Is demoing overrated?

[madskier6]

I don't think it's overrated but I don't think it's absolutely necessary either. It depends on the person and their buying habits. If you're the type of person that doesn't like to spend a lot of money without trying something out first (or you have limited funds & don't want to make a costly mistake), then demoing is important. If you're easygoing about your purchases & can go with the flow, demoing is not essential.

I personally have found demoing to be very valuable. It gives me a good feel for the comparative benefits & drawbacks of particular skis when compared to others that I've demoed. For instance, I demoed some rather burly boards & concluded that they were too stiff for my liking. I was able to conclude this after demoing other skis on the same day in similar conditions. If I hadn't demoed them, I might have purchased them & not really understood their comparative stiffness. I have also purchased skis without ever trying them & generally had good luck.

Because I have to outfit ski equipment for me, my wife & children, I need to get the right ski model for myself or else I'm stuck with an unfavorable ski for several years. My wife would say "But you just bought new skis, why should you get another pair?" She wouldn't care that I chose the wrong model because I didn't demo them. I'd be stuck with them (and I don't blame her).

Also, doing a demo day is a hell of a lot of fun because you get to try out the latest models & see how they feel. It's very educational as to how different skis perform in different conditions. Plus, I'm somewhat of a gearhead so I get into trying all the various models for my own satisfaction.

[riverc0il]

For the beginner, it is absolutely not needed. For the intermediate, it is probably unnecessary. For advanced skiers, it would be helpful but not essential.

For expert skiers, I think it is absolutely essential to get the feel for a variety of boards and variety of brands. This can best be accomplished by going to a demo day in which you try a variety of boards and a variety of sizes. I did this at Cannon a few years back and found out I absolutely despised certain skis that many other people were raving about. The danger here is creating a prejudice against a certain brand or style of ski based on a limited encounter. But for expert level skiers that know what they are looking for and understand some of the dynamics involved with advanced techniques, I don't it is generally a case of prejudice but rather quickly identifying how a ski feels.

So I do not feel it essential to demo an exact ski prior to purchase but rather essential to try out the entire field so you have some background info. That way when you read reviews.... you can read "into" reviews, especially if you know and understand the person doing the review. I have found internet reviews are almost completely unreliable. Especially with so many reviews coming from folks out west on other forums where demands are completely different. Check out TGR... you are a complete wimp if your ski is not 100 at the waist and at least 185 long minimum. Never thought I would see the day where upper 190s was cool again.

Lots of specialty skis are not available for demo. That creates a major dilemma. I have skied enough skis that I hated and even bought a pair I thought I would like but had to sell at a loss to understand the narrow margin between loving a ski and hating it. I can understand buying a ski with no experience if demos are not available (I am tempted by some currently). But if skis are readily available, it is a $35 insurance policy against a $400-800 purchase. If you are able to multi ski demo, then it is an absolute no brainer and worth every penny.

If you don't demo and buy skis then you may never even know the difference..........................