What would you do - Expensive Rentals

A snowHead

Hi,

I'll try to keep this concise, I'm off to Canada skiing Lake Louise this winter for 2 weeks, but the rentals there seem ridiculous...Looking at something like $500CAD for 10 days, and there doesn't seem to be a large selection of rental shops there to drive down the price.

I believe I get free transport of skis from the UK with the airline so am investigating getting some skis here and taking them over. (Bare in mind I'm not a regular skier, probably get out once every 2 years normally)

From another thread the main response I saw was don't get second hand boots off ebay - So I'll stick to either buying some beginners ones from a store, or some 2nd hand ones that I can try on first (never had issues with rental boots so don't believe I have difficult feet)

The main thing is skis. I'm looking on ebay and there seem to be a abundance of pretty cheap skis on there. Is this a good idea to get skis of ebay? I don't really know what I'm looking for (always just took a relatively cheap rental and enjoyed them) What should I watch out for if looking second hand? (Ideally I'll go for local so that I can see them first)

Finally the other option could be to rent skis over here and then take them with me. But I don't know if any companies to that?

Thanks
Andrew

To summarize:
-Going to Canada
-Ski + Boot Rental looking to be around £300
-Thinking of buying second hand over here
-What should I look for? (Boots I will try on, currently just look for ski's around 175-80 I'm 6', from makes I know)
-Can I rent here and take over there?

A snowHead

I might get shot down for suggesting this, but as you ski infrequently and you say you are more than happy with rental boots etc, then can you try a local-ish decathlon or something like that. Some decathlon stores now have trained bootfitters, so give them a call first and see, but if they do fit you OK, you can pick up a pair for £100-£130. Or take the view that buying a properly fitted pair may last you a substantial number of years and essentially pay for themselves over time. You dont mention what level you ski at, so may find that beginner boots are too soft for you though...

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Ah to do with level I've only skiied in the alps so mainly Reds, but by the end of last time was more going for black runs. Hope to try a little off-piste this time, though unlikely any deep powder.

Just looking on ebay and gumtree, I looked to be able to pick up a pair for £40-60 with bindings which didn't seem to expensive to me, at least compared to the price new ones seem to cost.

I'll have a look in decathlon as there is one nearby.

How much roughly would I need to budget for a pair of intermediate ski's, if I was to go the new route? Not interested in if they are a few years out of date etc.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I have not hired for a long time so not sure of costs of hire and how much more expensive hiring in Canada is or should be. However, one good things is that they will have been serviced and if you aren't enjoying skiing them you can get them changed. Buying off ebay you have to know what you are doing.. a) whether the skis are suitable and b) what condition they are in.

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unicycleboy, I've got some Legend Sultan 85s in 172 that are for sale at the moment. Yours for £175 including bindings, ready to go edged and waxed, they look almost unused.

Where are you based? I've got a couple of mates who did very well buying secondhand boots at Ski Bartlett - they keep a decent stock of secondhand boots in there and have fitters on hand to help. I've got some Atomic B90s that need to come out of my loft sometime if you are size 10 and want to try them.

Skis at £40-60 are either going to be shot to bits, truly awful skis, or the seller doesn't know what they've got.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

First check if your airline carries skis and boots for free because if not you may find that it would actually make sense to hire and bite the bullet.

I would buy some boots here and make sure they are comfy well before you go, a dry slope or a snowdome, not walking about in your house - that's not the same as skiing. I'd hire the skis. Unless you are going at peak time you will probably be able to do a deal by just walking into a shop in resort. You may find there are little shops which don't have websites etc.

After all it is free

Have you thought of hiring in Banff - Snowtips and Backtracks in Banff, on Bear street are probably a lot cheaper than what you have been quoted out at the lake.

Plenty of small-medium shops in Banff - and should be less than you've been quoted, especially for lower end skis and boots. Have to say the choice and condition was worse than france, and the cost maybe 50% higher. No big ski chain shops like France, so maybe that's why. On the plus side you'll be skiing in Canada, you lucky so-and-so. Make sure you get over to Sunshine.

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I'm not sure where you're getting your rentals, but quality should be 1st rate - if it isn't just go somewhere else. I don't ride in Alberta enough to know which the decent shops are, but they will be there.

Those rates are expensive though - you should be able to get 1st class skis/ boots/ poles for about $300 cdn for 10 days +HST (I just looked up my favourite local provider). I've been told that European rental gear can be poor quality, but in Canada that's just not an issue.

I wouldn't want personally to buy anything, new or otherwise, that I'd not ridden.

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snow reports

unicycleboy, I have a pair of scott roadster xp's 170 for sale, good early intermediate on piste ski, though I did do a piste to powder course on them, expertly serviced Very Happy

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=104920#2403710.

unicycleboy, just remembered I have some ski boots as we'll size 8, you can have those with the skis at no extra cost.

You know it makes sense.

pam w Perhaps you have to read both quotes in context? I'm sure the 1st poster was describing what they found, as am I.

I've spent the last... 25 seasons in BC/AB, so perhaps I just know where to look. These days I deal a lot with Summit in Whistler, for example, where you can rent the best quality gear well prepared by real ski technicians who discuss and set it up the way you want. Their site shows what look to me like last season's prices (the tax is less now), but you get the general idea. There are lots of other places to shop around. I've had the same experience in pretty much every resort across BC and a few in AB. Even at small hills, good quality rental gear is easily available to those who look: it's a service culture.

So my advice to the OP is "shop around" and you should be able to find excellent gear at more reasonable prices. I'd avoid renting gear in the UK as you can't easily try it on comparable terrain, or swap it, or get it adjusted, or swap those piste skis for some powder skis for a day or two, or just play around with different designed kit. Plus you have all the hassle of servicing your gear, buying a bag and lugging it all around.

I think you'll also find plenty of large chain snow sports gear shops in Canada - Sport Chek and MEC come to mind.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

philwig, yes I was suggesting to the OP that someone with experience could point him in the direction of less eye-watering prices. Your quote wasn't actually describing what you found, but passing on a huge generalisation about equipment in "Europe". I only have experience of French rentals but if you pay for good equipment (far less than that Canadian price quoted) you'll get good equipment and you can generally shop around and get discounts - online, or in the shop. In Whistler there seems to be a lack of competition and from a discussion here a few months ago it seems to be the same situation with ski lessons. Instructors don't get paid that much but customers pay a packet for private lessons because the resort doesn't allow competition. Is that really true?

A snowHead

The generalisation about Europe I picked up here, when I expressed surprise on another thread that people said they couldn't rent decent gear in Europe. That had never been my personal experience, but the people here were quite adamant. I guess I should cut and paste the two together and make the same point you perhaps just made. wink

Personally I've always found good gear is available wherever I've been. Of course you get what you pay for, and I suspect those people were taking standard "cheap as chips" packages off tour operators, but who knows.

There's plenty of rental competition in Whistler, but some of the outlets are owned by the resort. If you can't find what you want at Summit (unlikely), then the guys at Fanatyk will see you right, or there are a ton of other places.

Ski schools competition... I've no experience of schools so have no opinion on them. Personally if I was learning I'd probably not go to Whistler in the first place - most of what you're paying for you can't use, and novices may hate that powdery stuff. It is a bit of a zoo, it will rain in the village, and the layout funnels everyone down to the same point. The Banff resorts would be better I think, although the hills and the resort are in different places, which may not be to everyone's liking. Plus they can be very cold, which whilst arguably better than being very wet, is not ideal. There are lots of other places to go.

A snowHead

pam w, Ski lessons are an entirely different kettle of fish lack of competition there is due to the lift company effectively "owning" or having exclusive tenure over the terrain. There's plenty of different shops you can rent from in almost any Canadian ski town. WB is probably complicated by the fact that the hill owns a number of differently branded stores and naturally therefore will have no ambition to compete with themselves.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Thanks for the replies, I've contacted the airline to get clarification that it is indeed free, and if so possibly a half decent second hand set of skis will be the smart way. Need to have a read/research up on what I want/need (I'm sure the question has been asked on here a lot!)

There seem to be only two places to hire in Lake Louise which both seemed to give prices as in the OP. I'll have a look in Banff for rentals, though that will mean having to getting two buses to and from Calgary - Lake Louise. When hiring will shops often lend out a ski bag as well so I can take them on the coach? Or would buses/coaches over there not be too bothered? (Only organised skiing in france where everything was so close it was very easy!)

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*yawns*

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

unicycleboy, welcome to hire costs in usa/canada/austria...seriously you may just need to take it on the chin. and enjoy the ski's that the local rental places have to offer..plus if you are going for 2 weeks then the price your talking about is not to bad...and i am sure you will be able to swap and change if your not happy.

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UCB,

You may want to give these guys a try.

http://www.skisecondhand.com/

Not a great deal of choice left at this time of year, but at the end of the season they do have a very good selection. Many will be ex-hire and a few years old but they typically are the rarely used skis that end up sitting on the racks unless things get really busy so in OK condition... I was impressed with what I received and even more impressed with the freebie ski poles which came with it - made by a brand I'd actually heard of and retailing for about £40 online!

If you do choose to go down the second hand route rather than hiring, don't forget the other bits and bobs you'll need i.e. Waxing iron etc.

R

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

unicycleboy,

I've just had a quick look at Skiset (www.skiset.co.uk) and picked a random 10 days in Jan and got prices of C$243 for beginner (sport), and C$360 for intermed (performance).
The ski shop was Snowtips-Bactrax Banff, Alberta Canada.

Skiset are not everyone's cup of tea, but I've used them a couple of times for friends and they've been fine. Very Happy

After all it is free

If you are interested I've got a pair of Movement Yakas 166cm for sale, £125 price on here but open to sensible offers. Great fun piste skis that can cope with a bit of off piste, tops a bit scratched but bases and edges goo and they are freshly serviced and waxed. http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=105211 for photos

Help!!

What would you do - Expensive Rentals

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