Okay so I'm new here and I'm sure this has been covered sometime but I just can't seem to find any threads on it so I'm going to ask again. Sorry for asking again if it has been covered...

I have two boys, soon to be 13 and 15. Both have been skiing Wintergreen 7 or 8 years... I would say my younger son is a low end intermediate and my older son is an advanced intermediate. Both are comfortable on all the slopes at Wintergreen.

Currently we rent skis and boots for them by the season. I have been some what reluctant to buy boots and or skis until they are pretty much done growing. Feet wise I think they are pretty static. At least I haven't bought any new tennis shoes because they were too small recently. So boots might be an option in the future but what about skis? We are going to be skiing heavy again this year at Wintergreen with a possible trip west this spring. Is it too early to take the plunge and buy them some? I guess a ski swap would be an option. How is the resale on used skis?

This is going to be a long one...

Now on to my wife and I, we both have boots that we are happy with. I rent demo skis each year for the season as well. My wife is turning into her mother and seems to enjoy managing the base camp on Eagle Swoop and watching us ski most days. Out west she will be on slopes though. Should we/I make the investment on a pair skis for me/her? My theory has been kind of like leasing a car, rent for the season and you get the new skis every year. However at $160/season for the past few years I could have probably had a pretty nice pair...

I'm an intermediate/advanced skiier and wife is an intermediate. We both aren't too agressive, just like the smooth carving. However, the boys may make me push the limit occaisonally...

Whew, so that being said what is everyone's reccomendations?

Thanks in advance...

Don't stand in the rental line . . . buy. There are plenty of places that sell last years ski's at lower than last years prices.

Find one of the stores, look at what they have, ask this group for your opinion and buy new "old" equipment. There are lots of equipment "freaks" on this board. You don't say where you live. Two shops that fit the bill that I know of:
Extreme All Sport (Chantilly) http://www.extremeallsport.com/
Ski Racquet (Olney) http://www.skiracquet.com/homepage.nxg

Your looking at a good time of year.

No. Junior skis and junior boots are cheap new. Unless they start a race program.




Pretty bad. Actually really, really bad.

- Anything over $200-250 is a very, very hard sell at local swaps which means that very newest gear (rep demos say) is not likely to be consigned. Otherwise, stuff goes quickly, particularly in 165cm-150cm lengths.

- ebay costs and shipping costs kill margin on any ski other than a "halo" ski meaning one that the skiing press has blabbed on and on about. With ski shipping ~$45 now

- specialty forums (epic, TGR) tend to give decent-but-not great return on halo skis (fat skis or high-performance groomed carvers)



IMO, only if buying skis saves you time out west or assures availability.

Right now, your cost is $160/season for the demos (that may or not include high-level or halo skis), which is fairly unbeatable, unless they do not have a ski you want. Can your demo lease exchange to a western ski for low cost or free? If so, you're saving so much money it's funny.




Let's see, what does $160/year for 3 seasons + $80 ski swap profit ($100 sale price minus ski patrol cut) buy one right now on fleebay.

For less than a total price of $560 shipped one can BIN:

Rossi Z9 - not bad, limited out west
Rossi B83 - not bad, limited at speed or in Utah powder
Dynastar Contact Ltd- really nice in everything except pow
Volkl Tigershark 10ft - really, really nice in the east
Volkl Aura - really nice ladies' pow ski
Dynastar Mythic riders - nice easy men's pow boards
Volkl Attiva S5 - nice ladies allround performance cruise

Are you tempted by the performance of any of those?



Stick with the demo program unless you want something specific for yourself; rent skis for the wife out west and save on airline baggage fees.

All right, strike the $160/season... It was/is $260/season. Not getting anything special either, what I thought were demo ski's were actually just an upgraded K2 "rental" ski. I received this info after a quick call to the Ski Barn, the place at Wintergreen we rent from. Kids rentals were/are $160/season.

Regarding standing in the rental line we really avoid this by going up on opening day at Wintergreen, renting from the Ski Barn for the season (through April 15th) and from there it's ski in/out...

Now add the extra $300 to the calculations above and I bet the choices increase!!! I think for the trip out west we will just rent while we're there. This would negate the need for a ski with some "western" characteristics... And we would avoid the excess baggage charges let alone the fact that I won't have to schlep them to/from the airports...

Any good shops in the Richmond/Charlottesville area? I would really prefer not going up to NOVA for a decent ski shop.

Thanks again for the replies!!!

Ah. Well, that can change the entire picture then. It becomes: what are you looking for in a ski?



Quite. Not that any of the above were bad choices really. Honestly, the range available for the $160/yr price above was quite impressive (particularly in comparison to a generic K2 rental).



OK by me. Though certain combinations of 'western' characteristics make for really nice slush skis in the East.



Good question; I've no idea. I take this to mean that you would prefer to buy the skis and bindings from the brick shop instead of ordering online and merely taking the skis to the brick shop for binding adjustment.

That's a laudable sentiment, but it makes selection and pricing harder for us to predict.

Well, I'm not looking to for too much of an aggressive ski. On the highlands I like skiing the fall line. Haven't skied bumps in over 20 years. I have enjoyed the shorter, shaped skis as opposed to my last pair that I owned, long Rossi's (I believe they were 220's?)that seemed to weigh a ton but got down the hills in a hurry. Hope to have some powder when we go west. But once again I haven't skied powder in over 20 years and would probably only be exposed to powder when we do go out west once a year...

Mentioned the shops in the area only for the boys getting boots when/if their feet have stopped growing. As I've read here, want to make sure they get a decent pair that are fitted correctly. I bought my wife's and my boots at a ski chalet in richmond but I think they closed.

Thanks again for all of the advice...

Playing golf 3-4 times a week, have a boat in the side yard and we're going to the beach next week and I'm on here talking skiing... My kids have too many hobbies... Good thing Dad likes them too!!! BTW, anyone want to buy a boat?

At those prices, I would not rent again. I will say something different about buying gear.

1st, at 13 and 15, your kids will not be on junior equipment. Both my 14 and 12 year olds are on appropriately sized 'adult' equipment.

2nd, the shipping on ebay does not wipe out the margin. Buying anywhere other than your local shop will involve shipping. I have successfully bought multiple pairs of skis and boots for myself and others. You can also hook up with sellers on this board and others. I personally have had no bad experiences there either.

3rd, if you are not experiencing significant discomfort or competitively racing, then you don't absolutely need to have perfectly custom fitted boots, especially you are growing a size every year.

4th, both yourself and your wife should have new or nearly new equipment that will probably last you many, many years.

I have kids currently aged 14, 12, and 6. Three years ago I went with season rentals which looked really crappy but performed good enough for their level. Two years ago I bought the two older ones sets of very serviceable K2 escape pro skis that were well preserved rentals from mammoth mountain (so they have a cool logo) with easy to set Tyrolia demo binders. Plenty of flex and base, perfect edges. Last year, we bought the older kid a set of perfect condition Fischer RX9; handed down the longer K2 skis and boots to the middle kid; and traded the shorter K2 skis and boots to a friend for Atlanta Braves tickets. We bought the 12 year old a perfect condition used Burton snowboard and bindings from a message board contact and the 6 year old shared a season rental with a friend. My own favorite skis came from a seller on this board and my boots came from a local shop on clearance sale.

We took everything, including the friends, to Breckenridge for a week.

At your local shop, as soon as they get back into ski-mode this fall, ask them about buying last year's season rental or lease gear for the kids and wife. That is often a good deal and you get the local service.

The important point is to KNOW YOUR GEAR. If you don't know your gear and don't want to spend the time to learn, which is a respectable answer, then see your local shop and tell them what you need and see what they come up with.

Finally, you'll have more fun with your own gear.

Yes. The Ski Center is located in Midlothian, just outside of Richmond. A fantastic shop with the best service anywhere. It is owned by Steve Stallard, one of the best guys in the business. Steve, or any of his staff will treat you right.

Thanks Ullr...

We'll have to check it out soon...

http://www.theskicenter.com/

Sign up for their e-mail newsletters and they will let you know when the fall ski swap is.

Been meaning to reply back to this thread but haven't as I couldn't find it until now...

Kudos to Ullr and Steve at the Ski Center. My older son had saved up money and wanted to by his own boots. So off we went to the Ski Center. Talked with Steve who really took the time to explain his reccomendations to me and my son. Did not try and sell us the latest and greatest. My son ended up getting an '07 model of boot and was very happy. While there, we looked at some skiis and ended up getting him a pair of 07 model Rossi Zenith's.

Went back the next weekend to pick up the skiis and I ended up getting a pair of Zenith's as well. Can't say enough about the great customer service. Thanks again Ullr...