 Poster: A snowHead
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I am a female, intermediate (but lazy) skier. I want to buy some skis for mainly general piste skiing. I haven't got the stamina or skill to go off-piste very much.
If I buy when I am in the 3V week after next (near Les Menuires), I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good place out there to buy from?
And does anyone know if it's possible to try skis before buying them? I get confused reading all the reviews - I mean, it all sounds a bit of a gamble to me, spending all that money only to find within the first half hour of skiing on your brand new babies that they are too this or too little that!
Any advice would be appreciated!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Villz, Most ski shops have Demo skis. They charge a daily rental, which is normally fully refundable should you buy a new pair from them. So try a few pairs out that you fancy, rent free.
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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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| Spyderman wrote: |
| Villz, Most ski shops have Demo skis. They charge a daily rental, which is normally fully refundable should you buy a new pair from them. So try a few pairs out that you fancy, rent free. |
That's the way to do it! Goes for trying out boots as well.
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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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Spyderman, ccl, that sounds just the job, thanks!
Can anyone recommend a ski shop in Les Menuires or St Martin to try?
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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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Definitely demo, as Spyderman says, most shops will have demo skis you can 'hire' and then have the cost deducted from the final price if you buy a pair (it's what I did a couple of weeks ago).
Might I recommend that you try the Salomon X-Wing Tornadoes for a few runs. They weren't my cup of tea, I much preferred the Volkls and Rossignols I tried because they were quite stiff; the Salomons however were softer (too soft for me, hence not quite right), but still excellent on-piste, so might fit the bill if you're a bit 'lazy'.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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skisimon, thanks! Forgive my ignorance - what does soft mean and why would someone prefer a stiffer ski?
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Villz, Stiffer skis allow you to transfer more force to the piste, the faster and harder you ski the more force you need to turn so in general a race ski will be significantly stiffer than a non race ski and so on, a recreational skier who just wants to cruise the piste needs a lot less stiff ski than someone who likes to travel at speed., however ski technique, style and skiers weight all play their part.
Your best bet is to tell the shop what sort of skier you are and how you like to ski and then ask for their suggestions as to suitable skis, they should be able to provide you with several different skis to test and then you can make your choice afterwards
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Villz, what D G Orf said. As a general rule, stiffer skis suit more aggressive skiers (skiing style not personality...) because they need more power to get the performance out of them, meanwhile, over-powering a softer ski can make it unstable.
Also agree that you should discuss the options with the shop. I was fairly decided on what I wanted to try when I demoed some skis recently, but the shop recommended two others - the Salomons (which weren't, however, the most suitable for me) and some Rossignols (which were awesome, but not quite as awesome as the Volkls  ).
I do stand by my recommendation though, given your description of yourself.
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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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Villz, If you don't know the salesperson, always test.
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Villz, and just to add some further expansion to what D G Orf and skisimon said, why would you not want a stiff ski? Because the added performance of a stiff skis brings with it a much higher requirement to control it right from millisecond to millisecond and a much lower tolerance of being not quite there. It generally requires more effort to get it turning too - but will then hold precise turns on much harder pistes that a softer ski would be unable to do anything but just skid over. A stiff ski is not a match made in heaven for a 'lazy skier'.
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