aaron12345":2q4ivn77 said:
I'm 5' 7, 16, and 130 lbs.
Except for the 16 part, we're of similar specs. I've got just a few years on you. (Well, to be honest, more years than I'd care to admit. Aah, to be 16 again, skiing first chair to last chair with nary a rest break in between. Oh, well, back to the reality of my aging bones.)
aaron12345":2q4ivn77 said:
I'm looking for something that will mostly be used on the east coast, but won't kill my dreams of getting out west sometime within the next few years. Also I'm looking for something lowishly priced, but that I won't grow out of in skill level anytime soon (I can do pretty much all the double blacks in VA and West VA, but that's not saying much).
I'll let others with more specific brand/model recommendations speak up, as it's not my forté. However, I would suggest reconsidering your "intermediate" thought. It's hard for me to tell from the descriptions of the slopes you're able to descend, for I don't know if you're descending in fine form, or if you're flailing. Can you link parallel turns on any groomed slope, or do you occasionally find yourself stemming turns? Do you feel like you primarily carve your turns, or skid them? If your answers to those two questions are the former option, and not the latter choice, then I'd recommend aiming for an advanced or "soft expert" all-mountain ski. Look for something with waist demensions in the high 60 millimeters and a shovel and tail around 100mm, for that's a true "all-mountain" mid-fat that will carry you through most snow conditions with ease, from hardpack to powder. Anything narrower in the waist will handle ice with more aplomb and will be quicker edge to edge, and anything wider will be more at home in loose snow and less comfortable to ski on hardpack.
aaron12345":2q4ivn77 said:
I'm looking at alot of last years models to save a few buck (seems like a good idea, what do you think?).
Absolutely. Any differences between last season's gear and this season's are likely to be more cosmetic than anything else. If you can save a good chunk of dough by picking up last season's leftovers, go for it.
aaron12345":2q4ivn77 said:
I'm tired of ... having to fly past the signs on the slopes that say no rentals.
:shock: Am I misunderstanding you, or are you saying that there are slopes in the Mid-Atlantic where rental equipment is prohibited?? If so, I'm, well,... :shock: