K2 Tough Luv Ski w/ Marker M1 11.0 Ti Binding - Women's - 2008 BCS

These might be your ski. Crud is no challenge for the Tough Luv. Even as a lighter skier, I bust through it. The Tough Luv is stiff, heavy and floats. You can pick up some decent speed on it, but if stiffness for high speeds is you chief concern, you might want to go to a men's ski.

This is a fairly stiff ski thanks to the metal laminate, and busts up crud, for a womens ski. If you want a really stiff ski though, you pretty much have to go up to a mens ski, maybe a K2 Apache series or even something like the Extreme. Try to keep it at a waist around here though, nothing too huge, because it might become very hard to transfer edge to edge.

Hi Lisa,

I would disagree. I would look for a lighter, more flexible ski in a shorter length. I'm a 5'10", 130lb female expert skier from Colorado. I have the 2007 Tough Luvs and while I like the way they bust though crud and float through powder and slush, they are definitely an advanced ski with little forgiveness. They are stiff and heavy. (I like heavy skis though.)

Because of how wide the Tough Luv is underfoot, while it's like having training wheels in powder, these skis need to be aggressively pushed through groomers (I'm assuming that's what your daughter skis mostly since she is an intermediate, mostly blue skier). I've found I've had to widen my stance, lean more aggressively forward and ski wider turns on hardpack and groomed terrain than on my previous set of skis, Solomon Screams. However, these skis really do carve when you push them to, a much nicer grip on the hill than some other skis I have owned.

If you would still like to look at K2 skis for your daughter, I would suggest looking at the One Luv, Burnin' Luv, or True Luv.

This is a very good option for your daughter. The ski handles very predictably, and is what almost every female carver I know likes. It is a fairly lightweight ski, with kind of a lively feel too it. No chatter though. As for length, I would say that the 163cm would be what I would pick, but the 156 would also be good for her, at least for the recent future.

Alright I mean that the narrowest part of the ski is not as wide on these, the Tough Luvs, as the other 2 I mentioned. If you want me to just tell you what ski, then I am going to say that this is probably the one you should look at. I can't really say which boots would work best for you, because I can't fit boots for you as I am not in the States even, but in Snowbird you are guaranteed to find a good shop, with somebody to find you a boot that will fit you really nicely, and you won't have to replace within a year, but check out the Salomon line of boots, because they have something for almost everyone. Backcountry.com doesn't have a walk in store there, or anywhere that I know of, just online retail.

This is a pretty decent intermediate ski, not much to the waist though, so if you want something with more float to it check out something like the Lotta Luv or Phat Luv from K2, so something similar.A good length for you would probably be the 163, which will be more versatile than a shorter or longer size. The bindings that come with these are good intermediate bindings as well, making it a well rounded package. As for boots, I would recommend trying some on in a local shop and getting properly fitted. Poles don't have to be anything special, you can pick up anything that fits really, just measure the length from the ground to your hand when your arm is a 90 degrees, and that should be about the length of pole you will want.

If you are comfortable with the 161, I wouldn't stray too far from that point, maybe a bit longer. The 163 should be a great option for you, especially for your size.

This ski has hardly any chatter at all in it, and holds an edge very effectively. You could also look at Salomon women skis, they have good characteristics, but the K2 is probably one of the better women ski manufacturers.

I think that if you really liked the performance of the Nordica's, then there really isn't a reason for you to mess around with other skis. The K2 line is a bunch of super skis, I know plenty of chick rippers that love them. It all comes down to comfort, and if you were comfortable with the Olympia's, then go for it. Or you could demo more pairs, and get a better idea of the market.

08/09http://www.k2skis.com/products/skis.asp?id=14

Important to note: k2 measures their skis by skiable area, NOT tip to tip like most skis...I'm 5'4" and I have 153cm (last year size)...when compared side-by-side to my friends 156cm Volkls, they were at least six inches longer...I'm 162cm tall and my skis are about my height...their luvs are a little longer this year, I think you'll be happy with the 156...!

ALSO REMEMBER: K2 measures their skis by skiable area, not tip to tip like most skis...if they are 170s, they are probably REALLY closer to 178s!!