Can Men Use Women's Skis? The Internet Decides

The male-female ski product divide is as old as snowsports itself.

But what -- aside from market incentives -- is the point of this long-running tradition? And in this vein, are men's and women's skis really any different?

These questions, among others, came to bear in the comments section of a recent Reddit post on r/skiing, where a skier wondered if there was anything wrong with him purchasing and using a women's pair of skis.

This was the situation. Said Redditor had tried and enjoyed a pair of Blizzard Black Pearls -- a women's ski model.

Thus, he posed the following question to the internet: "Does anyone have any experience riding woman's skis and what are the downsides if any to doing so, since they are meant for women but I am [a] man?"

He received loads of responses, several of which succinctly boiled down the male-female gear divide.

This comment, to me, hit the nail right on the head:

"Skis don't care about gender. Skis only care about three things: 1. how much you weigh 2. what you ski like 3. what you ski on. Everything else is fluff."

Another male skier chimed in to say that he's been riding women's skis for the past few years:

"I (male 43) have been skiing on junior girls skis my entire ski life (about 7 years). They rip and I love them."

And one woman stated that she uses both men's and women's skis:

"I am a woman and ski on black pearls (170's) and brahamas (180's). Totally different skis, besides the length difference. The Pearls are my everyday, easy ski. The brahmas are stiffer, faster and I have to work harder to ski them. Ski in whatever ski makes you happy!"

These comments address the differences between men's and women's skis, which is pretty straightforward.

Here's the how and why behind the women's gear status quo: In most cases, women's skis are similar to their male counterparts, just smaller, lighter, and less stiff. These design differences were intended to account for the fact that women, on average, are smaller than men. And the thinking goes that the smaller you are, the better you'll get along with a shorter and softer ski, whereas the opposite is true for the larger skiers among us.

Keep in mind that elements of the ski business structure I just laid out have been challenged in recent years -- the previous paragraph is more of a "this is how it is," as opposed to a "this is how it should be."

Along those lines, some skiers in the comments saw the continued prevalence of gender-segregated skis as silly and outdated:

"I wish the industry would build skis for lighter skiers and for heavier skiers instead of using the traditional men's & women's categories. Contrary to popular belief, any skier worth their salt (or snow) cares much more about ski performance than about graphics or color. And I hear that some men like pink."

This raises another problem. Skier weight and height, while crucial to ski selection, aren't the only piece at play -- skill is important, too.

For instance, I'm 5'9" and 140 pounds. Ski charts at shops suggest I use a ski in the 170 cm to 180 cm range. Yet, my daily driver is 186 cm.

Why? It's a combination of personal preference, ski design, and skill level. First, I prefer a longer ski. Second, my skis -- 4FRNT Devastators -- are light, meaning I can get away with sizing them a bit long. Finally, I've been skiing my entire life, and while I'm by no means professional, higher skill levels typically translate to riders enjoying longer skis.

This means that women of my size and skill level have fewer women's ski models to select from, as many are too short and soft for their build and ability.

Instead, they might need to opt for a men's or unisex ski to get the most out of their gear. And that doesn't even address the other, more complex issue with women's gear availability -- boots.

Is this all starting to feel a bit arbitrary?

Well, that's because it is. To return to a quote from the first comment I included, "Skis don't care about your gender."

When selecting the right ski for you, it's not about graphics (okay, I admit that it's totally okay to choose a ski just because you like the graphics) or gender distinctions -- it's about your height, weight, skill level, and length preference.

If that equation results in you opting for a ski that doesn't align with your gender, who cares?

To wrap up, here's some insight from Cy Whitling, our resident gear guru at Powder:

"Of course, gendered skis are a bit silly. At best it's a shorthand for the "size, style, preferred terrain" methodology that Ian explained. At worst it's an opportunity for brands to make an inferior product and market it to women — some women's skis used to use foam cores, but still cost as much as men's equivalents. That said, I'd be bummed if all brands switched to truly gender-neutral skis, just because so often the women's skis look better aesthetically than the men's versions, and I want more cool-looking skis in the world."

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