 Poster: A snowHead
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i'm planning ahead when i progress further from a beginner stage and purchasing my own skis instead of rental. how do i know which skis are "stiffer" thats more suited for an intermediate skier vs the "softer" beginner skis?
from what the rental rep at rhythm japan told me, "intermediate" skis are made from materials that are make the skis stiffer vs foam(?) that are found in beginner skis. not sure how true is that and dont want to get fleeced into buying an expensive skis just for the sake of buying one
which resources do you use to review/compare the skis + poles + bindings? which factors are important to consider when buying these 3 items?
thank you
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The one piece of advice I would give is to buy a set of second-hand skis as you first pair, ideally from a Snowhead. They'll listen to what level your at and how you want to progress, which should equate to you getting something that suits you.
By the way, don't assume owning your own skis is any cheaper these days. If you fly to resort, you'll break even at best by the time you've paid out for carriage and servicing. I have my own skis because I want a consistent feel every time I go on the slopes, not because it's significantly cheaper than renting.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Unless you try the skis, you’ll never know, and choosing a model will be a complete shot in the dark. There are plenty of skis out there to satisfy everyone, but we all have different likes and dislikes. Take some advice from a ski shop, rent as many different skis as you can, and choose your favourite.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The rental rep is largely right.
Beginners don't tend to ski too fast (on purpose at least), want something that helps them turn and doesn't require them to ski strongly (often referred to as driving the skis). And learning to ski is a costly business and they don't know how much they like it so they want something that is cheap to buy or rent. Hence yeah, foam rather than wood core, no metal, etc. Also beginners tend to not do much off piste so are just given piste skis.
My suggestion is that once you progress and perhaps start to ski off piste, that you hire better skis (all mountain skis if going off piste) and take note of what skis you are given and what you like. At the same time start to look at skis online and become familiar with the aspects and characteristics of them. That why you will start to figure out what sort of skis you like and which makes and models work for you. Blister is a well respected review site. Retailers such as glisshop and ekosport have a large catalogue.
Bindings you just get what you pay for. More expensive ones will use better materials and therefore have longer life.
Poles - I used some ancient aluminium ones bought from a charity shop.
Boots - you need to find a good boot fitter - just tell people on here where you live and they will provide recs.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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i read that buying skis in resorts are more expensive than buying them in city areas. but city areas one can't demo the skis before purchase while in resorts you can do so. how do i go about buying from the city if i can't demo them? a stupid question that needs to be asked
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| ski9 wrote: |
| i read that buying skis in resorts are more expensive than buying them in city areas. but city areas one can't demo the skis before purchase while in resorts you can do so. how do i go about buying from the city if i can't demo them? a stupid question that needs to be asked |
Unless you have sufficient experience to know exactly what you want, there's not much point buying away from the mountains. Of course you can rent a few pairs during your holiday, then buy your favourite when you get back to the city, but you still won’t save any money as you’ll have had to pay for all those rentals, which would (in our village anyway) be free if you bought skis from the rental shop. You simply must demo, unless you like gambling of course. Talk to an expert in the shop, and get them to make a list of 5 or 6 models that they think should suit you. You can easily test them all in a couple of days. It’s fun to do as well!
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The last 2 pairs of skis I have bought came straight off the shop floor, had bindings fitted and then I tried them. If I didn't want them they would get put into the hire fleet. If a shop will do this it is far better than testing rentals that may not be in 'as new' condition.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Ski as many skis as possible, take a note of what model they were, how wide and how long, or take a picture that includes these details. Write your thoughts down, so you don't forget.
Seek out demo days. Follow your favourite ski brands and resorts on social media to find out when/where they are demoing. I am currently in the market myself for a pair of piste skis, but I have no idea what to get, so I will wait for the next demo day at Stubai in November. Beforehand, I will make a shortlist from the bigger brands of skis I will look for, but be open to testing others in the same category once I've narrowed the focus a little. If I like a ski early in the day, I might try it again later to confirm, or in a different length.
If you can't test in resort, go to one of the Snowheads ski tests in October at a UK snow dome, or also some of the large stores inside snow domes will let you demo their skis on the slope.
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Then buy the red ones, they are the fastest.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Nobody knows exactly how you ski, what kind of feel you like in a ski, if you prefer a slightly shorter or longer ski, waist width - or the way you’ll ski in a year or two from now and how, if at all, your preferences regarding weight, flex, rocker/camber, width, sidecut and length are going to change. At an early stage that “nobody” even includes you. So there’s no perfect ski.
What you can get is good skis, bad skis, fun skis, easy skis, rewarding skis, skis you like and skis you for some reason just dislike etc… skis that grip just like you intended to, skis that grip an edge too easily and skis that don’t hold at all…. Sometimes it’s the one and same model that’s all of the above depending on the day, sometimes not. It just might take a bit warmer temperature, a couple of inches of new snow or nightly sub-zero temperatures following yesterday’s slushfest when your skis change character. Reading ski reviews only helps you so much.
So there’s three ways to go about it: one is to just buy something that’s marketed as an intermediate ski, preferably with a wood core and probably a piste ski or a frontside oriented all mountain ski. The second is to demo several pairs and then buy the pair you liked the most and be happy about it. Or then you could go bonkers and accept that there’s no perfect pair of skis and treat your first pair of ski as a beginning of building a quiver of different kinds of skis for different - real or imaginary - use cases. Like a hobbyist cyclist who spends thousands on sets of wheels, trimming weight from the brake rotors, aero handlebars etc. Really there’s nothing ‘better’ in this approach than just having one pair of skis (or a ‘good enough’ of a bike) you like, get a workout with and that take you to your next lunch stop. But for some fiddling with the gear is a part of the hobby.
Bindings - don’t worry about it! All bindings do their job until you’re in that 1 % of skiers that start to have their own preferences based on their specific use cases. So for now you can just forget about all those “yeah the all metal Look 15s are sooo much better than those plastic 12s” etc and take whatever comes with the ski or, if the skis are sold flat, what the guy in the shop recommends or can bundle together the cheapest.
Poles: anything goes as long as the length is right. I think that for some reason many beginners/intermediates buy poles that are a bit too long. I did too, based on some calculator in the internet and because the guy in a shop didn’t know or care to correct me, but luckily all it took was a hot air gun, a hacksaw and glue to correct it.
And finally, even though you didn’t ask, your boots are perfect when they fit and the flex is right. Never read a boot review. You’ll just waste time reading and which should be fun days skiing fighting with the boots plus, last & least, money just because someone in the internet said that “boot X is great!” (they might be, wrapped around his feet).
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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+1 with @ster, on this, red ones are the fastest.
But do you want or need the fastest?
My current favourites are white with Red Stripes
But I would make sure they had adjustable binding on them like rentals have.
Poles ... get adjustables as well. Because as you progress you'll find you need much shorter poles than the official script.
Is that right Red@ster ?
Second hand but in pretty good nick.
Any ski shop worth its salt in the resorts will allow you to demo skis, so try a selection.
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troll
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You know it makes sense.
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Many resorts in Austria have demo rental stores for about 40euro a day with as many changes as possible.
But you can't beat demo days, unless you read local news, its close to impossible to know when this days are on.
If in doubt about which skis to get, just buy Magnolia coloured skis, they are the best of the best....
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Skiessentials.com have good reviews on skis and are pretty consistent. Unlike blister where you need a subscription for something’s, it’s all on YouTube or their chairlift chat - they are a shop but I think that’s just a cover for them to use and abuse everything and go skiing 
I had an email in for a demo week at Pila as well a couple of days ago from a UK ski store. Don’t know where you are but https://skiexchange.co.uk/pages/consumer-ski-test-10th-16th-march-2024
I think it’s simple - buy red skis or they have to have red in their name as they’re obviously the best, buy Leki poles and gloves, buy the boots a professional boot fitter tells you to when you’re in resort and accept it may cost more but you can ski and alter the fit that entire week.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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All of the Rossignol Experience Range . . .choose your length and width and all will be good. If you're a progressing beginner / low level intermediate I'd stay away from the 'TI' range and stick with the 'AI' as they're softer / not as stiff however it does depend on your height / weight.
The Experience is an 'easy' ski but can handle progression / higher speeds / variable conditions as your skiing progresses . . .the rail binding system also means you can adjust them easily / donate them to growing teenagers / sell them on easily when you progress. Its also why they are a very popular ski in France for both rental shops / instructors. Until last season and over the last decade I've personally been on 3x different iterations of the Exp 84 (as the dad ski of choice) and have loved all of them . . .
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Overall I have found that it's really only worth owning skis that you won't be able to rent easily, if you are looking for intermediate level piste skis for fairly standard week long skiing holidays then I would stick to renting until you decide you want something a bit more specialised. You will also avoid the faff of base repairs and keeping bindings in safe condition.
If you are planning to drive to your future ski holidays and have a large enough car then it can be worth buying them sooner in your skiing journey.
If you do get them it's worth learning how to wax them and maintain the edges otherwise the servicing costs can eat up all the money you save by not renting.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Henwc, Sort of agree however there's nothing like owning your own from a familiarity perspective as not all skis ski the same! Hiring 'premium' rentals (which are arguably not necessarily that premium unless you are out at Xmas and they're new / new season models) can be just as expensive if not more so than ownership and by my calcs skis pretty much pay for themselves in a couple of seasons if you are a 2x trip a year skier and can undertake basic maintenance . . .also look for the previous seasons model as they're normally exactly the same albeit with an older paint job and a big £ saving. I'm firmly in the 'All Mountain' camp in terms of ownership but will rent fatties for rare powder days or Slaloms if the ice is too much for my own skis . . .
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If you do look for some to buy I'd suggest checking out ex rentals from 2019 or 2020 they will have seen a lot less use than other years (for fairly obvious reasons)
Autumn 2023 I bought a pair of ex hire Faction prodigy 1.0 twin-tips (2019 model) and they were virtually brand new, I have already scratched up the top sheet and had a base repair but it's all my damage
I agree on the all mountain thing although I go for all mountain freestyle/park skis
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Belch how many days per trip in "2x trip a year" are you referring to?
@Henwc am i right that i don't need specialized equipment to hold the skis in place when tuning/waxing? i saw a video in youtube saying that i can use books to support the skis while tuning. could you elaborate on what you mean by keeping bindings in safe condition? do bindings break easily and do i keep them in a safe condition by using binding tape?
@DrLawn why are shorter poles required in more advanced levels?
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| DrLawn wrote: |
Poles ... get adjustables as well. Because as you progress you'll find you need much shorter poles than the official script.
Is that right Red@ster ? |
Correct, adjustable poles allow you to find the perfect pitch for clicking. 
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@ski9, Two week long trips (renting for 6x days ea)
In Austria for a week this is circa 235 Euros (for premium skis inc poles and insurance) so a total of 470 Euros - multiply this by 2x and that's 940 euros / £800 approx.
Take off 4x ski carriage (£70 x 4 = £280) and that means you've got £520 to spend on your own planks and poles . . .
I bought some new Head Kore 87s this season (22-23 model) for £350 . . bindings were £110!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@DrLawn, adjustable poles? really?
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| ski9 wrote: |
@Henwc am i right that i don't need specialized equipment to hold the skis in place when tuning/waxing? i saw a video in youtube saying that i can use books to support the skis while tuning.
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I have found waxing skis is ok without a special tech table, sharpening edges is another matter because if you or the skis slip during sharpening you can get nasty hand injuries which are a nightmare during a ski trip (I keep a pair of L5+ anti cut gloves with my wax and tools so I can wear them for any ski maintenance). I would not advise sharpening your own skis unless you really know what you are doing because it's quite technical and there are safety elements.
| ski9 wrote: |
could you elaborate on what you mean by keeping bindings in safe condition? do bindings break easily and do i keep them in a safe condition by using binding tape?
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What I mean by keeping them safe is making sure that they will work correctly and will disengage as expected in a fall or crash. The only way to be sure is to get a professional in a ski shop to do a bindings test. I recently had a pair of old skis fail a bindings test where the binding would not have released correctly in a major fall. This could have caused a fairly serious injury. The bindings don't tend to break easily but like anything they will degrade over time and given they are the key safety component of the skis it is essential they are working properly. I'm not sure what you mean by binding tape sorry.
For the reasons above tend to get my skis professionally serviced at least once at the start of each season, so you'd need to factor in that cost.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@under a new name, Yep, that's right.
We don't all use them, but they are handy.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| DrLawn wrote: |
@under a new name, Yep, that's right.
We don't all use them, but they are handy. |
100% agree with adjustable poles, much easier to pack.
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“Pack”?
I will confess I’ve used the same length poles (for ordinary skiing) for about 40 years …
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You know it makes sense.
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| under a new name wrote: |
“Pack”?
I will confess I’ve used the same length poles (for ordinary skiing) for about 40 years … |
My poles will fit in a suitcase when collapsed down although they usually go in with my skis.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@under a new name, Adjustable useful if you are switching from off-piste / touring (longer poles beneficial) to piste (standard size) to park (shorter) but if not I'd argue they are a bit of a faff . . .when I owned a pair of adjustable carbon beauties they were actually a pain for lift served skiing; they are also highly knickable (because they are suitable for all heights) so unless you have a dedicated pole locking element in your security (Ski Lock / Loqski) this means plonking them on the table at lunch / strapping them to your pack sporadically . . . plus they are generally more fragile / expensive!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Belch, hmmm, sort of ... I have adjustable for touring, but don't see the point o'wise. Might explain why park rats have such crappy stance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| under a new name wrote: |
| ... I have adjustable for touring, but don't see the point o'wise. Might explain why park rats have such crappy stance. |
Quite useful for those wishing to make the snow look deeper than it actually is in a viewfinder.
You know, along with that massively aggressive down-unweighting move...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@ski9, If you want to check the stiffness of skis, this is the only resource I have found that provides decent information: https://soothski.com
The rental rep was being truthful with you. If you used beginner skis as an intermediate skier, they would probably feel too flexible and floppy to provide enough stability at your higher speeds. However, any decent rental shop would select appropriate intermediate skis for you once you have reached that level. If you look at ski manufacturer's websites, you will notice that they categorise their skis according to ability level.
The right balance of stiffness provides enough stability at your higher speeds while still being flexible enough to ski and control well at lower speeds.
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FAQ
