Cross-country ski size chart
Enter your weight and height and choose classic, skate or backcountry touring. You get a ski length range built from the weight charts of Fischer, Madshus, Rossignol, Salomon, Atomic and Peltonen and the sizing tables of Nordic specialty shops, with the full chart below.
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Affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you. See the disclosure.Cross-country ski size chart by weight
A cross-country ski is a spring. Its camber has to lift the grip zone off the snow when you glide on both skis and press it down when you kick on one, so the ski is matched to your weight before anything else. Gear West, evo, Scheels and Cross Country Ski HQ publish the same core weight table; the consensus column widens it where the manufacturers' own weight ranges reach further.
| Skier weight | kg | Classic | Skate | Backcountry / touring | Waxless package size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 100 lb | under 45 | 176–185 | 165–175 | 159–166 | XS / S |
| 100–110 lb | 45–50 | 180–190 | 170–180 | 160–166 | S |
| 110–120 lb | 50–54 | 182–192 | 172–182 | 160–169 | S |
| 120–130 lb | 54–59 | 185–195 | 175–185 | 166–170 | S |
| 130–140 lb | 59–64 | 187–200 | 177–187 | 170–176 | M |
| 140–150 lb | 64–68 | 190–205 | 180–190 | 170–179 | M |
| 150–160 lb | 68–73 | 195–210 | 185–195 | 176–180 | L |
| 160–180 lb | 73–82 | 200–210 | 190–195 | 180–189 | L |
| 180–200 lb | 82–91 | 202–210 | 191–195 | 186–196 | XL |
| 200 lb and up | 91+ | 207–210, stiff | 192, stiff or extra-stiff | 196–206 | XL |
Where sources differ: for skiers over 180 lb Gear West and Cross Country Ski HQ give classic 200–210 while evo and Scheels give 205–210; for skate skis at 130–150 lb the upper bound is 187–190 (Gear West) or 190–195 (evo, Scheels). Madshus's skate weight bands are 30 kg wide and start lower than Fischer's.
Cross-country ski size chart by height
Height is the cross-check. Classic skis come out about 20 to 25 cm over your height (the old "wrist above your head" rule), skate skis 10 to 15 cm over, and backcountry skis near your height. Fischer says skate skis can be as little as 5 to 10 cm over height. If your weight row and height row disagree, trust the weight and pick a stiffer or softer flex.
| Height | cm | Classic | Skate | Backcountry | Nordic Skater (skate / combi / classic) | Madshus (classic / skate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4'9"–4'10" | 145–149 | 165–175 | 155–165 | 145–155 | 160 / 165 / 170 | 160–170 / 150 |
| 4'11"–5'1" | 150–156 | 170–180 | 160–170 | 150–160 | 165–170 / 170–175 / 175–180 | 170–175 / 155–165 |
| 5'2"–5'3" | 157–161 | 180–187 | 165–175 | 155–165 | 175 / 180 / 185 | 180–187 / 165–170 |
| 5'4"–5'5" | 162–166 | 182–192 | 170–180 | 160–170 | 180 / 185 / 190 | 182–192 / 170–175 |
| 5'6"–5'7" | 167–171 | 190–197 | 175–185 | 165–175 | 185 / 190 / 195 | 190–197 / 175–180 |
| 5'8"–5'9" | 172–176 | 192–200 | 180–190 | 170–180 | 190 / 195 / 200 | 192–200 / 180–185 |
| 5'10"–5'11" | 177–181 | 200–207 | 185–192 | 175–185 | 195 / 195 / 205 | 202–210 / 185–190 |
| 6'0"–6'1" | 182–186 | 202–210 | 190–195 | 180–190 | 195 / 195 / 205 | 202–210 / 190–195 |
| 6'2" and up | 187+ | 207–210 | 192–195 | 185–195 | 195 / 195 / 210 | 207–210 / 192–195 |
Manufacturer weight ranges by ski length
These are the weight ranges the brands print for their own skis, in kilograms. They show why the chart gives a range: a 75 kg (165 lb) skier fits a 197 cm Fischer classic ski in medium flex or a 192 in stiff, a 197 to 200 cm Madshus, and a 198 to 203 cm Rossignol.
| Ski | Length → skier weight (kg) |
|---|---|
| Fischer classic race (medium / stiff flex) | 187: under 50–59 · 192: 55–74 · 197: 60–74 / 70–84 · 202: 70–84 / 80–90 · 207: 75–90 / 85–90+ |
| Fischer Twin Skin Pro (skin classic) | 182: 50–69 · 187: 55–79 · 192: 60–84 · 197: 65–94 · 202: 70–84 · 207: 80–115 |
| Fischer skate (medium flex) | 171 and 176: under 50–54 · 181: 55–64 · 186: 60–74 · 191: 65–79 · 191 extra-stiff: 100–130 |
| Fischer backcountry (Adventure / Outback) | 159: under 55 · 169: 50–70 · 179: 66–86 · 189: over 84 (Outback 68: 169: 50–65 · 179: 60–80 · 189: 70–90 · 199: 80–100) |
| Madshus skate | 172: 30–60 · 177: 40–70 · 182: 50–80 · 187: 60–90 · 192: 70–100+ |
| Salomon skate (S/Lab, S/Max) | 170: 35–50 · 177: 45–60 · 182: 50–70 · 187: 60–80 · 192: 70–90 · 192 extra-stiff: 90–110 |
| Rossignol Delta skate | 173: 45–60 · 180: 55–70 · 186: 65–85 · 192: 80–95+ |
| Rossignol Delta Comp R-Skin classic (medium / stiff) | 186: 30–50 / 50–70 · 191: 40–60 / 60–80 · 198: 50–70 / 70–90 · 203: 60–80 / 80–100 · 208: 70–90 / 90–110 |
| Rossignol backcountry (BC 80, Evo OT 65) | 166: 40–60 · 176: 50–70 · 186: 60–80 · 196: 80–100 |
| Atomic skate (Pro S2, Redster S5) | 167: 40–50 · 173: 45–60 · 180: 55–75 · 186: 70–90 · 192: 75–100+ |
| Peltonen Infra classic (medium / stiff / extra-stiff) | 188: 45–55 / 55–65 / 65–80 · 195: 55–65 / 65–75 / 75–85 · 202: 65–75 / 75–90 / 90–110 · 207: 70–85 / 85–100 / 100–130 |
Kids' cross-country ski size chart
Children's skis are sized by height. Classic skis run from the child's height to about 20 cm over it: beginners height plus 10, advanced plus 10 to 20 (Fischer, Scheels, Kunstadt). Skate skis run from 5 to 10 cm under height for beginners to 5 to 10 cm over for advanced. Add 5 cm for a heavy child, take 5 cm off for a light one (Fischer).
| Child's height | cm | Classic | Skate | Madshus junior (classic / skate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 3'1" | under 95 | 90–100 | — | 90 / 90–100 |
| 3'1"–3'5" | 95–105 | 100–110 | — | 100–110 / 100–120 |
| 3'5"–3'9" | 105–115 | 110–120 | 100–110 | 110–120 / 100–120 |
| 3'9"–4'1" | 115–125 | 120–135 | 110–120 | 120–140 / 100–120 |
| 4'1"–4'5" | 125–135 | 130–145 | 120–135 | 130–150 / 130–140 |
| 4'5"–4'9" | 135–145 | 140–155 | 130–145 | 150–160 / 145–160 |
| 4'9"–5'1" | 145–155 | 150–165 | 140–155 | 170+ / 160–175 |
| 5'1"–5'5" | 155–165 | 160–180 | 150–165 | 170–197 / 160–175 |
How to check the fit
- The paper test (classic). Stand on both skis on a hard floor with your weight even. A friend should be able to slide a sheet of paper under the grip zone, from a little behind your heel to about 20 cm in front of your toe. Shift all your weight to one ski and the paper should be pinned. If it slides freely on one ski, the ski is too stiff; if it is pinned on two, too soft.
- Flex numbers. Shops that flex-test skis match a classic ski's camber to about half your body weight (50 to 55%, up to 60% for klister; skin skis 58 to 68%) and a skate ski's to 100 to 130% of body weight (Madshus, Cross Country Ski HQ, WebCyclery). Flex matters more than length.
- The height check. Stood on end, a classic ski should reach about your wrist with your arm raised; a skate ski about 10 cm less than that; a touring ski around head height.
- Grip or glide? Between two lengths or flexes, go softer or shorter for more grip and easier kicking, stiffer or longer for more glide and speed (Lakehead, Fischer).
- Poles. Classic poles are about 83 to 85% of your height, skate poles 88 to 90%. See the cross-country pole chart.
Questions
How long should cross-country skis be?
Classic skis are about 20 to 25 cm longer than your height and skate skis about 10 to 15 cm longer, up to a maximum of about 207 to 210 cm classic and 192 to 195 cm skate. But modern skis are sized by weight first: the camber has to match your weight, so a 150 lb skier takes a 195 to 210 cm classic ski whatever their height.
Are cross-country skis sized by height or weight?
Weight. Fischer, Madshus, Rossignol, Salomon and Atomic all publish a weight range for each ski length, because the ski's camber must be stiff enough to lift the grip zone off the snow when you glide and soft enough to press it down when you kick. Height is only a cross-check.
What length skate skis do I need?
About 10 to 15 cm over your height, chosen by weight: roughly 170 to 180 cm for skiers around 100 to 120 lb, 180 to 190 cm around 140 to 150 lb, and 190 to 195 cm above 160 lb. Skate skis top out at about 192 to 195 cm.
Are waxless skis sized differently?
No. Fischer, Rossignol and Salomon put their skin and fish-scale skis on the same weight grid as their waxable skis. Recreational waxless packages are often sold in S, M, L and XL by weight: Fischer's Orbiter, for example, is S 50–60 kg, M 65–80, L 75–90, XL over 90.
Related charts
- Fischer Nordic size selection chart (FW21/22 PDF, as hosted by Hardwood Ski and Bike), Fischer, What Ski Length Do I Need and Fischer's children's sizing article
- Madshus sizing via SkatePro (adult), SkatePro (junior) and madshus.com product pages and blog
- Rossignol, Salomon and Atomic Nordic weight ranges as published on evo (Rossignol), evo (Salomon), SkatePro and Coast Outdoors model pages; the brands' own sizing pages blocked automated reading
- Peltonen flex chart at Swiss Sports
- Retailer weight and height tables: Gear West, evo, Scheels, Cross Country Ski HQ, Nordic Skater, WebCyclery, Kunstadt, Boulder Nordic Sport