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We hear constantly, “You must demo skis before you purchase them. That is the only way you can decide if a ski is right for you”. This is a topic that comes up a lot on SkiTalk with our readers. Demoing skis does makes sense in a perfect world but we don’t live in a perfect world and demoing, in...

Welcome to a skiers’ Springtime favorite game show, Store or Sell, where you get to decide if your ski gear is worth storing or selling to upgrade for next season! You need to determine what is worth keeping and what is worth passing on to others before you can put yourself in the bonus round...

What is in a name? The power of a model‘s name is tough to measure. This difficulty doesn’t just apply to ski models, but also to automobiles. One case in point is the Acura Legend. At the time, an owner of said car did not say they had an Acura, or even an Acura Legend, they would just say...

Hitting the Lottery: A Hacker's Guide to Golf Club Fitting I have won the lottery. I am not talking Powerball or any of the other, you-have-a-better-chance-of-getting-hit-by-lighting-twice-get-rich-quick lotteries, but the ideal custom ski boot fitting lottery and that is actually a custom golf...

It is that time of year where the bargan hunters come out from hibernation and do their best to save money as the Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) restrictions start to loosen. Due to the supply chain isses , this year the ski/boot/binding walls are a little thinner than they were in past years...

So, what else does a retired veterinarian do with his/her free time? In my case I decided to attend Masterfit University and start to learn boot fitting. All of us on Skitalk know the importance of good fitting ski boots. We know that there is expertise involved. Some wonder how much science is...

Oh boy, these are some of the most “missed” numbers: mis-understood, mis-represented, and mis-referenced. We see flex ranges from 50 to 150 for adult boots. Why and how are these numbers set? You might as well try to figure out airline pricing models or the calculation of your credit score. I...

How the 2022 Testing Shook Out ... You Know … Due to Covid Yes, the long-awaited 2022 SkiTalk Reviews are up, about 200 skis in total. In the past year, ski testing took on a new dimension, due to Covid. It was announced early on that there would not be any on-snow industry demo shows, the...

Demo bindings are not new to the ski industry; they have been around in one form or another since starting as rental bindings in the mid-1970s. In the ski rental world, performance meant that a technician might save 30 sec adjusting the binding; on-snow performance was not really a priority...

Let's start with a piece of history to whet your appetite for this ever-so-interesting topic. On July 10, 1962, the US Patent Office issued Patent No. 3043625 to Nils Bohlin, a Swedish engineer, for a three-point safety belt designed for use in road cars. Instead of sitting on the patent and...

As this decade comes to a close, it is time to reflect on the game-changing skis that were introduced in the past 10 years. We say “introduced” because we want to recognize the skis that were all new and not carried over from the previous decade. Blizzard Bonafide and Black Pearl Let's launch...

KRS is real. Its effects have been felt on ski walls everywhere. What is KRS? K2 Recon Syndrome. It is when a model is so easy to ski that better skiers don’t take it seriously. It is a ski that anyone from a competent intermediate to top expert can get on and have a great day. I used the Recon...

GripWalk very well may be the unsung hero of the upcoming ski season. There will be no fanfare or ticker tape parades but that's okay with GripWalk. It is a modest … sole. So, why will GripWalk be near the center of the ski world’s needs this coming season? With social distancing and base lodges...

stead·fast /ˈstedˌfast/ adjective resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering. "steadfast loyalty" synonyms: loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable, reliable, steady, true, constant, staunch, solid, trusty Nothing in the definition of the word “steadfast” makes anyone think...

In our “Shrink It and Pink It: What makes a Women's Ski Different” article last season, we talked about women’s skis and how some manufacturers produce skis actually designed for women and others take their unisex skis and slap pink graphics on them. While these might not be the first women's...

One of the first and most common questions I get when someone walks up to the ski wall is, "What's the best ski?" I know when I get that question, an education process is coming up. I also know I am dealing with a person who wants information but has no real clue where to start. Chances are this...

There was a time before the 1s and 0s of the digital age that skiers had to wait until fall when the new buyers' guide arrived in the mail. It was almost an inch thick, a true skier's bible; it made me feel like a kid on Christmas morning. I would wash my hands first, so I wouldn't get the pages...

So what is it that makes a woman’s ski, a woman's ski? For some manufacturers, it is a complete change in build philosophy; for others, it is different graphics; for still others, it is that plus a forward mount point. Are any of these right or wrong? Since not all women are built the same, why...

In today’s ever-evolving ski design, how does a brand keep the fickle customer happy? Skiers like shiny objects. We are always looking for the latest and greatest. A ski that was all that and a bag of chips two years ago hardly gets a mention today. Is it any less of a ski now than when it was...

Part 1: History and On-Snow Experience Could a reincarnated 40-year-old boot concept, one that never reached the market, be the answer for the recreational skier today? We are talking about the Kastinger-Porsche design, the boot that started the “knee-high” boot explosion in the very early...

Fad? Evolution? Revolution? Progression? Whatever you want to call it, we are seeing more light (as in 1500-1800g) boots on the boot wall. And not just for hiking: these boots don't have tech fittings or walk modes, they are honest-to-goodness alpine ski boots with liners that are not a...

I cannot count how many times it has been posted here, there, and everywhere: You must DEMO DEMO DEMO DEMO before you buy. So, what can you learn from demoing a ski? Well, let's talk about what it takes to demo skis properly. “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there”...

Like any craftsman -- oops, craftsperson -- you can only get better at your job if you are willing to keep an open mind. This is one of the reasons that organizations such as Masterfit have continuing training programs: there is always something to learn. Masterfit has a simple mantra: “Do no...