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What time of year to buy new skis?

jcard71

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After 20 years of not skiing the SKI BUG bit me bad and I’ve skied a lot this past Ive taken multiple lessons and feel like I’ve advanced way past where I was when I was in my 20’s because of the lessons and better equipment.

I ended up buying Rossignol 75 Experience 160cm skis from a friend who only used them twice for $200 and really like them.

When do I know I’ve outgrown these skis? Should I ski another season on them or upgrade in the off season? I’m only doing groomers and don’t plan on going to ski in glades..etc.


When I am ready to upgrade what should I look for in an intermediate ski that I won’t outgrow in two years?

Thanks!



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Dickc

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Look on line and find out if there are any more demo days coming up. Back in 2007 or so, I stumbled onto a Good Friday demo day at Loon Mountain. Its really the best way to see how other stuff skis. Most all of the official demo days are a ten dollar registration fee.

Most ski shops cut prices in mid March or so, so you CAN get some decent deals then.

If no local demo days, check in at the ski shop at any mountain. Many times you can demo skis for a fifty dollar fee. That fee covers coming in as often that day as you like to try another ski. My daughter-in-law did that at Sunday River a few years ago, and the final pair she wanted to try, they had to mount bindings for her. It was early March when they did this. She did like that pair best, so she got them at demo prices as they were the last pair in her size. If the ski you want is in stock, they discount it by the fifty dollar fee.

Good luck.
 

BenedictGomez

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Never.

After years of skiing and ski buying I will never buy new skis again. There is a TON of lightly used gear for sale online at a fraction of original cost. Let someone else take the major retail depreciation hit on in the wrapper skis and save hundreds of dollars is my belief.
 

jcard71

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Never.

After years of skiing and ski buying I will never buy new skis again. There is a TON of lightly used gear for sale online at a fraction of original cost. Let someone else take the major retail depreciation hit on in the wrapper skis and save hundreds of dollars is my belief.

Thanks!


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Glenn

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Now and the next few weeks if you plan to buy at a retail brick and mortar store. For establishments, the season in winding down. They'll be shifting gears to Mt Bikes, kayaks and patio furniture in a few weeks.
 

WWF-VT

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Late summer / early fall when shops are blowing out the prior season inventory. "Last year's " model of a ski is often the same as the latest with nothing more than different graphics.
 

Dickc

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Never.

After years of skiing and ski buying I will never buy new skis again. There is a TON of lightly used gear for sale online at a fraction of original cost. Let someone else take the major retail depreciation hit on in the wrapper skis and save hundreds of dollars is my belief.

You can take this route, but finding some demo days will help you to decide WHAT you want to search E-Bay and the like for. Sunday River has demo days every Thanksgiving. Ten dollars, multiple ski vendors, you can try lots of gear. Doing that will save you from buying something used that you decide you hate.

At those Loon demo days in 2007, I tried the Atomic Crimson, supposedly the then top of the line skis from Atomic. I could not get down the mountain fast enough to give them back. Absolutely hated them as they just would not ski the way I skied. I'm sure someone else could try them and love them. Finding the right ski is very individualized, so being able to try before you buy can really help.
 

jcard71

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You can take this route, but finding some demo days will help you to decide WHAT you want to search E-Bay and the like for. Sunday River has demo days every Thanksgiving. Ten dollars, multiple ski vendors, you can try lots of gear. Doing that will save you from buying something used that you decide you hate.

At those Loon demo days in 2007, I tried the Atomic Crimson, supposedly the then top of the line skis from Atomic. I could not get down the mountain fast enough to give them back. Absolutely hated them as they just would not ski the way I skied. I'm sure someone else could try them and love them. Finding the right ski is very individualized, so being able to try before you buy can really help.

Great point - thanks!


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machski

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Harder to demo, but online they often have great deals on the past years gear or 2. Browse around to see what's available and then look to see if you can demo. Just remember, sometimes it's just sheet graphics difference between model years, but sometimes the same ski will ski differently depending on what a manufacturer did between years if you go this route

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Bumpsis

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You can take this route, but finding some demo days will help you to decide WHAT you want to search E-Bay and the like for. Sunday River has demo days every Thanksgiving. Ten dollars, multiple ski vendors, you can try lots of gear. Doing that will save you from buying something used that you decide you hate.

At those Loon demo days in 2007, I tried the Atomic Crimson, supposedly the then top of the line skis from Atomic. I could not get down the mountain fast enough to give them back. Absolutely hated them as they just would not ski the way I skied. I'm sure someone else could try them and love them. Finding the right ski is very individualized, so being able to try before you buy can really help.

I am of opinion that the only people who would truly benefit from going through the demo process (and it can be a hassle) are experienced skiers, and I mean upper intermediate and expert. For a beginner and most intermediates, most skis will probably seem the same, given similar length. You have to know what you like in a ski and how to make skis do what you want. It's really hard to tell what a demo ski will do in high speed carved turn if you can't carve well and skiing fast is outside your comfort zone.

An experienced skier who has had a bunch of skis in his life, will have a good idea what what/he she likes in a ski. You can tell a lot from just the ski specs. To a less experienced skier only the most obvious things will stand out in demo, like for instance, not being able to make easy turns at low speeds because the demos are stiff and unforgiving.

I agree with BenedictG. that getting skis at lightly used rates is a way to go, especially when you have a general idea of what you want and can research the specific ski that's a possible purchase target. Even if you don't really know what you want, as long as you get the ski length right, you can find a ski that will serve you just fine.
 

crazy

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Late summer / early fall when shops are blowing out the prior season inventory. "Last year's " model of a ski is often the same as the latest with nothing more than different graphics.

You are 100% correct in terms of finding the best deals, but the best inventory will likely be gone by then. "Best" as in most popular skis, most popular sizes, that sort of thing. If you don't care so much about the specific model of skis, or are very tall or short, you can have a lot of success here.
 

tnt1234

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I bought a pair online last week - Blizzard Rustler 9's for $479 no tax, free shipping. Pretty sweet deal for a popular ski.
 

drjeff

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Brick and mortar shops are looking eagerly now to move stuff off of the racks between now and the end of the season. They'd rather sell it now than sit on it all Summer for Fall sales as most shops are in the middle of their ordering of next seasons gear and they're having a bunch of invoices coming in as they're approaching the "slow season" for them
 

JDMRoma

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Brick and mortar shops are looking eagerly now to move stuff off of the racks between now and the end of the season. They'd rather sell it now than sit on it all Summer for Fall sales as most shops are in the middle of their ordering of next seasons gear and they're having a bunch of invoices coming in as they're approaching the "slow season" for them

Exactly ! Best time to buy if you know what you want
 

mister moose

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I ended up buying Rossignol 75 Experience 160cm skis from a friend who only used them twice for $200 and really like them.

When do I know I’ve outgrown these skis? Should I ski another season on them or upgrade in the off season? I’m only doing groomers and don’t plan on going to ski in glades..etc.


When I am ready to upgrade what should I look for in an intermediate ski that I won’t outgrow in two years?

Thanks!

How many days per year are you skiing? You should at least get 100 days out of those, and maybe 150 before you really need to upgrade on a wear only basis. If you find that you aren't getting the grip you want and you are edging sufficiently, you might want to upgrade sooner to a stiffer ski, but be aware that most intermediate skiers skid more than carve. If you learn what railroad tracks are, and find you can do them in soft snow but lose grip on firm hardpack, you might want to demo a few higher performance skis. See if that opens your eyes or doesn't make a difference. A better ski will also have more rebound, more 'snap'. Here again you need to know what that is in order to judge it. Chicken and the egg. That's where demoing can help.

The bad news: Good frontside carving skis are the most expensive category outside of pure race skis.

Learn to recognize a good tune. Don't think your skis are worn out when all they might need is a good tune. If you ski a lot look into a season tune.

The half off type sales start in Vermont around mid march. Prices don't go much lower, and the same stuff shows up in the fall at the same price. Don't be afraid to make an offer on a piece of gear to a shop owner. Chain stores won't have that flexibility. The problem buying in the summer is all the ski stuff gets put away.

The advice to seek out demo days on the hill is solid. Well worth it to compare a half dozen skis that fit your needs. Killington will have one March 14-15 hosted by Potter Brothers. Free!
 

da-bum

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The bad news: Good frontside carving skis are the most expensive category outside of pure race skis.

end of season race skis (new or demos) are usually the cheapest, especially when FIS has changed the regulation for the following year. I remember the shop not being able to unload demo FIS GS ski for $200. People were willing to bend those 35m skis into a turn at that price, but sane minds prevailed.
 
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