What waist width is best for a telemark ski?

For most telemark skiers, 85–105mm is the ideal waist width range. This provides enough float for soft snow while keeping the ski quick enough for the tele turn's active edge-to-edge transitions. Skis in the 90–100mm range are the most popular for all-mountain versatility. Go narrower (80–90mm) if you ski primarily firm snow or groomed runs. Go wider (100–110mm) if you ski primarily soft snow and powder. Avoid skis wider than 110mm unless you're an expert tele skier with a specific need—the free heel makes very wide skis significantly harder to manage.