Depending on what you are looking for- yes, you may want to look at a ski with a narrower waist. I have to preface my comments by saying I have a pair of BC's but have not skied them yet. However, my buddy- whom I solidly trust, had this to say: The early rise in the shovel and tail of the Bent Chetler (what Atomic calls Pop Rocker) makes it ski like a shorter ski on hardpack. The flotation and stability benefits of the 183 length come back into play in the steep and deep stuff. The BC's are fairly stiff underfoot, with traditional camber, which gives them fantastic edge hold and liveliness. They reward hard charging, and are surprisingly easy to tip on edge for a 123mm wasited ski. With the exception of the JJ, the BC's have about the shortest turning radius of any ski at this waist size. This is further enhanced by the fact that Atomic poured all their race knowledge into the construction of the ski. Add all that to the BC's very low swing weight, and you end up with an absolutely killer ski, that's incredibly nimble, responsive, and capable of just about anything. So to get back to your question about the length, I think the BC would suit someone of your size and weight just fine. Personally, I'm a pretty big guy- 6'0", 225#, athletic build (think fullback). I tend to charge hard and ski aggressively. I like a stiffer ski, and have been skiing Volkls for years. I wanted a ski that was a solid two-size jump up in waist size from my Mantras. I was actually looking at comparable Volkls, and my tech buddy sold me on the Bent Chetlers. They are exactly what I was wanting, and I'm sure will not disappoint.

You might actually want a ski that has a narrower waist dimensions. Something like the Armada JJ would be awesome, because it has similar characteristics to the Bent Chetlers, but is narrower. They handle great in the deeper snow, rip groomers, will be more manageable in bumps, and tighter terrain. For sure check out the Volkl's but the JJ would probably be better.