 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi Guys,
I'm brand new to the forum and I was hoping for some help, I have recently started Skiing and I have had 6 hours of beginners lessons at the Chill Factore in Manchester and 1 full weeks skiing in Chatel where I comfortably skied on fairly hard Reds. I can link parallel S turns, link short fast turns and I quite enjoy a bit of speed, I'm obviously not an expert skier but definitely not a beginner!
Any suggestions for a good set of skis, bindings and boots?
Thanks in advance and apologies if this topic has already been posted!
Seán
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
sean... welcome to the mad house
difficult to say exactly what will work for you as nobody here has seen you ski, first thing would be boots, get the ones that fit! see a good boot fitter, if you are in the manchester area then try Graham at Rivington Alpine in chorley then try some different skis, everyone likes different things, without seeing you ski and having your stats it is all a bit of a crap shoot you need to be discussing your needs with someone in a store (again try Graham, he has a pretty good range of stuff) and most places will get you in the ball park, first skis are always likely to be ones that you change fairly soon unless you try stuff out...you wouldn't buy a car without a test drive
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Seanconnolly1985: I bought skis online here a couple of seasons back - and had excellent service. No test drive but I thought definitely worth a punt for £235 for (old season) new Rossignol Bandits. Each to their own but there's no way I'd pay big retailer prices of four and five hundred quid plus for this season's shiny skis....
http://www.skiwear4less.com/acatalog/ALL_Skis.html
Alternatively, Nevisport has all remaining 2012-13 skis at half price - plus free delivery:
http://www.nevisport.com/p/993/skis?page=all
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Hi Sean
Respectfully I would suggest that given your relative lack of experience on the slopes, that there is very good advice above. Get a comfortable (fit) pair of boots and then try lots of skis before you purchase. I think its very likely that you will not need to consider bindings as the suitable skis and bindings will come as a package. From personal experience I think I would hold off buying skis at this stage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Agree with the others. Boots that fit are more important than the exact model, most of the benefitse from particular design are lost if they are painful to wear or oversize.
If you do find a type of ski that you like and get a chance to snap up a pair cheaply then it may be worth it. Manufacturers make a load of different models with ranges from intermediate (beginner) to expert. From what I can tell, the top of the range model will be a fairly performance type ski while the rest are beginner's skis with fancy graphics.
Despite advances in design and technology, manufacturers do manage to turn out the occasional really bad ski. Beware the hype.
You'll probably want decent all mountain skis and some slalom skis for ripping it on hard pistes and some wide skis for powder days and some twin tips for the park and some touring skis for mountaineering and ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Do you plan on flying or driving to skiing? Skis are an expensive PITA to fly with (budget airlines hate them) and it can be considerably more convenient to rent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Buy boots. Rental boots are quite literally a pain. Get whatever your good bootfitter (see CEMs advice above) says fits and is right for you.
Don't buy skis. What you need after a few days on the slope (which is a beginner I'm afraid to say) is not what you'll need in a few years time - do your sums and you can work out how many trips you need for them to break even, therefore how many years you're going to want to be on them.
Bindings, if your not good enough to know exactly what bindings you want, then it probably doesn't matter, just get what the skis are offered with - though you probably want to avoid tele, or tech bindings 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Go and see a boot fitter. They will choose the right ones for your feet. You shouldn't really choose the boots yourself. Ski wise, I'd wait until you've done a couple of weeks on the slopes with hired skis and take it from there. Good luck!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
+1 for Graham at Rivington Alpine, super friendly and awesome service. He will be able to advise you on boots and skis, pop over for a cuppa and some advice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A lot of resort shops offer a "try before you buy" service for skis, you can often try several different pairs and you'll be surprised how different they feel- different lengths, different styles, materials and flexibility and strength. It's all very technical.
Get your boots first.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| dogwatch wrote: |
| Do you plan on flying or driving to skiing? Skis are an expensive PITA to fly with (budget airlines hate them) and it can be considerably more convenient to rent. |
Cant say I agree with you with that - having rented prior to buying most of the big resorts now charge at least 100 Euro per week for dubious quality skis. If you buy in the sales you can buy last years skis that pay for themselves in three trips and you know what you are getting. If you really are a quiver tart you can change them every year by ebaying after every trip, usually getting close to what you paid if you look after them and sell at the right time. Yes you pay for carriage but is no great imposition and you haven't got to queue at rental shops we normally get an extra half days skiing over those that rent o our trips.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
My 2p worth would be buy boots, helmet, but not skis. That's what the wife and I have done over the last few years, and we've never had cause to regret it.
I can't see how its possible to lose 1/2 day picking up skis. We book online, and it takes only a few minutes to pick them up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LittleRob, The time loss is when you take them back at lunchtime to get another pair. Really could not get on with the pair I rented in March (first time for many years as it was a Swiss flight out for a long weekend, but my daughter was taking two pairs) - Atomic Nomad (probably Colt) for what it's worth, compared to my normal K2 GS (2006).
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
beequin, what do you do with a pair of skis you've bought that you don't get on with?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
beequin, well that *can* happen I guess, though it never has to me in the 20 years or so that I've been going. OTOH, what if you buy a pair of skis and don't get on with them, or technology moves on (anyone fancy my brother-in-laws 205cm long, non-carving skis?)
Mayby the OP wants to have all the gear, who knows, but its been my experience that I've not yet regretted not having my own skis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| marksovereign wrote: |
| we normally get an extra half days skiing over those that rent o our trips. |
Half a day? I'm normally in and out in 30 minutes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
hammerite, LittleRob, Good point. I really enjoyed my old 205 RC4 SL at the time (bought new from S&R) and they were ready for the skip when I moved on. I hired for a week and bought a pair of new last season skis, sold them s/h and then did the same again. It is about time for a change, but I think these will last me a couple of years yet.
So
| Quote: |
| what do you do with a pair of skis you've bought that you don't get on with? |
bite the bullet and sell.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
beequin, 205 RC4 SL, lol, cheers for the jokes!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Totally agree with all the comments about boot buying.
If you are set on buying skis then be honest about your current ability and aspirations when you chat to the ski technician so you are recommended a pair that you can develop on. It could be well worth testing as many as are available at snow and rock at the Chill Factore. You don't have to buy them from there but you will get a good feel for different types of skis and what suits you.
If you are offered or like the look of any ex-demo skis be wary of the bindings because they are not always the ones that come recommended for the ski (ie could be a cheaper, heavier model) - not too big an issue but essentially means you have more weight to lug around.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
airbornebadger, 1985 ish - might have been 201 definitely RC4 - slalom 'cut' - lime green
This is something written in 2004 which is about three years after I replaced mine.
"If you are talking about the blue-green Vacuum technique SL skis, I know what you have, as I just sent a pair of them to yard-sale heaven last spring. Those skis worked fine as a high speed cruizer. When dulled at the tip and tail they were great at skidded turns but not very good at carving anything except very long turns on snow. When sharpened up properly they excelled at carving very tight high-g short radius turns at significant speeds, but it was difficult to get a medium turn out of them without skidding (could be my poor technique, but my technique worked with my other skis); they either hooked up and gave me a tight turn or let go and skidded. It was possible to carve mid-sized turns but not easy.
While they performed better in bumps than my super giant slalom skis (208cm with two layers of steel lotsa rubber and wood), and when dull could be used with the typical skidded techniques commonly used in the bumps, that's not what they were designed for; they were designed for slicing short radius turns at speed, like in a slalom race. If you are going 30 mph through the bumps carving turns then you've got the right tools."
No that I ever went 30 through the bumps.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 12-04-13 10:07; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Yep, I had a pair of Kaestle green Speed Machine slalom skis, 200 cm long. The sidecut matched later carvers, somewhat stiffer though.
Awesome fun and superb edge grip. I had to kick down to bend them for the first turn and then try to keep up with them as I got richocheted from side to side.
Maybe not so good for social skiing. The marker bindings only went down to 7 or something daft.
Oooh! http://www.skiwear4less.com/acatalog/Kastle_GS_Race_Skis___Bindings.html
OP I do not recommend these.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
