I'm looking to purchase a full equipment set (boots, skis, poles) , likely at the end of the season. I have scouted some stuff out at the ski and sun. (which I think used to be ski chalet) and right now I have an advantage card+rentals, so I will probably use that for the season and then get my own equipment.
So I'm looking for recommendations for purchasing locations, time to get the best prices, and what I should be looking to get. (Brands,models) The use will be primarily mid-Atlantic, and I would consider myself intermediate in skill level, so I'm definitely not looking top of the line. If it makes any difference I will probably be getting 150s for the length, as I like the extra control I can get.
Also so I just saw these, would they be worth picking up now?
http://www.sunandski.com/2013_K2_Men_s_AMP_Force_All_Mountain_Skis_p/3420058212320.htm
Thanks for any suggestions.
Buying gear is a good idea. However, as you are likely to hear from many experienced skiers, the place to start is to invest in good boots from a boot fitter. Buying ski boots is not like buying shoes.
Last season sales will start more or less after Pres. Day weekend.
Check out the articles on EpicSki about buying boots and skis:
http://www.epicski.com/atype/9/First_Run
Do some reading and come back to ask for advice here. Lots of knowledge around about the local shopping options.
Where do you usually ski?
Right now I am doing most of my skiing at whitetail. I would like to get out further, but can't really beat the short drive.
Based on your comment and the epic ski article, the skis are the least of the issue, and the answer for the boots is going to be something that I need to try on and will vary greatly depending on my feet. I have tried on a pair of the Nordica transfire and they were incredibly comfortable. A bit on the high end of what I was hoping to pay, but from what I have heard it might be worth the price.
http://www.nordicausa.com/products/transfire-r3/
As far as boot fitters are concerned will almost all of the local ski stores have trained boot fitters. Or is that something that isn't found everywhere?
Whitetail is a good place to learn.
Well, a comfortable boot in the store is probably too big. Have heard people say their first boots were actually two sizes too big. Ski boots should be snug, like a glove. At least that's the most common description I've seen. A good ski shop usually has "new old stock" of boots from previous seasons. My first 4-buckle boots (had old style boots from 1990s) were under $300.
Some other relevant EpicSki threads. There used to be old threads on DCSki about DC bootfitters but not sure how to find them after the change in software.
http://www.epicski.com/t/92744/boot-fitters-in-dc-area
http://www.epicski.com/t/124535/beginner-skis-after-a-long-time-off
Boots is definitely where to invest and it is important to have someone who knows what they are doing help you when you pick out your boots. If not, you well end up with a pair of boots that feel real comfortable in the store, and end up being terrible on the snow as they pack out real quickly and make it harder to ski as your feet will move around inside of them. I know this from experience. I worked with someone when I got my current boots who new a bit about bootfitting and my skiing improved tremendeously from having a correct fitting boot.
Boots should feel tight at the store when you buy them as they will pack out. You want something that is tight, but doesn't have any or minimal pressure points. A good bootfitter can help you with this and can do some modifications to the boot if needed. I got my boots at DC Ski Center and they took good care of me. There is a boot fitter in Leesburg that I heard is really good. Someone one else here may point you too them.
As for skis, ski swaps can be a great place to pick up a used pair of skis for an inexpensive price. I'm sure a good salesman who is a skier can help you pick out a skis that are on sale at the end of the season that would work for your skiing level and what you ski as well.
I really like the staff at DC Ski Center in DC and Alpine Ski Shop in Sterling VA for equipment. The staff at both of these places know what they are doing and will help you find equipment that is good for you. I'm sure there are some good people at Sun and Ski as well, but they (when they were Ski Chalet) let me buy the real comfortable boots that ended up being terrible for me to ski with. I've stayed away from buying anything from clothes from Sun and Ski since then. DC Ski Center is more high end than Alpine Ski Shop. They can do more with bootfitting, but it will cost you as well. I'd say Alpine is the better shop if you are more concerned with price, than with getting the absolute best boot or ski for you.
Check Scott Smith article about Brian Deely reopening "Pro Fit Ski and Mountain Sports" in Leesburg. Brian is a certified Master Boot Fitter use by many DCSkiers. The article is titled "Retail Ski Changes In Virginia" and can be found by clicking on the DCSki.com logo at the top of this page or by clicking on the section titled Newsroom.
The Colonel
I too have used the Ski Center for boot fitting for many years and have complete trust in them. I've been told there are other good boot fitters in the area but I'm happy and see no reason to change. I wear a size 9 street shoe and a mondo 26 ski boot. Back when they used US sizing in ski boots I wore a 7 1/2. I cut toenails short every 2 weeks during ski season. Having toenails 1 mm too long is very uncomfortable. I wear the thinnest socks that smart wool sells and use thermo fit liners, which are standard now in tele boots. expect to make a visit or two for small fit adjustments after you have skied the boots for a few days. Things wil reveal themselves on slope that just cannot be foreseen in the shop. It is these visits and adjustments that separate the expert boot fitters from the rest.
I like a moderately soft forward flex in my boots with high torsional stiffness. Many skiers are in boots that are overly stiff in forward flex and this throws them into the back seat. Ability to flex the ankles is crucial to good skiing.
You want to buy skis and boots from someone like me who is a gear whore and needs to unload last weeks flavour for the next sexy bananna.
You want some touring gear? I even throw in a chick magnet free puppy.
Ski's - in the NOVA area I think the Alpine Ski shop has some excellent deals on new ski's during their swap meets. I think thier swap meets have great used skis.
Boots - if you have normal feet (don't have trouble getting running shoes, soccer shoes, bike shoes, etc.), read the articals on how boots should fit and go to swap meets at reputable stores. The staff are very helpful. I have bought really nice boots for 25$ several times, I have not needed a boot fitter though, so my feet must be normal:-) Snow and Ski has year old boots at good prices at their Dilly in Chantilly.
I have never ventured up to Whitetail for their swap meets, as it occurs in soccer season. Maybe someone can offer thougths on that.
Good luck.
rbrtlav,
If Sun and Ski is close to you, I would purchase your new equipment from Sun and Ski. The sales people and the people in the shop have always taken care of me. Plus, if you purchase your skis from Sun and Ski, you get free wax jobs for the life of your skis.
SCWVA wrote:
rbrtlav,
If Sun and Ski is close to you, I would purchase your new equipment from Sun and Ski. The sales people and the people in the shop have always taken care of me. Plus, if you purchase your skis from Sun and Ski, you get free wax jobs for the life of your skis.
Mmmmm...wax jobs....
Sun and ski is around a mile from work, so I drive by it everyday. I have been pretty happy with the people in there when I have stopped in to browse.
I ended up jumping on the skis, but they had to order them from another store because the supply is limited (part of the reason I took the sale) so they set a pair of boots aside from me when I went in, like was suggested they are we're fitted smaller than my regular shoes, and felt incredibly snug, but not quite painful. Assuming the skis come in when they are supposed to, and I still feel good about the boots when I pick up the skis, I'm hoping to get out Friday night and take everything for a try. That being said, shipping is probably going to be messed up this week due to the snow.
wojo wrote:
Ski's - in the NOVA area I think the Alpine Ski shop has some excellent deals on new ski's during their swap meets. I think thier swap meets have great used skis.
Boots - if you have normal feet (don't have trouble getting running shoes, soccer shoes, bike shoes, etc.), read the articals on how boots should fit and go to swap meets at reputable stores. The staff are very helpful. I have bought really nice boots for 25$ several times, I have not needed a boot fitter though, so my feet must be normal:-) Snow and Ski has year old boots at good prices at their Dilly in Chantilly.
I have never ventured up to Whitetail for their swap meets, as it occurs in soccer season. Maybe someone can offer thougths on that.
Good luck.
I wish I had normal feet... The problem I've always had with boots,cleats, and even some tennis shoes is my feet are too narrow, I know the boots are expensive new, but I'd rather spend the extra there and find the pair that fits than deal with blisters or other issues. (I have had some horrible issues with some rentals in the past)
Thats why you have to do your home work and find the boots that fit your feet the best and go from there.
scottyb wrote:
Thats why you have to do your home work and find the boots that fit your feet the best and go from there.
This is true. Glad I have feed the same shape as the 28.5 last.
I second Ski Center for boots in NW DC. Highly regarded, professional bootfitters. I've had a lot of work done there.
Regarding skis. The best deals are online.
www.UNTRACKED.com has excellent deals. I don't know what your height/weight is, but 160 would be a bit shorter than I personally would probably recommend, unless your 130 lbs. Especially with modern skis with rockered tips (much easier to turn). For an intermediate skier my size 170lbs I would suggest a 170-175ish. This will give you more edge to carve on, stability at speed, and float should you encounter some powder.
The ski you have there will work, but i'd get the 167. However IMO a short 160 length, skinny waisted 74mm ski is crutch, will be way too turny. Plus it will be terrible on powder, and you will probably grow out of it.
Check out this Prophet Flite with salomon z10 bindings for $399. That is a soft, light forgiving ski that will you can ski even as you progress. It's a modern design and looks cool too.
http://www.untracked.com/p4477c92b88-12_line_prophet_flite_skis_w_salomon_z10_bindings.html
If you buy these, I would suggest having untracked mount them for you (you will need the Boot Sole Length BSL from your boots). Then take them to a local shop to have them adjusted/set, which should be like $20-$40 and probably can be done while you wait.
Gear is over rated - Comfort is not.
The new hype is boot fitters. I'm sure there are true, good boot fitters but from what I've experienced, most of the work is a shim here or a shaving there. Things an intermediate, novice, or beginner skier doesnt need to be worried about. Unless of course you have discomfort.
For ski boots, as someone suggested - snug like a glover is key here. Toes while leaning forward on the boot moderately, should barely if not touch at all. If you lean back as if you were standing in street shoes, your toes should touch. When trying on boots, pick a midweight ski wool sock when trying them on.
You should not be able to move your foot around. When trying on boots the buckles over the foot should be easy to close. I always start by buckling my bottom two over the foot, then my ankle/calf buckles, then back off the top/over the foot buckles just to the point that they are keeping the shell closed but not turning my feet into flat feet.
Boots are the most important piece of gear, but dont lose your marbles or your wallet worrying about them. Be honest about your skill rating with the shop you buy them from. If the shop you buy them from only sells boots for two months out of the year and the person selling them to you is younger than your last oil change, probably not a good idea to take their advice on things like Boots for narrow vs wide feet, flex ratings, shell materials etc.
If you get pain after you buy your boots, post where the pain is and many here can help if your shop will not. Youd be surprised how many people buckle in their boots as tight as they can get them and dont realize why their feet/legs hurt. :|
Im sure someone on here has a good 'real' boot fitter that you could work with. Again, though - dont get too overworked about this. Go shopping, try things on then research the boots online for your skill level if you arent sure about the advice given to you at the store.
As far as skis themselves, I got a nice pair online from Ebay. 2 years ago $900 for $180. Very used but still doing quite well. They look as if mine would after 2 years of use. I saved there and splurged on my ski boots.
Since I rarely ski anymore..........is it odd that I spent so much on my ski boots vs my snowboard boots? No not really, snowboard boots suck. The industry is still afraid of making things with hard plastics and pivot points. Until then, there is only so much they can do with fabrics and leather. Even their fit is all over the place. Flex ratings are a joke.
Ski boots are much more exacting..respectable...and to me almost like a work of art. I love my ski boots. I felt like a teenager again when I bought them. I was less excited about a 45k car I purchased. :)
Good luck with whatever you find out, but please do not make the mistake of believing you can order ski boots used. PLEASE do not buy used unless you only ski a few times a year and not very well at that. If you MUST buy online, have a nice sized budget to buy 4 or 5 pairs and REALLY learn about boot fit. Try on all 4 or 5 then send the ones you dont want back. You will lose return shipping costs worst case.
Finally evo.com is a good place to pickup previous year models ski's/bindings. They also have current year but not sure about their pricing for current models.
I've used www.powder7com to buy skis on-line. My daughter and I both had great luck buying last years demos for a sweet price. Call them up and they will pull the skis and describe them in detail (base, surface. etc...). They will have pictures of the actual skis as well. You can return them within 7 days for a full refund if the quality was not what was expected (as long as you didn't ski with them).
I know better than to order any shoes used or online, much less boots. I tried on 3 or 4 pairs at sun and ski, and found a noticeable difference between the models, I ended up getting the Nordica boots I linked to above, except a size smaller than I was originally planning. They feel incredibly snug, and the guy in the store actually had me lean forward and backwards in the carious boots to check for the toes touching, almost exactly as described above.
The skis ended up being $259 with bindings mounted. It was posted above that 160s might be too short. At the current time I am closer to the 130lbs that the 170lbs. At $259 I won't be horribly upset if I need to replace the skis in a few years. But at my current weight and skill, I don't feel comfortable skiing on much longer skis.
im really hoping to get up to the 5-10pm session at whitetail tomorrow to try everything out and to get some turns in with this frigid weather and hopefully some nice conditions.
As a side note for the local resorts do most of you wear your boots through the parking lots, or do you get a locker and through some shoes in there?
thanks again, the comments here definitely changed my choice for size of the boots that I got.
rbrtlav wrote:
As a side note for the local resorts do most of you wear your boots through the parking lots, or do you get a locker and through some shoes in there?
I never wear my boots in the parking lot. Don't want to walk in them any more than I have to.
Massanutten - We (teen daughter and I) get lockers in the rental area, not that we rent skis.
Wintergreen - We get one of those monster "baskets" (actually a huge Rubbermaid tote) for $8 and go into and out of it all day. Teen daughter is type 1 diabetic, so it's nice to keep all sorts of stuff in the tote that she needs, but does not want to carry.
Bryce - Huge duffel bag under a picnic table. It's that kind of place.
We just went to Okemo with friends in CT over MLK weekend, and that's also a bag-under-the-table place. I really dig that.
