Gear for new skiers, where to invest?

[Ski Luvr]

I've made a commitment to get my family out on the slopes this year. After a long time of no skiing, I'm aching to get back. (And I'm sure I'll be aching after I get back too!)

I've got two little ones (4 and 6) and a husband. We're all gearless.

Well, sort of. I have an old pair (circa 1993) of K2s. My husband has some Rossingnols from 1998 or 99. We both have boots.

My dear neighbor informed me that our skis are outdated and no one uses these long skis anymore. He said skis are short and fat now and that we should add helmets to our gear list.

My kids have snow pants and jackets and gloves. That's about it.

Do we need to buy snow helmets or can they use their bike helmets? When I checked out the prices of snow helmets they seemed to run around $50.

Is there a bare bones list of gear that is needed for getting a family on the slopes and keeping them safe and warm? I'm concerned that if this gets too expensive too soon my husband will put the kabosh on my family ski plans.

Does it make more sense to rent skis from a ski shop or from the mountain these days? I was considering renting some skis for the season from a ski shop for my husband and I (forcing us to ski!) and renting them daily for the kids (just in case they end up miserable on the slopes).

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for making it this far into this thread!!

 

[Jilly]

First do not use bike helmets. They are designed for bikes not skis and don't have the warmth factor you need. Now boots are the most important item. Check your and husbands boots for size and conditions (no cracks, buckles work). If they are over 10 years, I'd consider new ones. Skis - yes there have been many changes. But all this gear can add up. So, for the first time out, rent. See how things go. Maybe the ski area will have a first time package, with lifts, lessons and rentals. There will be after Christmas sales for gear. If (and it will) everything goes Ok, check a used sporting goods for the kids. If not you could rent for the rest of the season, and pick up deals at ski swaps next fall. But its nicer having your own gear - no waiting for rentals. If your husband decides this works now, get him gear new. Also treat yourselft too - new skis and maybe boots. At our local shop, not a chain, if a whole family buys new gear, they will get a good price. Just thinking, our local shop has a 1/2 back program for kids stuff. Within 2 years if they out grow it, you get 1/2 back toward new stuff (skis and boots). In your case hand it down to the younger. Not fun for her, but! Most of us lived through that. Check with the neighbours, co-workers, the grocery store bulletin board for used stuff too.

 

[IntheClouds]

Budget does count. Lots of ski areas will rent kids helmets also. Ours runs $5.00. Leasing your equipment for the year is a nice budget saver. Especially if you can get a choice of boots that will fit pretty well & a decent fit. Most places you can get a kids first time package lift/rental/instruction for a really good price. Then you can go from there if they love it. Some shops have the yearly lease for kids, some a $50 % off trade in if junior equipment. Some use an age cut off instead of equipment designation of jr. so it gives you more equipment choices. Lots of different options that you don't always hear about until you ask. Good Luck and here's to your family having a great time !

ps , pack a great meal, snacks & drinks. The $$$ you'll save from buying a meal for the family at the ski area will probably pay for the kid's equip rental, or a 1 yr. ski lease for 1 of the kids.

 

[smpayne]

3 years ago, I started back to skiing. I rented twice, the boots hurt so bad, I decided to get my own pair (DH could care less one way or the other). I did find out that renting equipment from a "real" ski shop, not the big chain (or our local mountain), we got a much better fit, they actually measured our foot instead of asking what shoe size . If the mountain has a "real" shop, that is probably the place to rent, if they hurt to bad, you can take them back.

Some shops will let you lease the kids equipement for an entire season. We were able to lease boots, skis & poles for $100 each (ski shop was cheaper than the chain). I spent more than that when I bought everything on clearance. Which is really nice if they kid's feet decide to grow mid season, you can go back and get a bigger size at no extra. I believe that some places will actually rent helmets to kids. Don't try to teach them yourself, put them in an age appropriate lesson - everyone will be happier and enjoy thier day much more.

First day out, don't expect to last all day - although the kids might. My first day back, each season, I tend to last only 2-3 runs before having to sit out a while to rest my legs.

$50 helmet - sounds like a good deal. Big chains are a great place to find last season/end of season deals, especially on skis, but a very bad place to get properly fitted boots or good advice.

How old are your boots - do they still fit your feet? Since you are the one that loves to ski, pamper yourself with new boots & custom footbeds - FITTED PROPERLY by a good bootfitter, your feet will thank you. Then rent some cool Demo skis for yourself.:D You may want to take a lesson and get some feedback on your skiing ability. Too many women understate thier ability and then don't get the appropriate equipement

 

[smpayne]

ps , pack a great meal, snacks & drinks. The $$$ you'll save from buying a meal for the family at the ski area will probably pay for the kid's equip rental, or a 1 yr. ski lease for 1 of the kids.

DITTO!!! Don't forget to put snacks in the kids pockets. They seem to eat twice as much when skiing. You can get a really nice sit down dinner, including wine for what you pay for a couple hamburgers on the mountain.

 

[Kano]

Check lesson packages -- I don't know how many places do it at this point, but Bogus Basin, here in the Boise area, has a lesson/rental/season pass program -- for one low fee, you get four lessons, ski/boot/pole rental, and then when you're done with the lessons, you get, as your "graduation present," ski/boot/pole rental for the rest of the season, and a season pass. For us, it was under $200 per person, back in 2001 -- and that made it pretty doable!

I bought boots pretty much immediately, since the rentals were impossible, and the family picked up boots one by one. We were all pretty much done growing, so if your kids are growing, continuing to rent for them is probably a better financial decision!

An advantage to season rental -- you keep the equipment, so you're not standing in the boot line, then the ski line, then the pole line, every time you go up to play!

Kano

 

[Robyn]

I just want to second the advice not to use a bike helmet. They are not designed to protect a person in the type of falls that a skier is likely to take and as Jilly pointed out they won't be warm enough to keep the head warm. When fitting a helmet the child should be able to shake their head pretty good without it falling off with the strap UNbuckled. The buckle is just a second bit of insurance. Other things to get, neck gaitors or balaclavas, good baselayers and decent goggles.

 

[ISki]

I have an old pair (circa 1993) of K2s. My husband has some Rossingnols from 1998 or 99. We both have boots.

My dear neighbor informed me that our skis are outdated and no one uses these long skis anymore.

If you want to save money, you can use these old skis and boots. Just make sure the bindings still work! Take the skis to a ski shop and get the bindings checked. There are plenty of people still skiing skis and boots like these.

Just be sure to check the bindings first.

 

[Ski Luvr]

Thank you SO much everyone. I can't get over how helpful everyone is on this site!

Jilly, those are great tips! Thank you. Especially about not using the bike helmet. I'm going to call my local ski shop tomorrow to see if they have packages like the ones you described. They sound perfect. (I also like the idea of treating myself!!)

InTheClouds, I can't wait to call the ski shop and find out what packages they have. You're so right about packing a lunch. I totally forgot about the expense of ski lodge food.

SMPayne, thank you for mentioning only being able to last about 2-3 hours. It helps to be mentally prepared for that! Especially when you want to ski all day. I'll avoid the big chains! That's a great tip too!! The ski shop where I got my old skis is still in business. It would be so nice to visit them again. A trip down memory lane!

Kano, oh my goodness, I didn't even think about the lines in the rental place a the ski lodge! You're so right. That's how I ended up getting my own skis! I think my dad felt badly that I had to wait for the hour+ ride to the mountain then wait in line for a ticket, then for the equipment, then wait in line for the lift. That's reason enough to do the season rental!

Robyn, thank you SO much for the helmet advice. Keeping my kids safe is so important. I wouldn't have known that the helmet needs to stay on w/o the buckle strapped. I totally forgot about neck gaitors and balaclavas! We should have them just for playing in the snow. They're great!

ISki! Thank you! It's so great to hear that the long skis aren't as bad as my neighbor led me to believe! He made me feel like I shoudln't be on a mountain with those skis. Mine are pretty shot. I was almost ready for new skis before I stopped. But, my husbands are on the shorter side come to think of it... In fact I think he might have the more modern ski? If they introduced them around 99, then I bet my dh has the cool ones. I remember thinking they looked short and silly when he got them. :p

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Robyn]

It's not just a matter of the skis being cool vs. uncool but the shorter shaped skis are just so much easier to use, carve a turn and maneuver.

 

[Jilly]

You didn't mention if the kids had hockey helmets. I've taught kids that used them with a ski hat aka toque under. But actual ski helmets are the best. Leasing equipment for the kids especially would be a way to go. And a side note on hand-me-downs. I've a friend that will not buy/wear a red ski jacket. She was second in line for hand-me-downs and the only girl. Her mom always bought red, so everyone could wear it. At 13 she finally got a girl jacket in white. The really funny thing is, she's a ski instructor and the suits are red!!

 

[smpayne]

I Forgot - Get 2 pair of ski gloves for each kid. They WILL loose one. Then get another pair at the end of season sales to replace the ones that got lost.

2 pair of THIN ski socks for everyone (never wear cotton socks) - somehow my kids can always get snow down their boots and end up with very wet socks at the end of the day. I have acidently put my foot down after taking my boots off and inevitably found the melted snow on the ground.

 

[Ski Luvr]

You guys are the best!

Robyn, it's good to know it's not a coolness issue! I was able to ski on my 185's (I think?) just fine. That was back in the mid nineties though. Maybe I'll hold on to 'em!

Jilly, thank you again! Nope, no hockey helmets here either. :( But! I'm so happy to have learned about toques! The story about your friend is priceless! Poor girl with the red instructor uniforms!!

smpayne, OMG the tip about the gloves is perfect! I'm so glad you mentioned it. I used to buy my kids gloves at Lands End or LL Bean at $14 per pair ( ) until I sent my first born off to school. That year he lost (no kidding) 8 gloves! In March when we had a couple of cold days here I had to send him to school with a glove and a mitten because that's all we had left! Now I buy their gloves in bulk at the cheapest price possible. -- I don't know if you're going to read this again, but if you do, would you recommend silk socks? I remember when I was skiing my dad made me get a pair of silk socks and then I wore a pair of wool socks over them.

So far I think I'm going to rent for me for the season, get my husband to use his old skis, after we tune them up (they were only used like 2 or 3x), rent for the kids 1x and if they like it look into seasonal rental for them.

Next I'm going to get some moisture wicking long underwear, thin socks, at least 2 pairs of gloves for the kids (I'm pretty sure my husband and I have gloves that are waterproof), and of course HELMETS for all of us. Maybe I can get away with not buying more layers of clothing since we'll probably do most of our skiing here in CT. For the most part it doesn't get that cold here.

Thanks again everyone! I hate to sound like a broken record, but I'm SO glad to have stumbled across this site.

 

[Robyn]

Just so you know, although it's not coolness, the new skis are incredible to ski. I used to race 195s when I was around 11-12 years old and wouldn't give up my 163 shaped skis for them in a million years. Once you decide that you want to get back into it more frequently you should definitely try the shaped skis.

 

[Ski Luvr]

Thanks again Robyn! That's great to know. I think that I got my husband to take a trip to the ski shop with me tomorrow

He was just saying he was worried he didn't get me any good presents this year.... hmmm... maybe he'll feel better if he gets me some shiny new shaped skis.

 

[Jilly]

Ohhh, that sounds interesting. On the kid front, its best to make sure they like it. Our local hill does a weekend program for lifts, lessons and rentals. If they like it, then proceed to buying. The first year will be costly, but after that, replace just whats needed, outgrown etc. Later it will be boots for one, skis for the other, suit for you, gloves for him. Rotates the next year. It will even out eventually. Hubby and I are at the point that its one thing each year. Except he needed boots and a suit this year. Me just boots. Next year I'll need skis! He shouldn't need anything. Oh that means its trip year!!

 

[lil mountain girl]

hi and welcome!

firstly . . . HELMETS:

EVERYONE needs a helmet . . . you, your husband, and the kids!

after all, safety first!

make sure everyone gets a lid that fits and is comfy (and is ski specific)!

secondly . . . GEAR:

you can use your old ski gear . . . just get it checked out for safety reasons (bindings and boots especially!) . . .

when you're ready for new ski gear hit up ski swaps, bulletin boards (ski hills usually have a gear exchange, as do some outdoor shops), ebay, even the gear exchange section on skidiva, and talk to other parents in your area about hand me down skis for the kids!
getting connected to the ski community will come with connections to deals and ski gear, so i wouldn't worry about it too much!!!

lastly . . . HAVE FUN SKIING!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ski Luvr]

Hey Jilly! Thanks for sharing the good news about investing in equipment easing up after a bit. I know my husband will be much happier when we're in your position of needing boots one year, a suit a next. OOOH a trip? Have fun! Maybe we'll be able to get away soon too. First, on to the skis!

Lil Mountain Girl, thank you for your reply. Hopefully, we can pick up some helmets today at our ski shop. My husband and I will take our old gear there today too to get them checked out. Hopefully mine will be unusable and I can end up with some slick new skis. I love the idea of checking out swaps and finding deals through the ski community. Now, all I have to do is get out there and do some skiing to meet that community! :P

Thank you for all your help. It's pretty overwhelming to step back into skiing after so many years off. I feel like I'm almost starting brand new. With everyone's great tips and advice I'm feeling more confident in what we'll need.

 

[lindseyinalaska]

Sorry if I repeat others but here we go.

PLEASE get helmets! The 50 bucks is totally worth it. you wouldn't let your kids (or yourself) bike, play football etc without helmets so wear them on the mountain as well.

As a person who started alpine at age 8 (after not loving x-c for years) my parents wanted to see if we would actually like alpine first before gear came. My sister and I started out on the local ski hill with seasonal rental/ski school package- 10 weeks of both. We both loved it so the next season we went to a ski swap and bought some used equipment that was in good shape. It saved the parents money and plus us little ones grew, so new boots/ski/poles were needed almost every other year and new gear is expensive. **also remember hand me downs, what you buy for the 6yr old might just fit the 4yr old in a couple years** My parents never bought nice expensive gear until we had basically stopped growing. Also as a kid basically any boot put on my foot made me happy. I think kids are less picky than adults when it comes to the perfect fit (I know its true in my case). As for your husband and yourself I'd suggest using your old boots if they are safe and if skiing is a sport that you are going to seriously get back into I'd recomend getting boots. Rental boots suck and to me if my feet are unhappy then the rest of my skiing isn't much fun.

Also renting skis is so expensive especially if you are going to ski a lot. I just got a pair of great demo skis for $295. I think the rental cost would quickly be made up for.

Skiing doesn't have to be expensive! Hope this helps. Good Luck and enjoy the snow!

 

[Quiver Queen]

Socks? A thin pair of wool, without liner socks, is what I wear in all conditions. They're long-lasting, warm even when wet, don't stink, breathe, and don't bunch.