Just need some advice before purchase

A snowHead

Mods, I apologize if this is in the wrong section, I'm not quite used to the layout here yet.

Somewhat beginning skier here (I hit the piste 6 or 7 times last season on rentals, just starting to get comfy with blacks by the end) and I've caught the bug. I had the time of my life, and I'm looking to get my own equipment for this season, and I figured it'd be a good idea to run what I'm planning on getting past some people who actually know what they're doing.

I'm currently planning on getting a pair of used 2011 K2 A.M.P. RX's from a used ski shop that my father's co-workers have had great experiences with. So far, preliminary google searching hasn't turned up a whole lot of info, but there were a few glowing reviews on retail sites (yeah, I know, not exactly the most trustworthy source of info) and a whole lot of good stuff about K2 in general. Are these a decent pair of all-mountain skis, or am I making a mistake here?

Oh, I should also mention that I've done my research on what I need here. I'm planning on getting new boots from a professional fitter, I have the right base/outer layers, right socks, I bought a season pass last spring when they were cheap, etc.

Edit: I currently weigh 145 Lb and stand ~5' 7" (AKA 65Kg, 170 cm). I was planning on buying skis in the 160-170 cm range.

A snowHead

@ShurTugal, I'll ask the obvious, what does I hit the piste 6 or 7 times last season on rentals mean? Is that 6 or 7 days skiing or something else?

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

Welcome to snowheads - this seems like as good a place as any to ask your Q Smile

As you've worked out already, getting properly fitting boots is way more important than skis. Having your own skis is useful in some ways...you get used to the way they ski, and provided they suit you well enough then you get to focus on your skiing each time you go rather than learning how to control the particular pair of planks that the rental shop has pushed onto you. On the other hand skis are a pain in the neck to carry, relatively expensive (by the time you've paid for ski carriage and servicing) and for someone who's keen to improve you risk growing out of them quite quickly. You should think carefully about all this stuff before buying skis...I know plenty of good skiers who don't own their own skis.

It would be useful if you told us how tall/heavy you are, and what size the skis are that you're looking at. Getting the wrong size can be as bad as getting the wrong skis, so you'll likely get more views if you include more detail.

I don't know much about the skis you're looking at specifically, but a quick google makes them sound like a piste ski focused at beginners or lower intermediates. Depending on what "comfy" means in your post, this could either be a decent ski for you, or possibly one that's a bit behind where you should be aiming.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Depends where you are and how you get to the slopes too. Locals driving up for the day/weekend - often makes sense to buy (especially US where renting seems less common and more expensive). UK folks flying for a week on snow once a year (most of us on here), not so much.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thanks for the replies!

@andy1234
I should have used clearer language, but I meant 6 0r 7 days skiing.

@ChrisWo
I'm in the US, and live close enough to a local "resort" that I'll be able to ski nearly every weekend. I did the math there, and it'll be far cheaper for me to buy my own skis than pay the rental fee every time I go. The transportation/servicing issue I can deal with. As for growing out of them, that's why I'm posting here. The website had said that they were geared toward beginner/intermediate, which seems like what I need.

By "comfy" I meant that I was starting to get used to going down blacks, but not aggressively. Sorry if that's still not good enough, it's kind of hard to describe these situations.

OP edited to include height/weight info.

Edit: So I realised that I was being pretty stupid limiting my options to the stuff caried by a single store, so I've expanded my research a bit. So far I'm seeing a lot of reccomendations for Nordica Hot Rods.

You'll need to Register first of course.

@ShurTugal,
I don't have a huge amount of knowledge but here's my two penneth..... Personally I'd stick with rentals for a little while longer rather than grow out of whatever you buy (and you will ) and focus on getting the right boots. They're the things that'll cripple you if you get the wrong ones (learned from bitter experience) and can be a huge influence on you're confidence when you get it right. It sounds like you're a quick learner so go for a firm boot which'll be appropriate as you progress and you'll probably have them for years. The one thing I know is Salomon generally have a slim fit. Worth bearing in mind. Head, I believe are wider.
The great advantage of sticking to renting the skis is you can try all types as you go along and make a more informed choice when you're ready to splash out what can be a sizeable lump of cash. I hope this helps. May you have many years of fun packed controlled falling! Very Happy

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

Boots are priority number one but you get that it seems. These days pretty much all skis are good; some get better reviews but this is often due to advertising rather than quality. Where in the US are you? if you're in the East and skiing chiefly very hardpack then the skis that are best for you may be slightly different than if you're in the PNW. I would generally recommend something with a waist of 80 to 85 but be careful about overbuying and ending up with a ski that's too much for you. 7 days isn't much and you'll want something forgiving at this stage. The Hot Rods may be too much.

After all it is free

As much as I'd love to continue using rentals and try out skis at vendor shows/swap meets until I find something I love, that's not really an option. I'm in the US midwest, which is basically dead for skiing (Though I'm hoping for maybe a trip out west sometime this year). No trade shows, no events, nothing. I lucked out living close to a "resort", which is just a slightly taller than average bluff.

I've done a bit more looking at "intermediate" skis, and so far the hot rods are just looking better and better. I've also come across several recommendations for Dynastar Legend Sultan 80's and Head Peak 74's. Like Ade57 said, I'm a little worried about forgiveness, but I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to deal with it if necessary.

@Graham Warren
Thanks for the boot advice, but I'll probably just leave that to the boot fitter.

@Graham Warren, Most manufacturers do different widths so as @ShurTugal, rightly said let the bootfitter steer him to the right boots for his feet and skiing standard.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

So I've found an excellent deal for a pair of used Hot Rods, just a bit of top sheet damage. Unless someone here has something overwhelmingly bad to say about them, I'm probably getting them tomorrow.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

If you fancy them go for it. If you have any problems then use the saved rental money to pay for a couple of lessons Smile

It might be worth investing is an iron, some wax, a scraper and possibly some basic tuning kit if you are looking to save long term. For a single season of weekend skiing try to get friendly with a local shop and see if you can cut a deal for a basic tune and wax every month.

snow reports

@ShurTugal, it sounds like buying is definitely the way forward for you - I hadn't twigged that you were in the states. If you can find a reasonable deal on some skis that suit you then it's probably a no brainer (esp. with a local 'hill').

The old rule of thumb used to be that your ski tips should be somewhere between your chin and you nose when stood up next to you. Doing some rough calculations, I think that probably means you should be looking at something around 160cm (I'd stay a bit shorter than 170cm if you can - shorter is generally easier to handle). Softer skis are also easier to handle for beginners (but less fun as you gain in experience and speed), so I'd be a bit wary about buying anything that's sold as for advanced intermediates or above.

I've not skied hot rods, and you don't mention which model you're looking at, so I'm not in a position to give explicit advice, but tbh if you're skiing most weekends then I expect you'll be able to make them work for you reasonably quickly.

@Scarpa
That actually sounds like a great idea, though I don't know if it's entirely necessary. A good friend of mine's dad was a ski instructor during and after his collage years, and he taught me to ski over the course of last season. With a little coercion I scan probably convince him to give me a few more free "lessons".

@ChrisWo
The one's I'm looking at are 162cm, which seems like about the right length.

Thanks for the great advice everyone, I wish you all a happy upcoming season.

Side question: Is most of this board UK-based? I would have never guessed.

You know it makes sense.

@ShurTugal, @speed098,
My apologies. I totally agree about leaving it to the boot fitter. It's a no brainer, I should have put that in. The widths thing was something I'd been told by a boot fitter is all.
I had mine fitted by a guy called Mike Richardson at LD Mountain centre in Newcastle and even though the boot was done right the insoles, which were also moulded were a tad too high on the arch and absolutely Knacked! The fit took a good three hours in total and I didn't notice the gradually increasing ache til I'd worn them on the piste for a morning which was by then, far too late and I spent a week muddling through. In fairness I went back to them on my return and they spent another hour putting them right and now 3yrs later they're still really comfy.

Help!!

Just need some advice before purchase

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