new skier - Should I buy skis yet?

A snowHead

I'm relatively new to skiing, I've done one week in Italy and can comfortably parallel.

I had quite a few issues with the rented boots so decided to buy a pair for this season. I went into ellis brigham at xscape Castleford and speant a good couple of hours trying on and having boots fitted. I went for Salomon RS 8's that were reduced from something like £250 to £130. And I'm very pleased with them! They fit like a glove Smile

Now I'm wondering if its worth buying some skis? A couple of people told me its not worth it because my abilities will quickly out grow the skis, and I will be changing them regularly. Is this true at my level? Should I wait till I'm an intermediate?

I'm 5'7 (170cms) and 67kgs (147lbs).

A snowHead

nick9one1, well done on the boots. If you ski 3 weeks+ a year then buy, if not then rent.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

nick9one1, 25-25.5, the boots that is. 26 at a push?

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What would be your main motivation for buying your own skis?
To save money? So you get familiar with them? Convenience of not having to faff around in hire shop?
Are your finances tight or are you flush with cash?
All factors that would affect the advice.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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At this point you will outgrow them quickly. Probably worth renting through this season, and next summer rethink it.

Unless you get a chance to pick up skis for less than £50, it isn't likely to work out financially, but ebay is your friend if you do go ahead over the summer and outgrow them over this winter.

Over the last few years I have worked on picking up basically old skis in good condition. They have been sub-£30 in most cases. This has worked out cheaper for most of our group than renting - I lend them a pair of skis for the week, £25 ski carriage, £20 edge and wax and they are on the slopes for £45 ski rental. All pairs so far have survived well without significant damage or failure, and in return for arranging they buy me a pint at some point in the week. This works out because the skis are so cheap - buy them for £200 or more and suddenly it is cheaper to rent.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I'm an intermediate skier and I seem to be skiing 3 weeks a season at the mo'.
I still haven't bought my own skis, much to some peoples' amusement.

I've always been OK with what I've been given in resort and my technique is still developing (more slowly than I'd like, but it is still developing). I've been messing about trying skis for most of that 5 years both in resort and at snowdome events. What I've noticed is that as my technique has improved I have been able to tell the difference between the types of skis and have a vague idea of which skis work in what conditions for different kinds of skiing.

If I found the right pair of skis I'd buy them, but I'm not in any hurry. Not having my own skis means that I can hire what suits the conditions in the mountain when I get there rather than having to buy a "compromise" ski that can do anything reasonably well.

Enough about me. You've done one week of skiing and have caught the bug. In my opinion it might be worth doing another few weeks skiing to get an understanding of what kind of skiing you want to do and what sort of skis suit you before you buy any. Then again you might see an amazing bargain or find that the next pair of skis you try in resort are perfect and buy a pair of those. If you do buy some think about what you'll be using them for and where. If you're going to be in the Park messing around on jumps and rails you won't want a fat powder ski and vice versa if the call of the off-piste is strong.

After all it is free

or what Monium said Very Happy

Don't buy skis - spend the cash on lessons then when you've learnt to ski good you'll know what you want in a ski.

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fatbob, +1

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fatbob, +1

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cran

You don't need to buy the latest skis, get some discounted ones from last year...

The deciding factor is probably is it worth the hassle carrying them to/from skiing on planes.

If you are not travelling by plane and/or you are skiing more than a few weeks a year then it's worth getting your own.

Otherwise it might be easier to hire.

You know it makes sense.

First winter with my own skis after about 17 trips. Kids are old enough to look after themselves while travelling now.
Not that big a faff TBH. Added bonus of putting loads of gear in the ski bag, up to 32kg.
Not that expensive as they are not the latest design but ones i knew i "got on with" from previous hires.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

nick9one1, if you fly to where you ski, hireing will be a cheaper option... I have several pairs of skis if I go overseas I still rent....

A snowHead

Pick up some second hand (here or ebay) or discounted skis and you won't regret it.

FAF
I can't understand this comment, all you have to do is carry them from the airport carpark/transport hub to the checking desk and ditto from collection to your onward transport. Its usually less than your hotel/apartment to the lifts or equally hanging around a hire shop and then lugging them back to your holiday digs past all the smug gits enjoying themselves who don't have mess about with the hire shop. Anyway most people take 20kgs of clothes they never wear, just in case, together with other assorted crap that weighs a ton and is never used. My wife's favourite is a hairdryer and accompaniments which weighs more than my boots, travel ones are crap apparently and you never know whether the one at the accom will be any good - hardly ever used!!

i still hire for the odd day when i want something special but entering a hire shop on change over day is a terrible way to start a holiday. Even if you have booked the skis you want, you may be disappointed - particularly from the cheaper operators who assess your ability to flex a ski by holding it five feet away from you look up and down and then pass it across with a flourish, parfait. Because you can also change skis everyday there is also a tendency to try out several different skis, rather than working on your technique.

I think you did the right thing in getting the boots, its a shame many people who don't have issues with hire boots don't do the same as i think it made the biggest difference in my skiing and some times its hard to get people to understand that. I'm not saying go without lessons, what i am saying is that it gave me much better feel and i could the fully understand what my instructor was telling me to do/feel for. Here's the rub and at this point you may decide that skiing is a really expensive hobby but really its the same as any other sport or past time. As you improve your technique will outgrow your new skiny boots and you will need smaller tighter fitting ones and i think this is what people are referring to when they say you will outgrow your skis.

In my humble opinion you will need new boots before you really need new skis, wanting new skis is a whole different ball game. As such i am going to recommend something really unfashionable - get a second hand pair of piste or race inspired carvers and practice your technique on piste. Have lessons and build the skills you need to become a competent skier. Do you think Tiger Woods changed his clubs everyday when he was learning to play golf, then why do so many people turn up for lessons with skis they are not used to? Why add another variable to the process especially when it is one of feel, feed back and balance. If you were learning to slack line i don't think you would turn up one day in trainers, the next in platforms and then heels? It's all about balance so using the same ski when you are beginning does help.

Finally, the skis in the volume / cheap hire shops are facsimiles of the real thing (see scott mission thread), they usually haven't been waxed that well and have blunt edges as that is what their cliental prefer. Then the client will say they have been spending the week on some race fishers, but really its like driving a mondeo with a ferrari body kit and thinking you now know what it feels like to drive a ferrari.

Don't go nuts, just pick up some nice skis for £100 to £300 depending on whether they are second hand or new, spend some time on them, have some lessons and in a couple of years you'll be skiing like the best of them.

good luck.

Very Happy

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Don't know if I'm going off topic or not, but it is probably pertinent to other snowheads too.

I live on an island so I have to get a taxi to local airport, fly to the uk, sometimes stay overnight, sometimes transfer between airports for next flight onto alps and then a train or bus journey to the resort, then taxi to the hotel.

So I've always considered it would be too much of a faff and probably expensive to haul a ski bag along with me, but it seems quite a few snowheads are ok with doing this, so I have two questions for you;

1) do all airlines have a "ski bag" or sports bag option, and if so how much does it cost per flight (considering that I will need to get at least two flights).

2) how easy is it really to drag ski bags everywhere with you, on taxis, trains, planes, etc? I remember getting the sleeper train to Are, in sweden and when we arrived some groups really struggled getting all their bags and ski bags together to get off at Are, and they were blocking everyone else getting off as no one could pass in the corridors as we were all just stuck between the groups, which made those struggling with their bags even more stressed even though others were offering to help

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

most airlines allow you to carry skis even ryanair, but some cost more. on the whole i try to use swiss, but easyjet and jet2 have been ok and prices aren't that much especially if you use your allowance wisely. there is plenty on here about allowances. if a couple of you are travelling try sharing a ski bag.

i have a big TNF roller bag and usually take two sets of skis in it and my wife has a separate bag. we've never had any problems travelling around on the continent and have taken several trains and taxis. zurich to st anton or engleberg are pleasant train journeys with skis and a nice way to arrive in resort. the first time was a bit nerve racking i was up and down checking bags but its a waste of time. get into the spirit, have a beer, and do what the locals do, i.e. leave the bag - you will usually find a few places where a few are stacked. if someone needs a hand give them a hand usually one will be forthcoming to you when you are getting on and off.

we've also been to japan and although the tube there is extremely busy it wasn't too much hassle even though you aren't supposed to take large luggage on the tube at rush hour - tourists eh!!. taxi's there were fine and so was the bullet.

i think the stress thing is subjective as i can get stressed getting to the airport on time, but my better half luckily is more laid back and takes it in her stride.

if you can take your own skis i think its worth it, even if the travel costs equal the rental.

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Mt, keep an eye out for deals too - last year I got free ski carriage on Jet2 booking before the end of October. Should imagine other operators do similar.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I will add my humble opinion for what it is worth.

Myself and the three others that i regularly ski with ( wife, her sister and her sisters OH ). We are all in our late 40's. We came to skiing relatively late in life ( 1999 ). Initially we skiid one week a year, We did a mixture of self drive and fly. After two seasons we bought our own boots, which have been changed and upraated over the years. About 5 years ago we started going 2-3 times a year and always drive.

This year (2012) we went twice to France, trips were 5 weeks apart. On the second trip we all hired different ski's. We all spent the first day moaning that we didn't like the skiis we got from the hire shop. However we stuck with them and by day two loved them rolling eyes

At the first beer/vin chaud stop

a discussion along the lines of " why dont we buy ski's at the end of this season in the sales, as we are hiring 2-3 times a year at anything between £150-£200 a season. plus we would then have a ski we were used too and after 2 seasons they would pay for themselves".

So in late March 2012 we have just all 4 of us bought our first set of skiis, our choice of ski was aided by the knoweledge of hiring and trying different skiis since 1999.

For what its worth i bought some Dynastar Outland 80.s reduced to £249 from £399 in Decathlon

Time will tell if choice was right, but i am not half madly like a kid at Christmas waiting to hit the slopes for this season

After all it is free

No, don't buy skis just yet. Particularly as you have to travel far for skiing. At this stage of your skiing career any beginner carver in appropriate length would do and rental shops in resorts will have plenty of those, not much point in dragging alone your own. I will agree with those saying that lessons are far better investment at the moment. Get some skills and mileage under your belt and buy then.

If yo can sort out the logistics, buy a set of suitable second-hand skis. You will then have eliminated a significant variable and can concentrate on technique. We used Skis2U.co.uk to ship our skis door to door last year. Cheaper than airline and much less hassle.

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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Thanks for all the replies! I forgot to check the 'Notify me when a reply is posted' so wasn't aware anyone had replied.

So the general consensus is....

1. If I don't ski much its probably not worth it.
2. I probably wont save anything (this isn't really an issue)
3. Wait until I'm more experienced.

Skis2U.co.uk looks excellent, I think this might be my answer.

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nick9one1, OK, in this case if cost is not a factor and you don't mind the faff, then get yourself a pair of skis:) Personally, I bought the full kit before my first time skiing and it served me really well for 5 years, even as I outgrew it after the second year (I ski 40+ days a year) but for some time I looked at skiing as mostly a fun past-time with friends and skis - a means to help it and I believed that skis was something you buy to last a life-time. It is not, you are buying skis, not marrying them, once you feel they become too easy, too soft and too slow - change, upgrade like you upgrade your mobile or PC! But beware that buying skis is as addictive as skiing itself:) If you know a good ski store with personnel knowing their stuff you may want to talk to them and just go with whatever they put you on. I did this with my first and second pairs and it worked really well both times. It will be more effective than trying to figure out yourself the best ski for you and then looking for it in stores. Maybe you can find the store that does this rent-to-buy thing where you rent a new pair of skis for the season and after season ends end you have an option to buy it at a discount or return as you would normal rentals.

Help!!

new skier - Should I buy skis yet?

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