 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I'm after some recommendations for what to do for skis (and boots) for my children please.
They are boys aged 10 and 12, and have both been skiing 1 week per year since they were 3 years old - with lessons and now go down pretty much anything on piste - generally forwards (but sometimes intentionally backwards). Obviously we missed last season, but the 10 y/o has done several gates sessions at Hemel over summer (12 y/o did one session, but found it boring). Both are currently about the same height of 140cm (much to the 12 y/o frustration). The 10 y/o is more daring and competitive than the 12 y/o.
We are lucky enough to be able to visit a relatives house at will in the French Alps, and have arranged to be there for 3 weeks over xmas, 1 week of half term, and then Easter.
Do I carry on renting them skis / boots? The local rental shop told me when we visited over summer that they'll do a good deal for a winter seasons rental.
Do I buy them skis / boots?
Do I dare get twin-tips and encourage them to do more "tricks" - gulp.
If I buy, what types and lengths of skis would be recommended? Unfortunately, as they are the same height, I doubt I will be able to hand them down...
Thanks for any responses.
Glyn.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| motdit73 wrote: |
Hi, I'm after some recommendations for what to do for skis (and boots) for my children please.
They are boys aged 10 and 12, and have both been skiing 1 week per year since they were 3 years old - with lessons and now go down pretty much anything on piste - generally forwards (but sometimes intentionally backwards). Obviously we missed last season, but the 10 y/o has done several gates sessions at Hemel over summer (12 y/o did one session, but found it boring). Both are currently about the same height of 140cm (much to the 12 y/o frustration). The 10 y/o is more daring and competitive than the 12 y/o.
We are lucky enough to be able to visit a relatives house at will in the French Alps, and have arranged to be there for 3 weeks over xmas, 1 week of half term, and then Easter.
Do I carry on renting them skis / boots? The local rental shop told me when we visited over summer that they'll do a good deal for a winter seasons rental.
Do I buy them skis / boots?
Do I dare get twin-tips and encourage them to do more "tricks" - gulp.
If I buy, what types and lengths of skis would be recommended? Unfortunately, as they are the same height, I doubt I will be able to hand them down...
Thanks for any responses.
Glyn. |
Guess its a question of doing the math.
No idea what it costs to rent kids gear, but if you factor the UK equivalent of ~$200-ish for a pair of boots and $400-ish for skis/bindings, and compare that to rentals, you have your answer. Until your kids have proper boot fits (my kids do but they probably ski a lot more, and ski competitively), for recreational skiing there's not a whole lot of difference between kids rental boots and buying them fit wise - maybe a little on performance as I'm not sure you get 4 buckle kids rentals if you need those.
Then factor in what you can sell them for. Again a bit of a different market here, so we can easily trade stuff in for the next year when they've grown out of them. But if this or selling old stuff is an option, it makes it reasonably economic. Reckon on get ~50% back depending how beaten up they get and how long you keep them.
Don't plan on getting more than a season out of skis or boots (if not handing down) because they will be the wrong size - particularly boots - my son had 3 pairs one year!! 
Skis wise, I'd avoid twin tips for the kids unless they are going to be doing a lot of park skiing. You can ski fine backwards and pull all sorts of tricks on non-twin tips, just look for ones with a bit of tail raise - they will then ski better going forwards.
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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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@motdit73, the transition from 1 week/season to 5 weeks/season will probably transform their skiing. On which basis I'd rent, because whatever you buy will either be wrong at the start, or wrong at the end. If your younger one enjoys gates and gets into that, you could easily run through 3 pairs of skis in a season as he develops.
Also, as they improve, they'll need (want!) a greater variety of skis - mine are similar age to yours, and each has slalom, GS and off piste skis. Luckily I can hand them down, and my eldest can share my wife's ski collection.
If the shop will do you a decent deal, and will roll in weekly servicing (otherwise £10/time or £100 for the gear to DIY) and swapping skis as necessary, that will be massively better than owning a single pair of skis.
Boots I'd be minded to buy if their feet aren't at the "2 sizes every 3 months" stage. For c. £100 you can usually get some decent Lange kids boots online, or for a bit more, something like the Tecnica Cochise Jr is very versatile - my son uses for everything from racing to touring.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi @motdit73, welcome to snowHeads 
As they've both done 7 or more weeks of skiing and that you'll be out for at least 5 weeks this coming season, I'd buy the kit. It'll avoid the faff of the hire shop every trip and if you can leave the kit at you're relative's house it would be a no-brainer for me, especially if you have to fly.
You can often pick up kit in Buy & Sell here or on eBay that will be fine for a few weeks. If the kit can last for 2 seasons even better but if your 12-yr old son will have a growth spurt like mine has over the last year (13cm in the year from 12 to 13 and still going at that rate), you'll be looking for new kit for him anyway next year. The rate of growth means that boots barely get worn before they grow out of them and there are some bargains out there. We usually lose less than the cost of hire each time.
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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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As snowdave I'd keep renting skis but look at buying them fitted boots.
The standard advice on SH for adults is "Buy boots first" and the logic that a proper fit gives greater comfort, feel, and control over the ski is the same for juniors - it's just they do insist on growing so the cost for just 1 weeks skiing doesn't make sense. Subject to growth spurts you're looking at getting 5 weeks skiing out of them though, at which point I'd say the scales start to tip. Certainly from the levels you've described fitted boots might be a better use of money for them than more lessons.
Skis... Well imagine you bought them and but one didn't get on with his? Or one demanded out and out slalom skis but you had meters of fresh snow every day? Or one wanted twin tips/the other didn't...till you got there and then the second wanted twin tips too? Much easier to hire and swap as conditions/tastes/etc dictate.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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You are doing enough skiing to make it worth buying kit second hand. I'd go to a ski hire shop and tell them that you might want to buy the stuff at the end of the first week. See how it goes during the week, change as necessary then ask them for a price. When we have done this the cost has been VERY reasonable. Remember they are paying half of retail prices and the kit has probably earned back already.
With a two year gap you may get lucky and find that the elder can pass on skis and boots to the younger when they need new gear. We managed this quite a bit with our kids (who have similar shaped feet). The other thing is that rental skis have rental bindings so easily adjusted. When the youngest has grown out of the gear put it on the board here or ebay it.
This is what we have done and it has been much cheaper and more convenient that going to the hire shop every trip.
The kids have recently stopped growing and I am in the process of buying them new boots and skis for the first time. Lucky things.
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Thank you everyone for your replies and sharing your experiences. Very insightful and useful responses.
Pretty sure now that we'll hire skis - at least for this season. Will look to buy the boots beforehand, as suggested.
Thanks
Glyn.
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