Best time to buy kids gear

[back2ski]

DD's skis are at or below their chins w/ boots on. They are 8 and 11 yrs old and we ski very little. I'm sure I could probably push another year out of both sets as kids do well on shorter skis anyway, but since I love to shop (and buy of course), I'm doing that more than I should. I see a lot of skis in the $90-$130 range including shipping, usually w/out bindings but we can put them on for whatever that costs ($40?). Is there a better time to buy either new or used skis? We don't live near mountains for ski swaps, if they're any good. Cost doesn't seem to be much less for used/demo gear, though that has the binding already mounted, albeit a demo one.

The 11 yr old's skis would probably hit the chin on the 8 yr old next year, but my guess is neither one of them would go for that. I'm better off keeping the older one on the 130's and getting some 140s for her sister who weighs more (more athletic) and is only 1 1/2 inches shorter. I'm glad neither of them know we got a 2nd bigger pair of boots w/ the 130's off ebay!! My guess is the 8 yo will need to move up in size more than the 11yo.
The younger one has talked about wanting to snowboard, but her friends don't and with the injury risk so much higher I'd prefer to hold off a couple more years.

Second question: Do kids who aren't into technique, pretty much just bee-line it down the hill, notice differences in skis? For some reason, the higher quality "race" skis are cheaper than standard beginner skis. Maybe due to less of a market? Here's the description of some k2's I'm looking at.

K2 Mach SL Team Skis- Documented sightings of junior skiers laying down adult-quality arcs confirm the development of the all-new junior weapons of choice. The K2 Mach SL Team skis provide junior skiers with the capacity for precise and powerful turns. These new vertical-laminate sidewall skis increase edge grip and offer the technology available in the Mach Series to the junior racer. This ski was designed for junior racers and skiers who are looking for the ultimate performance and sidecut. The Team skis boast the World Cup technology of titanium, glass, and wood laminate construction.
High Performance Jr. SL Race
Metal Laminate Construction
Titanium, Triaxial Glass/Carbon Braided-Core

Thanks for the help.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Okay. Well, it's been awhile since I've been in this market, but it sounds like the higher-performance ski is clearly the better value here. Will the kids notice? Good question. The ski will certainly perform better under most circumstances and be better made and more durable as well.

Now is definitely a better time to find ski deals, also clothing deals, if you're willing and/or able to "guess-timate" growth - also multiple pairs of mittens (NEVER buy just ONE pair!) or gloves.

Boots - a whole different ball game. This is where the money should be spent and wait until fall. Kids' feet grow unpredictably - and having to do the 2 pairs in one season thing is costly (but does happen to many of us).

You know, I'm re-reading your post, and I think a decent sidecut K2 junior would make turning a bucket-load of fun for the kids. Skis on rails! This sounds like a good deal. Hope it works out for all!!

 

[back2ski]

Thanks MSL. I'd given up on getting any tips on this, even relented to keeping them both in current skis as I noticed dd8 skis are only an ince or two shorter than dd11 so not a big deal to ride 'em short for another year, though they need a tune-up bad so why not spend that money for mounting bindings? LOL My dh thanks you I'm sure. :D

Boots we're good on. DD8 has worn the same race boots for 3 seasons and will likely move up to the 24.5s we got as extras w/ DD11's used package off ebay. DD11 still has 2 solid fingers behind her heel in her 23.5 so unless she has a major growth spurt in foot size (hoping for it in real size - she's self concious weighing less than her 8yo sister) they should still be fine for next year. The boot fitter had suggested 23 or 23.5 when we shopped for new in 11-06, she just hasn't grown.

The K2s are flat skis. Or does rails mean something else? Only $63 w/ ship I think.

BTW, I laughed at your post about "Who's gonna pay for my nursing home?" Wondering what exactly a ski bum is, since it takes a LOT of money to stay on the slopes!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

The K2s are flat skis. Or does rails mean something else? Only $63 w/ ship I think.

"Flat" means the binding will be mounted directly onto the ski, with screws. Rails means that the ski has a set-up to accommodate a specific binding (usually sold with the ski these days but if not, easy enough to find) via an actual rail, nothing needs to happen to the actual ski. Easier to adjust a rail set-up binding.

Haha, what does a ski bum do? Anything to pay the rent, eat, be out there. Preferably a p.m. job! He's working at a regional snowboard shop, mostly nights and weekends. Daytime, he's usually out there hitting it hard. What a life, huh? But given the actual history of his life, he totally deserves this. He's had some hard times physically, lot of accident injuries (non-skiing) and surgeries (most recently ACL, snow-related).

 

[back2ski]

yep, they're flat. 401K? LOL Or just die before the nursing home. JK

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Or just die before the nursing home. JK

Ha! Who's kidding? The bulge of the baby-boomers, of which I am a card carrying member, will have to consider all alternatives!

 

[Gloria]

For childrens and juniors equipment, you ussually do better in the fall. The reason being, the ski shops have trade in programs where if you purchase originally from the shop you can trade them in for a different pair when the child outgrows them. They only do it in the fall though. You can also purchase 1 y.o. skiis that have been returned through the program. Which can be a great deal to, kids rarely have base-welds and the binding are checked etc. These generally run around 80-90 with the bindings and sometimes they will buy them back from you the following year as well.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

^^^^ This is only a truly viable option if you live near said shops to effect these types of trade-ins. Very viable option in an actual city. They can be sparse in some places. Example: south Florida has wayyyy more ski shops than the whole state of Maine.

 

[Gloria]

Actually, I think it's probably pretty easy to find ski shops that do this pretty much everywhere. They do it all over here in Montana and have done so for years. We are pretty much a few years behind everyone, so I would imagine it can't be that hard to find elsewhere....

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Seasonal rentals/"leases" of kids' gear was very big and very popular where I used to live (Midwest). Not only few if any ski shops in my mountain location, but not an option at those few. Option is to buy, whether new or used.

 

[Gloria]

The seasonal lease is how they do it on the mountain through ski school it's just like a rental, only you get the same equipment every time, they just keep throughout the week and keep renting it and then they reset it every Friday afternoon so the parents can just come in easily on Saturday morning and pick it up. The shops around town though, you buy the equipment new originally, and then the next year when they outgrow it some shops let you trade the whole package in for a new one the next year, some will buy it back from you if you put the money towards new equipment etc. As long as your original purchase was from that store and new most ussually have a trade-in program. The one shop we have down here does it, and out of the three shops in the bigger town, the two local ones do, but the chain store doesn't. Maybe you have alot of chainstores or something?

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Maybe you have alot of chainstores or something?

With reference to me or OP? There isn't a lot of anything here - I'm in flat-out rural Maine. Within 50 miles of where I live, there are two options for kids' gear: buy it or rent it. No seasonal leases anywhere around here, and I do come from another region where it was common practice. Buy it: new, used, ski swap, etc.
There IS a Wal Mart 7 miles from my house, though. That's about it for chain anything. Oh yeah, a McDonald's, Burger King and Pizza Hut. That is all.

 

[Gloria]

Yeah see in our county we have a McDonalds. Walmart bought a piece of land but we voted in a size cap on commercial floor space so they couldn't build it. What I learned when my daughter first started skiing was that the really small sizes are made in such small quantity that the larger accounts get preference on them. So our shops have a hard time getting enough to go around that they really need to work the trade program. I was able to order my daughters first 80's pro-form when I was working in the industry, but still couldn't get my hands on a pair of the itty bitty boots. I ended up finding a pair at the Goodwill, two pairs actually, those and the next size up. So two years later when I went to replace the 80's, and the ski shop learned that I had them, I ended up walking out of the shop with a brand new skis, bindings, plus $40 bucks in my pocket straight from the till for the boots. They evidentially had to dip into their rental stock to keep the demand supplied and really needed those sizes to replenish the stock that they were unable to get. It was a great deal, but I was nice enought to donate the second pair back to them a couple years later when she outgrew those as well. What comes around goes around.

 

[Solincia]

I'll ask you ladies what you think of this, considering her mother and I were having a conversation regarding this last night.

As you've read, my 9 year old niece started skiing this year, and LOVES it!

She is in ski-club with her school, which allows them 5 school trips <all with lessons included>, free friday nights thereafter, and 3 additional lift tickets for themselves at any time during the season.
The package can be purchased with or without ski rental, but the rental only adds about $100 to the package price.

Her mom <my sister> and I didn't start skiing until jr. high, and we had stopped growing by then.. Her mom got skis when she was in 10th grade, and once she graduated I took her skis & boots <she was two years older than I was, but we wore the same size EVERYTHING... sheesh, sisters!>

Anyway, we were discussing when to buy my niece her own gear. We thought it might be best to wait until she was a bit older, perhaps stops growing, and then invest in gear for her... but we don't want to deter her growth in skiing, or her ability.
Both her mom and I skiied with 180 Rossi's and rear entry boots! <I'm turning 30 in less than a month> so ski's were skis back then.

What do you ladies think? I'm seeing great deals on kids gear, but I'm not quite sure what to do. Our hill rents Head skis, but of course they're never waxed, or in as good condition as personal skis would be.

Thoughts? Recommendations?

 

[Jilly]

Solincia - do you have a ski swap or used sport store in the area. I'm thinking that if you buy new, and she outgrows it - hopefully from technique- can you sell them, or pass them on to another. If they have a ski club through school there is that possiblity too that other parents want better equipment than the rentals for their kids. This can be an expensive sport, but doesn't have to be!!

 

[valli]

I bought a brand new set of kids shaped Head skis with bindings and boots, for $142 at www.levelninesports.com It's also end of the season sale time so a lot of the shops have 40% off sales.

 

[valli]

Little divas rip! Weekend at Tahoe

We spent the week up at Tahoe and skiied at Squaw Valley and Sugarbowl, and I'm glad to report they both still have tons of snow. We took the kidlets skiing and they are doing really well. It's amazing how fast they progress at this age. Our 5 year old is figuring out how hop on and off the lift, and is starting to shift weight and ski parallel. She will ski all the blue runs with me, and she's turning in my little shadow, making little turns to follow me down. I think I've got about 1-2 years max before she dusts me. My husband usually skis with our 2 yro, and she was attracting a lot of attention on the slope since she likes to cruise along. She is learning how to pizza (snowplow), but we still have a harness on her to keep her from getting away from us. She doesn't need help getting or staying up, but she does love to go fast. Next year she's going into lessons so she learns how to do her pizzas and french fries properly.

 

[uvm]

I just saw used season rentals for sale at Sports Authority for $50 which includes bindings. They were Atomic 5 or 6 (last years model I think) and most were in really good shape. I saw them in Colorado and not sure if they have them at all Sports Authorities but it is a great deal. Good luck looking. I have a 8 and almost 11 year old and am looking for gear for next year, too.

 

[MaryLou]

Personally, I'd never buy ski boots until just before the season begins. You never have a clue in the spring how their feet will grow by next winter. My 2yo used the same pair of shoes for 9 mos, my 12yo's feet are still growing - already up to a women's 9, the boots we bought her last November I fear are already getting snug, and we thought we left her enough space to grow (but not too much in case she has stopped) and maybe be her last for a while. My 7yo has been in the same shoe size for over a year, but when she does grow I know she'll go through 2 sizes in a matter of months.

So...skis are fine to buy in advance, but I'd hold off on boots until the absolute last minute.

Also..if you have more than one kid...buy new for the first and then hand down from there. That way by the time kid #s 2, 3... get stuff it's not that out of date. We've got quite an assortment of boots, nearly every size for the younger kids.

 

[MaryLou]

Anyway, we were discussing when to buy my niece her own gear. We thought it might be best to wait until she was a bit older, perhaps stops growing, and then invest in gear for her... but we don't want to deter her growth in skiing, or her ability.

When we started our oldest on skis, we rented for the first couple of years. We didn't go to often then, so it was the best idea when she was still learning, but not skiing enough to make it worth buying. Then we bought a ski house and dedicated ourselves, and then bought her her own gear. Even as a 8yo she was amazed at the difference in the skis over the rentals. Right away she started skiing better, she said the rentals were 'rough' compared to her new ones and weren't easy to turn. I don't think people give kids enough credit - they also need decent gear like adults to advance and learn. Luckily their stuff isn't as expensive as adults, and it's easier to find practically brand new used equipment.