 Poster: A snowHead
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| Kowal.Ski wrote: |
| I am yet to be convinced that I will get any different skis by paying for premium ones than I normally get and if there does turn out to be a difference will I as a recreational skier notice any difference? I am more than happy for there to be a difference and will happily pay more for the privilege after all it is a small part of the overall cost and I only get to go skiing once a year so I'm all in favour of improving my experience. |
Maybe you should approach this in a different way. Forget cost for a moment and actually ask the question, what ski's do I want to hire? From what I've heard you ski only on piste so you don't need an all mountain ski. You don't ski switch or go to the snowpark so don't need twin tips. Are you relatively heavy or light, aggressive or easy? What ski's have you used so far, hav you made a note of what they were? Did you enjoy riding some ski's more than others? Etc., etc. Once you have a profile you can go to a hire shop or website armed with information that should lead you to a better choice of ski. At the moment you don't have a scooby what you are riding and why.
Let's say next holiday you end up paying twice your normal budget. After a couple of days you should be able to easily assess whether you feel better about your skiing or having more fun. Or indeed you may think this is more difficult to carve with thatn ski's I've had previously. You can then add that to your information bank to get a better choice. You could actually try different ski's every couple of days so you get to know what you like and don't like. Think of it as part of the fun of skiing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| DrLawn wrote: |
| If you ever in a resort and you see a "ski test" tent near the bottom lift, give it a go. |
Curse you DrLawn! Here I was reading SH while trying to do some work and not think about going skiing next week when I read this and wonder if there's a ski test in Ischgl next week and so I now know there's a permanent one (http://www.ischgl.com/en/more/information/ischgl-a-z/silvretta-sports-testcenter_az75329).
As if the apres in Ischgl didn't result in enough trips to the cash point!
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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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@Kowal.Ski, Ultimately it's a personal thing isn't it? I have a chum who skis well and tidily but couldn't give the first fig for what skis she's using. Occasionally she "likes" something. Usually she just gets on with it.
On the other hand I am really, really fussy. Technically in that for most jobs there are many ways to do it wrong and only a few to do it really right - and kit wise in that the right tools for the job make that job easier and more fun.
So I tested 5 different models of ski in varying lengths before acquiring my new ones this year. Previous skis had done about 300 days and 6 seasons so hardly owed my anything, let's hope the new ones manage the same.
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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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@Kowal.Ski, In my experience the difference between rental gear is two fold: the initial cost of the gear and it's age. Meaning that you can get cheap models either new or old or a better model but 2,3,4 years old. I've had shops give me skis from the wrappers when I didn't find what I wanted to rent (and obviously charged the gold, platinum or whatever price) while my friends got well worn 3 years old skis (that had almost no camber or spring).
Again, in my experience the techs knew exactly what price level was each ski. Try and ask for a slalom ski
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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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My wife will ski on whatever they give her, and always book silver package, and is happy almost all the time. I am more demanding and like to choose, so pay the premium. She is a better technical skier, but slower. So who knows?
I used to sell high end hifi, some people could not hear the difference so bought the cheaper stuff, some were obsessive and would not listen to a cable(!!!!!) until it had been run in.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@blahblahblah,
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and would not listen to a cable(!!!!!) until it had been run in
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Whereas blind testing shows that bent coat hangers do just as good a job... 
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I am far from an expert skier, but, as stated above, when trying different skis I noticed an enormous difference in carving, edge grip, speed and stability (and a corresponding difference in how well I skied). Mrs TT also swears by her Elan Delights (as do other women of our acquaintance), and it was noticeable that her skiing improved as soon as she put them on. Being able to "manage" is one thing: being on compatible skis that enable one to ski to the best of one's ability is another.
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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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@Kowal.Ski, I get the impression that you'll only learn from your own experience no matter what anyone says So I say, shell out the extra once and make your own decision. Either way, you'll know for sure 
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Hi again.
as promised here are the skis I was given at Brun Sport, les Deux Alpes.
Atomic Varioftber(?) 171cm 120 73 105 radius 15m - let me know if there was any spec I didn't provide as they are in the hotel's ski locker below.
After I was given these I asked them about their flexibility and they are springy skis. To get firmer skis I would have to pay more. Although there were 4 categories when I booked the skis, the selection in the hire shop was clearly from 2 banks each bank just ranked by length. Mine were from the "economique" bank. Once again they recommended shorter skis than I am happy with (165) so I changed them to 170s which I have happily skied on for many years.
The ski hire shop was right by the main gondola up the mountain and I didn't see any ski tents but will look again during the 7 days I am here.
There was a free drag lift available before my lift pass starts tomorrow so I had chance to try the skis out and they are what I consider bog standard and perfectly usable/enjoyable skis (possible a little above average even because they feel well waxed) and I know I will perfectly be happy with these for the week I am skiing on them. However, if I see any free loaner tents I will give them a go.
So, what is the verdict on these £24/7 day skis? are they considered planks? I'm now keen to try others but these seem perfectly fine/enjoyable to my simple tastes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Like a £3.99 bottle of red.
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| Norrin Radd wrote: |
| Like a £3.99 bottle of red. |
A great analogy. Some of us would say "life's too short to waste on cheap wine", where as others would be happy with the £3.99 stuff. Yes, it's all got alcohol in it, but there's a reason the good stuff costs 10-100 times more.
The trick is to know where your personal sweet spot is. I rent snowboards a lot and I'd not tolerate anything which wasn't current, matched to by ability, and in new or nearly new condition, but that's in Canada where these things work differently, I'm told.
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You know it makes sense.
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Unless you are spending absolutely feckall on your holiday £24 is nothing. Almost anyone could for under double that budget get something significantly better- it'd just mean skipping a couple of plates of spag bol on the mountain.
I'd say fine for beginner to 3 week skiers - if you know what you're doing it seems a bit of a waste of precious snow time.
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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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I point colleagues at work to this thread when they ask me what I mean when I say 'you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink it'.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Well I've just finished my first full day on the slopes. Conditions are not ideal here with only one dump of snow a week ago and after covering about a third of the pistes so far the resort is a bit of a let down compared to others I've been to. I have yet to find a fun piste here and there are only a couple of slightly challenging pistes so far. I've spent far too many years skiing at Grandvalira, Andorra (because my son wanted to keep going to the same place) and I never tired of it
Anyway, my bottom end skis have performed perfectly for me all day and I am entirely happy with them. I am not an aggressive skier although I do like going round nice bends fast when I can find them. I'm afraid I simply can't imagine how skis could be any better. They do everything I want them to do and I have a lot of fun on them. I suspect that you lot demand a lot more from your skis although I can't imagine what.
Nevertheless, in the future I will try more expensive skis to see if I notice any difference but probably not this year. It has never been about the money. I would have happily upgraded years ago if I had ever felt the skis weren't perfectly suited to me but I'll give them a go on my next trip anyway.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Kowal.Ski, If you are having fun on them then you have no problem  To be honest a lot depends on how you ski. If you like the feel of a ski flexing through a turn then the pop shooting you forward then a lower end ski may feel very damp. It's like when myself (as a recreational skier who does full seasons) tries proper FIS race skis, they are very hard work and sometimes catch you out badly as they require a lot of precision and if you get an angle slightly wrong they spit you out.
I must have skied on approx 20 - 30 different skis over the last 10 years. I have 3 pairs myself, slalom, all mountain and massive fat things. All ski totally differently.
But until you try different skis you don't know. The first time I hired top end slalom skis I paid €35 for one day. They were brand new Atomic double deckers and by Christ they were fun. Like driving a sports car compared with a city runaround.
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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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@Kowal.Ski, listen to Scarpa, for he is wise. Frankly until you try different types of ski you simply can't know what you are missing. However, if you are having fun and can't imagine having more fun then by all means carry on!
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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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| Steilhang wrote: |
| @Kowal.Ski, listen to Scarpa, for he is wise |
Well that's worth keeping.
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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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L2A is plenty of a ski area for most people even if some of the terrain is upside down. If you're not finding conditions great that's an ideal opportunity to get on some higher performance ( stiffer ) piste skis - more grip, more pop, carve on surfaces you could only skid on before. I know you're on some kinda extended troll here so don't expect you'll pay any attention to all the genuine advice you've had.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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This year in Tignes, I hired skis for the first time in years, as Crystal had an offer of Advanced skis + Lift Pass, for less than the price of the latter....and this equated to Ski Set's "Excellence Pack".
I wanted to try the Blizzard Brahma, but they had none available, so I was given this year's Quattro 8.0 Ca. It felt solid, worthy and damp, but a little unexciting. I thought it was suffering from an identity crisis ie. A little too wide for a piste ski and too narrow for an All Mountain ski.
Since I was spending most of my time on Piste skiing with my Daughter, I swapped them for some Head Magnums....now the fun was back and I can see why they get so much love. If I was in the market for this sort of ski, these would be at the top of the list.
So basically I'm backing up what Scarpa said above.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Mon 23-01-17 19:55; edited 1 time in total
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| Scarpa wrote: |
I must have skied on approx 20 - 30 different skis over the last 10 years. I have 3 pairs myself, slalom, all mountain and massive fat things. All ski totally differently.
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Call yourself a ski bum - 3 pairs? What about your spare powder pair, your fat all rounder, your skinnier play ski , your multiple rock skis that are still too good to let go etc etc 
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| Kowal.Ski wrote: |
| Anyway, my bottom end skis have performed perfectly for me all day and I am entirely happy with them. I am not an aggressive skier although I do like going round nice bends fast when I can find them. I'm afraid I simply can't imagine how skis could be any better. They do everything I want them to do and I have a lot of fun on them. |
And what ski's are they?
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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 have the ability to use then you will enjoy the better skis. But the question often arises as to what you actually get for you money. A couple of years ago in ADH some of our group booked the basic level in advance while others went for the top level package. Some really miffed faces when all looked down to see the same skis on the first chair lift
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^ which was was more interesting of the two themes in this thread, IMO. Shame it kept getting lost!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Well after a good read through of this thread I've decided this year to fork out the extra cash and hire the top end package for my trip on Saturday under the premise that if I really don't get on with them I don't think they'll have about issue swapping me into something else whereas I can see them being funny if I try to change anything in the lower packages. Brats the free basic skis I would be getting free from Crystal from a hire shop with terrible reviews!
This is my 7th ski trip and one thing I've noticed on the last trip was that, particularly on anything red or beyond, at speeds I was happy with I was having issues and I'm pretty sure it was the beginner skis and not my technique. Any small rut or imperfection on the piste would cause control issues at speed and I think this was due to the skis not being stiff enough. I'm not in pursuit of the world land speed record or anything like that but being unable to do anything other than struggle down a red or easy black because of naff skis is going to ruin my holiday this time.
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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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I love this thread - priceless!
3 pages of "you'll not know until you try" and recommendations to have a crack on something better, with the OP resolutely refusing to give in!!
| Kowal.Ski wrote: |
| I'm afraid I simply can't imagine how skis could be any better. |
Well you'll never know unless you try! It might be a revelation. But as you're so stubborn, you'll have to wait another year with that niggling doubt that maybe all those folk on SHs actually had a point and maybe, just maybe, they were right... But then I guess you might find out in 2018??
BTW - most ski rental shops are staffed by real people and if you pop in during a quiet period (i.e. not transfer day!) they'll prob let you take something else out for a spin for a few runs or an afternoon, often for no charge or a very modest contribution to that evening's bar tab. You don't have to upgrade to a diamond encrusted platinum package for the whole week. But then I'm sure this was probably covered way back in the thread...
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You know it makes sense.
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| Kowal.Ski wrote: |
| (FYI I like to maximise my time on the slopes by traversing slopes as much as possible and only go hell for leather downwards if needed to get over a flat bit) |
It might be that you don't have the skiing skills to benefit from skis which are designed to provide a different kind of experience to what you are used to, so I think sticking with the cheapest ski rental possible is probably a good idea. As a suggestion, maybe use the money you save on ski rental to invest on some good ski lessons which might encourage you to link turns rather than traverse the pistes.
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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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| Kowal.Ski wrote: |
Well I've just finished my first full day on the slopes. Conditions are not ideal here with only one dump of snow a week ago and after covering about a third of the pistes so far the resort is a bit of a let down compared to others I've been to. I have yet to find a fun piste here and there are only a couple of slightly challenging pistes so far.
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Anyway, my bottom end skis have performed perfectly for me all day and I am entirely happy with them.
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I'm afraid I simply can't imagine how skis could be any better. They do everything I want them to do and I have a lot of fun on them. I suspect that you lot demand a lot more from your skis although I can't imagine what.
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I find this quite a fun thread even if I can't be bothered reading it all (because its so circular).
But, I'm going to dare to suggest that " I have yet to find a fun piste here" may be due to "Anyway, my bottom end skis have performed perfectly for me all day and I am entirely happy with them. "
I'm sure the OP will be completely uninterested in me saying "I ski on Head Titans and Head Magnums, I generally find I have a blast on all kinds of pistes because my top end performance skis make it so. I have a friend who, having tried my skis, now also skis on Head Magnums. On his very first ski trip ever he had low end hire skis and just for fun I had a go on them (this was down Golf to Meribel Village). It was like the sun had gone behind a cloud. Yes, they worked fine, they were skis, they did the job, but where were the little thrills that tingle up my shins on every turn? Even on a flat blue."
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Posidrive wrote: |
| A couple of years ago in ADH some of our group booked the basic level in advance while others went for the top level package. Some really miffed faces when all looked down to see the same skis on the first chair lift |
Were they all the bottom level ones or the top level ones? Did they complain? What happened?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| andyrew wrote: |
| But, I'm going to dare to suggest that " I have yet to find a fun piste here" may be due to "Anyway, my bottom end skis have performed perfectly for me all day and I am entirely happy with them. " |
Yeah, I picked up on that aswell. Made me chuckle.
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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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No test tents here atm, some of the shops have test skis although I think there's usually a charge. The hire shop will probably let you upgrade for a day or so. Most important here atm are sharp edges.
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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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@Kowal.Ski, interesting question you have asked. I think the answer depends on how you ski as well as your ability.
Where would you put yourself on the skiing scale here: (the videos are very useful IMHO to assess yourself)
http://www.insideoutskiing.com/level.html
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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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Does anyone have any advice on how to make sure the ski shop doesn't just fob me off with any set of skis? As in, questions to ask or things to look out for. I've booked one of the premium packages for an all mountain ski.
It will be my 5th week skiing next week and I'd like to think I'm an OK skier but I don't know anything about the technical aspect of skis. I can ski most blacks somewhat comfortably - ones that are extremely icy/moguls may cause a bit of difficulty but I can still get down them. My technique can obviously be improved, and that's why I always get lessons. I like to push myself and my abilities so that's why I'm keen to have a ski that will allow me to do that - one that I'm maybe not quite good enough for but can get to that level by the end of the week. I get enjoyment out of improving my skiing and pushing it a bit, rather than just happily cruising reds.
Please no comments telling me any ski would do me - maybe they would but I don't care, I'm willing to spend the extra few euro.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Norrin Radd wrote: |
| Steilhang wrote: |
| @Kowal.Ski, listen to Scarpa, for he is wise |
Well that's worth keeping. |
That was the best bribe I ever made, but now he has been poached to write Trump's media reports 
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@conor90, If you chat to the staff and tell them that the last couple of skis you have had chattered and had trouble holding an edge at speed and that you would like to try a stiffer pair that will allow high speed tight carving then they should be able to produce something suitable. I've seen lots of hire places that have mid level slalom skis in their racks.
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@conor90, it can be difficult unless you are up to date with current skis. Most rental shops will have racks for each price band.
If you are paying for premium skis the should look brand new, same for the bindings.
Your best bet is to googles the skis you have been given, and check reviews, manufacturers sites etc for confirmation.
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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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@Scarpa, Thanks just the kind of stuff I'm looking for! I was hoping to do some side piste / even a little off piste technique in one of my lessons - snow permitting. Would that type of ski be suitable for that?
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| conor90 wrote: |
| @Scarpa, Thanks just the kind of stuff I'm looking for! I was hoping to do some side piste / even a little off piste technique in one of my lessons - snow permitting. Would that type of ski be suitable for that? |
All Mountain Ski, they are normally available in the upper end of the ski hire categories.
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FAQ
