 Poster: A snowHead
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I have booked rental skis for Vallandry through SkiAmis. I was asked if I wanted Green, blue, red or black category skis. I asked their advice, and they said blue or maybe red because I'm a bit on the heavy side - the two people who answered my emails couldn't agree. So I went with caution and said blue - apparently I can change if I want when I am there.
Can anyone give me examples of what the skis in these categories might be? Was wondering if they might be any I have heard of on here, or are hire ones made & marketed especially for the hire market & different from normal retail, ie harder wearing to stand the abuse? Do they tend to hire out all unisex models, or do they have separate ladies/mens?
I will be skiing on the Sunday, finding my feet a bit (hopefully!) before lessons start Monday 11.30am with NewGen. What should I be looking for when deciding whether they suit or whether I ought to ask for the red category instead - will I be able to tell for myself on the Sunday so I am sorted for the lessons?? Will it be obvious to the instructor if they are right/wrong? Or is it the case that at my level of ability (see sig) it won't make any difference whatever I have?
I don't know if in due course I will buy skis, but it seems sensible to be aware of what I'm using and learn what I can
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hire skis are more or less the same as their equivalent retail skis. There are now lots of womens specific models to choose from, so you should ask for those. There are dozens of individual ski models, but a few good examples would be "Head Cool Thang" or "K2 True Luv". Both these would be fine for sure, but there are loads more to choose from. You could browse ski manufacturer websites for descriptions of their women's specific models. A lot of hire skis are supplied by Salomon, so be sure to check their range. As for category I'd start with Blue and see how you get on, but I don't think it'll make much difference. Getting the right length will be the most important thing and secondly how well maintained they are.
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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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uktrailmonster, do hire skis go under the same model names as the retail ones? If not, if I got on well with some, how would I find out what was similar in a retail ski (I'd ask in the hire centre but if it is anything like the one in Serbia it will be mayhem!). In terms of how well maintained the skis are - what do I look for? What would be something to complain about?
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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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Butterfly, The key thing is to make sure your ski jacket,boots and skis do not colour clash
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Butterfly, Hire skis and retail skis have the same names
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riverman, thanks.
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Butterfly, I would back up what uktrailmonster, said about getting the right length which would be about chin nose height depending on your height/weight. It is worth thinking about paying a little bit more to get this years skis which should be still in good condition.
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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 have been skiing either 155 or 160 in length which I think's probably about right, though I found the slightly shorter ones a bit easier. I am, I think 166cm tall in "new money", but about 3 st heavier than I'd like to be  . Having said that I am not the classic pear shaped female - more an upside down pear! Does that mean that I'd be better with male skis than female as I assume female ones are designed for a low centre of gravity - or am I barking up the wrong tree there?
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I wouldn't stress too much about women's skis if you are a little heavier, half of it is just cosmetic - girlie graphics. Women's skis are designed for smaller, lighter, less aggressive skiers. It's all about averages. The average woman is smaller than the average man. But individual skis take weight into account on their different lengths, which is why often going down 1 step in length makes a bigger difference than you would imagine. The shorter ski will be designed for a lighter person.
155-160 cm sounds ok, the shorter ones will be a little easier to ski if you're not going fast. As for maintenance, the edges should be smooth and sharp and the bases should not have any deep cuts, especially right next to the edges and should be waxed (shiny silky appearance if scraped, or covered in a thin layer of wax if not). If the bases look bone dry, full of deep cuts and gouges and the edges are blunt, don't accept them!
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