 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there. I'm sorry if this question gets asked a lot, and please feel free to direct me to an already answered relevant post 
I've never had my own skis, but I'm considering it for this season. I am, as the title suggests 'clueless' on the subject, and am afraid that I'm just going to get palmed off with what the shop needs to move, or even worse something I like the colour of 
I started skiing in 2003, but have had between 15-25 days on snow per year since then at the same resort (Sugarloaf/USA). I'm happy on crunchy and hard, but they do get powder there sometimes. I started skiing in the glades last year, and hope to do more this year. I'm comfortable on all their blacks, which I read are like European reds? and I'm comfortable on their wider double diamond blacks (european blacks?). I can't ski bumps and I've never been off piste.
I have my own boots, which made a massive difference to my skiing, and I have been using performance rentals, which were Rossi bandits, but I don't know what kind, or age (they're blue and black?)
So I basically want to know what kind of questions I should ask about the skis, and if there are any brands which are much better or worse than the others.And should I be looking at womens skis? what is the difference? They don't have different mens and womens skis in the rental shop 
Also, if I get my own skis, what kind of work and knowledge is needed to maintain them properly? 
Thanks for any advice.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I bought my first pair of skis off another snowhead, because he said they were good - so I'm probably not best suited to answering your question 
Although you can do your own ski maintenance, you can also get most ski gear shops to do maintenance as well. On the ski buying front the general idea seems to be to get a rough idea of what you're after then go to ski shops to get pairs to try out...
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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snowgirl, I've just bought the K2 Burning Luvs and skiied on them for a week at Christmas and love them to bits. It's the first time I've skiied on women only skis and I was very dubious about them before I tried them. They're quite simply the best skis I've ever used.
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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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U really do have a Burnin Luv for your new skis don't u RachelQ! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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K2 have always been clever with ski names. I had a pair of K2 Cheeseburgers once, but they disintegrated on the Solaise bumps above Val Desire. Next season they did the Cheeseburger Deluxe, which maybe had an extra layer of cheese in the core.
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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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Thanks a lot. That gives me something to go at..... not sure I'm ready for cheesy skis though 
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Well having looked at the relevant threads and visited the K2 website, I am utterly confused. Side cut, bio flex, torsion box, twin tips, side cut, forward side cut, flexible/stiff/forgiving/soft? I don't know about mod monic - I think I need a gin and tonic. The one thing I thought I knew was what length I needed, but after reading one of the threads, it seems I'm not sure I've even got that right now. 
But I did see a mention of demos at castleford on one of the threads. Could someone tell me how that works? How many pairs do you get to try, and is a snow dome a suitable trial? If that fails as an option, I'm back to choosing by colour.......... 
Cheers for the advice,
Holly
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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snowgirl, you really need to demo a few different skis. I don't think you have snowdomes in the States (you have too enough of the real stuff!), so spend a day demoing next time you're at Sugarloaf. Go to the shop and tell them you're in the market for a pair of skis and that you want to spend the day testing. How it normally works is you pay a day's 'testing fee' (similar to the rental charge), and if you buy they will refund your fee. This way you get to test this year's models.
If the ski tech is any good he'll talk to you about your ability and aspirations, and will be able to suggest some skis for you. However it will do no harm to go in armed with a shortlist of your own. I would suggest you should be looking primarily at freeride skis (around 1cm wider at the waist than dedicated piste skis), most of which are still excellent on piste but provide better flotation off piste - the Bandit B2 is a freeride ski. Some freerides to consider:
Rossi Bandit B2 (there is also a B2W, which is the woman's version)
K2 Lotta Luv (also a woman's ski)
Scott Aztec Pro
Dynastar Legend 8000 (my favourite)
Salomon Scrambler Hot
Atomic Sweet Dady
If you think you're going to be enjoying more powder you might also want to think about a fatter freestyle ski, such as the K2 Missdemeanor or Public Enemy, the Atomic Sugar Daddy, or the Rossi Bandit B3 or B4.
As has already been said, there are no manufacturers to avoid as they all make good skis - it's just that different skis suit different people, different skiing styles, different abilities and different terrain. Most skis are unisex, but there are a few female-specific skis (particularly the K2 'Luv' Range) - I think that women's skis are a little bit softer, but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong on that (I often am!). Most ski techs take pride in their work and will want to sell you the ski that's right for you, not just what they want to shift from stock, but it is important that you talk to them. Try a few and see what you like! Good luck, and let us know how you get on.
Dave
PS: This website has a whole load of ski reviews which you might find useful (or might just fill you with the thoughts of marketting executives!):
http://www.skireviews.co.uk/en/index.html
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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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PPS: Don't choose by colour - the ones I ended up buying were the ugliest in the shop, while the best-looking ski did nothing for me at all!
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You know it makes sense.
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I do live in the UK, just head out to the states to work and ski. So if I don't get fitted up in resort, may be I'll come along to one of the demos in the summer.
Thanks for the input, I'll let you know what I end up with
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