Are longer skis faster? The length is a compromise between one that will exert the least pressure on the snow and one that can still be turned. A longer ski exerts fewer pounds per square inch of pressure, and so is less likely to wind up plowing rather than gliding. But a longer ski is also more difficult to whip around for a downhill turn or a slalom gate. Downhill racers are choosing 220- to 225-centimeter skis (about 87 inches); slalom competitors, 204 to 207s (about 81 inches).
