 Poster: A snowHead
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How do i pick a good ski from the rental shop?
I know there is a lot of advice and opinion on the best ski to buy on SH, but how do i pick what is the best ski to hire when I turn up at the hire shop on a Sunday morning. I will be renting from Ski Calbo in Soldeu.
1. What do i need to look for?
2, Are there any skis that i should avoid, or are there any tskis that i should bite tehior hand off for?
3. How do i tell that the ski I have been offered in the hire shop is well serviced, in particular how sharp should the edges be? Does it matter if they have been waxed?
It will be my fourth week of skiing next week and I am aiming to prgress to mainly red and blacks this year. I like going fast, but also want a responsive ski. If that makes sense!!!
Thanks 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi SportBilly,
I've generally been a bit disappointed with the choice available in ski hire shops. In my experience, you get what you're given unless you pay significantly extra for 'premium' skis. I was quite underwhelmed with my hire skis in Courmayeur last season. They were Salomon Street Racer 6, around 4 seasons old, in reasonably good condition but the edges could have been better. I'd paid for 'gold' level rather than 'platinum' level, but I still expected better than this. I guess it depends a lot from resort to resort and shop to shop.
At your level it's probably worth paying a bit extra for better quality skis, but there comes a point at which paying £100+ for six days hire skis could be better spent buying your own second hand skis? That's the decision I have taken this season.
As to which to avoid and which to choose, it's very subjective. I've been to a couple of demo sessions at the snowdomes this season and found I really gelled with some skis and not with others. Nothing to do with perceived level, just my own personal preference and skiing (lack of) style.
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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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Most shops you will have the option of paying slightly more for slightly better skis, I was in El Tarter and had some Silver Level skis which were perfectly good, decent edges and freshly waxed.
Cost me £65 for the week.
Most decent shops if you go in at a quieter time (preferably try and arrive the day before to collect them, they'll be quieter in the afternoon than Sunday/Monday morning first thing) and may well give you the option of a couple of different skis - I had a rack to choose from and explained what I wanted to the guy and got it.
Remember if you're not happy with the skis they give you just head back there and ask to change them - they'll happily let you try a couple of different skis from the rack of whatever you pay for - makes no odds to them which ones you use. As such if you go with what they suggest on day one and find they're not right, take them back in at the end of that day and explain what you'd prefer - stiffer, softer, better edges, longer, shorter etc. Within reason, obviously, they won't much like you coming back every day for a week to get a different pair, it does take them a bit of time to adjust for your boots etc so be reasonable, unless you've paid Platinum prices, in which case go back as many times as you like 
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