Skis for midwest and Colorado or Utah

[2ski2moro]

I started skiing when I was 5 in lace-up leather Munari ski boots with wood Kastle skis and Cubco bindings.

We actually have a lot in common. I'm from the Cincinnati area originally and grew up skiing in Mansfield and Bellefountaine with trips to the Boynes, Western NY, and Seven Springs.

I began skiing on borrowed lace up boots and wooden skis. I felt so special when I got my first pair of Raichle boots WITH buckles!!! Blizzard skis with Spademan bindings for my birthday. No one was more up to date than me.

OMG, I feel so old.

 

[OhioMom]

We actually have a lot in common. I'm from the Cincinnati area originally and grew up skiing in Mansfield and Bellefountaine with trips to the Boynes, Western NY, and Seven Springs.

I began skiing on borrowed lace up boots and wooden skis. I felt so special when I got my first pair of Raichle boots WITH buckles!!! Blizzard skis with Spademan bindings for my birthday. No one was more up to date than me.

OMG, I feel so old.

We do have a lot in common. I'm from Cleveland and started at Boston Mills, but then my family started going to Boyne, Holiday Valley, Peek n Peek and Seven Springs. Also, the first pair of skis I had that didn't have Cubcos had Spademan bindings. They looked so cool! I was 15 and we were skiing at Vail and my Cubcos cracked, so I lucked out and my dad took me to the ski store there and bought me a pair of Elan Skis. My siblings were so jealous!

 

[OhioMom]

Twice my friend from Ohio has been disappointed in the selection of women's skis in Vail and Steamboat. Either they didn't carry the skis she wanted to try or they were "rented out". According to an employee at Christy Sports in Steamboat the secret is to go is the demo department. It's a separate area of the store from the rental shop. They carry all models of women's skis in every size. While not every ski shop would have every brand you'd still get a better selection to try than working with the rental department.

That's good to know. They never seem to have anything I want to try in the rental departments.

 

[2ski2moro]

We do have a lot in common. I'm from Cleveland and started at Boston Mills, but then my family started going to Boyne, Holiday Valley, Peek n Peek and Seven Springs.

My DH is grew up in Ashtabula County and spent his time at Peek and Peak and Holiday Valley, too. He used to buy all his ski gear at Geiger's in Chagrin Falls, years ago. Do they still do demo/rentals?

 

[OhioMom]

Ashtabula has a ton of snow!

I've never been to the Geiger's in Chagrin Falls, but there is one on Lakewood. They have a limited selection for rent and we have rented there before, but they are very limited. They have a good yearly rental program for kids, but not much for adults. We do better at renting from Holiday Valley.

 

[mustski]

I am from a different part of the continent - Montreal, Canada ... but my first skis were wooden and any old boot locked in! I only played around in the backyard though so that probably doesn't count . I ski Volkls - 3 out of 4 of my current skis are Volkls. I ski the 163 length - particularly since they have all have rocker. I am 5'2" and about 135 lbs. I like the extra stability at speed since I tend to spend most of my time chasing my DH and/or DS down the mountain. Damn that testosterone! The demo bindings are a plus. Grab the 163s and don't look back.

 

[OhioMom]

I am from a different part of the continent - Montreal, Canada ... but my first skis were wooden and any old boot locked in! I only played around in the backyard though so that probably doesn't count . I ski Volkls - 3 out of 4 of my current skis are Volkls. I ski the 163 length - particularly since they have all have rocker. I am 5'2" and about 135 lbs. I like the extra stability at speed since I tend to spend most of my time chasing my DH and/or DS down the mountain. Damn that testosterone! The demo bindings are a plus. Grab the 163s and don't look back.

Which Volkls do you have? Is there one you would recommend for skiing Eastern icy conditions?

 

[mustski]

Which Volkls do you have? Is there one you would recommend for skiing Eastern icy conditions?

For a general all mountain ski, the Kenja is outstanding. It holds an edge really well in everything I have taken it in. If you are looking for a carver, I have heard some very good review about the "Flair" line up. The Flair 81 uses the 3D ridge technology that I have in my 90eights and I really like it. The issue that I see is that it has tail rocker which is probably a bad idea on ice.
https://www.skiessentials.com/2018-ski-test?skis=volkl-flair-81

This one appears to be a more appropriate Volkl for frontside carving and icy groomers.
https://www.skiessentials.com/2018-ski-test?skis=volkl-flair-sc

However ... I have not skied icy Eastern conditions in decades and others could probably advise you better on best models for the conditions..

If you do not have an immediate need, ski essentials has REALLY excellent sales during the summer months. I have purchased my last 4 pairs of skis from them during their summer sales.

 

[Aspenaut]

I agree with those who say good boots make all the difference! I too started with leather lace ups and remember my first pair of red leather Nordicas with buckles! (Memory lane...) But boot technology has changed since then, and it has changed a lot in the past decade, especially for women's boots. If you are happy with what you have now and they are comfortable and responsive to your skiing style, no point in spending money on boots until you are ready for a new pair - and then prepare to be amazed at how boot fittings have changed!

About skis - I agree with the advice of going to the demo department and trying different skis until you find the one that makes you smile. I find some skis force you into a particular turning radius, which some people may like, and others don't. The great thing about demo-ing, is that you can change your skis multiple times a day until you find the right one. I was in the market for new all mountain skis last year, and demo'd a bunch of different skis in Colorado including Vantages, Black Pearls, Sambas, Santa Ana's, Kenjas, and FullLuvits. (I also like Kastle, but didn't feel like spending the $$$$, and wanted something lighter to help my poor old knees). My reaction to the various skis ranged from 'these are nice' to 'get these off my feet now' to 'Wow these are FUN!' (the Fulluvits). I then skiied the Fulluvits for a few days, and was lucky enough to have all sorts of different conditions. Also, now that I am (ahem) older, I like to cruise more, but still want to ski bumps or steep and deep, so need a ski that will let me ski a variety of different styles and terrains. Although I loved the Fulluvits, after a couple of days, I realised that the shorter length, for me, was not fast enough when I wanted to ski more aggressively, so I went with a longer ski and couldn't be happier. Everyone has their own skiing style and you need to find a ski and ski length which works for you.