 Poster: A snowHead
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Over the last few years we've always booked everything independently, rather than let package operators pick the ski hire companies that give them the best deal!
One thing I've never quite finessed properly though is really knowing whether I've got what I've paid for. We only ski once per year, so we're not really hooked into the skiing "scene"; so we don't really know what are good skis, what are this year's models / last year's models etc etc.
We always book ski packs which appear to fit our ability (we are all confident and fast skiers of pisted black runs, we make a bit harder work of getting down black mogul fields (though we get down without falls) and a couple of us like to ski off piste, providing those areas are reasonably close to the pistes). So we'd ignore the beginners packs, ignore the intermediate packs and ignore the most expensive packs. This year, for example, we booked via Twinner / Simond Sports in Flaine and effectively booked their "Confirme" package.
When we turned up, we were immediately offered a set of skis as a fait accompli, which we had to assume were their "confirme" skis. Now, to be fair the skis we had seemed relatively new, and our teenage son wanted twin tips and we were given a pair of Rossignol Smash 7s without any question, so I have no complaints. (I was given Rossignol Pursuit 14 Basalt, which seemed fine to me!) But I'm still always wondering how we would tell if we did feel we were being ripped off? Should we be boning up on what are the latest skis to have so that when we are in the shop we can try to specify? Or is the general experience that the hire shops are honest dealers (even with non-native tourists) and I'm worrying about nothing?
(On a similar, but related, note, when we did previously organise all ski packs with tour operators, I'd often find that they specify in their brochure "standard, intermediate or advanced", and then you get on the coach and they say that you have bought the "red" pack, and then you arrive at the shop and they ask you whether you have booked level 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5!!)
Matt
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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(On a similar, but related, note, when we did previously organise all ski packs with tour operators, I'd often find that they specify in their brochure "standard, intermediate or advanced", and then you get on the coach and they say that you have bought the "red" pack, and then you arrive at the shop and they ask you whether you have booked level 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5!!)
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yes this - arrrgh
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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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Nearly as bad as when they ask you which ski ability you are for ski lessons, and then completely fail to pass this onto the ski school (or pass it on in a garbled fashion) so you end up in the beginners group when you are significantly better - happened twice to my son!! Never had a problem with that when we've booked directly.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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They often have coloured labels on the skis so you can tell which is which. Other than that I just check the waist measurements/radius and how battered they look - although I do recognize major models a bit. I sometimes google the model in the chalet later if I'm intrigued/suspicious. In general I haven't found shops intentionally trying to downgrade me, so I'm not overly paranoid, I wouldn't worry too much.
"http://www.intersport-tignes.fr/val-claret/static/images/content/locationvente.png"
"http://www.ski-hire-intersport-tignes.co.uk/val-claret/static/images/content/location.png"
http://www.skihire2u.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/IMG_3930.jpg
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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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we are all confident and fast skiers of pisted black runs
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I don't really understand this problem given that you are experienced skiers. If you are given skis which enable you to do those black runs confidently and fast, where is the problem? If you'd been given noodly beginner skis you'd have noticed (and if you hadn't, then arguably it wouldn't have mattered.....).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Pam - agreed!! We've only done about 10 weeks skiing though, so I don't know if we count as "experienced" skiers. I think its the last point that is most important - would we actually notice? Perhaps I should take a punt and next year order the cheapest pack, and see if I do actually notice the difference!! We've certainly had skis which have "slid" differently (at the beginning of last week my wife's pair clearly slid better than mine, but at the end of the week the reverse was true - perhaps down to temperature changes?), but without having the chance to try two sets of skis side by side I don't know if I would genuinely notice that I had ropey skis as I'd have to be recalling how things felt over a year ago between changes.
Perhaps I should have asked the question differently - do Rossignol Smash 7s, Rossignol Pursuit 14s and Dynastar Reveal seem to fit the "confirme" category? (From googling, the Reveals seem to be a 2012 model?)?
Matt
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The only way to hire skis, in my experience, is to get the most expensive ones and when asked 'are you a good skier?' say 'yes' without hesitation.
Even then, you do run a risk of getting whatever happens to be left. It's even worse with snowboards. Lots of rental shops hardly carry any stock, so any conversation about your riding style, ability, height or weight is completely moot and it's a 170cm Burton Cruzer with tiny bindings regardless.
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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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| Mr Pieholeo wrote: |
The only way to hire skis, in my experience, is to get the most expensive ones and when asked 'are you a good skier?' say 'yes' without hesitation.
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That's howI ended up with the rodeo skis  Thank you intersport VdI - I think tbh they were just messing with us, they also gave my husband some HUGE elan waveflex offpiste skis which weighed about the same as our car and had a turning circle like the QE2.
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It's more to do with the age and previous use of the ski than anything. Skis that have been hired out for a season and more will have lost a lot of their stiffness and won't perform anywhere near how they would when new. This is fine for a beginner, who won't need or notice that performance; however a decent skier with 6-7+ weeks of skiing behind them will notice the difference.
My little anecdote: My other half pre-booked and pre-paid online for the most expensive pair of rental skis from Ski-Set in Avoriaz last week. On arrival on Sunday, the bloke brought out a pair of skis that looked completely battered on top
and had clearly been hired out for well over a season. She questioned the level of this ski and it turns out that they were their cheapest ones; however they didn't have any others left for her height. I couldn't believe that they thought it was acceptable to try and palm her off with a pair of skis that should've cost us half the price to hire without even mentioning it. They then offered to refund the difference, but missis wanted decent skis for the week - she's a good skier. The tech also seemed to think that the fact that the skis edges and bases were in good nick - to be fair, they had been well maintained - indicated that they were still good skis.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Mr Pieholeo wrote: |
The only way to hire skis, in my experience, is to get the most expensive ones and when asked 'are you a good skier?' say 'yes' without hesitation.
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The ask this to make sure that the DIN settings on your binding are at an appropriate level for your ability and weight, so it's actually quite important to be honest here.
To get the most expensive skis, you need to pay the appropriate price.
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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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| ben76 wrote: |
| Mr Pieholeo wrote: |
The only way to hire skis, in my experience, is to get the most expensive ones and when asked 'are you a good skier?' say 'yes' without hesitation.
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The ask this to make sure that the DIN settings on your binding are at an appropriate level for your ability and weight, so it's actually quite important to be honest here.
To get the most expensive skis, you need to pay the appropriate price. |
They do, but you can always adjust your bindings yourself afterwards.
(Not sure what, if any, the implications would be, insurance-wise, mind you, in the event that you got injured because you lost a ski at high speed - assuming you are talking about loosening them.)
Buy your own skis, is my advice to the OP.
It's a marginal carting about hassle, but if you buy last year's skis (or even second hand, as long as they're well-maintained), and you ski more than a week a year, you'll end up coming out evens. If you ski more than 2-3 weeks a year you'll save cash.
Plus you'll get to ski on the same skis all the time, which will help you improve (because consistency).
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I'm assuming - of course - that anyone who adjusts his/her bindings has some kind of idea what they're doing!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
The ask this to make sure that the DIN settings on your binding are at an appropriate level for your ability and weight, so it's actually quite important to be honest here.
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Actually, weight is the most critical here - see http://www.dinsetting.com/
There are far more bands for weight settings than there are for "type" of skier, though I agree - being classified as a "type 2" vs "type 3" (or worse, the other way round) could lead to some nasty injuries if you over-egg your ability - you might just find the skis staying on and causing an injury when they really should have been popping off!
For the last couple of years I've taken a free DIN setting app on my phone so that I can check the settings (and adjust if necessary), particularly for my teenage son. Its a simple enough adjustment to make involving a screwdriver at both ends of the binding. Assuming the length has been set correctly, its just a few twists to move the dial one way or another.
The Simond Sports guy was apparently very subtle when discretely asking my wife her weight  and I'd taken the precaution of getting kg weights for all of our party before we set off!
I won't ever be affording my own skis I'm afraid. For one week a year, £50 hire vs £300 or so seems better value, though I agree if you go a couple of times a year it does start to make economic sense.
Matt
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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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I was particularly peeved this year having used the S k i s e t website to book a particular model, which I'd spent a while researching and satisfying myself on their website that they would be the ideal ski for me. When I went to collect them from the shop I had elected for collection (Meribel Mottaret, Alp d'Altitude), I was told that shop never stocks that model. I mean, what is the point of the website if it lets you choose impossible combinations of skis and shops ?!?!?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Getting clued up about DIN settings is a good idea, especially if you are a 'non-standard' kind of size, lots of shops don't ask for all the information - height, weight, shoe size, age, skiing level. We have our own gear, but this year went skiing with a family who hired. They had 2 teenage lads, one a fairly standard 5'10 ish 17 year old, ie too tall for his weight, feet the right size for his height, who's Din was set about right. The other was a 17 stone, 6'3, shoe size 13, 16 year old with about 3 weeks on snow - they set his din number way too high, and when he changed skis midweek the new ones were set even higher (9 for those of you that know anything about these things). I have an app called 'Ski Din Settings' on my phone - very useful and idiot proof if you answer the questions accurately. They were also just given skis, not asked what they might want, and the bigger lad ended up being given a pair of long radius skis midweek which he found really difficult to turn, and had no idea why he couldn't ski this pair when he had been fine on the first pair, till I explained it.
A friend of mine is going out to the same place later on in the season, he is 6 ft, about 13 stone, but has size 6 feet - it will be interesting to see what they put him on, it should be 8!
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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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Getting clued up about DIN settings is a good idea, especially if you are a 'non-standard' kind of size, lots of shops don't ask for all the information - height, weight, shoe size, age, skiing level. We have our own gear, but this year went skiing with a family who hired. They had 2 teenage lads, one a fairly standard 5'10 ish 17 year old, ie too tall for his weight, feet the right size for his height, who's Din was set about right. The other was a 17 stone, 6'3, shoe size 13, 16 year old with about 3 weeks on snow - they set his din number way too high, and when he changed skis midweek the new ones were set even higher (9 for those of you that know anything about these things). I have an app called 'Ski Din Settings' on my phone - very useful and idiot proof if you answer the questions accurately. They were also just given skis, not asked what they might want, and the bigger lad ended up being given a pair of long radius skis midweek which he found really difficult to turn, and had no idea why he couldn't ski this pair when he had been fine on the first pair, till I explained it.
A friend of mine is going out to the same place later on in the season, he is 6 ft, about 13 stone, but has size 6 feet - it will be interesting to see what they put him on, it should be 8!
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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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using the din setting link http://www.dinsetting.com/ gives a value of 8 for the 17 stone, 6'3, shoe size 13, 16 year old, not really way off
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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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Not sure that a 3 weeks on snow would classify as "type 3" skier. Surely a type 2 or type 1 which would give a DIN of 5.5 or 6.5 for the 17 stone neaderthal 
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