Would like some advice on ski's for the wife.

[Ballistic]

She recently decided that skiing wasn't so bad after all, and I'd really like to cut that whole rental experience out of our trips. I'm a snowboarder, and although I'm educating myself on what I should be looking for, I'd still like to utilize the experience you guys have. She's 5'2", 110 lbs, 6.5 boot size, and she's tried 120's, 130's, and 140's, and said that 130's seemed the most comfortable. She's pretty new at it, and she'll probably end up going about 5-6 times a year, no more than 10. What do you AZ'ers think as far as brands and models?

 

[SkiDork]

between 130 and 140 sounds about right.

 

[Warp Daddy]

I agree with Dork 130-140 is probably on target

My wife is 5'4" 120 lbs is on 151's . Her skiing style is gently cruising greens and easy blues , she skis between 5-10 days a season.

Boots are critical !!! make damn sure its a good fit and NOT TOO loose .

 

[severine]

Get thee to a GOOD bootfitter before anything else. If the boots don't fit, the skis won't matter. And soon because (at least down here) ski shops will be closing for the season soon. I highly recommend Dave Newman of the Avon, CT Ski Market and AZ's own skidmarks at Suburban Sports in Berlin, CT.

After that, you can check out end of season sales. How much skiing has she done already? You don't want to get equipment that's too low level, though at the number of ski days a year she'll be going, getting something too advanced will hold her back. If she's pretty new to the sport, picking up a beginner's ski package would likely be okay. Deals can be had on them at this time of year that include bindings and mounting.

 

[MRGisevil]

She recently decided that skiing wasn't so bad after all, and I'd really like to cut that whole rental experience out of our trips. I'm a snowboarder, and although I'm educating myself on what I should be looking for, I'd still like to utilize the experience you guys have. She's 5'2", 110 lbs, 6.5 boot size, and she's tried 120's, 130's, and 140's, and said that 130's seemed the most comfortable. She's pretty new at it, and she'll probably end up going about 5-6 times a year, no more than 10. What do you AZ'ers think as far as brands and models?

Get her something forgiving that's going to keep her in the "I like skiing" frame of mind. You go too high end and the ski's not going to give and she's not going to give skiing the time of day. K2 first luv, Solomon Amber, Volkl Pearl (haven't heard too much about that one) or similar. No need to spend buku bucks if she's only going out a few times a year, yeah? If you're spending more than $3-350 for a beginner setup for a woman, someone trying to sell you a LOT more ski than she's going to need for a very long time.

 

[dnb]

My wife's been happy with this:

http://www.ski-depot.com/miva/merch...tegory_Code=dynastarskis2009&Product_Count=15

It's very light and forgiving.

Don't forget the helmet --- this is a good time to buy one.

 

[Trekchick]

Get thee to a GOOD bootfitter before anything else. If the boots don't fit, the skis won't matter. And soon because (at least down here) ski shops will be closing for the season soon. I highly recommend Dave Newman of the Avon, CT Ski Market and AZ's own skidmarks at Suburban Sports in Berlin, CT.

After that, you can check out end of season sales. How much skiing has she done already? You don't want to get equipment that's too low level, though at the number of ski days a year she'll be going, getting something too advanced will hold her back. If she's pretty new to the sport, picking up a beginner's ski package would likely be okay. Deals can be had on them at this time of year that include bindings and mounting.

Get her something forgiving that's going to keep her in the "I like skiing" frame of mind. You go too high end and the ski's not going to give and she's not going to give skiing the time of day. K2 first luv, Solomon Amber, Volkl Pearl (haven't heard too much about that one) or similar. No need to spend buku bucks if she's only going out a few times a year, yeah? If you're spending more than $3-350 for a beginner setup for a woman, someone trying to sell you a LOT more ski than she's going to need for a very long time.

These ladies speak the truth.

Get boots that fit and fit well. Then get her into a demo center where she can try a few intermediate skis. Don't get skis too advanced for her, or she will struggle to advance her skillz.
boots first, then demo demo demo.....
Oh and something in the 150's length is probably a good range.
Don't go too short or too long, eh?

 

[Geoff]

#1 priority: Boots from a shop with a very good boot fitter. There are very few shops that fit that description in southern New England. You want 10 years experience. Ideally, you want a certified pedorthist.

You can always rent skis. Rent the night before rather than dealing with the masses in the morning. The odds are slim that you can rent boots that fit properly and are comfortable.

#2 priority: Used skis with a good tune and leftover new bindings at a steep discount. The bindings are a safety issue and I wouldn't trust any used binding. At 6 days per year, new equipment will be obsolete before you get enough use out of it to justify the expense. A used woman's intermediate ski likely has seen little hard use so it's probably going to ski just fine.

 

[ckofer]

-snip- A used woman's intermediate ski likely has seen little hard use so it's probably going to ski just fine.

Is that a ski from a used woman or a used ski from a woman? :wink: