20 Best Skate Skis For Beginners (2023 Updated)

I am not Swedish or even from a Nordic country, so I write in English. First I must thank you for being willing to send me the skis from Sweden. I have found no other Nordic country that is willing to send me anything at all, much less skis, so I appreciate your willingness.

I lied about my weight as my research doesn’t actually show this particular ski having a weight class any more than the Double pole regular version of the ski. SO the risk was on me as you said the ski was for 75-80 Kg.

I am heavier than this, but have found the ski to be super fast nonetheless in multiple snow conditions. So I am very satisfied. The only complaint I have is that the price and VAT or whatever the surcharge was is very high compared to what I pay for Fischer products in France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy etc.

However, I knew that going in, so I was not naive when I paid the purchase. The 150 euros charge because this was going to France (as opposed to Switzerland where the charge is null), is baffling as this is all EU.

But the skis are great skis, and I would do it again if I had to. Thank you.

Picked up the Fischer Sprint Crown skis, with matching boots and poles at our local REI – the Denver flagship store. There was actually an unadvertised store special when we were there that was a fantastic time.

have only used them once so far this season, but she really loved them. Good control up and downhill. Good kick and glide for classic skiing. And they have that cool black and neon yellow look too. The Turnamic bindings were new to me, and are very easy to operate.

You just turn (hence the name) a handle on the binding to unlock and lock the toe. Only criticism – when it locks it is not a really solid lock, so a couple of times when my daughter had mild falls, the handle turned and unlocked the binding.

With it clicked in a little more securely. On the other hand it makes it very easy for her to put on and take off her skis by herself.

Good skate skis, but expensive for beginner. I wouldn’t buy them, if I have access to Salomon RC7 Stiff, but there is shortage of the gear and the cheaper stuff leaves the shelf very quick. I’m just learning skate skis, but if I’ll get more experience, I’ll buy $550-600 skis.

That’s why for me buy the cheapest and end up with more advanced, but Aerolite60 doesn’t fit in to any of these categories.

Like many new skiers, I bought these because they were inexpensive and in stock, knowing that I wasn’t spending for excellence. I’ve been surprised to find I love these skis. They feel lightweight, work well on different types of snow even when unwaxed, and have shown no immediate wear.

I don’t love the bindings — they do hold your boots securely, doing everything a binding should, but the turn-style release mechanism feels like it could break. Additionally, although there’s a slot in the binding for the tip of your pole, an REI associate cautioned me against doing this with lower-end poles like the type sold alongside these skis, as it can cause the tip to separate.

But that said, the skis are comfortable and easy to learn with.

These are great skis for groomed tracks and for ungroomed shallow snow as well. I find that they are stable, have good grip for uphill, good kick/glide, and they actually work very well for skate skiing when used with a combi boot (I have the X6) on those slick surfaces with no tracks.

The only thing I don’t like about the Turnamic binding with the locking lever is that when I am skijoring with my dogs, the leash has gotten caught and flicked the binding open once or twice (this is hardly relevant to most people and should not be a deciding factor IMO).

Great all around ski for the recreational to intermediate level user. I’m sure expert skiers will go for something higher end.

I was worried that it would be a bad idea to buy these online along with the boots. But the website gave me enough information for me to buy the right size for me and I am very impressed with the result – they are more « sporty » than my previous skis.

The website also gives you a heads up to verify compatibility before you can actually click on « purchase » so that is great for double-checking that the boots will fit. Shipped quite quickly and arrived in a good state.

Very impressed with the overall experience! Will buy from this company again.

First pair of roller skis I’ve owned, but I like them. The learning curve relative to snow skis is not that bad, and after a week or so rolling around the neighborhood, I’m getting fast enough to get a good workout.

Perfect roller skiis for my 9yo son. The binding are great!

Excellent customer service. Excellent roller skis. Thank you!

These are wonderful skis. The bases are perfectly flat and fast. The skis are incredibly light. They track absolutely marvelously well and make my very hilly loops much faster and safer at the same time.

My old skis were mid 90s top level Atomics. These are much much better and different, with much less camber that makes staying on a flat ski easier, and getting on a railed edge step turn much more stable.

These were my first pair of real skis. Until now I just used old ones that I find at garage sales. These are great! The skins work so well – no more waxing. They are so light and easy to control going up and down hills.

I’m leaving everyone in the dust. I feel like my skills improved overnight but it’s just good skis. Worth every penny.

OK so I am not a racer but I am a fairly good skier and I was tired of having average “one-size-fits-all skis” I decided to have real back country skis for when I need them and real fast traditional skis.

Bought these skis with Rotafella Move switch bindings and. OMG they are fast and light !!! even for climbing, it feels almost effortless. love them! but don’t try to go outside well prepared tracks.

I received these skis 1 month ago. It took me a couple of days to get use to using them but once I got the feel for the grip they performed excellently. They have worked well on days ranging in temperature from around 0°C to -10°C.

Nice not to have to wax especially on the warm days where I’d have to use klister.

My wife, after decades of alpine skiing only, absolutely loved our first XC experience on these relatively quick recreationally Madshus Endurance skis. The Intelligrip skins under foot resulted in strong kicks that allowed for long glides which permitted a lot of beautiful winter terrain to be experienced in a relatively graceful two hour workout!.

Recreational skier for 40 years. Own 8 or 9 various types of skis. 180 lbs. Unfortunately have not been able to get out to try these skis (virus 2020) but I had a pair of the 194 cm version. Found that I did not have enough kick, so I wanted a softer version to improve the grip.

The 189 cm definitely seem to be softer as indicated by hand squeezing them and measuring clearance with weighted skis on a smooth floor. My general recommendation is to buy a skin-ski that is softer/shorter than the manufacturer recommends.

I have tried Salomon Aero 7, Rossi XTour Escapes, Rossi Evo XC50 RSkin and the Fischer Twin-Skin Power is my choice. Work best in damp or icy conditions, poorest in cold snow. I wanted a ski for conditions when waxing is difficult.

Have owned fish-scales and did not like them (noisy, terrible on ice and glaze).

This is the second pair of skin skis that I have tried. This was a shorter, softer ski. Both lack (kick) grip. Granted, I like a significant amount of grip so as to eliminate the frustration of backslip when climbing moderate hills.

I tried moving one binding fully forward and the other fully back and had trouble noticing a difference. I don’t think the skin strips go far enough back toward the rear of the ski. I added a bit of kick wax behind the skin to improve grip.

Using at around 0C. If glide is your priority (or you enjoy frustration), then maybe skin skis are fine. Still better than fish-scales.

Solid in their own right but not quite as glued as wax n maybe less durable (skin) than crown, yes they catch easy like wax on debris though not quite as extreme. I think they serve their purpose in a ski quiver for glazed or perfect track in varying temps over long distance or hours but if you have only a pair or two, skip skin skis for grip wax or crown or ideally both.

Remember all skis require glide wax at least. Fiber crown/sport glass is sibling ski to these.

I tried these at a demo day last month on old, icy snow north of Québec City. True to the hype, the kick was excellent, even better than my scale skis. It’s like having klister that never wears off and doesn’t make your hands all sticky.

Glide in the tracks was very good, but the skins drag noticeably when you step out of them to change lanes. You also have to give up occasionally using skate technique to pass people or climb untracked hills, which is probably why the FIS was considering making them mandatory for classic races 🙂 It really doesn’t work at all.

The Turnamic bindings seem a bit cheap and gimmicky to me, but they aren’t the item being reviewed here. Great skis.

The BC65 is suitable for a wide range of conditions but excels in ungroomed or marginally groomed trails over rolling terrain. The penalty, compared to a narrower ski, is a ~10% reduction in speed on a well groomed track.

The base is well constructed and durable. Great tip and tail rocker for handing terrain and trail. The width is suitable to accept backcountry bindings, such as NNN BC. The topside is prone to marking and minor damage from the metal edges when the skis cross (as they can when dealing with difficult terrain).

Rossignol (or skiers) could prevent this with an application of ski or helicopter tape on key sections, which would make the BC65 a truly exceptional ski. The BC65 is neither a racing nor bushwhacking ski.

It is a ski suited for those wishing to push weather conditions or ski trails that have received moderate quantities (5-15 cm) of fresh snow with little to no grooming.

This is my first year on these skis, which are fitted with a Rossignol NNN BC binding. I’ve logged about 60km so far in cold and snowy conditions. My previous skis were traditional single camber classic skis in the 30mm range, which I used in all conditions on intermediate and advanced trails.

The BC 65 is very versatile ski. It is fast and comfortable on freshly groomed tracks. It handles wilderness trails and turns easily on downhill sections. It shines brightest when a few cm of powder covers a firm base.

Such conditions are where traditional classic skis start to show their limitations, making the BC 65 a really good all-rounder and a safe pick for all round cross country enjoyment. It has been easy transitioning from a skinny to wider ski.

A great deal of credit goes to my BC 65s. They’re good skis.

Have one winter on these skis, using them across a wide variety of snow conditions and terrains. (nothing overly steep) I generally ski off trail, breaking my own paths. On steep ground skins would be required for uphill climbs.

Overall a good in-tree (eastern Canada) and off track ski, that has decent float in fresh snow with an acceptable return on kick energy. I found in fresh snow, powder greater than30 cm deep, the ski tends to nose up, creating some slip back, and a weird pattern to follow if you return on the same trail you went in on.

The steel edges provide nice hold when traversing side slopes on hard snow. I would recommend for off track exploring over moderate terrain in fresh snow less than 30 cm deep, spring corn and older snow conditions.

These skies are in their element in the back woods and off track.

I’m an intermediate skier and recently bought this ski. The glide is good but so far I’m disappointed with the skis. With just a small amount of loose snow the skis abruptly slow down. It’s a very hurky jerky ride.

Transitioning from tracks to groomed snow is not smooth. In addition, Rossignol’s sizing chart on the website says the recommended weight for 196cm is for 65 to 80 kg. The 196 skis arrived with a tag saying 50 to 70 kg.

I wasn’t happy to see that. Because my weight is just under 70kg, I kept the skis but now wish I had returned them. Rossignol please correct your sizing chart.

I picked these up last Feb and have 3 weeks of dry Methow WA skiing down with them. They are fast and light and the skins work great for climbing in cold dry snow when fully loaded. Yes they slip more than a 65mm wide fishscale ski but only slightlly and not if the snow is dry.

I can go much farther and longer with these from an older pair of metal edged OT 65s.

Compared to other skis i have tried, the camber on the ski is quite a bit more rigid. Personally, it took a bit of time to get used to but it gives the ski excellent feel/stability on the snow at a cost of more resistance on the kick.

The hard camber still results in an occasional missed kick here or there, especially when tired though. the skis also feel shockingly light. The bases also hit a nice balance point between drag and stability and are just wide enough to provide a little support on ungroomed snow but by no means any touring.

The review title refers to my main issue with the ski and the reason for my poor review which was an issue with the new IFP plate being used. Mid-way through a ski on a cold day, a portion of the plate cracked and came unglued from the ski along with the binding and small fragments of the top fiberglass sheet.

Great junior roller skis, perfect mounting.

TIP TOP

Bought these a few months ago, skied on them quite a bit. They come with a flex rating individual to each ski, so when I bought what the store recommended in terms onf length (since there was nothing in my size in the store), when I got the skis I was at the very edge of the recommended weight, but still within range.

After a few months of use, they definitely are not the ideal ski for me, I slip out alot even in the most forward setting (very little grip). Just dissapointed I couldnt try them in the store for a fitting.

Would recommend you buy in store and get fitted.

I have used these 5 times now and quite like them. They are light and quick and the skins work well on level terrain. The skins glide fairly well on the downhill, but can catch a bit when transitioning in and out of the track.

These skis do require good weight transfer for the skins to work and may not work well for beginners. While I have no issue getting the skins to grip on the flats and short, gentle uphills, I do tend to shuffle as the grade increases and on long uphills and the skins don’t respond as well to this type of skiing.

On the whole a nice ski.

Cons: -hmmm none. Love these skis Pros: -finally pair of skis made for heavy set people!! I have had to use flimsy skis for most of my life. Finally I know how really flex works! -the Skintec waxes best out there.

I do admit miss playing with wax and trying to figure out best for condition. These are rather boring, because they are always set to best condition. Love the grip and slide of these skis -Never had skis that work better in warm conditions.

Wax can not compare to these skis in warm weather. Love them -good slide in all conditions. Some people say slower than wax skis. I cannot notice the difference. Love them!! Nothing better for mike conditions.

Would buy again. Would recommend to anyone. If you are just starting out skiing would recommend these. Forget the hassle of waxing.

I used these all last season, about 60 days. They replaced a pair of high end skin skis that I had the year before and never really warmed up to. The 2020/2021 season just started and I still absolutely love the C9.

Light, fast with a great balanced feel tip to tail. Most importantly, changing the binding position makes a big difference with grip and glide so you can set them up ideally for the track conditions that day.

The bindings are easy to adjust and have worked flawlessly. Being able to just peel off/stick on and go between using the regular skin and the race skin is another bonus. The shop where I bought them took their time and found me the right size/stiffness which seems critical with skins.

Nordic skiing isn’t my first love but having good equipment and being able to keep up with your buddies makes the hard work fun.

Skis are great. Bases very well prepped and waxed, then protected with easily removable plastic film. I did wax before use but probably didn’t need to. Bindings are my favourite. Easier to get in than Fischer.

On the fly for-and-aft adjustment is handier than i thought it would be. Skatepro’s free shipping actually was free to Canada. No extra charges on delivery. Very happy with product choices, inventory and customer service.

Purchased early season to bring my skate skiing technique to the level I could compete with. I’m an Alpine ski racer that has taken an interest in skate skiing as a competitive sport. I’ve used a couple different skate ski and owned one other pair.

The S9 ski in med flex has been a game changer for me and my abilities. These skis are light and easy to handle on difficult snow conditions, but where they really excel for me has been in stepping through turns at speed – they build confidence.

Well made. Good materials.

I was very excited to find some skin skis in my length. They arrived quickly, however I discover they had proprietary binding mounts and had to wait for my local ski shop to receive matching bindings.

When I went in to have the binding installed the technician pointed out that the skis were too stiff for me. Not knowing a lot about skis I didn’t realize the website sales didn’t indicate the weight range for the skis.

The staff I spoke to to return the skis were extremely helpful and allowed me to return them postage free. Really appreciate the helpful staff at Valhalla Pure, they need to update the website,to sell skis by weight and length.

I bought the aero 7 skins to replace my old “fish scale” skis. They certainly work well zero and below. The skiis are a bit thin for non track set trails or even lightly packed single tracks. The skins work well – but one BIG warning – they grab any leaves or twigs and stop you dead without warning.

Found this out after a late season windstorm blew last season’s oak leaves, twigs and some fir needles out of the trees. So, on well packed, groomed, debris free trails, I highly recommend these skis.

My initial impression is this is a great recreational ski for a chum like me. I’m not doing the Birkie but doing 8 miles a day on groomed trails and these look like they’re going to suit me for years to come.

My wife has the racing ski and she LOVES those.

I decided to replace my old skate skis this season and see if I still could skate ski. This set of skis are a great training ski. They are quick and the camber is perfect for me. It has inspired to get back out skate skiing again!.

One ski broke after only 200km. Salomon claimed that this would not even be covered by the warranty. Nothing bad happened while skiing. I have to say that I am very disappointed with the ski and even more with the after sales services.

I could not even get a spare ski to solve the issue. I paid 475€ for Pro skis, what a disappointement.

Bought these as my first pair of skate skis. They feel well-balanced but fast, exactly what this eager newbie was looking for. REI, carry more Nordic gear, it’s what the people want!

Love it! Feels ultra-premium, but at a fraction of the price. Light, durable, and entertaining. Not to mention, a whole-body exercise. The cons are how the shipping and duty taxes are pretty expensive, it takes 2 weeks of shipping if you reside in Canada, and there was CAD$40 off an extra surprise shipping cost.

My fault, not SkatePro’s or FedEX’s. In conclusion, I’d totally recommend these, and these were for sure a good buy!.

This is our first set of roller skis. I bought them for my girlfriend who’s a big X-C skier. Given that she had no instruction or preparation, her first venture out was a little shaky, but she adapted quickly and seems to enjoy them now.

They appear to be basic, no frills skis, but they work fine and are easy to use. SkatePro’s customer service department was very helpful in explaining what our best options were and what to order.

I found these a great way to get started in roller skiing. Nice and stable and smooth rolling. Should have bought some knee pads though. I learnt the hard way, anything with wheels and no brakes can only end one way.

Still, got pads now and having a great time.