velocity increases. Weighted higher for aggressive skiers who identified speed as a priority.
08
Damping
How well the ski absorbs vibration from rough or variable snow.
Determined by core materials (wood species, metal layers, rubber inserts) and construction method. High-damping skis feel composed in chopped-up afternoon snow. Low-damping skis feel lively but fatiguing over a full day. More relevant for skiers in the Pacific Northwest and for high day-count skiers.
Terrain match
09
Float in soft snow
How well the ski stays on top of powder.
A function of waist width, total surface area, tip rocker angle, and weight distribution. More relevant for Rockies and Pacific Northwest skiers; de-weighted for East Coast and groomer-focused profiles.
10
Maneuverability
How quickly the ski responds to direction changes.
Driven by length, turn radius, sidecut depth, and rocker profile. Critical in trees, bumps, and tight terrain. Trades off directly against stability at speed — a very maneuverable ski is rarely also a high-speed charger.
11
Versatility
How well the ski handles varied conditions without specializing.
Measures the ski's breadth across hardpack, soft snow, crud, and variable conditions. Highly versatile skis sacrifice peak performance in any one condition to be competent in all of them. Weighted highest for all-mountain skiers who need one quiver ski.
Progression
12
Skill ceiling
How much room the ski leaves you to grow into it.
Measures the gap between your current ability and the ski's performance ceiling. A beginner ski is easy to learn on but you'll outgrow it in a season. A high-ceiling ski rewards improving technique but can feel unresponsive early. We match ceiling to your day count and progression rate so you're not buying a ski you'll leave behind in two years.
Hard constraints
Two answers set absolute boundaries that Claude won't cross. Skis outside these don't appear, regardless of how well they score on the dimensions above.
- Available in your size range
- Within your stated budget
Visual analysis (optional)
The quiz can use your camera or photos to supplement your answers. Three analysis modes are available: a photo of your current skis (Claude reads brand, model, and length from the topsheet), a photo of your boot liner or shell (auto-detects your BSL in millimeters), and a video clip of you skiing (reads stance width, turn shape, aggression level, and weight distribution to calibrate the ability assessment). These results feed directly into the same 12-dimension scoring.
