At what point should I look into buying skis?

Hey all,

I'm now hoping to make several trips a year, which means rental costs can add up, but I'm still a shaky beginner, seeing a lot of improvement every time I go -that's thrilling and rewarding- but so maybe I should just wait until I am at a certain more stable level before I buy skis, and at that point spend more $$?

What do you guys recommend?

redsnapper":254dmu06 said:

Hey all,

I'm now hoping to make several trips a year, which means rental costs can add up, but I'm still a shaky beginner, seeing a lot of improvement every time I go -that's thrilling and rewarding- but so maybe I should just wait until I am at a certain more stable level before I buy skis, and at that point spend more $$?

What do you guys recommend?

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First, invest in a pair of precisely fitting boots that have the appropriate flex and lateral stiffness. Without such boots your skills will probably plateau soon?particularly if you have narrow width, low volume feet. Check around with other skiers and locate a reputable shop with good boot fitting personnel.

If you have boots, then consider skis. Take a ski lesson and ask about for recommendations on ski models or market niche. Although going this route may not instantly feed your new-found enthusiasm for sking, it may keep you from buying an inappropriate ski.

Cheers,
Jeff

excellent advice from Jeff, i second everything he said.

In addition to excellent advice already forwarded, there are also a couple of intrinsic reasons to consider your own equipment, boots or boots & skis: a) you become familar and comfortable with one set of gear and can focus on your own skills and b) you get to control the maintenance of skis - with rentals, they will have a varying amount of (ab)use and tuning. If you can keep a pair tuned (sharp edges count for a lot), great. In fact, I took my own advice nearly 30 years ago, buying a pair after one year of using rentals. It was certainly worth it.

I'm always a believer in compromise; middle ground might be to lease a pair for a season, if you don't want to blow the big wad. Leases ususally only can be cut at the beginning of the season.

If you're going to buy, consider end of season (with such a rotten season, I'm sure there is still lots of good inventory) for good prices with good selection.

If the budget is limited, go for a good pair of boots first, as suggested earlier. You can stay with them as your skills advance, whereas with skis, you may find yourself migrating towards different skis as your skill evolves. I find that skis have a much wider range of "personalities" than boots (many more subjective variables - flex, speed, carving/edging, sl/gs/rec/powder/etc.).

Good luck and keep up the great turns!

I agree that boots should be your first purchase. You should probably consider something that is a step or two above your current ability, but not too much above it. I think if you purchase entry level boots, they will hold you back.

I have terrible fitting problems with boots (although I must say that the Nordica Beast was a God send -- first pair of boots I've had in 35 years of skiing that did not require a trip the shop every three runs) so I purchase at full retail from a shop at or near the base of my local ski area and then only from someone that I really trust knows how to fit boots. I'm paying for service, not the equipment. I know I can make as many visits as necessary to get them fitting perfectly, even two or three years later. Over time, as you ski, the liners and shells do change and need some re-fitting from time to time.

As for skis, many shops have consignment skis (i.e. used) for sale. You can pick up some pretty good equipment very inexpensively. Again, buy a couple steps above your current abilities. They may let you try the equpment first for a day or two before buying. There are also great demo programs for new equipment, but sometimes they feature only top models which may be too far beyond your abilities.

Having a complete package of equipment is bound to make a difference in your skiing, as the skis do vary in how they perform and you might find that overcoming those variations is a challenge to getting better.

Finally, just as important as good skis and boots, don't forget about good quality waterproof breathable clothing. The more comfortable you are, the longer you'll stay out.

Good luck.

when you do decide to buy skis, Corbetts in Oakville puts their entire inventory at 50% off sometime towards the of March. IMO it's the only way to buy ski equipment.

wolfer":36kcr2wg said:

when you do decide to buy skis, Corbetts in Oakville puts their entire inventory at 50% off sometime towards the of March. IMO it's the only way to buy ski equipment.

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I'm at a stage that I won't buy before I try, but at your level, it might not mean that much. Price may be the overriding concern, in which case, go for it. Worst case scenario, they'll be on the consignment rack next winter and you'll take what you can get toward your next pair.

MSK