I like taking day trips to Liberty, Whitetail and Roundtop. (Weather permitting.) I don't like renting skis there for reasons of price, convenience...

I had a good experience with a skis only rental on MLK Day from Ski Chalet for $15. Unfortunately, my understanding is that they will only do 1-day rentals on weekdays. Can DCSki readers point me towards anywhere (either here, or on the way) that will do 1-day rentals? I have my own boots and poles.

for that kind of money you should just buy a pair at one of the fall swaps. ive seen brand new skis go for 50 bucks.

Well, yes, but until then...

how bout ebay. ive seen some good deals there.

Go to Ski chalet and buy a pair of used lease program skis with bindings for $70 - $100. I had a terrible experience buying ski boots on ebay ( I know it was a stupid thing to buy there), and you can also find a good selection at the ski and skate in chantilly.

actually ive had very good luck on ebay. i got my wife a brand new pair of boots, and roxy snowboard pants for 80 bucks.

I appreciate the responses on buying skis, and I will probably pick some up at a ski swap next fall. But does anyone have an answer to the original question about ski rentals to get me through the season?

Thanks.

Grantham, have you tried Ski Center in D.C.? I've never personally rented from them, but I know they rent out a lot of skis. However, I don't know if they have a 1-day rental on weekends. They also lease both used and new equipment for the whole season. You'd have to compare the prices to see which way you'd come out better for the rest of this season. There's a link to their website here on DCSki under the list of sponsors at the bottom of the page. I'd give them a call and just see. The staff seems to be very helpful there. Good luck!

Yeah, I tried Ski Center. In fact, I'm leasing boots from them -- I was very happy with their boot fitting. I wanted to lease skis from them, but by the time I got around to it, they didn't have any used (shaped) skis left, and I'm too much of a beginner to spring for new ones when I'm not even 100% sure what length I want.

They have a 2-day minimum.