Question: Older beginner questioning used gear decision

[WobblyKnees]

Don't want to work this afternoon....

Kijiji - Buy, Sell & Save with Canada's #1 Local Classifieds

Visit Kijiji Classifieds to buy, sell, or trade almost anything! New and used items, cars, real estate, jobs, services, vacation rentals and more virtually anywhere.

www.kijiji.ca

You are clearly hired as my new personal shopper. Ha ha.

 

[Christy]

I like the idea of a shorter length for more control since I’m not super confident at this point.

Shorter length also means less stable. I am 120 lbs and my first skis were 146s, and I fell all the time. My next skis were 156s and the problem was solved completely. I stopped falling. Remember that modern skis care more about your weight than height so don't put much stock in having them only come to your chin or whatever it used to be.

 

[SallyCat]

Check out some of the skis + binding deals here. Not much more than used and you won't have to worry about binding indemnification.

Alpine Skis, Downhill Skis For Men, Women And Children

Explore our wide range of alpine and downhill skis for men, women, and children. Find the perfect skis for your next thrilling winter adventure.

www.levelninesports.com

 

[newboots]

One tech shop says that it IS on current list so all good. I don’t know how they check model when you bring them in since there are no model name or numbers anywhere on the bindings though!

 

[Jilly]

Check out some of the skis + binding deals here. Not much more than used and you won't have to worry about binding indemnification.

Alpine Skis, Downhill Skis For Men, Women And Children

Explore our wide range of alpine and downhill skis for men, women, and children. Find the perfect skis for your next thrilling winter adventure.

www.levelninesports.com

Exchange rate will kill that. Add 30% to any US$ + Duty and Taxes....
I did a search through Asogear, Monod's, MEC and someplace out in Vancouver....The Calgary ski swap was cancelled due to Covid this weekend.

Keep an eye on MEC swap page too. Most of the stuff is big mountain, ie >85mm waist. You don't need that yet.

 

[newboots]

@WobblyKnees - We're so glad to came to join in the fun here! Good ideas (even from some Americans!) and friendly conversation.

 

[WobblyKnees]

You are clearly hired as my new personal shopper. Ha ha.

How about Elan Black Magic?

@WobblyKnees - We're so glad to came to join in the fun here! Good ideas (even from some Americans!) and friendly conversation.

You Divas have been amazing. Thank you for all the help and advice!

 

[newboots]

How about Elan Black Magic?

You Divas have been amazing. Thank you for all the help and advice!

In case you haven't noticed, there's nothing we like better than talking about skiing! (And snowboarding.)

 

[diymom]

Took a little more to track down some info on that year of Black Magic. Those are 2009/10, and the binding is a ELW 9.0 Fusion, which I do not see on this year's list. (Elan is the only current list I have, from their tech manual.) May I ask what your budget is, before we get too carried away shopping for skis vicariously?

 

[Jilly]

Thanks @diymom , I was looking for it too. The model would be great for her, but.....too old.

We need some our Alberta Ski Diva's to give us some help with second hand stores, beyond Play it Again.

 

[diymom]

Gotta say, the market for used skis in that area seems to be pretty tight at the moment. More will pop up on Kijiji as people upgrade for the season, but considering the swap was cancelled I would think a lot more would be found. Although a bit longer than OP was looking for, those Dynastars on Kijiji look to be the best deal. On Sidelineswap I saw what I believe to be the same pair of Cloud 7 from above. For just a little more there's a 2018 Rossi Exp 84 in Calgary, but that's getting on the wider side, or going up a tad more a new 2020 Roxy Kaya 77. But as far as budget skis go, wow, prices are much higher in Canada than what I can find near me.

With a market like that, spending a little more for a new beginner ski just to get started out might not be bad. Keep looking for a better intermediate ski, and be able to sell the beginner pair pretty easily for close to what you paid, especially if the length is around 150. Outlaw sports has 2 beginner skis in the right length- Nordica Sentra S2 and Elan Perla LS. The Sentra has a neutral graphic so when reselling you could leave out the part that they are normally marketed as women's skis and cast a wider net.

They don't have their stock posted online, but Switching Gear YYC advertises used skis.

 

[WobblyKnees]

I actually picked up the Cloud 7s yesterday but being the indecisive person that I am, would still consider others if they are more suitable or are a great deal. Yes, pretty pricey up here and still a lot of demand, so I’m not too concerned about being able to unload if I change my mind. The $300 spent on the Cloud 7s is probably the max I want to do, since I probably need to get better boots too. Any opinions on Rossignol Vita Sensor (6?)?

 

[diymom]

With boots it is really about fit and flex, so it is hard to recommend a boot without knowing how it fits your foot. As far as the Vita Sensor goes, if you mean the Vita Sensor 60, that would be a very soft flexing boot with a wide last. While used skis are great for getting back into the groove, a well fitted boot with the right flex for you is pretty much an investment in your skiing. A used boot that is a good fit will be a step up from a rental boot. The right boot from a reputable boot fitter (with adjustments included in the price) can make a big difference both in comfort while skiing and responsiveness of your skis. Did you return the first pair of boots you had (the x3 irony)?

And on the topic of boots- I see the Salomons were a 24.5. May I ask what size street shoe you wear?

 

[WobblyKnees]

With boots it is really about fit and flex, so it is hard to recommend a boot without knowing how it fits your foot. As far as the Vita Sensor goes, if you mean the Vita Sensor 60, that would be a very soft flexing boot with a wide last. While used skis are great for getting back into the groove, a well fitted boot with the right flex for you is pretty much an investment in your skiing. A used boot that is a good fit will be a step up from a rental boot. The right boot from a reputable boot fitter (with adjustments included in the price) can make a big difference both in comfort while skiing and responsiveness of your skis. Did you return the first pair of boots you had (the x3 irony)?

And on the topic of boots- I see the Salomons were a 24.5. May I ask what size street shoe you wear?

No. Still have the X3 Irony but ready to sell to the next unsuspecting victim. Ha ha. Depends on the shoe but I am usually a size 7 or 7.5. Short but wide feet. Kind of like the rest of me.

 

[Iwannaski]

Operational note, @WobblyKnees … if you ski say starting in December (cold) and into April (warmer)…that soft boot that works “ok” at the jump is going to be WAAAAAY too floppy when you’ve gotten a feel for staying out of the backseat and the weather warms up. Talk to a good bootfitter about what you think your arc will be. Our bootfitter recommended a seasonal rental for my husband…looser fit with low key flex to be replaced by a purchased boot that will better accommodate his needs once he determines that he wants to do it more.

I’m not an expert, but I’m sharing my experience.

 

[Iwannaski]

Ooooh. Also, for reference, I’m a women‘s 10 shoe and wear a 25.5 boot. If that helps you gauge.

 

[Jilly]

I think you'll be good in those Cloud 7's.

Boots - take a look at our gearpedia section. Volklgirl has done a great job explaining boots and the boot fitting process.

With a 7 shoe size - 23 MP. I'm an 8 and 24.5
Width - B or D in a shoe?

 

[WobblyKnees]

I think you'll be good in those Cloud 7's.

Boots - take a look at our gearpedia section. Volklgirl has done a great job explaining boots and the boot fitting process.

With a 7 shoe size - 23 MP. I'm an 8 and 24.5
Width - B or D in a shoe?

I don’t have to get special width shoes so they are probably actually average width.

 

[diymom]

My street shoes are 8.5-9, and like @Jilly my ski boots are also 24.5. Also to keep in mind, I always thought I had wide feet, but at my recent bootfitting I was informed that my foot is actually relatively narrow, but since my street shoes don't have arch support (Converse, Dr. Martens) my arch collapses and my foot spreads in those. But in my boots I have a semi-custom footbed to support my arch and my new boots have a relatively narrow 96mm last. Even an off the shelf Superfeet footbed can do wonders.

 

[WobblyKnees]

Checked my closet and my dress shoes and winter/rain boots are size 8, but hikers, runners and sneakers are 7 or 7.5.