 Poster: A snowHead
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Morning all,
me and the (soon to be) Mrs are honeymooning in Banff over christmas and want to know the best place to rent skis. the Ski Stop is the best i can find online and they have a free VIP 'change your skis as often as you like' policy. which is really useful as i might well buy a set out there and getting to try them all first is a bit of a bonus.
so anyway, anyone got any suggestions for other good hire places?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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teetree, Welcome to  s. I don't know this ski shop, I;ve always hired from the on-site shop at the Inns of Banff for convenience (that's where I stay). Maybe you want to check out the location in relation to your accomodation - it could be quite a distance and you'll have to change your skis when you get back from the mountain.
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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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We're staying at the Rimrock which as far as I know has a free ski concierge service.
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| teetree wrote: |
| We're staying at the Rimrock which as far as I know has a free ski concierge service. |
that sounds posh (the hotel certainly is) - wots one of those then? do they go and swap your skis for you, or just look after them when you get back (Chateau Frontenac in Quebec did that)
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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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well as i understand it, the ski hire place itself provides a car to come and pick you up for your initial fitting and take you back to your hotel. and then the hotel provides complimentary transport after that.
this is our first time skiing in canada. what's a decent amount to pay for 14 days hire? the ski stop's standard rate for 14 days is $270 and their VIP rarte is about $370. although you can redeem $190 of that against any set of skis you buy from them.
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teetree, that is posh!! I can't remember what hire costs, sorry. I would just do some comparisons like you are doing. The rate sounds ok to me for 14 days though. If you buy skis, remember there will be sales tax to add to the advertised price. If you've not been to Canada before I suggest you do a search on this site - there's lots of info on Banff, also about tipping (you have been warned!)
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cheers HL. i'm fairly au fait with the whole tipping thing as i lived in the US for a year and i find that as the food is so cheap (relatively speaking), i dont mind paying the extra in tips.
lots of lovely pre trip research, here i come...
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Just back from Banff-well April-but i am going back again for the season this year. What level are you skiing wise and I will be able to provide more help!
Ross
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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 about a 7, maybe an 8 and the other half is a fast progressing 4 or 5. we're looking to be mainly on piste, but i may venture into some powder at some point, so i'm looking at getting some bandits or similar.
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teetree, I hired from Ski Stop, albeit 5 years ago now. They were very helpful and professional and had a great range of skis to choose from. They actually did a bit more than hold the nearest pair up to see if they reached your nose or your chin!
One piece of advice, when I was there they offered an insurance policy for something like 2 bucks a day. I gouged a huge hole in the bottom of my ski on a rock and the ski concierge in my hotel said "looks like you just bought a pair of skis buddy"
However, with the insurance the Ski Stop guys simply had a new pair delivered to the hotel overnight. Phew!!
The shop is fairly central on the main drag through town if I remember correctly.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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cheers tyke.
sounds like they might be our guys. they certainly look pretty professional on their site.
they couldnt be any worse than the people we had last year. we went with flexible breaks (who were fantastic), but the ski shop they used at sauz d'oulx was abysmal. it was the little place just at the bottom of the main blue, opposite the hotel miosotis. i think my skis were older than me.
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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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We got ours through Crystal. They used Ultimate Ski and Ride, right in centre of towm, they set them all up and deliver to your hotel in the evening
http://www.ultimatebanff.com/
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People have had alot of probs at the ski stop poorly serviced equip etc! I'd be carefull and rent locally when you arrive! There are plenty shops around town.
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You know it makes sense.
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Ultimate ski will do it while you wait, just turn up when you get there.
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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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If you decide to buy skis there you can claim back some of the taxes at the airport. They should do it there and then in Calgary airport but it is BEFORE you check in, just show your plane ticket, goods and receipts and that should be ok. I only realised that this is the procedure once I'd checked in my skis and had to send in a postal application from the UK with a photo of my skis with a British newspaper they treated this as an 'exception' but I got my money back in the end!
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Poster: A snowHead
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You can claim the tax back as long as you have a copy of the plane ticket. By signing the refund form, you're simply claiming you took the goods out of Canada. I've done that many times on my trips to Canada.
But I agree it's much simpler to do it while you were there. You get your money right on the spot.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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thanks for the advice Re: taxes. always good to get a bit of money back. i'll have to thave a think about where to hire from.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Wow!
Make sure you get a lesson included in the "package"!? 
Thanks for the info.
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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've always wondered about the sense of pre-booking, yes vital at half-term or similar 'stuplidly busy' period - the shope nearest us in Les M, had run out of kids skis by 5pm on the saturday afternoon, leaving people to have to drop to the town to sort them out, and some very streessed mummies and daddies..
BUT if you're not at peak, peak, peak - how the hell do you know if the 'tour operator' selected shop is either (a) conveninet or (b) has the type / range of kit you want. Personally I've always not worries about saving the 10-15% by pre-booking (at then end of the day its nor more than a couple of rounds of beers) and checking out the shops in resort when I get there to find the best kit for me...
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1) Unless the shop comes recommended by people who has used it. That's who teetree is doing.
2) teetree is going during X'mas.
3) The saving of $100 can fund a lot of rounds of beer. 
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and the saving of $199 on a bought pair of ski's is a LOT of beer. especially at n.american prices.
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FAQ
