 Poster: A snowHead
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I am an upper intermediate skier about to do my first full season, based in Bourg Saint Maurice.
I think it makes sense to buy my first pair of skis, and would like some advice on when and where to buy?
It would be great to rent a few pairs and try them out and then purchase the pair that suit best, with the rental fee considered (in part) towards the purchase price.
I dont need latest season stuff, would be happy with ex rentals etc.
Cheers!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The When and the Where will likely take care of themselves ie. You will be in the best position to check shops and try stuff when staying in BSM. However, there are  who spend the winter there who can give advise about where to look.
For me, the more important question is What to buy, given the need for full season versatility. Questions that need considered might be:
- Weight / Aggression / Turn preference / Ski Character ie. Stiff / Damp or Playful / Forgiving etc
- Percentage of Off Piste you intend to do
- Type of ski, as in Piste / AM / Freeride
- Looking at skis that have enough headroom - as you will get a lot better over a season.
Trying different brands, in different categories, is the way to go....as getting the "right" ski is more important than getting a cheap ski, given you are there for the season. If you can achieve both, then happy days.
What (if any) skis are you thinking of shortlisting?
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 27-07-25 14:21; edited 1 time in total
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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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@Old Fartbag, In other words, how long is a piece of string?
@AlIre2024, Been a while, but there are several decent-sized shops in the village itself, as well as at Arc1600 at the top of the funiculaire. The latter might make more sense for swapping round, save carting them up and down each time.
If you're going out at the start of the season you're much less likely to come across ex-rental stuff, most of which will have been sold off in the spring or shipped off elsewhere for pre-season sales around the country. But you may consider doing rental for a month or two and then getting a bigger discount on the ones you finally settle on - normally most places will only give you three days or so of rental/demo as a reduction off brand new skis.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Sun 27-07-25 12:33; edited 1 time in total
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| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| @Old Fartbag, In other words, how long is a piece of string? |
More info is needed for any recommendations....and then testing is needed to cut the string to the right length. 
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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 don't know how it works in Europe, but in Canada outside tourist bits of resorts, ski gear has very little value. So I'd rent until you know how the local systems work, then you'll know what you want, and you'll also know how to pick it up at non-tourist rates.
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@AlIre2024,
Consider at the start of the season buying 2nd hand or ex-rentals - ski bases can take a hammering early season if the snow is thin - then new skis later.
Check bindings are included in the price.
And don't forget poles and a good ski lock.
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@Kenzie, ski lock?! Please tel me these aren't necessary…dont think ive ever seem skis locked. Sad if true
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| AlIre2024 wrote: |
| @Kenzie, ski lock?! Please tel me these aren't necessary…dont think ive ever seem skis locked. Sad if true |
It helps with a claim if stolen, as it shows the skis were secured if left unattended.
If your skis are expensive, I would get a lock.
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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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@AlIre2024, yes, skis go missing from outside bars/mountain restaurants etc, you would hope that it would be more likely to be taken by mistake, especially hire skis, probably more likely to be with drunken apres ski revellers.
but there have been previous stories of organised gangs nicking skis, easier to nick and sell peoples own skis, than branded hire skis, but there would probably still be a market for them somewhere.
we have ski locks that we use, but also helps to split skis if you are in a group, as it makes it harder to the tea leaves to search several pairs of odd skis to get a matching pair.
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I was in your situation 2 years ago and truth be told I wish I just bought my own skis on day 1. I rented from the nearest shop in Meribel with the idea that all rental days would be discounted off the purchase price, but then I realised the purchase price is actually at the RRP and you could go on snowleader.com and pay under 50% of the RRP.
The issue then was the delivery would take over a week, meaning more renting adding up to the point I'd covered the costs of the skis to buy...
So yeh, personally I just wish I bought a pair of skis online on day 1. If you're a true upper intermediate you should have tried out a lot of skis by now anyway, so should be able to get a good gauge of what you like
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| badatbetting wrote: |
| ... but then I realised the purchase price is actually at the RRP and you could go on snowleader.com and pay under 50% of the RRP. |
Somebody with a van could drive to Ekosport in Frontenex to pick skis up.
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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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Yeh we didn't have that option (we'd just arrived and didnt have any friends/connections), and with public transport even getting to moutiers was tricky enough...
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Ekosport will ship for next to nothing, as will Montaz.
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You know it makes sense.
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it wasn't the price for the shipping, it was the fact it'd take over a week (and took even longer in reality), the French delivery services deep up the mountain aren't the most reliable...
But all in all it's likely cheaper to buy online than in resort, unless getting second hand ones etc
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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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@badatbetting, I have had stuff shipped by Ekosport to Tignes, arrived in a couple of days.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I have a feeling tignes may be more accessible than meribel? it was also the very start of the season so I imagine peak time so I couldn't expect anything else
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@AlIre2024, Here's another thought --- by something off Ebay or Skibay now, 'cos it won't be expensive. Use them for the first month or so.. then you'll have had time to make friends with the local shops.....
The ski manufacturers and shops would like you to believe that a particular (expensive) ski will make all the difference. It won't. Boots that fit, experience and lessons do.
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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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Good point. Do you have those already?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Glisshop have some Rossi Experience 82 Basalt (Winter '24) in a 168 and a 176 @ £287.01 (46% reduction):
https://www.glisshop.co.uk/ski-set-bindings/rossignol/alpine-ski-set-experience-82-basalt-konect-bindings48526294
These would be decent On Piste and be OK for going Off the side and in rougher conditions. They would be more on the playful / forgiving side and have an ultimate speed limit compared with the Ti version. Depending on your stats, the longer length might be the one to choose, as it would give better grip and have more surface area.
They would certainly get you through a month or two.....and if you really liked them, see the season out.
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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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Son spent last season in AdH - his response to this can be summed up N+1
Went with 1-pair, came home with 3 and a snowboard 
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@Old Fartbag, thank you for your detailed reply, helpful!
I actually rode these exact skis last year for a month.
I liked them, but when I did another week later in the season I tried a pair of Black Crows Mirus Cors for a few days and they were such a blast!
I know they are a sort of “weird” ski in terms of where the fit in the quiver, but my god are they fun…
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| AlIre2024 wrote: |
@Old Fartbag, thank you for your detailed reply, helpful!
I actually rode these exact skis last year for a month.
I liked them, but when I did another week later in the season I tried a pair of Black Crows Mirus Cors for a few days and they were such a blast!
I know they are a sort of “weird” ski in terms of where the fit in the quiver, but my god are they fun… |
Options; options.
At least you are very familiar with my suggestion and can decide - at least to start with - if they provide a decent mix of VFM and performance.
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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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@AlIre2024, bourg st Maurice is a good place to source ski stuff and for bargains this is a good time to source them. December is, however, not a great time as almost every thing is at full retail price.
Almost all shops offer a free day trial if you buy the skis and I would recommend taking this up.
There are two big sport shops in bourg st Maurice: intersport and decathlon. They are only a few hundred metres from each other so you can walk between them and compare offerings.
If you are prepared to get the funicular up to 1600 then there are two shops there I can personally recommend: Christina sports and intersport at the other end of the village. Intersport have been particularly good with both my wife and me buying skis. When the edge completely ripped out her skis, which she had bought from them several years earlier, they intervened with the manufacturer and when they didn’t help replaced the skis at a discounted price. They knew exactly what skis met my requirements rather than me just reading magazine reviews (quite ordinary atomic red stars).
The ski shops have plenty of exhire stock for sale at the moment and an email correspondence with a shop such as Christiana sports may persuade them to put a pair aside for you to pick up when you get to bourg.
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@johnE, thanks so much!
Do you happen to have email/contact details for any of the above mentioned shops?
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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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@johnE, Thanks! I submitted a query to the Christina website, fingers crossed!
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@johnE,
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There are two big sport shops in bourg st Maurice: intersport and decathlon
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Everyday's a school day! I didn't know that there was a Decathlon store in BSM. We usually have a mooch/pick up last minute stuff on the way through Aime (and get winter diesel at LeClerc).
Albertville might be another option for some discounted gear. Mrs G7 has some Rossi's that we picked up from the sale rack at Aux Vieux Camper. Most of their stuff is top dollar, but there are bargains to be had.
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You know it makes sense.
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@GeorgeVII, A new Decathlon has opened in Bourg next to Intermarche where GiFi was previously.
We came down to Bourg yesterday to drop our daughter off for a transfer and had a look in. I think it’s been very popular as not a lot on the shelves, but SuperU was the same and never seen it as busy with no bananas or Aperol 
Labo next to McDonalds in Bourg might be worth a look for ski gear. It’s not somewhere I would normally pop into but with the train station in Bourg is undergoing a massive refurbishment that’s where they were collected from and would definitely have a look.
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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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Isn’t BSM some kind of weird sex thing ?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Nothing weird about it, open your eyes to what you're missing out on
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@muppet, I'm glad you posted, I was thinking I've never seen a Decathlon there!
Hope it doesn't mean the one in Aime will now close, as that was always a good stop on way up to Vallandry
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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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I'm pretty new to all this, but is there any sense in my suspicion that once new 2025/26 season ski's are released (which is when, Autumn?) that discounts will start to hit the 2024/25 models? Really hoping to pick up a pair of Black Crows Mirus Cors and they are still at 100% of RRP!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Mirus Cors unlikely to be discounted much if at all. They are a lightning in a bottle popular ski even with the high price tag which always seems faintly ludicrous to me no matter how cool the swallow tail is.
If I was doing my first season and didn't have the benefit of employer hookup provided free rentals I'd buy the best ski I could find in my size discount or secondhand in the 80-90mm bracket then look to add to my quiver locally and opportunistically as my skills and interests developed.
Have you checked Sport Pursuit for your length? There were some Black Crows Serpos and Octos on there at around 50% discount.
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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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| muppet wrote: |
| I think it’s been very popular as not a lot on the shelves |
maybe but the Grenoble decathlons always seem to be out of stock, I don't think they carry much instore these days.
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How long do skis typically last? I was shocked to see some sources saying 100 - 150 days on snow!
Are some brands known for better durability vs. others? If so, what are some to avoid?
How much of it is down to the care of the owner vs. inherent to the ski?
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@AlIre2024, in years past I reckoned around 120-140 days for skis, so basically a full season.
That said (and notwithstanding Covid years) our current daily skis are still +/- use-able after 8 seasons (but will be replaced in December).
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@under a new name, So im guessing you’ve not done 8 full seasons on them, but more than 140 days?
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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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@AlIre2024, sorry, I was not clear. I reckon we typically do 30-40 days a season on our alpine daily skis, one closed covid year, one truncated by ACL year for me so more or less 180-240 days for my Blizzards, a bit more for the Mrs, but both have started delaminating tip and tail. And are as damp as a damp thing.
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@AlIre2024,
Largely depends on how may hours you do on the mountain, and what exactly you are doing. But as a seasonnaire for five seasons I reckoned that any piece of kit (gloves, polls, skis, jacket, pants etc) that lasted the season was quality - hence my recommendation for you to buy a cheap pair of 'sacrifice skis' for early season, then a decent pair, and then maybe another pair in the end of season sales.
Ski kit is designed for the average one or two week a year punter, not for someone out on the mountain most days (working a season I reckon I was doing 20 hours a week on the mountain on average, ski bumming nearer 40).
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FAQ
