 Poster: A snowHead
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If you are a (low) intermediate skier and price was not an issue, should you just rent the 'best' skis a rental place is offering (eg the ones marketed as 'gold' or 'black')? Or is there a reason NOT to get the better ones?
Some context:
I learned to ski about seven years ago and have probably done about 40/50 days total. I can parallel ski down most things (on piste) but my technique is still pretty rudimentary. (Example: I bought Carv this year, before realising that it's optimised for far better skiers. My best runs were in the low 90s on their 'IQ' scale. So it did highlight how much more I have to learn)
Anyway, we went to Courchevel in Jan, where the snow was lovely. But I got pretty frustrated whenever we went across to Meribel, where the snow was much more hard-packed. I could get down it - under control, no falls - but it wasn't enjoyable. I found that I just couldn't get my edges to grip... so every turn consisted of the skis sliding down the slope making that horrible scratchy sound... it was like a never-ending series of poorly-executed hockey-stops!
Given the above, I suspect 99% of this was down to my technique and experience. But I did also realise that I have no idea how sharp my rental ski edges were and whether sharper ones might have made a difference.
Which gets me to my question: when ski rental places advertise gold/silver/bronze, or black/red/blue, skis, what are they actually selling? Is it just that the more expensive packages are newer/better maintained/higher quality, in which case you should just rent the best you can afford? Or can you go wrong by renting skis that are 'too good' for your ability?
I ask because I remember the second week I skied, and I was forever getting freaked out by a sensation that my skis were 'catching', and throwing me off balance, especially on flattish runs. I put it down to still being a beginner and not having the skill to keep the skis perfectly flat (I didn't know anything about edges at all back then). But I also had a suspicion that the skis were just 'too good' for me, and if they'd been cheaper/blunter/'worse' they'd have been more forgiving.
We're going away again in a few weeks and I guess my question is: given where I am now, should i just rent the best skis I can get? Or is it actually important to match them to my ability?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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IME. The grading of the skis is usually reasonably targeted at the advertised ability. The price may reflect the age/condition of the skis, whether you can change through the week and how well they are serviced.
Most shops give examples of what is available in each group - so a quick Google usually reveals the standard these models are aimed at.
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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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Back on about my fourth week on skis I though I’d treat myself to the “gold” package. Obviously I was now so good I’d appreciate the better skis - Or so I thought…
Handed some skis about a foot longer and going on twice the width anything of I’d ever seen before.
Gave them a go, but after 15 mins I knew it was NEVER going to work. Back to shop to ask for something smaller:
“sorry monsieur, that is the smallest pair we have”.
“But what about all those ‘normal’ skis in the rack over there?”
“Oh you can’t have those, they are the ‘silver’ package and you’ve paid for the gold”
Took a little while to convince him that yes I really did want the silver skis despite having paid for the gold!
Once he was sure I didn’t want a partial refund I went away happy with something more appropriate to my skill level.
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Definitely, skis aimed at experts should only be used by experts.
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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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A lower grade is unlikely to be maintained any different, they almost certainly all get run through the same machines for wax and edge each week. I think it differs from shop to shop but generally it's either going to be aimed at differing abilities (like @kerb, mentions) or the lower end of the scale are just going to be slightly older.
Think for the majority of people the extra money would be better spent on lessons than equipment. I always remember one line from one of the instructors at the EoSB when someone asked for his opinion on the demo skis they were on, "it doesn't matter what ski is on the foot, it's the foot in the boot".
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Thanks for the responses... definitely agree that the path to progress lies with me, not with any particular choice of ski... but good to know that (as I suspected but didn't know for sure) that there could be downsides beyond cost in hiring a ski that's sold as being 'better' than my ability.
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i always figured no matter what you bought you get the skis-for-the-brits
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| gendal wrote: |
| Thanks for the responses... definitely agree that the path to progress lies with me, not with any particular choice of ski... but good to know that (as I suspected but didn't know for sure) that there could be downsides beyond cost in hiring a ski that's sold as being 'better' than my ability. |
It's one of those catch 22 situations that without enough skill you'd struggle, possibly, to drive a more advanced specification ski with them feeling like your skiing could not get any worse if you were to try them.
With a broad enough skillset you'd have coped more easily with the icy piste on exactly the same ski you were using, indication that more tuition may be the right way to go.
Definitely your in a position that everyone will have to pass through, that's no criticism just the reality of a learning curve. As you progress further you'll be amused at what you struggled with too.
Having decent condition equipment which is correctly serviced is a basic requirement for any rental kit, but it's not usually the controlling factor in their ski levels. That's just how you'd expect a reasonable supplier to behave.
More advanced skis will start to make demands of skills and core responses you'd build through instruction and experience, without those they can feel remarkably difficult.
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