What's The Difference Between Ski “Fitting” and Ski “Picking” ?

Link to Peltonen Factory Selection here.

We’ve recently begun offering factory ski picking services for Peltonen. I know you are as excited as I am (...right?). This begs the question, why do we insist on referring to the process of selecting skis as “picking” vs “fitting”.

As a fun bonus announcement, we're bringing in a line of running shoes from Finland this spring! Here's a shoe analogy: let's say you're buying a pair of running shoes. You go to your local shop and buy a pair of standard trainers. They fit you well, but the place you live in mostly has rocks, roots, and dirt for trails. The shoes fit you, but you may have been better off getting a pair of trail running shoes that are more suitable to the trails in your area. 

While a ski may fit you, it may not be suitable for your goals and desired use of the skis. Yeah, you'll be able to flex the skis into the snow, but the ski may also be unsuitable for the conditions you actually ski in. 

Ski picking is the process of determining your needs as a skier, and selecting the ski that meets those needs. Variations in technique, skier speed, snow conditions, and skier goals can all be taken into consideration when selecting a pair of skis.

Ski selection is often the most important factor in ski performance. More important than the grind, structure and wax (there are always exceptions of course). While skis are infinitely variable, focusing on a few key characteristics can determine a pair of skis that best meets your needs. 

Follow up question: "How many skis do I realllllly need? Why can’t there be a ski that works best in all conditions? "

In short - warm snow is different from cold snow. While we can select a pair of skis that is suitable for a wide range of conditions, nobody has cracked on the code on making a pair of skis fast in all conditions. 

The benefit of having skis picked for you, we can assess your current skis and make decisions about how to give you the best experience when you are on snow. If you already own a good cold pair of skis, we’d probably recommend a warm pair of skis. Ideally, the effective range of these warmer skis has little overlap with your colder skis so we can cover the widest range of conditions with the fewest number of skis. You can do a lot with two good pairs of skate and classic skis.

Interested in having a pair of skis picked for you? Click the link below. 

Link to Peltonen Factory Selection here.