Howdly doodley everybody.

I'm just getting into skiing and looking for a decent pair of skis of my own to get me started. anything from 170-190 is good.

I'm hoping to spend a lot of time in the backcountry (once i get better) and little time in the resort (a lot of time in the beginning) so i'm hoping to get a ski that will perform decently on both terrains.

Congrats on getting hooked on skiing. Its my fav thing to do in the mountains.

Many questions-What is your current skill level? Do you want to get a Backcountry rig or a go-anywhere setup ( AT, randonee, freeride, whatever you want to call it) OR a resort setup, skis to be used at lift operated areas.

Then, you can start to think/ask yourself what you should get. Along with your skill level, height weight bla bla you can start to narrow down what you NEED

beginner-intermediate. i've only been twice (snowboarded for a long time though).

right now id like something that i can use at a resort and in the backcountry. i already have a pair of AT boots so ill definitely want some AT bindings (duh).

im 6'0 and 155lbs if that helps

So youre a beginner, thats cool man, welcome to a new addiction!

With your skill level, I would focus on getting something basic in a ski. Since you already have AT boots (hope they fit well!) I would first do some research on making sure your AT boots are compatible (they fit right) with the binding you want. If there older boots, they may not fit well in modern AT bindings, I had this problem back when I was getting started.

What bindings? I would say get some marker barons. I say that for a couple of reasons. If I were you, I would really focus on getting a pass at taos or wherever you can get to/afford. Go ski as much as you can. Rip the resort, then move into the trees and get used to skiing on variable terrain in bounds, so that you can make that transition outside the rope later once you have builded skills and experience. The backcountry is a whole different deal, as you will learn. Try and ski as much as you can, get good, then buy some really nice shite that you can actually use to your benifit.

The baron is a good in bound and out of bounds binding, and when you outgrow the skis, take the binding of and mount them on some new skis!

We are similar in body build, and I would say try to get some skis that are around 170 cm in length to start. Look for a ski that has a waist ( themiddle of the ski) around 80. The newer wider skis w sidecut o'plenty should help you get that on edge feeling quicker than older skinny skis.

PM me if you have more ? hope this helps ya

Check these out (Not mine, but a friend's): http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthr ... ost1034387