How Many Pairs of Skis/Boots Do You Have?

[Mum skier]

1 pair of skis and boots. And the same poles are still going from 1994 when I first bought my own gear.
1 snowboard and boots.

 

[oldfartrider]

A bunch of boards I no longer ride going all the way back to an early 90s Sims Ace.
Current ride Cardiff Powgoda 158 and Salomon Dance Haul 154.

Boots Vans Aura pro.

Bindings a bunch of different Flows. Current favorite Fuse GT carbon.

Might pick up a Stranda Shorty 164W.

Will probably ride 80-90 days this year.

Gave all my skis away years ago

 

[parahelia]

I just impulsively ordered blizzard rustler 9s 2023 model. 94 under. impulse buy. $240 shipped from powder7. seems like a solid replacement for the busted declivity92

I have the women's 2023 model (Sheeva 9s) and absolutely love them. They're terrific for east coast fun - playful, responsive, great in trees and bumps as well as crud. The 94 waist has been enough for the powder I encounter skiing primarily in Maine. They hold their own in hardpack, but I have 78 waist Blizzard Cheyennes I use under those conditions.

They have held up well - 50+ days - despite more interaction with rocks, roots, dirt, etc. than is ideal. I demoed a bunch of skis when I picked them and opted for these over the Volkl Blaze 94s in part because the guy in the shop said he'd seen more durability issues with the Blazes.

As an east coast skier I find the two ski solution (hardpack ski and fun ski) is a good balance between value and versatility. If I'm out west and there's a giant dump I can always rent powder-ier skis, but my skis reflect the conditions I'm in the majority of the time.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

I have the women's 2023 model (Sheeva 9s) and absolutely love them. They're terrific for east coast fun - playful, responsive, great in trees and bumps as well as crud. The 94 waist has been enough for the powder I encounter skiing primarily in Maine. They hold their own in hardpack, but I have 78 waist Blizzard Cheyennes I use under those conditions.

They have held up well - 50+ days - despite more interaction with rocks, roots, dirt, etc. than is ideal. I demoed a bunch of skis when I picked them and opted for these over the Volkl Blaze 94s in part because the guy in the shop said he'd seen more durability issues with the Blazes.

As an east coast skier I find the two ski solution (hardpack ski and fun ski) is a good balance between value and versatility. If I'm out west and there's a giant dump I can always rent powder-ier skis, but my skis reflect the conditions I'm in the majority of the time.

Nice! I intend this to be my east coast daily ski and also my default ice ski. My 106s for eastern powder. 116 for west.

Pretty stoked to get a full setup with pivots for $400. Lets me keep bindings on the armadas to squeeze a rock ski season out of them

 

[letitsnow1]

I have 4 pairs of skis, an 85 and 105 get used the most. I have 92s and 106 that I use occasionally. I had a 95 I really liked but I broke them in December, probably replacing them this summer and maybe selling the 92s. One pair of boot, they fit well but liners are beyond shot. I'm thinking zipfits before next season.i got new soles and booster straps this year, regret not getting boosters sooner there so much better than the velcro

 

[ThatGuy]

I have 4 pairs of skis, an 85 and 105 get used the most. I have 92s and 106 that I use occasionally. I had a 95 I really liked but I broke them in December, probably replacing them this summer and maybe selling the 92s. One pair of boot, they fit well but liners are beyond shot. I'm thinking zipfits before next season.i got new soles and booster straps this year, regret not getting boosters sooner there so much better than the velcro

Booster straps are a necessity they make the flex alot more dynamic

 

[abc]

Wow! 3 pages in 3 days.

Anyway, I probably got most beat with the number of boots.

A few years back, I realized the pair of boots that really worked well and I liked was packing out. I extended its lifespan by adding volume reducers. But I knew with the number of days I skied, it wouldn’t have last for another season. So I got new boots.

The first year with my new boot, I used the old footbed from the old boot. But even that was near breaking, held together with duct tapes. So, I had new footbed made.

Didn’t know what to do with the old boot and old footbed. So it just went into the back of the closet. Then, I went to visit family in Asia, with a possible potential to ski in Japan. I didn’t feel like carting my precious ski boots all over Asia without knowing for sure I was going to use it. A perfect solution was to “resurrect” my old boots, which were still working fine if only on their last 20-30 days. I did ended up skiing in Japan for a week and the old boot worked out just fine.

So long story short, I now have 2 pairs of boots in active use. Next year, I’m going to leave the old boot in Asia so I don’t have to keep carting them back and forth.

In addition to that, I also have a pair of telemark boots which I may use once or twice a year (or was it more like once every 2-3 years? I can’t remember )

Don’t even get me started on cross country boots. Not sure how to count any more.

Basically, for every different type of binding, there’s got to be a pair of matching boots. Did anyone say skiing is an expensive hobby?

 

[VTSkiBike]

5 pairs of skis ranging from 95-120mm:
DPS Casair 95 with Pivots
Salomon Rocker 120 with Pivots
Moment PB&J with Pivots
Moment Commander 98 with Pivots
Moment Wildcat Tour 106 with Shifts

1 pair of K2 Mindbender 120 boots

 

[Hawk]

So clearly I'm missing some important thing here. I've always had one pair of boots and one pair of skis and that works fine. I could see having a set of powder skis if I regularly skied outside New England, and of course uphill or backcountry requires different equipment entirely, but other than that, what's the point of multiple pairs of skis or boots?

So for Front side skiing I would say one pair of boots and 2 paris of skis minumum. One pair is limiting. I have a pair that is wider for pow, mixed pow, crud or thicker snow and I have a more narrow pair for bumps and turning. Skiing bumps with a 106 unde foot ski is hard work. I also like to have edges and two pairs lets me be a little more lazy with self tuning. The other skis are all older skis that have very limited life left. I hate to throw away a ski even if there is very little base or edge left or life but not missing edges or big holes in the base. These are skiis I pull out in the very early fall or late spring for thin snow conditions or Grass and mud skiing. Gonditions that would destroy a new ski for no good reason.

Then there is side country or back country. I'm not a fan of skiing my Tech binding front side like some do. Sking bumps in Tech bindings is a recipe for disaster. Just my opinion. So I have a side country set up for days that the lift closes and I just go donw to the car and swap over. I also do a fair amount of places in the valley, Rochester, Linclon Gap and other lesser know areas. There is also out west, the chic chocs, and europe. Depending on the group the uphill beatings can get really hard if you do not have the right rear. My second pair of AT boots are my older scarpa boots. They are too light for really techinical skiing in the east. Better for long uphills out west.

 

[Edd]

I’ve never used booster straps. Has anyone replaced the power strap on Atomic Hawx boots? If so, did you have to drill out the rivets that hold the stock strap in or is there a simpler way?

 

[ThatGuy]

I’ve never used booster straps. Has anyone replaced the power strap on Atomic Hawx boots? If so, did you have to drill out the rivets that hold the stock strap in or is there a simpler way?

You have to drill out the rivets if there isnt screws, its really easy to diy just look it up on Youtube. Or buy a strap at the shop and theyll probably do it for free.

 

[letitsnow1]

I didn't bother attaching my boosters, works fine for me

 

[Boxtop Willie]

Mounting Booster Straps is pretty easy, even if you have to drill out the rivets.
I've found that the Straps improved my skiing...at least enough to justify the cost.

 

[kingslug]

If anyone ever wonders why having multiple skis is needed.
Try skiing on ice on 115's
Try skiing deep powder on 88's
If your good you could probably get away with something around 98 on everything..but its not ideal.

 

[deadheadskier]

Good boot shops will sell Boosters and install them for you for like $25 if you don't want to do the drill work yourself . And if you buy boots from that same fitter again , they might just move it over for no fee as appreciation for your to loyalty. My straps are on their second set of boots. Still work fine.

 

[kendo]

1 pair of Boots. 2 pairs of Skis.


Got new Lange Shadow 130 MV boots in JAN.

Had Tecnica Mach1 120 MV with packed out liners and heel lift. Considered ZipFits but after trying on the new Langes, went with the boots. The fit out of the box, with my custom footbeds inserted, was perfectly snug... which has never been the case with Langes in the past. Performance has been incredible. Suspension blade connection of the upper cuff to shell, and dual pivots is super reactive. Highly recommend checking them out. Folks at Inner Bootworks in Stowe are great.

Added a pair of 2025 Volkl Blaze 94's also in JAN. They're super fun skis. Have just enough metal underfoot to perform at speed but really shine in everything else.

Kendos are now my early am, hardpack, fast & firm, let's go skis.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Got new Lange Shadow 130 MV boots in JAN.
Considered ZipFits but after trying on the new Langes, went with the boots. The fit out of the box, with my custom footbeds inserted, was perfectly snug... which has never been the case with Langes in the past. Performance has been incredible. Suspension blade connection of the upper cuff to shell, and dual pivots is super reactive. Highly recommend checking them out. Folks at Inner Bootworks in Stowe are great.

This is the boot the folks I went to put me in, also with custom footbeds. They told me these are about the best stock liners currently made, and I've never had boots this comfortable before, and I've never walked this easily in ski boots. Wish I ponied-up the $250 for the custom floor years ago.

I honestly havent even touched the Suspension blade thing and dont know what it does. They were both set all the way at the top of the boot and I havent touched them at all. Have you messed with it?

 

[kendo]

This is the boot the folks I went to put me in, also with custom footbeds. They told me these are about the best stock liners currently made, and I've never had boots this comfortable before, and I've never walked this easily in ski boots. Wish I ponied-up the $250 for the custom floor years ago.

I honestly havent even touched the Suspension blade thing and dont know what it does. They were both set all the way at the top of the boot and I havent touched them at all. Have you messed with it?

The Suspension blade isn't adjustable per se, Lange uses a series of 3 elastomer connections (rubber inserts) to alter the flex of the boot.

One insert is behind the upper connection on the Suspension blade. The other 2 are used in the bottom pivot points.




You get two sets of inserts with the boot:

one firmer set (grey), is in the Boot from the factory - I haven't changed them out as the boot flex is perfect as is.
one softer set (black), is in the box.

Ski Essentials says you can adjust the flex about 10% as you see fit by swapping out these parts.

https://www.skiessentials.com/Chairlift-Chat/2024-lange-shadow-130-ski-boot-review

 

[BenedictGomez]

You get two sets of inserts with the boot:

one firmer set (grey), is in the Boot from the factory - I haven't changed them out as the boot flex is perfect as is.
one softer set (black), is in the box.

Thanks, I had no idea. I havent touched mine either.