New, well kinda!

[Quillcote]

It's been probably 20 yrs since we have skied, now with some family living in NH my husband and I would like to get back into skiing. We looked into rentals, and figured it would be more cost effective to buy our own stuff. So this then brought me to Craigslist. Looking through I realized I did not really know what I was looking for. So this brought me to this forum.

Iam 5'7" around 150 lbs
My husband is 5'11" 150 lbs

I remember height mattered when buying skis as a kid???? We just want something that is updated, for amateurs that want to ski a weekend or 2 a month. So can anyone help me figure out what We need and don't need. Craigslist seems like a great place to start.

TIA

 

[Nick]

Hi Quillcote, welcome to AlpineZone! Congrats on getting back into skiing. A couple questions might help:

-What kind of skier are you? i.e. how good are you, what do you remember? In 20 years a lot has changed.
- How many days to you plan to ski in a year?
- Are you planning on any lessons?

The bottom line is, almost any sk you pick up today will be leaps and bounds better than the skis of 20 years ago. Primarily, shaped skis allow you to turn much easier. However, skis have also become more specialized. Where you used to buy a ski and be done with it, now there are GS skis, powder skis, mogul skis, all-mountain skis, free ride, twin tip, park skis, etc etc. So the kind of skiing you do matters.

Most people would recommend trying out several skis before making a purchase decision but if you are buying used, that might not be as pertinent. Also, I am going to maybe ruffle some feathers by saying that as a beginner or returning to the sport, you might not notice the difference between skis as much within a given specialty. For example, between two pairs of all-mountain skis.

Regarding size, again it depends on the ski and application. I know it used to be up to the chin. I think they run a bit shorter now. I'm 5'10 and my skis are 188 (I think?) but they are rockered so they ski a bit shorter.

I'm sure you will get a lot more tips. We just launched a marketplace as well so take a look there for some used equipment!

http://forums.alpinezone.com/classifieds.php

 

[C-Rex]

When looking for new skis I just have one suggestion: But a snowboard!

Welcome to the forum!

 

[wa-loaf]

It's been probably 20 yrs since we have skied, now with some family living in NH my husband and I would like to get back into skiing. We looked into rentals, and figured it would be more cost effective to buy our own stuff. So this then brought me to Craigslist. Looking through I realized I did not really know what I was looking for. So this brought me to this forum.

Iam 5'7" around 150 lbs
My husband is 5'11" 150 lbs

I remember height mattered when buying skis as a kid???? We just want something that is updated, for amateurs that want to ski a weekend or 2 a month. So can anyone help me figure out what We need and don't need. Craigslist seems like a great place to start.

TIA

You might want to look into a shop or mountain that offers a seasonal rental. Then you can spend the year getting used to the new gear and have a better idea of what you will want to buy. Shopping Craigslist for skis if you don't really know enough about the gear can be a mistake.

 

[Quillcote]

Thanks Nick! We are both recreational skiers, beyond snow plowing, if that's what it's still called, lol. I would love to ski every weekend but owning a farm full of show horses doesn't allow that, so on the low side I would say 2 days a month, 1 weekend. I wasn't planning on any lessons, however, being older if I feel the need when I get back on I DEFINITELY WILL. we are interested in just putting down the MT, nothing fancy, no moguls, hopefully no ice!! Stupid question when you say your skis are 188, what is the measurement used. I think when I was younger mine were 79????? Thanks so much glad I found this forum!

 

[Quillcote]

Yes I realized that when I first went onto Craigslist, which is why I looked for a forum. Renting may be a plan, it just seems that a couple of times renting and we could have paid for some used stuff??? Hmmmmm

 

[RENO]

You might want to look into a shop or mountain that offers a seasonal rental. Then you can spend the year getting used to the new gear and have a better idea of what you will want to buy. Shopping Craigslist for skis if you don't really know enough about the gear can be a mistake.

I would recommend this option. Also, there are plans like this where the ski shop will let you swap your skis for different skis if needed without costing you extra throughout the season.
Welcome to Alpinezone!

 

[JimG.]

I would recommend this option. Also, there are plans like this where the ski shop will let you swap your skis for different skis if needed without costing you extra throughout the season.
Welcome to Alpinezone!

This is the way to go. There are so many types of skis with different purposes nowadays the buying experience can be head splitting, especially for folks who have been away from the sport for the past 20 years. Alot has changed about equipment.

Best idea is to try as many skis as you can and see which type you like best. Demo!

 

[MadMadWorld]

This is the way to go. There are so many types of skis with different purposes nowadays the buying experience can be head splitting, especially for folks who have been away from the sport for the past 20 years. Alot has changed about equipment.

Best idea is to try as many skis as you can and see which type you like best. Demo!

Exactly. And to add to that point....a lot of shops offer "rent to buy" incentives where they may give you a discount off of a new pair of skis at the end of the year based on how many days you rented their equipment.

 

[dlague]

Check this sight out!

http://www.evo.com/size-and-buying-guides.aspx

Has everything you need!

 

[bobbutts]

Boots are more critical than the skis.. Don't buy some 10 year old crap.

 

[Quillcote]

Thanks everyone, I am going to take everyone's advice and rent, I think we will start with an evening at Nashoba, we used to ski at night there a lot. Wish we could go now, but the holiday season is always packed full of "other" stuff!! ⛄️��

 

[dlague]

Consider adult season lease programs

 

[Savemeasammy]

You may also be able to find demo skis at a local ski shop. Last season (I also just back into skiing after too many years away!) I demoed some skis from Norm's in Keene, nh. The demos were no charge, and it wasn't an issue to have them for the weekend. I'm not sure if no charge demo's is a common practice or not, but you could call/ask around. You can also find sizing info on manufacturers sites. Your skis will be smaller - I went from 195 to 175!


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[skiNEwhere]

Stupid question when you say your skis are 188, what is the measurement used. I think when I was younger mine were 79?????

Not a stupid question at all! Most ski length measurements are in centimeters, so 188/2.54 is a ski that is roughly 74 inches long tip to tail. Like sneaker manufacturers though, this can vary slightly so I would ask questions when you are at a rental shop!

Have fun!