Born Again Skier - please help!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kdski88 

Hey everyone. I used to ski a lot - family trips to CO and UT - back then I was very comfortable on skis and would do blue and black runs. Then I switched to snowboarding and haven't skied for 10 years. I wanted to try to get back into it but my how skis have changed! I was looking to buy some new skis that would work. I don't need the best thing out there, just something to get me down the mountain and feel sturdy on and comfortable with. And obviously

 

I went to Play It Again Sports (PIAS) and they had some demo skis that looked almost brand new. Problem is I have no idea what is good/bad or how things are sized now. I am a 5'2" and about 120lbs, 27year old female and I am athletic and think I will pick up where I left off. PIAS is having a sale right now with 100$ off performance skis and 50$ off some others. I found the following and was hoping for some advice.

 

- Rossi Bandit 72 - on sale 120$ with Rossingnol 100 bindings

 

 

 

- Volkl R1 Unlimited - on sale 120$ with Fastrak2 bindings

 

 

 

 

 

- Volkl RTM 75  - on sale 300$ with Motion Marker bindings

 

 

 

 

Online Deals:

- Volkl Attiva Flora Skis + Attiva 3Motion 10.0 Bindings - Women's 2011 - 289$

 

 

 

- K2 Lotta Luv - 389$

 

 

Honestly, I would love to pick up some older model, decent skis w/bindings for under 200$, but I also know you get what you pay for. Unfortunately, we are on a ridiculously tight budget right now.

- Are any of these worth the deals or should I wait and try to get something at a ski swap when winter gets closer?

- What are some general guidelines or ski types I should look for? I was thinking All-Mountain type, 70 waist, about 150 in length.

- I have read that it's all in the boots, should I buy these before or after my skis and bindings? What should I look for other than comfort?

 

Any and all help is sincerely appreciated. I would love to hear what anyone on the board has to say. Thanks a ton!

-Kristin

As a starter... Boots. boots boots first. You will spend (at least 2x on the boots than most of those skis). Even if you don't get skis, and rent them on your trip to Colorado and just bring boots you are a head of the game. What to look for in a fit? Think about the purpose of the boot (besides keeping your foot warn and comfort), think about the boot as the tool it was intended for. It is a transmission of your energy to the ski, so you want it ti work as efficiently as possible with the least amount of effort (or pain) so you want a snug fitting boot that matches the shape of YOUR foot. a 23.5 is not a 23.5 is not a 23.5, a good fitter will match the shape of the boot to you foot.  Now, where for you to get boots? Where are you located?

As far as the ski selection you posted, the Rossis and the K2s would be my top choices, the RTM's next then the Attivas then the R1's but none really float my boat since most look like rentals/demos that have a heavy binding on them and probably have been abused some. Hold off on skis until you get the boots. 

I'll second what Philpug says. 

Once you get the boots, you can demo some skis and figure out what you really like.  

Welcome back to skiing!

I want to preface this post by saying you already have my utmost respect for returning to skiing, welcome back! 

Philpug is spot on though, priority one for you, and any skier, should be boots. You can always rent/ demo ski's and feel out what you like and dislike, boots are paramount to your skiing experience the smallest adjustments can make the world of difference in how your boots feel and work for you. Trust me, you don't want to be cutting your days short because your boot is giving you blisters or making each turn uncomfortable. Find a good boot fitter that'll work with you and knows what they're doing. There was a website you can go to to find boot fitters in your area that have gone through some sort of certification process, I'd google "certified boot fitters" or something along those lines and see what pops up. I had the website saved but my hard drive crashed and I lost it. 

But start with talking to a local ski shop/ boot fitter that can work with you and figure out how to tailor a boot to your foot it's a little more complex than you'd think. Then see where you're at with ski's a lot has changed and honestly 70mm underfoot isn't really considered "all mountain" per se, a ski like that would be better if you're just on the groomers. Wider has become the trend, and for good reason, but again start with boots and just enjoy your time back on ski's!

Of the skis you listed, I've heard the best things about those Volkl RTMs.  A local shop uses those for Adult season rentals because they are forgiving and provide excellent performance.

Noting you say  "Unfortunately, we are on a ridiculously tight budget right now.", you answer lies in the economics of compromise.

You'll want long and fat on powder days, and not-so-fat on boilerplate days.

How many days will you ski on the $120 pair vs what value-  in dollar and pleasure terms - will you get out of trying a lot of demos at $x per day.

Maybe get the cheaper ski for $120, try it and sell it at a garage sale at the end of the season for $50-$120. That might free up more money for a better boot too.

Noting you use to ski blues and black diamonds, you'll want to look at some ski instruction video at the new techniques or splash out on a lesson. 

Get phatter/fatter than 70mm. 

Look at the radius and ask yourself if you want to carve on groomers with a fairly nimble carver (with a short radius of 11m to 16m) or you want a super fat floater. II compromised and selected 105mm because airlines get upset if I sneak more than one pair of skis in the ski bag. 

Happy hunting.

PS: I wouldn't know my Mantra from a Katana, but I'm an expert on being cheap