Advice on new skis/boots

I have been a renter my whole life and am looking to buy a decent pair of skis & boots. I'd say I am somewhere around a 6-7. Fine on all blues. OK on most blacks, although more cautious. I don't rip off-piste (but I wouldn't rule it out in the future). I am 6 feet, 185 pounds and just looking for a good all mountain ski, but I don't want to spend a ton of money. I ski pretty much New England exclusively.

Thanks:razz:

Concentrate on the boots. And be sure a good boot fitter is part of the process. Where do you live? Perhaps, we could recommend someone.

I live in Narragansett, RI and work in East Greenwich, RI. Id be willing to take a drive if you can recommend someone. Thanks.

Most all boots will have more specs online than..say a decade+ ago....for one to compare, but as said...you first have to get assessed by a good bootguy and try on a few different lasts to see what they feel like.
fwiw

adamh said:

I live in Narragansett, RI and work in East Greenwich, RI. Id be willing to take a drive if you can recommend someone. Thanks.

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Go here.

http://www.strandsskishop.com/

It is the best fitter closest to you.

+1 to what everyone else said. Go to a bootfitter and get the right boot for your foot shape.

At the end of last season, I got fitted for a pair of Aline's and it made a really noticeable improvement in my abilities. I actually bought a 2nd pair for everyday use.

Puck it said:

Go here.

http://www.strandsskishop.com/

It is the best fitter closest to you.

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RootDKJ said:

+1 to what everyone else said. Go to a bootfitter and get the right boot for your foot shape.

At the end of last season, I got fitted for a pair of Aline's and it made a really noticeable improvement in my abilities. I actually bought a 2nd pair for everyday use.

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Yes and Yes.

Boots are by far the most important, and getting them fit in person is really the only way to do it.

Even if you have to keep renting skis by spending more on your boots for this season, your ski experience will be VASTLY improved.

I also rock the A-lines in my ski boots as I have some pretty hideously flat feet, and they make a huge difference... Without them, the inside of my heel bone gets crushed against the side of the boot and causes a good deal of pain. With them in there, I have zero issues.

If you're going to buy skis, however, now is a good time to do it as everyone who has anything left from last year is trying to get rid of it.

I made my first ever new-ski purchase last year, and got a pair of Fischer Watea 84s (184 length, but I'm 6'4" 250lb), and I love them. They've been great for me on all but the HARDEST of hard pack to fresh powder.

But seriously, spend on the boot, and just keep an eye peeled for an all mountain ski on the cheap.

-w

My advise make boots the priority.
Try to find some closeouts, now is prime time for that. Then continue to rent/demo skis this season, mix it up and try as much as you can, during demo days you should be able to try a bunch out. Rent "performance" skis from shops near wherever you ski not the carp at the mountian. Figure out which ski you liked best and pick them up at the end of the season, or next August, maybe on the web O2 Gear shop has had some killer deals as of late.

Pick up a pair of poles now to on the cheap, having boots and poles will reduce your rental cost and save you from the embarrasement of using the silver poles with blue,green, or yellow handles. "Let me see you look like a yellow, here you go"

HD

i agree with everyone on boots but maybe not so vehemently...

me - i'm a decent skier, been skiing for a long time have had several pairs of boots. i've never had my boot fitted by a professional other than the "clerk" who's sold them to me after measuring my foot. BUT, other than having a wide foot i don't have any problems with my feet/ankles (that i know of). Yeah, i put up with some pain every once in a while but nothing significant. I, like many people you see skiing, will pop the buckles when on the lift.

Could i be a better skier with better fitting boots? perhaps.


BUT - my son on the other hand.. he's probably in the same skill bracket as you and until last year we'd been renting him skis and boots every season. Finally got to the point where we felt "new" stuff would help him (and it did, A LOT).

We focused on boots first but had a budget.. we tried several pairs, none seemed to fit well.. then the guy suggested we consider custom footbeds as my son's feet were pronated. the footbeds made all the difference in the world. We ended up buying relatively cheap boots plus the custom beds. i asked him this season if he needed anything new, when i mentioned boots he said no way, he loved the ones he had.

so the morale of my story, yes, boots are important but you might be very happy with a less expensive boot that fits great after a little work done @ the shop. and then you have some $$ to get good skis too :-D (i'd suggest a 85mm softish ski based on what you wrote above, i like noridca jet fuels without the titainium)

if you are looking for a deal on Skiis there is a guy on here philplug that has some decent stuff at great prices. I thought he had a pair of enforcers listed for you. Get those for 329 you can't beat the deal. They are a fat ski but not overly stiff. pretty tight turning radius and are decent on hard pack.

Hi Adam, Welcome. The advice on the boots is right on. I'm looking for a new pair this season myself. If you're on a budget, and have an idea of what skis you like, I'd check out Anderson's in E. Greenwich. They have a bunch of used skis upstairs in the loft. None are over $400, most are less, and most are only a few seasons old. I'm going to consign another pair there soon. I also agree that custom foot beds are the way to go provided you have the right sized boot.

Once you have your boots, you've opened up a whole range of options. You can now compare various skis at demo days, rent skis when you travel. If you go out west, carrying your boots with you is easy - . Consider renting demo skis from ski shops near the resort you'll be at. rent when you arrive - that's what I do when I go out west, I used to do it locally; the best part of that is that they can give you the right skis for the conditions at hand.

Try to stay away from the standard rentals, you'll never learn anything about skis that way.

Now, you're only changing one variable at a time - the boots are fixed, you can compare skis. Some day, you may fall in lover with skis you've demo'd. For me, I demo'd about 15 skis and all the recommendations and opinions were lost on me. Then one day, I fell in love with a particular ski and it was easy to tell that's the board for me.

billski said:

Once you have your boots, you've opened up a whole range of options. You can now compare various skis at demo days, rent skis when you travel. If you go out west, carrying your boots with you is easy - . Consider renting demo skis from ski shops near the resort you'll be at. rent when you arrive - that's what I do when I go out west, I used to do it locally; the best part of that is that they can give you the right skis for the conditions at hand.

Try to stay away from the standard rentals, you'll never learn anything about skis that way.

Now, you're only changing one variable at a time - the boots are fixed, you can compare skis. Some day, you may fall in lover with skis you've demo'd. For me, I demo'd about 15 skis and all the recommendations and opinions were lost on me. Then one day, I fell in love with a particular ski and it was easy to tell that's the board for me.

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Exactly. It is almost a 2 season process to do it right. Boot up first, including a footbed, using a bootfitter who will make post-purchase modifications to your boot (if necessary) for free, as you give feedback during the year. Consider a season long ski rental for the first year as you get to know your boot. I think some shops will allow you to change which ski you are renting midseason, too. It is a pain, bc the demo days are generally early in the season, but if you can get your boots all set in time for the demo days, you will be able to evaluate the skis on a fair basis. Keep notes on each ski, and if you find one you like, wait til the season ends, and then next summer hunt for it online as it becomes "last year's ski." Once in awhile, you may demo something you like (e.g. a 2010-11 ski) and find out that it has not changed from the prior year (i.e., the 2009-10 ski is the same in construction, though often not the same when it comes to graphics), and you may be able to find last year's version (09-10) of the same ski at a discount (compared to the new ski (10-11) price). Otherwise, as I said, you are stuck waiting til Summer/Fall, when the new ski (10-11) becomes last year's (i.e. around the time the 2011-12s are released).

RootDKJ said:

+1 to what everyone else said. Go to a bootfitter and get the right boot for your foot shape.

At the end of last season, I got fitted for a pair of Aline's and it made a really noticeable improvement in my abilities. I actually bought a 2nd pair for everyday use.

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I did the same thing and noticed an immediate improvement. I need to get another pair for the skiboots though as I have been wearing them in my workboots all summer. I stand on a cement floor all day and have had no back pain at all this summer since I put in the Alines. Def a good investment!

I just picked up these for a good price...

View attachment 3998

http://www.rei.com/product/790690

Beetlenut said:

I just picked up these for a good price...

View attachment 3998

http://www.rei.com/product/790690

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sweet deal. i just checked a local shop here in CT (website) and don't see the Krypton Cross listed, was that boot discontinued?

cover of ski mag says new boots will improve my skiing overnight so now i'm in the mood for boots. .

gmcunni said:

sweet deal. i just checked a local shop here in CT (website) and don't see the Krypton Cross listed, was that boot discontinued?

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If it's the same shop that is having a rail jam this weekend they do have the 2011 on display in the store when I was there last week, just don't recall the price(I am positive it wasn't 299 though!).

o3jeff said:

If it's the same shop that is having a rail jam this weekend they do have the 2011 on display in the store when I was there last week, just don't recall the price(I am positive it wasn't 299 though!).

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maybe i'll swing by this weekend to check out the rail jam and take a peek at boots too.

gmcunni said:

maybe i'll swing by this weekend to check out the rail jam and take a peek at boots too.

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Bring your equipment to show up the youngsters on the rails!

o3jeff said:

Bring your equipment to show up the youngsters on the rails!

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face plant on parking lot asphalt isn't my idea of showing up youngsters.