 Poster: A snowHead
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Having been a serial hirer of skis for my one to two weeks per year skiing I am thinking of taking the plunge and buying a pair during the off-season. Reason is that it feels the cost of hire vs purchase isn't quite as beneficial as it was and also Mrs T and I have booked ourselves a bit of a bucket list trip to SLC (from the UK) for 2025. I am a reasonably experienced skier who tends to stick to pistes and slack country; I wish I had the ability to do more off piste but as a late starter doing one to two weeks a year and aged 60 I kind of accept I might have reached my limits there - still, no harm hoping! On the basis of opting for the last thing you hired and got on with I am strongly drawn to a pair of Black Crow Serpos as they seemed to handle much of what I wanted to ski this year; I am sure the purists will mutter "jack of all trades, master of none" but this is strictly a one ski quiver and that description probably matches the owner. But even if my choice is "correct" and vindicated by the forum  I have to admit I have no idea what binding to marry it to (or even what qualities to look for in a binding); I am naturally cautious in simply taking the set offering from a retailer as they may suit their stock and margins than being right for the ski. So, equipment geeks, do your best for an ageing recreational skier, 180cm tall (I am thinking 174cm skis) and weighing mid 80s kg.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Technician, to a degree, bindings are much of a muchness. Sort of.
You want to ensure that they're compatible with your boot soles (there's a bit of a sea change in constructions going on and it's not quite 100% there yet). Look up "Grip Walk".
And you want an appropriate DIN range, plus at 80 odd kgs probably means you don't want e.g. Marker Squires which are plastic. We have them but are only at 60kgs and I did break one.
And you want the colours to complement your skis.
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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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@Technician, one ski quiver makes sense - don't worry about detractors.
As under says much of a muchness - to a large degree you will get what you pay for. They will all work but more expensive ones will be made from slightly better components and therefore be a bit more robust.
If you buy as a package from somewhere like glisshop or ekosport they will offer a base price pairing and then other options (for an increasing cost). It is then down to your budget or desire to get something that may last a bit longer.
And yeah the GW thing.
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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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Our chums at Concept Pro sold heaps of bindings pre-season, their analysis being that folks were buying cheap skis online but the binding prices weren't as interesting plus mounting, advice, etc.
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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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I'm a big fan of demo bindings (same as hire/rail bindings) because it allows a bit of flexibility to shift the mounting point (back for soft snow etc.).
You'll also be safe if you radically change your boots, not likely a problem but I actually had to re drill a pair of skis after I changed my boots to something super tight fitting.
In addition skis with demo bindings have better re sale value and can be more safely lent to friends.
Ex hire pairs will have demo bindings as standard and can be purchased at a large discount from internet resellers if price is consideration for you.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Henwc, I think moving front and back is a gimmick ... c.f. ess v.a.r. wot became Atomic
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Technician, What time of year are you heading to Utah ? Often plenty of discounted sales on
You might be better waiting until you get out there to purchase both skis and bindings. Backcountry has a massive setup there - personally I wouldnt use them but theres notignwrong with them
REI is a great place often offering decent deals, and if you sign up to their membership, even more savings. They will also allow you to return them if you're not happy with them - often for a full refund and this extends upto a year.
Theres also plenty of small independants selling , and more importantly demoing equipment too - the price of which will be knocked off if you purchase.
Our skis over the last 15 years or so have all been bought in Utah - except 1 pair, SWMBO's latest as they were out of stock, cheaper than Uk prices - easy to barter with some shops 
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@under a new name, I'm prepared to concede it may be a gimmick. I like to have the option from a personal point of view but I don't have any evidence it makes enough difference to matter.
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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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I'm not going to the US until mid-Feb but hope to sneak in a week in Europe beforehand. And I am slightly reluctant to use slope side time shopping. Feels as though I might best go package and trade up on the bindings
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If you do decide to buy in SLC, Level 9 sports is hard to beat ( even nationally in US). They also have a sizeable secondhand selection in store.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Technician, at your stats get the 180cm in the Serpo as they ski short due to their rocker. Especially for Utah.
Bindings aren't actually much of a muchness. Good torsional stiffness, lateral elasticity and vertical elasticity are important features in a binding so don't skimp out. I'd put you on a set of Marker Griffon ID 13's (4-13 din) as they score very high in all of those boxes plus they accept any boot sole style and are super durable. The metal 'boot cleaning' bar across the top of the top binding is a great feature. And they have a pretty flat delta angle for those that are sensitive to a high delta. They also have a world wide warranty - not every brand does. IMO there isn't another binding that has all these features (plus more) at the price.
The Demo version of the Griffon is also excellent if you want the benefit of sliding off the bindings for transit and/or the ability to adjust/dial-in the mount point. Marker are also the only brand to sell the Demo bases separately allowing you to get a second ski and share one set of bindings across both skis - for which you might also need a different width brake set but they're readily available. The Demo version only accepts an alpine or GW sole but that'd only be an issue if you have a touring sole.
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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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metal 'boot cleaning' bar across the top of the top binding
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That's a neat idea.
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