Tips when asking for help to demo or buy skis

[marzNC]

I thought it might be useful to collect together recent examples of ways to ask for help when thinking about going to demo or buy skis. For those who wonder what to say, please don’t worry too much about how to get started. Each situation is unique. There is no one way that works better than another. In general, it helps to make your thread title more specific than “Help Needed!” For instance, could include the region you plan to ski the most, or the name(s) of skis of interest, or some indication of the type of skiing you like. Making the thread title a question is another approach.

If you'd a search and found a thread with a similar situation for skis but the info is more than three years old, then it’s probably worth starting a new thread to see if current advice is different. Bumping the old thread (adding a Reply) is an option, with the advantage that Divas who posted in that thread may get notified there is a new post. Ski design and models are constantly changing. Sometimes the model name is not changed even when a design change makes a noticeable difference in performance, which can be very confusing.

For those who don't know me, I don't work in the ski industry. I'm a retired ski nut who enjoys helping folks have more fun skiing.

Any questions?

help me figure out which skis to demo?!

How To Approach A Personal Demo Day
or https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-to-approach-a-personal-demo-day.22633/ )

New Powder Skis?

Blizzard Black Pearl 88s - what length and bindings?

Santa Ana 93's - which length to get?

Help a beginner!?

Trying to decide on my first skis (looking second-hand)!

 

[Pixie Perfect]

I wasn’t sure if this question warranted it’s own thread so I thought I’d reply here. Is there such thing as demoing too many skis before buying?

 

[marzNC]

I wasn’t sure if this question warranted it’s own thread so I thought I’d reply here. Is there such thing as demoing too many skis before buying?

Not really. I know I learn a lot from skis I don't like. That means even when I've been in the market for new skis since I learned the value of free demo days or personal demo days, I demo'd for a season or two or three before I actually bought a pair of skis.

But at the same time, if you find a pair of skis that make you smile and can buy them for a reasonable price, there is not that much reason to keep looking. For any given skier, there are quite a few models that will be equally as good.

Does that help?

 

[Pixie Perfect]

Not really. I know I learn a lot from skis I don't like. That means even when I've been in the market for new skis since I learned the value of free demo days or personal demo days, I demo'd for a season or two or three before I actually bought a pair of skis. I guess my long list just means I’ll have options.

But at the same time, if you find a pair of skis that make you smile and can buy them for a reasonable price, there is not that much reason to keep looking. For any given skier, there are quite a few models that will be equally as good.

Does that help?

That makes sense! I have been compiling a list of skis I might want to try this winter and wasn’t sure if it was getting a bit long.

 

[marzNC]

That makes sense! I have been compiling a list of skis I might want to try this winter and wasn’t sure if it was getting a bit long.

The other reason it's good to have a longer list is that when you actually get to demo, what is available will be limited to certain brands, models, and lengths. Most ski shops have picked a few brands they carry. At a free demo day with brand tents, not all brands will be present. Even if a brand rep has a tent, sometimes there is a limited choice for length or it's just hard to get the length you want because it's popular.

A story . . . I happened to be at Mad River Glen in March 2015 when a brand that sells powder skis out west had a demo tent for a day. The ON3P rep only had one model that was short enough for me. It was the Jessie 100 @161cm. But someone (probably a teen boy) took the skis out in the morning and didn't bring them back after 2-3 runs. Finally brought them back some time in the afternoon. It was midweek, so the place was pretty empty. I was lucky on that 3-day ski safari in VT and it was a few days after a powder storm and it had stayed quite cold afterwards. The rep held the Jessie when it came back so that I could try them. By then it was 3pm. So only had time for one run so it was a little hard to get a good feel for the skis. Although the Jessie compared well to my Black Pearls (2011).

I think that was the year the Jessie was introduced. ON3P builds hefty skis that are great for big men who like to ski powder like my good friend who is over 6 feet tall and over 250 lbs. He demo'd some at an Alta Demo Day. Bought a pair and loves them.

By the way, when I put the Jessie 161 next to my BP 159, they didn't look like they were only 2cm different in length.

 

[Jenny]

I wasn’t sure if this question warranted it’s own thread so I thought I’d reply here. Is there such thing as demoing too many skis before buying?

I think so, sometimes - you know, analysis paralysis . . . FOMO . . . etc.

The first time I really seriously demoed skis before buying them the truth was that ANY of the ones I had tried would have been better than the ones I was on, so when my brain got overloaded at about five different pairs, I quit and then just began comparing the top two choices to each other.

But MarzNC is right - just because they're on your list doesn't mean they'll be available where you are, when you're there. I just wouldn't necessarily worry about getting on all 10 pairs on the list (for example) if you demo four of them and LOVE one. But if you're not wowed by the first ones, then keep going!

 

[marzNC]

for new readers now that most mountains are open for the 2018-19 season in the northern hemisphere.