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Ski hire

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
As a reasonable on piste skier, would I notice much difference in hiring better skis than the basic ones I am used to ?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
No
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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?
Why is that Wayne? Is just a money maker?
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lightningdan wrote:
Why is that Wayne? Is just a money maker?


What Puzzled


The question was would a better set of skis make a difference. The answer = No.
IMO this is true for the vast majority of tourist skiers.
If you're talking about a set of fat skis for off pistes, stiffer for racing, longer straighter for bumps, twin tips for baggy pants, etc. Then Yes it would make a difference but that wasn't the question

Oh and we supply standard hire gear within the cost of the trip. If someone wants to pay more to the shop for a different set/type we make sod all extra. So it makes no financial difference to me either way, which is what I think you were infering, and I think this is the case for most TO's
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Wayne wrote:
lightningdan wrote:
Why is that Wayne? Is just a money maker?


What Puzzled


The question was would a better set of skis make a difference. The answer = No.
IMO this is true for the vast majority of tourist skiers.
If you're talking about a set of fat skis for off pistes, stiffer for racing, longer straighter for bumps, twin tips for baggy pants, etc. Then Yes it would make a difference but that wasn't the question

Oh and we supply standard hire gear within the cost of the trip. If someone wants to pay more to the shop for a different set/type we make sod all extra. So it makes no financial difference to me either way, which is what I think you were infering, and I think this is the case for most TO's


Sorry Wayne, I misunderstood the original post. I thought the question was in respect to standard, Silver , gold etc. I was not infering anything about you.

I thought you were saying stick with the entry level skis, do not waste money on upgrading to gold etc. I am tourist skier and had not even thought about the fat ski, stiifer etc .

No insult was meant. I had not noticed you were answering from a TO point of view, I was looking at it from the punter point of view, who does not have the "inclusive" option and would therefore be led by advice in a ski hire shop, where the better skis are often recommended.
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Blastfromthepast, I love trying different types/grades of hire ski. They do perform very differently and you learn a lot about the dynamics of skiing and about your own skills, faults, likes and dislikes.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
A bit of an over reaction in that initial reply possibly? rolling eyes

I think it depends what kind of skiing you want to do but agree with above, its good to try different ski's out and if your a decent skier then I would think hiring some better/more advanced models is a reasonable idea?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
yes i was thinking whether worth upgrading from bronze to say silver. Weekend trip planned in December so may give it a whirl -thanks to all for input
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Blastfromthepast, The only thing to be careful in upgrading and it has happened to us, is you are 100% dependent on the stock the shop owns. 3-4 years ago we hired gold from an independent ski shop and got the most amazing skis, did the same in Belle Plagne a year later in a busy week and got ok but not great skis. You might wan to hire the basic and wait till you get to the shop and see their range and see if you can pay a bit extra then?

We were planning to buy new skis at the end of last season so when we went in March we hired but paid a little extra (15-20 euro if memory serves me right?) and this allowed us to change as often as we wanted. Was actually quite good fun. The wife got to try out a 3k euro pair of skis with strict instructions that when we went for coffee, they had a latte beside us Laughing Laughing
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
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Hmm, not sure I can agree with Wayne - I'm very much a tourist skier (2 and a bit weeks a year) and precisely because of that (and the associated lack of awesome skills) I find the skis affect my enjoyment of my week far more than they do for more experienced friends - skis that are too much for me make me feel far more incompetent that normal, skis with too much carve seem to be a death sentence in any type of powder, squishy skis are a flappy and driveless irritation stopping me enjoying any high speed runs and anything that can't hold an edge causes me panic attacks on ice and an overall speed similar to a tortoise. Goldilocks skis ('just right') on the other hand can turn me from a traditional incompetent tourister into someone who almost looks like they know what they doing, and put a grin on my face for every run.

If I was better I wouldn't care, but as I'm not that good a flattering pair of skis are vital, and I generally upgrade to Gold to make sure I have my pick of the store.

aj xx
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Depends very much on the shop. I hired 'gold' skis in Kitzbuhel 2008 and got that season's Rossignol Attraxion V which I loved. Then the following year I paid for 'gold' again and got 3-year-old Salomon Street Racers which I didn't like much and didn't seem any better in terms of quality than the basic 'silver' skis hired by some other guests. Even as a recreational 'tourist' skier I found a big difference between different skis and since hiring is such a lottery I now have my own.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Blastfromthepast,
"As a reasonable on piste skier" I would say an emphatic YES!

However, I would qualify that by saying it depends on the hire shop/tour operater. I have been horrified at some of the rubbish my friends have been fobbed off with by unscrupulous shops tied to the likes of Crystal etc. Do a bit of research to find out what skis you think would suit your style (be realistic about your ability and terrain you'll be skiiing) then either shop around the online operations or spend the first evening in resort checking out the local shops (avoid the busy period when they are swamped with people clammering for skis and boots). If you've done your research and it sounds like you know what you're talking about you're less likey to get shafted. Chat to the staff and you'll find some that are genuinely helpful and want you to get the most out of the skis, if you can swap skis after a few days even better, try not to stick with the same pair all week unless you love them.

Andy
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