Well Todd, that confirms it - no boarding for me!
As for skis: the short "shaped" skis are the only thing you can buy these days. They are the equvilent of the oversized tennis raquet or the 'Fred Flintstone' style drivers in golf. I call them 'cheater skis' because they allow people with minimal skills to ski quite well. I'm 5'9" and a very aggressive skier. With conventional skis, I used to use 200-205cm slaloms, 207-210 GS and also had a pair of 217 Super G's and some 223 downhills (talk about some knee-busters!!). Now? My longest ski is a 193 (K2 Seth Morrison) but I typically ski on a 175 or 180!!!! Not only are they easier to ski, they require so much less effort (you don't need to pressure the ski to bend it in order to turn, you only need to put it on edge since it is already 'shaped') I find myself skiing right up til the lift closes rather than quitting at 2:00 with rubber legs.