Buying skis but not boots

A snowHead

My son outgrows his snowboard boots every season, but he just has massive feet, not massive height so his board will easily last 2 seasons (he’s 9, size 6). He predominantly skis though & now we can’t get away with the kids learner skis its getting quite costly to hire. So I was wondering if I bought Pre loved skis, would the rental shop set them up for me when he hired boots from them? Or is that not a thing doing it the opposite way to normal?

A snowHead

They would here, yes, but I guess it depends on the shop. Either way, it can't cost much.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

When you say its more expensive to hire, have you considered baggage costs (assuming you're flying)?

Obviously it depends who you fly with, what type of ticket etc. but the cost of taking skis often makes owning uneconomical.

I suspect most on here have their own equipment because they want to rather than a cost saving.

If you are driving of course all the above is irrelevant!

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It does depend on if you are driving or not and how many days you are skiing, flying and less than 3 weeks and it is probably not worth it. If I was planning to do what you are suggesting then I would work out how to correctly adjust the bindings on the skis myself, rather than relying on the shop being helpful.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

The shops would help you out - they have no interest in people having accidents when it takes 2min to adjust bindings.

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@bartiebat, we've had a ski hire shop adjust bindings on our skis for boots hired from them on three separate occassions in three different resorts, two in France and one in Italy.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@bartiebat,

Non-rental bindings don't always have a huge adjustment range; maybe a boot size or 2, except look pivots which are less than that.
Also the length will need to increase as he grows.

Not sure if shops in the UK do it, but here you can trade-in skis and boots as ghe kids grow out of them which makes the cost a lot more reasonable, especially if you trade them for other used ones.

After all it is free

@bartiebat,

I think that there are quite few challenges in the approach.

1. If you buy skis then you may, or may not, have sufficiently adjustable bindings. So at some point you may have to replace the skis anyway.

2. I have my own skis (I usually take two pairs with me in a double Snowtube) and boots and I find the convenience of not having to go to a hire shop and brave the hordes outweighs the hassle of having to travel with them. There are also other benefits in having skis you know intimately. It is, as commented above, NOT cheaper though. By the time you’ve paid for carriage, servicing, repairs and the skis themselves even for someone like me doing over 30 days/annum it would still be cheaper to rent.

3. My advice, which I followed with my own kids, is to rent boots and skis until he’s stopped growing. Then buy boots. If he really gets into it then worth buying skis but for the feel, intimacy and control that delivers … not as a cost saver.

4. IF you do decide to buy skis/board then (assuming you’re flying through Geneva) GenevaSkiStorage are/were great. Instead of flying with your skis you leave them at Geneva; picking them up from lockers at Geneva Airport when you fly in and dropping them back again when you fly home. IIRC the annual cost is around 100 with a 14 cost per pickup. (They actually store the skis elsewhere in Geneva and put them in the lockers only when you inform them that you need them). However, I’m not sure if they’re still running after Covid and as I now reside in Berlin I don’t need the service any longer.

5. Alternatively, if you have skis, try and fly Swiss. As long as you’re not on the super-economy cabin-bags-only ticketing your skis travel free.

Overall, then, I wouldn’t recommend buying skis and renting boots; I’d rent both until such time as he’s stopped growing. Then buy boots.

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Yup yup that is right it is instead not additional for BA but it can still work out better than paying for carriage on other cheaper airlines if you can get all your ski kit into your ski/board bag.

Turkish Air used to have free ski carriage but alas no longer, although I think if I had not paid I would have got away with it based on the comments from check in staff, but didn't feel worth the risk!

snow reports

Carriage isn’t a problem as we take boards so its already paid for. But I didn’t realise bindings were also sized. Hmm back to the drawing board. Thanks all

@bartiebat, Don't write it off though, as many skis, not just those used for rental, are designed with plate-mounted bindings, which are inherently adjustable (although some may need a little longer, and a little more know-how, than others). It's a question to ask before buying, is all.

You know it makes sense.

I wouldn't base a buying decision on any airline baggage policy remaining unchanged for more than a few months Confused

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

You could buy ex-rental skis in resort for future use? they will have the adjustable bindings

A snowHead

Ahh is that a thing? Thank you I’ll ask on our next trip.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@bartiebat, you can buy skis with adjustable aka rail aka demo aka rental bindings.

A lot of kids skis have them for precisely the reason they grow quick.

I've tended to buy new and sell on, although helps that I have two kids and so can be passed down aswell.

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As well as kids skis, online retailers will have adult ski+binding packages that will have "rental" bindings. Adult means longer than 150mm and therefore teenagers are included.
If you are packing them with boards, another advantage is that it's a doddle (well usually, sometimes it's not quite obvious how) to take the bindings off the rails to make packing simpler.

Just so you know, the sole length of the boot in mm will be stamped on the side. This should be the length you set the binding to, but you must check the forward pressure is correct. It's more often than not an indicator on the side of the heel binding: the marker needs to be in the correct range or the binding is not safely fitted. The correct DIN (release) setting is taken from a formula based on age, weight, ability and boot sole length.

Obviously, the shop will do all this for you. I would not expect any charge for it either: they don't charge to fit skis to your boots and they shouldn't charge for the reverse.

Having said that, I'd have the bindings set "about right" and discuss the exact DIN setting in the shop. A UK 6 is half way between a 24.5 boot, which could be around 290mm and a 25.5 around 300mm, give or take a few. The standard DIN chart takes 0.5 off when you go from 290 to 300mm (strictly to 291mm)... longer boots have more leverage on your leg and need softer binding settings. So it would be worth you knowing what to expect the correct setting to be for a 291-310mm boot in advance based on https://www.dincalculator.com/.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Wow it’s complicated hey (we’re snowboarders). He’s only 9, reasonably tall but not a giant. They gave him 137 skis last week but the instructor said they were 5cm too long, but would do. And he did manage fine. I paid to upgrade from standard to premium now he’s sliding parallel at the reps suggestion, but noticed they came from the same rack as the kids in front beginner skis & saw several tots barely able to stand riding round the nursery slope on them & thought I need to start some research now. So thanks for the link as part of the process. This is our first year of multiple trips (with the boy). When it was one it wasn’t worth the hassle

Help!!

Buying skis but not boots

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