Thinking of buying skis-need help?

Question

I am an intermediate skier who tends to make wide tuns down the mountain and go's at medium speeds. I would like skis that i would be reasonably comfortable with at my current level but would allow for growth. I also don't want to spend too much but I don't want to sacrifice any quality and i would like them to last me a long time.

Answer 1

We all are looking for the dream ski for us to use.  A good all mountain ski, of an appropriate length (about chin to nose height) that will flex to the floor when you stand on the pair with about 1-2 inches of support under both the tip and the tail.  The ski should be quick responding to a decamber  rather than feel sluggish.  The side cut will determine the turn radius of the ski, or it may be marked on the ski. Atomic marked their skis with a set of numbers  (9.22)  a 9 flex and a 22 meter radius.

  Other brands may only state these numbers in their advertising.  Do not buy a race slalom ski at this time. The ski is very demanding  and will turn too quickly for you to be comfortable learning.  Most race skiis are too demanding of rider for an intermediate to control easily.

  Go to a professional ski shop and talk with experienced personnel, also attend demo days and rent various pairs. Discuss how each pair is tuned with the rep, not the salesman. Changing how the ski is tuned will change it's performance characteristics and how much you enjoy them.  Many shops have rentals that were returned or  trade-ins that may be reasonably priced.  I suspect though that your best source is a reps' personnel pair from last season, or wait until the spring sales in about 4-6 weeks.

Answer 2

Almost any ski will last quite a while with good care. Frequent applications of hot wax, etc.

You would want an intermediate all-mountain ski. Speak to a ski shop rep (a small shop, not one of those big box deals like Sports Authority) to get an idea of what would be best for you. Write down the skis and brands that you are interested in, then check out ski swaps to see if any show up. Chances are you can get a decent pair for a good price.

Don't be afraid to keep an eye out around the mountain. I found a really good pair of skis for $200 that a ski shop technician was selling. He just had them sitting outside the shop with a sign on them. The bonus with that is usually they will let you ski them a few runs first (basically, a free demo). The guy I bought the skis from let me have them the entire day.