Somebody gave me some free skis - can I make them work for me?

ahron said:

Are these skis obsolete? When were they made? And am I doing myself a disservice by using them? What type of skier are these particular skis designed for? What are the strengths of this ski and what are the weaknesses?
I'm a casual skier and until now have rented skis whenever I needed them. Obviously that is not ideal and I'd like to settle in with one particular set of skis so I can improve and not always spend half the day adjusting to different skis.
Thanks.

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As a relative contrarian, I'm about to tell you something thats in total disagreement with opinions already posted on this topic.

So, first of all, a "straight" ski that dates back even as far as middle to late '70s is not "obsolete". What does "obsolete" mean to begin with? It won't turn?? Maybe it's somehow incompatable with snow in this new century. Perhapas the new downhill sofware will make it impossible for the ski to actually go downhill???

Come on! Anyone who tells me that a ski is obsolete because it's not parabolic (or shaped) is full of shite and probably buys anything that has "new and improved" written on it.
Although I ski on shaped skis, last year picked up one of those "obsolete" staright skis for dirt cheap and slapped new bindings on it. That pair handles like a dream, especially in moguls.
Obviously, I never worshipped at the altar of the shaped ski and always thought that commercial hoopla and noise that accompanied the introduction of the parabolic ski, vastly overstated the benefits. True, beginners and intermediates benefited the most. If you already knew how to set your edge and carve, at least in my opinion, the improvemenet was small. I think that the biggest improvement came from the fact that these new desigines provided good turning stabilty at shorter lengths. Shorter ski - easier to handle.

If your ski has good camber, good amount of metal on the edge and just a few scrateches on its bottom - you're good to go.

Camber is life of your ski. Click you boot into the biding and lay the ski on the floor. A good portion of the ski should be off the floor. There ought to be some good resistance if you put those skis bottom to bottom and give it a squeeze.

A shaped ski would allow you to be on a shorter ski, so turning and over all control would be easier, but at 6' of height and intrmediate skills, a 195cm ski ought to be fine. As to balance and stabilty, you're facing the same issues, regardless of the type of ski you're on.

Save your money and if anything watch those boots. Old boots, especially if they were stored in a hot attic for many years will have the their plastic weakened. They may crack up and fall apart on you.

THANK YOU for a dissenting opinion, bumpsis. Maybe I'm naive, but even though the Dynastars may not be the latest technology, I agree there is no reason why I can't get by with them in a pinch. But this is a big trip for me and I don't want to just get by. I am especially worrisome because I intend to ski for three days straight after a long lull and straight skis might tax my muscles more than I would like.

So, in the intervening time, in a panic induced by the above posts I have procured two more pairs of used skis for the predigious sum of $35 for the four of them from a snowboarder who couldn't care less:

First Pair: Salomon 9e 2s equipe 9000... date of manufacture and length unsure... I see no definitive markings to clue me in. It's a couple of inches little taller than me (I'm 6'0"). Bindings are Salomon Driver 977s.
Second Pair: Salomon 9e 3s equipe 9100... date of manufacture and length unsure... I see no definitive markings to clue me in. It's shorter than the other one... About my height. Bindings are Salomon Driver 897s.

These look like shaped skis to me, but what do I know? I do know that they date back no later than the late 1990s at the very latest. They require you to wear them on different feet.

From what I've been able to gather, these were considered "slalom racing skis" in their hayday. I will gladly furnish photos to anyone interested.

Condition of both show more wear than the Dynastar I have but are still quite serviceable.
I am going to take ONE of these three pairs of skis on a plane to... Whistler, BC... this weekend with me. (Sorry I didn't mention it before, but I know this is an Eastern mountain forum. Normally I do ski in the East. But this is an exception.)
I will have ONE of these three pairs of these skis tuned-up tomorrow.
I throw myself upon your experience and ask you to please advise which one I should have prepped considering all I have told you about the kind of skier I am.

I am sorry to be stubborn, but for a bunch of reasons I really do want to hold onto one pair of skis to work with for the rest of the season and perhaps beyond, and money is a big issue, so this is what I have to work with.

I am going to get them tuned up after work tomorrow (Wednesday), so please do weigh in with your thoughts.

My goal is to enjoy the most of Whistler's terrain of all challenge levels with the least amount of gear-induced frustration.

Thank you.

Well do the bindings of the new skis fit your boots? You know the old ones fit the boots.

*Although you should have the shop adjust the bindings for your height, and weight.*

no I will have to have them refitted. Is that something that they can do fairly easily?

You are right that the old boots fit the old skis very well, although as you say they should ideally be tweaked for my size and weight.

ahron said:

THANK YOU for a dissenting opinion, bumpsis. Maybe I'm naive, but even though the Dynastars may not be the latest technology, I agree there is no reason why I can't get by with them in a pinch. But this is a big trip for me and I don't want to just get by. I am especially worrisome because I intend to ski for three days straight after a long lull and straight skis might tax my muscles more than I would like.

So, in the intervening time, in a panic induced by the above posts I have procured two more pairs of used skis for the predigious sum of $35 for the four of them from a snowboarder who couldn't care less:

First Pair: Salomon 9e 2s equipe 9000... date of manufacture and length unsure... I see no definitive markings to clue me in. It's a couple of inches little taller than me (I'm 6'0"). Bindings are Salomon Driver 977s.
Second Pair: Salomon 9e 3s equipe 9100... date of manufacture and length unsure... I see no definitive markings to clue me in. It's shorter than the other one... About my height. Bindings are Salomon Driver 897s.

These look like shaped skis to me, but what do I know? I do know that they date back no later than the late 1990s at the very latest. They require you to wear them on different feet.

From what I've been able to gather, these were considered "slalom racing skis" in their hayday. I will gladly furnish photos to anyone interested.

Condition of both show more wear than the Dynastar I have but are still quite serviceable.
I am going to take ONE of these three pairs of skis on a plane to... Whistler, BC... this weekend with me. (Sorry I didn't mention it before, but I know this is an Eastern mountain forum. Normally I do ski in the East. But this is an exception.)
I will have ONE of these three pairs of these skis tuned-up tomorrow.
I throw myself upon your experience and ask you to please advise which one I should have prepped considering all I have told you about the kind of skier I am.

I am sorry to be stubborn, but for a bunch of reasons I really do want to hold onto one pair of skis to work with for the rest of the season and perhaps beyond, and money is a big issue, so this is what I have to work with.

I am going to get them tuned up after work tomorrow (Wednesday), so please do weigh in with your thoughts.

My goal is to enjoy the most of Whistler's terrain of all challenge levels with the least amount of gear-induced frustration.

Thank you.

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You are all set now. To build a nice chair that is.
You seem like a head stong person but you will figure it out.

see, thats just mean.

I will be interested to here

How you make out in whistler. I am headed out there Sunday.
You add up what it cost you to buy the peaces of your new chair along with tuning. Add on the cost of rental cause you are going to out there. Total it up an let us know.

I ski ac4 84 under foot and I am renting powder skiis out there. 100 bucks for 4 days.

Well, all I've spent is $35. And I'm pretty sure I can sell these things for that price if things don't work out.

But thank you for making me feel like crap. And it's only 10 in the morning.

I wasn't buying the skis just for Whistler. I ski locally and honestly I have never had a bad experience on skis, regardless of length, type or make. The experiences are just different. Some are amazing, some a little tricky. If I know there will be a lot of very steep terrain, then I prefer shaped skis because they turn easier on the steepest slopes where I'm most apprehensive.

That crack about making a chair out of the used skis is just plain unwarranted, because I know that once they are fitted to the boots, I could ski on all three pairs of these skis, and I'll enjoy it. None of them are broken and all of them were considered to be good skis when new and still have life in them.

Anyway, you do make a good point about choosing a specific sort of ski to fit the conditions I will be encountering at Whistler. They are expecting snow every day this week, which is why you are looking at powder skis.

I guess my best bet is to bring the boots and rent the skis. I think 3 days will be $60.

I am still interested in hearing what others have to say about the best choice out of the three if those were the only three choices available to me.

Well, I think the point he's trying to make here is that you are becoming exceedingly needy. You asked for advice on skis and got it and some varying opinions. Now you are simply trying to get us to do your work for you. :roll: If you want to research specific ski models use google, I'm sure you can find some old reviews on the equipment you have gotten. (Or even email the manufacturer)

If you just want to know if the equipment you have is serviceable. Check the base for gouges, see if there is edge left and it has no dents or breaks. Put the skis together and squeeze them, if they spring back, they still have camber and are servicable. If your boots are close to fitting the binding they can probably be adjusted. If not they will likely need to be remounted.

I'm a good online researcher and I've done a lot of research on these skis and found... very little information about them. Why that is, I don't know. It's not just these skis, it's any used skis. It's an industry that is driven on making people buy new gear and there is no interest in the industry in keeping archives on older makes and their traits.

Common sense would say that older gear that is still serviceable might be a reasonable purchase for a casual skier who wants their own skis to practice on. Why spend hundreds of dollars when there is so much turnover on older gear that you can pick up skis for a fraction of the price as they were when new?

This is a gear forum and I'm posing an interesting question to people: If you had to ski on older skis on this particular trip, which one would you bring? I think that is a good question to ask in a forum such as this.

I'm sorry if I'm annoying some people. I don't mean to be needy, I just wanted to hear what people had to say about the merits of the skis I have available to me. Admittedly, the thread has taken a turn, but that's what threads do!

That crack about making a chair out of the used skis is just plain unwarranted, because I know that once they are fitted to the boots, I could ski on all three pairs of these skis, and I'll enjoy it. None of them are broken and all of them were considered to be good skis when new and still have life in them

Its not a crack man. For 35 bucks you will have a unique chair that all will enjoy 4 a long time.
Sorry if I sounded nasty just saying

wa-loaf said:

If you just want to know if the equipment you have is serviceable. Check the base for gouges, see if there is edge left and it has no dents or breaks. Put the skis together and squeeze them, if they spring back, they still have camber and are servicable. If your boots are close to fitting the binding they can probably be adjusted. If not they will likely need to be remounted.

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Thanks, this is really helpful advice.

tjf67 said:

Its not a crack man. For 35 bucks you will have a unique chair that all will enjoy 4 a long time.
Sorry if I sounded nasty just saying

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Okay, I'll grant you, that would be a cool chair.

8)

Hey, you'd be saving $450:
http://www.mchalet.net/sc-skchr.html

:beer:

I don't want anybody to research these skis for me.
I thought maybe people in this forum might already be familiar with them or their type.

wa-loaf said:

Hey, you'd be saving $450:
http://www.mchalet.net/sc-skchr.html

:beer:

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LOL

ahron said:

I don't want anybody to research these skis for me.
I thought maybe people in this forum might already be familiar with them or their type.

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The only site I'm aware of that definitely has reviews of older skis is http://www.realskiers.com/. That site goes back to the late 90s. It is a pay site though ($20 / year, I believe).

http://www.skinet.com/skinet/ might have the older SKI and Skiing magazine reviews online; it's free so it doesn't hurt to look. http://www.epicski.com/ is another ski-related forum where people have posted gear reviews for a few years. They have suffered through a few server crashes, so the ancient posts are gone.

I've got a request to file a trip report.
OK, you guys convinced me to rent skis. And I did, from Summit near the Whistler gondola.
I used my own boots except for the second day when I forgot them and they gave me "loaners" at no extra cost!
I listened to everything you all said and I decided that it was more important to me to have the best time possible skiing than save a few bucks. In the end I had three different types of skis. Two were very similar and the third I chose because of the predicted snow conditions and I'm glad I did.

I skied on Rossignol Zenith Z3 Skis the first day and they were good for all-purpose sort of conditions. The mountain that day was snowing almost down to the base and windy and bizzardy at higher elevations. They did open the peak chair on Whistler but I didn't go up there because of the poor visibility, I was gambling that I would have another chance to ski from the top of the peak chair during my three days there. As it turns out, the peak chair was not open for either of the last two days. I spent most of my time on mid-mountain runs, first at Whistler then at Blackcomb. I also skied from the Glacier Express on Horstman's Glacier into a whiteout on Blackcomb, that was pretty intense.

I skied on Rossignol Bandit B2 Skis the second day and I found them a little better than the Zeniths, at least to me. Conditions were horrible - pouring rain from the base just below the top of the whistler Gondola. Winds were high and many lifts were closed. Snow was falling heavily from midmountain upwards, but all the lifts that service those areas were closed. I skiied fewer runs than the previous day because I had to dry out my gloves every couple of hours. The mountain was pretty empty except for some hard core skiers. Most people I talked to on the lifts just did a couple of runs and that's it. Hardly anybody bought one-day tickets. I refused to let the rain get me down and I had a really fun day in the spring conditions. I took the opportunity to try one of their many gladed runs, which turned out to be excellent.

Anticipating the deep powder at alpine levels, I asked for Rossignol Bandit B3 skis for my last day. It turned colder on the mountain and a light snow fell intermittently throught the day, down to the base. Back to the B3: I read that it was a better ski in deep snow. And sure enough, there was almost too much powder to handle in many places. People were falling down left and right, but my wide B3s kept me turning in all but the deepest, most uneven and softest drifts. I did a run down from the Seventh Heaven lift in deep snow drifts and then moved over to the Horstman Glacier where I spent most of the rest of the day. The snow was firmer in the Glacier and I had an awesome time. On the downside, I paid $17 for Fresh Tracks - breakfast and early access to Whistler Mountain, only to encounter literally sheets of ice from the mid-mountain to the base after the mountain refroze after the rain. Therefore, as soon as they opened Blackcomb's alpine areas, I avoided the lower parts of either mountain until it was time to go home. My favorite run in terms of view was Crystal Traverse. Spectacular view of the valley and the Horstman bowl, even in marginal visibility. My favorite run in terms of all-over fun was to make my own way down the glacier. I did that a few times and always found new routes. On the way down I enjoyed Ridge Runner and Rock and Roll, two nicely rolling runs that you could really turn on the speed and let it all hang out.

Thats the story! Thank you everyone who suggested I rent skis. Summit is very professional and I admit that I would have had more difficulty with my Dynastar straight skis, especially on that fabulous last day with the deep snow conditions. There is no chance the older skis would have been as stable in the deep snow, of that I have no doubt. And since that was my best day of the three, it was definitely the way to go.

I'm back in New York now and yet I hear the next couple of days are supposed to be better, with low winds and good visability. Shame I'll miss it. I hope to come back again and ski more of the glaciers as well as the runs on Whistler towards Creekside which I missed also, including the future Olympic downhill runs. They were just too icy to enjoy by the time I got around to trying the snow on that part of the mountain.