 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello everyone,
Hope you guys/girls can give me some pointers on what skis to buy
First i guess i better give you some background to my ability
I put myself down as an intermediate, i have been skiing for the last 2 years (ten days in total - including 5 lesson) I feel fine on blues and reds gone across a black run but feel reds are for me at the moment! I can hockey stop, plough, carving, stem christe and i started parrellel turning at the beginning of the second ski holiday which went well and i feel comfortable now on the steeper reds in andorra. Im wanting to improve my weight distribution when parrellel turning this year and then give a black run a go if good enough!
This year i have decided to go for it a bit more and see how much i can improve with 2 weeks in austria followed by a days rest and then a week in andorra again (so looking forward to it). I have always rented skis but feel if im going for 3 weeks this year its wasted money and think its time to get a pair of skis.
I have been checking out all the different types sizes stats etc and looked at loads of shops but still feel a little confused tbh at whats best for me
i have only really skied groomed piste and gone over a few moguls (which was fun) so carving is what im after
my stats are:
gender: male
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 10stn 2lbs (yeh im skinny)
foot to nose: 160
Age: 39
I have been looking at some skis at skiwear4less and noticed some elan mag6, mag8 or speedwave 9 they look very cheap are any of these any good as all other makes look twice as much. Is this new waveflex technology any good
hope you peeps can help?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Salomon Aeromax Ti
Head Peak 73
I only say these 2 as there what I'm looking at. I've spent about 10 weeks on snow, but before last year there was a gap of 22 years!
I finally started carving last time out. Well, to be honest before that, you were taught to keep your ankles together on big long thin skis! I'd not heard of carving in 1987 aged 15!
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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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I'd hire for a few more weeks skiing, yet. Your skiing could change dramatically over 3 - 4 weeks - and so the sort of skis which would be suitable will change, too. As you progress, take note of which skis you hire really seem to suit you. You will then be able to judge what to buy a lot better when the time is right.
And welcome to snowHeads. 
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dreadnaught, welcome to snowheads
I would echo achilles advice and suggest you rent for a while - in addition to the cost of buying, you also need to budget for transporting skis (most airlines and tour ops now charge) and also servicing.
I assume you have your own boots - if not then you would be advised to sort out boots before anything, a good set of boots will help you far more than whatever you put them on 
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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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dreadnaught, I agree with achilles. If you're improving quickly, what you want on Day 1 may be totally different from Day 7 and Day 14. And indeed a year later.
I'd carry on renting a little bit - but definitely make sure you're renting "good" kit in good condition.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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firstly thankyou for you prompt replys and advise!
The 2 weeks in austria are going to be in a motor home so no charge there for ski transportation 3rd week is a flight tho so yes there will be a cost and yes i already have my own boots. I love sking now and will be carrying on for the foreseable future so i just fancied getting a basic pair of skis nothing flash just to get me started!
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Are the elans mag6 not worth it at £169 mag8 £189 or speedwave 9 at £200 they seem good value and they state there for intermedates which i thought best suites me.
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Skiwear4less do have a decent range for the lower intermediate. If you ask, they might be able to advise what will suit you.
I bought a pair of XO3s for my stepson on the basis that he isn't making quick progress. If he does improve and need something better, I'm not going to be too worried about eighty quid spent on a new pair of skis with bindings.
SKiwear4less and to some extent Decathlon have the decency to price their beginners' skis at a level where you don't feel over committed to them. I wince whne I think back to how I spent a hundred and fifty quid on a pair of slightly used Salomon 9100 Equipe 2S and totally hated them, that was about ten years ago. At least now you can make cheaper mistakes. If you don't like a ski, at least you can decide what you don't like about it. Swiss Tim also has some bargain basement stuff.
If you outgrow them you can lend them out, flog them on ebay, give them to a mate or stick them on the wall.
It seems that Waveflex is designed to give extra transmission of power to the edge. So is every other development in ski technology. It can gain vital 100ths of a second to a slalom racer, to the rest of us I suspect it will make little difference, like Pilot bindings, cap technology, pro-link, IQ mounting, piezo electic damping, parablaks (sp), special base grinds etc. It won't make the ski any worse, but it won't actually improve your skiing, for that you have to ski better; which you will.
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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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If you can find an independant ski sales/rent shop ask if you can rent a different pair every day with a view to buying. found this at a shop in St Anton but only on the last day. If you didn't buy they just charged a week rental. Addmitedly that was for telemark skiis but then after all they were for "proper" skiing.
Other than that keep on renting if you really want to buy keep trying different skiis to find out what you like as a different ski will ski very differently according to your style
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cheers thirty06 your comments and advise has helped i'm not interested in spending a fortune on skis that tbh im going to use maybe once twice a year but i may be doing the road trip to austria more often in the future as it may become an anual event like the andorra trip. If it does will buy better skis when i reach a better standard. I think all the views above are all helpfull and valid but just fancied my own pair as the other guys in my party are all buying their own and didnt want to feel left out lol. But on a serious note i do want to experiment alot with technique this year and felt getting my own set will help as i would be using the same ski for the entire 3 weeks!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The advise you have is good....but if you can afford it, buy some. You need toys 
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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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Nordica Enforcer in 177cm, you'll never ever need another ski in your life. Perfect opportunity to learn to ski what you have and as a result conquer many more parts of the mountain as your courage builds.
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cheers guys
wont 177cm be a bit big as im a skinny git?
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You know it makes sense.
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Since you're doing three weeks this year then buy some skis. I'd say 170cm max for you, better to go smaller if anything. Can't help on the specific models you mention but the Elan Magfires in general seem to have a pretty good rep
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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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Thanks alot nbt thats helped me make my mind up im off to castleford tomorrow to check out whats on offer with the other guys so hopefully will get some there.
The group in andorra nicknamed me "all the gear but no idea" which is a step up from "bomb head" now i have control 
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Poster: A snowHead
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You need toys, so buy them.
But once you've factored in cheap online ski booking - half the price of turning up to a shop compared to airline shipping costs, servicing costs and your complete inexperience, I don't think you'll find that it's worth it. As a beginner you will damage your skis as you're not that much in control; better to do it on a pair of insured skis. And you'll want new, more advance skis every two years anyway - cos you like toys.
A comfortable pair of boots I think are worth buying - at the very least you don't get somebody else's sweaty feet having been in them... But you don't have enough experience to judge whether or not you like a pair of skis. And hired skis you can pop into the shop to swap them if the temperature changes and the wax is wrong, or if powder drops - or you just hate the skis.
I speak from a level of experience slightly above your own.
Assume you use the skis for three weeks in each of two years before you want to buy some new ones.
Skis £200
Poles £30 (and you'll quickly fancy a smarter pair...)
Bag £20
6 flights @ £30 = £180 (And it might be closer to £300)
Full servicing kit & course £150? (you like toys...)
6 shop rewaxes anyway, cos it's convenient (and toys are for having, not using) £120
Total cost = £116 per week. You can hire skis for about £50 a week online.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Dreadnaught has probably bought his skis now but I would just say "try before you buy" its surprising how much difference there is between different skis, even different manufacturers. I've always found Salomon skis have suited my ski style whilst I find Atomic heavy and clumsy, other people would say the opposite. Thats why recommendations don't always work out, what works for one person may not for another. Dont be swayed by the glossy sales blurb and dont let the shop con you into buying an expensive advanced pair of skis, they will never work for an intermediate skier.
Failing that I'd go secondhand. As long as the bases are good you can pick up excellent skis with only 2 weeks use for a bargain. You can always resell them and hopefully break even.
As for rental skis, unless you pay top whack they are rubbish, on the odd occasion I've had to rent I've been shocked just how poor they are.
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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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Attend a Snowheads ski test day at one of the indoor ski slopes. Then see which pair work for you.
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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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Cheers Peeps for input!
I did goto castleford but they had nothing there that i felt was right for my level (tbh im glad about it now after reading all the posts) Will say the young lad that was at the shop showed no interest in making over a grands worth of trade when we arrived he could hardly manage getting off his seat never mind showing any enthusiasm in advising what he had available for the 4 of us! Plus the pair of elan mag 6 i actually wanted weren't even in as advertised!
I think i will hang hard this year and rent as usual after reading all the post again. Some very good advise above both for and against buying skis. But i have been swayed to renting after all that.
Thanks everyone again for all your help and will take the good advise to try loads when on my hols!
dreadnaught (some of the gear but no idea)
only two weeks to go and counting )
p.s i have my own boots salomon mission 8
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FAQ
