Need Skis - 1st time buyer, where to start?

[LaurenW]

Hello!
I'm finding the task of buying skis to be overwhelming. The only thing I do know is that when I rent them, the rental place always gives me 140s or 145s. I am 5'4, 140lbs. I ski greens and blues, mostly blues. I can ski steep trails if they're wide, or narrow if not steep, but I'm not confident on steep and narrow terrain. I live in the Northeast and we have had some great powder days this year, but there's usually a good amount of ice. I bought boots at the beginning fo the season, but I'm now looking to buy the skis and bindings. Online research only confuses me more.

Can anyone tell me what I should be looking for and make some recommendations?

Thank you!

 

[Jilly]

What have you been renting....Rossi, Atomic, Salomon for example? I think you could go a little longer than 145 at 5'4. I'm that height and ski a carver at 154.

Is there anything you like or dislike about the rentals - other than they are rentals.....

 

[ski diva]

Welcome, Lauren.

I agree; there are a lot of skis out there, so it can indeed be overwhelming. If you've read these forums, then you'll know that our mantra is demo, demo, demo. Everyone is different, so what one person likes, another may not. That said, it's pretty late in the season, and demoing isn't always an option. And there are so many end of season deals, it'd be hard to pass them up!

You might want to look through the Ski Gear section and see what others say about any number of skis. That may prove helpful.

And yes, I agree with Jilly. The 140's seem kind of small.

 

[segacs]

Welcome, Lauren!

I agree, the online research can be overwhelming. And this site can be overwhelming too, since there are so many skis out there and they all have their fans.

You said you bought boots, and that's the most important investment -- assuming they fit properly. (Lots of first-time boot buyers buy 'em too big -- did you read the thread on bootfitting in the gearipedia section?) In terms of skis, you're obviously still progressing quickly, so what you buy now might not be the same as what you'll want to ski in a season or two. Have you considered checking out your local ski swaps for some gently-used intermediate skis that can be yours to own for a season or two, until you're ready for the next set up? One of the more gear-knowledgeable Divas can probably give you a shortlist of skis to look for, and then you can see what you can get a good deal on. As long as they're in good condition, you'll probably like them more than your rentals, and then you can spend some time working on technique/confidence and learning what you like before investing all the money it would cost for a new pair of more advanced skis.

Agree that 140s seem a bit small for your height/weight -- the shorter skis are easier to turn on while you're learning, but you'll probably want to target something in the 150-155 range to buy.

 

[Celestron2000]

I agree, probably any intermediate ski will be better than the rentals, so you could just pick one (whichever one you can get a deal on), beyond that the only way to know which is best for you is to demo.
BTW, at this point I would probably not go with a ski designated as advance (which is most of the skis we tend to discuss on this forum....)

 

[NZfarmgirl]

Don't spend too much on your first pair ad I agree with above that you will want to upgrade quite quickly as you progress but u don't wang to go too advanced too quickly. Are you spending most of your time on groomers? An intermediate carving ski, not too wide at about 150 lengthwould be good

 

[eSki]

I'm not sure if its the best approach but I was overwhelmed trying to find my first pair of skiis. I was unable to truly distinquish the terrain, from the conditions from the skis.

What I did was do a season lease from one of my local shops. The skis are better then the mountain rentals and gave me a chance to understand what type of skier I am. Also with the same skis ever time I was able start to distinguish between the many variables. I also used them as my "control" when I demoed skis on the mountain.
It took me 2 seasons but now that I have my "Soul Ski" I'm glad I waited.