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Advice on ski purchase for beginner

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BobBeau

BobBeau

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Do you have some actually good (not they think they are good) skiiing buddies? if so bribe them to help.
Not one. Unfortunately, I live in South Louisiana. My friends bitch and moan when the temperature drops below 60. They won't even entertain a ski trip. Currently in the market for new friends.
 

Philpug

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I'm about 5'9" and 215 lbs (athletic build)
My last rental boot was 30.5 with an 80 flex and 104 last. Probably the most comfortable boot I've worn but no doubt they were too big.
Thats because they didn't touch your foot. ;) Very well you will will drop 3 to 4 shell sized initially. Be open minded when going into a ski shop, note NOT a sporting goods store when you buy your boots.

You will be amazed the difference a properly fit boot will accelerate your skiing process. I am not sure what other activities or work you might use a glove for, but imagine doing it in 2XL puffy mittens like these...
137694
 
Thread Starter
TS
BobBeau

BobBeau

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Thats because they didn't touch your foot. ;) Very well you will will drop 3 to 4 shell sized initially. Be open minded when going into a ski shop, note NOT a sporting goods store when you buy your boots.

You will be amazed the difference a properly fit boot will accelerate your skiing process. I am not sure what other activities or work you might use a glove for, but imagine doing it in 2XL puffy mittens like these...
137694
My first rentals may have been closer the right size. 29.5 but not sure what the last or flex was. They definitely were not comfortable but when I leaned forward... they weren't so uncomfortable if that makes sense. Being my first day I had no idea what boots were supposed to feel like. My initial impressions were 'Get these dam things off of me'. They gave me a wider boot which made my first day more tolerable. My foot is between 11 and 11.5 US (normal width). That 30.5 with 104 last was definitely too big.
 

dbostedo

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Currently in the market for new friends.
Post where you're going to be in the various applicable resort/regional threads next season and it's pretty likely that you can meet up with folks for a few runs (or beers after if that suits better).

You could also consider joining one of our Gatherings... the Taos one in particular might be up your alley, as most folks at that one will be doing a "ski week" of lessons... it's 2 hour small group lessons every morning for 6 days. You might not be with Ski Talkers in the morning, but everyone's free to ski together in the afternoons.

One more option too might be a local ski club. Often even in warm weather areas, there are clubs that hold get togethers and do trips. Some Googling may find some. They're typically more organized/group centric, than our Gatherings which are basically "everyone just show up here whenever you want during this week".
 

Bad Bob

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Not one. Unfortunately, I live in South Louisiana. My friends bitch and moan when the temperature drops below 60. They won't even entertain a ski trip. Currently in the market for new friends.
You have lots of new friends who think they ski well now (there are some very skilled and talented people in this group). Welcome to the neighborhood, we are glad to have you with us. Here is more free advice, please take it in relation to what you paid for it.

Your location is a disadvantage for buying equipment, would trust the local shops to fit me in hunting boots but not so much in ski boots. Consider buying your boots when you go on your next multi day ski trip. Find a certified boot fitter, let him pick your boot, he can asses your needs better than we can (I have skied 65 years and don't select my own boots, the fitter does). Multi day so they can do some adjustments to the fit as you discover any discomforts on the hill; 2 or 3 trips into the shop to get them tweaked is not unusual. Getting skis is easy, getting your boots right is the trick.

In regards to this whole friends thing there is a very simple solution. Just sell everything but the dog and move to a ski town. More free advice :ogcool:.
 

LiquidFeet

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@BobBeau, you are probably by now noticing a pattern in the responses you are getting. People are now focusing on boots, not on skis (boots are the most important piece of gear, and big purchasing mistakes are rampant). And you are hearing about lessons, which you also did not ask about in your first post. Some of the recommenders talking about skis are telling you to do a season rental of skis for your first season.

These knowledgeable folk are all talking to you out of concern that you will make the usual (expensive in time and $$) mistakes beginners frequently make. Here are some of those mistakes.

Boots: Beginners buy boots assuming they can figure out which ones fit well from standing in them while in the shop. They also assume they know what flex they need. This does not work. Beginners have no idea how a well-fitting boot should feel. They also don't know what custom work their purchase includes (you'll be amazed). The flex you'll need may be stiffer than you expect; you need to know that flex can always be softened by a good bootfitter, but it can't be stiffened. The forward lean of the cuff also needs to match the skier's range of forward motion at the ankle. For these reasons, buying boots influenced by the reviews you've read and by the manufacturers' descriptions just doesn't work. A boot is a prosthetic device that determines how much control you have over your skis. Let me repeat: your control over your skis is determined by your boot fit. Because everyone's feet are different, every boot needs to fit extremely well the shape of the individual's smallest foot -- in three dimensions, volume, length, and width. The boot on the bigger foot will be altered to make room for its excess size by the bootfitter. A GOOD bootfitter will figure all these things out for you by handling your bare feet and applying years of boot-fitting experience. So go to a good bootfitter who has years of experience. If people here know where you'll be skiing, they can recommend a person. A person, not a shop, is what you need. Call ahead and make an appointment.

Skis: Beginners buy skis before they know enough to choose well. A seasonal rental is an excellent way to avoid this pitfall. An instructor that you've worked with all season can recommend what kind of skis you'd do best on for the following season. Look for this advice mid-February as the season's skis go on sale.

Lessons: Beginners don't take enough lessons. Once they figure out how to "get down" a blue, they think they "know how to ski" are done with lessons. But there are many ways of getting down a blue trail. Often beginner lessons serve the purpose of getting the skier out onto the mountain beyond the beginner terrain. For this reason some instructors teach whatever movement patterns the skier can learn most easily during the time frame of the lesson. This produces a happy client, but it may not produce a client who skis well and is ready for blue terrain. If you stop taking lessons before those limited-functionality movement patterns have been replaced by better ones that someone taught you, you may be setting yourself up for years of frustration because your knowledge of fundamentals is flawed. Once habits are deeply set, it will be very difficult to replace them when you realize you don't really know how to ski well. This is too, too common. Take lessons frequently, leaving some time in between so you can practice.

Learning efficiently: After taking a lesson, skiers often think they can embed newly taught skills on more difficult terrain than what they have been skiing on during the lesson. Excited beginners are no exception. Two things happen when a skier does this after a lesson. They go up the mountain onto higher pitches that force them to deal with higher speeds and pressures. It's thrilling, because it's intimidating. Success getting down is exhilarating. But no one can embed new movement patterns at the same time as seeking thrills. Deeply embedded self-preservation tactics previously learned on dry land kick into play when people are scaring themselves for thrills. New movements that require focused attention get distorted or just plain thrown out in such environments. My point is do not practice your new stuff on steeper terrain than you were taught on. Stay on low-pitch terrain going slow, focusing intensely on what you are trying to embed. Move up the mountain slowly, in steps, checking that you can continue to use the newly developed skills as they were taught. Delayed gratification is important when learning to ski. Many defensive and dysfunctional habits get embedded when people do this. It's quite common.

TIP YOUR INSTRUCTOR. In the US, instructors get paid a tiny, tiny percentage of what you pay the ski school. You'd be amazed. It seems criminal. Of course the ski school doesn't tell you this. Instructors need tips to pay for vacation-land lodging and food. Tip generously.

Lesson cost: If you are on a budget, lessons at smaller hills can be a great choice because prices may be lower. Group lessons during non-holiday weekdays may be empty, so your group lesson might end up being private lessons.

Best of luck on your new venture, and welcome to the club.
 
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Tim Hodgson

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@BobBeau this is what I would suggest.

A modern parabolic ski is a marvelously designed multi-use tool.

When an instructor tells you to do a particular action, then he or she will demonstrate the action so you can see his body doing it, and then you can see the reaction of his skis to his action.

It takes years of practice to do that kind of "Movement Analysis" (MA) even with a PSIA Examiner explaining it and demoing it to you. So how can you efficiently learn what you are seeing when you don't know what you are seeing or even what to look for?

So, you know how you were never really taught anything in college by the teacher?

Rather, the teacher, in effect showed you that someting could be done, told you that you had to do it yourself to pass the exam, and then directed you to the resources necessary for you to learn how to do it?

And then you went to the library and sat on your butt for hours learning how to do what the exam would demand of you?

Study, immerse yourself, learn the language of skiing. Good close up Video is simply the best way to see a movement. Not from the chairlift. Not even on the snow with the skier. You simply cannot get as close to the skier as a telescopic lens can. You cannot slow down what you just saw in real time. You cannot replay it without your brain changing what you just saw.

So, that is why I suggest bigpictureskiing.com

Email Tom Gellie on his website, or Duckduckgo.com around the internet including here at SkiTalk.com to see what introductory deals he has. @tomgellie

Spend a significant portion of this Summer training your brain and your eye by good video instruction.

Gellie focuses on making ski instructors better instructors. His videos have certainly helped me teach better.

A modern parabolic ski is a marvelously designed multi-use tool.

Trust me, allot of Gellie's stuff will be over your head at first. But by knowing what your ski is capable of, and intellectually what you must do with your body to make it do that, you will be well ahead of the game to actually practice that move on the snow this coming Winter, which will only be five months from now. And quite frankly, if you don't talk too much, but listen allot, and actually do what your instructor says, it will make your on snow lessons that much more valuable to you.

Do whatever Phil Pug says to do.

Do whatever Liquid Feet says to do.

Who doesn't love LF?
 
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tomahawkins

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I've been looking at boots that have adjustable flex. I think this may eliminate having to buy another pair down the line. 20% Flex adjustment sounds perfect. A 110 would range from around 90 to 130.

How's your slalom technique? 5 @ 32 off? You're probably already accustomed to turning forces most skiers can only dream about. And at 215, I'd stick with 130 and above. The usual suspects are Lange RX 130, Tecnica Mach1 130, Nordica Promachine 130, Fischer RC4 The Curv GT 130, K2 Recon Pro, and a few others. Maybe even a race boot: Head Raptor 140, Lange RS 130, Atomic Redster Club Sport 130, ... Again, it's the fit not the brand.

Assuming you like the grunt of a hip-on-the-water slalom turn, here's a few all mountain skis that could be good (go a shorter length the first year or two): Blizzard Brahma 88, Volkl Kendo 88, K2 Mindbender 90Ti, Salomon Stance 90, Fischer RC One 86 GT, Dynastar M-Pro 90, Liberty Evolv 90, Nordica Enforcer 88, ...
 

Marker

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40 days of lessons would cost me nearly $40 grand :roflmao:. I didn't realize a full day private lesson was so expensive. My initial response to a lesson was, "I'll just youtube some 'How to' ski videos and enjoy my time on the slope". I quickly came to the realization that in order to enjoy my time on the slope, I should first get a lesson. In your opinion, should I break the lessons up? I was going to get 1 full day lesson. I have a 5 day trip planned and was going to get a lesson our first ski day. Now I'm leaning more towards getting 2 or 3 half day lessons, that way I can practice what I've learned the second half of the day. Thoughts?
As @dbostedo mentioned, ski weeks are an affordable way to get lots of lessons with the same and experienced instructors. I went to Sunday River in Maine two years straight and it really helped me out. I have continued taking lessons at Killington. I am planning on attending the Taos Mini-Gathering next year (Jan 22-26) for more intensive instruction in their ski week. That seems pretty convenient for Louisiana (I'm originally from Texas).
 

Seldomski

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My first rentals may have been closer the right size. 29.5 but not sure what the last or flex was. They definitely were not comfortable but when I leaned forward... they weren't so uncomfortable if that makes sense. Being my first day I had no idea what boots were supposed to feel like. My initial impressions were 'Get these dam things off of me'. They gave me a wider boot which made my first day more tolerable. My foot is between 11 and 11.5 US (normal width). That 30.5 with 104 last was definitely too big.

I wear a 11.5-12 shoe, 12-13 for running. I have a 29.5 mondo boot. That's still a 'recreational fit.' Fit for max performance would probably put me in something smaller than that.

You mentioned you live in Louisiana and you were wondering about lessons to progress. I also have to travel to ski and my advice is to make the trips minimum of 3 days on snow, ideally 4. The first day skiing is generally 'wasted' on getting back to where you were the last time you went skiing. If it's the first day of the season, it may take more than a day. As I became more proficient, I didn't want day 1 to be a lesson since it was wasted with the instructor getting excited about all the progress when really I was just getting warmed up to ski how I did last trip.

So as beginner/intermediate (with athletic conditioning like you), I suggest doing trips with at least 4 days on snow. Lessons for two to three of those days. Group lessons to save some $$. If you have been to the resort before, you can ski on your own on day 1. If you have not, you should have first day lesson so you can get some tips on where it is safe for you to ski. Group lessons are often a good value. Private lessons cost more but can yield more if you get the right match AND you are receptive to learning. I use group lessons as an audition to find my next private instructor.

Once I was at solid blue level skier, the returns from random group lessons started to diminish. They felt more and more like 'a waste of time.' Once you hit that plateau, I suggest scheduling a trip specifically for learning. Do a multi day skis camp. Mahre Camp at Deer Valley is really good. I've only done the 3 day version (twice), but I expect the 5 days is even better. This camp taught me that improvement at advanced level requires mindful skiing - to always be 'working on something.' The camp taught me ways to work on things outside of lessons.

Taos ski week is another people on this board really like. You can also do these multi day ski camps/clinics as a beginner skier, but I think you get more out of them at an intermediate through advanced level.

The trick to progressing is really to just get out there and ski and keep taking lessons periodically. It's hard to get to 'advanced level' with only 3-6 days on snow per year. The bulk of the recreational skier market really only manages a few days like that. If you can really manage 20 days on snow next season, you will progress enormously, especially with the waterskiing background.

Keep doing your waterskiing and other stuff requiring conditioning and balance in the off season. It pays off during ski season.

Final tip is to get some good clothes for skiing. Not sure if you always lived in Louisiana - if you have then you will need some help there also for dressing for the mountains. I found being uncomfortable makes it very hard or impossible to learn.
 

Wendy

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40 days of lessons would cost me nearly $40 grand :roflmao:. I didn't realize a full day private lesson was so expensive. My initial response to a lesson was, "I'll just youtube some 'How to' ski videos and enjoy my time on the slope". I quickly came to the realization that in order to enjoy my time on the slope, I should first get a lesson. In your opinion, should I break the lessons up? I was going to get 1 full day lesson. I have a 5 day trip planned and was going to get a lesson our first ski day. Now I'm leaning more towards getting 2 or 3 half day lessons, that way I can practice what I've learned the second half of the day. Thoughts?
I prefer half day lessons to full day lessons. I’ve done both. With a half day lesson, you will learn a manageable set of skills (maybe just 1 or 2 things to work on) and practice those. You won’t get overloaded with information, and after the lesson, can practice at your own pace.

Some resorts have group lessons (maybe they didn’t this year due to Covid). Those can be a good bargain, because if there’s not many in your group, or it ends up just being you, then you essentially get a private lesson at the cost of a group one. Or if there’s others in your group, the dynamic can be fun and the others tend to encourage each other. That’s a way to avoid spending so much money on lessons.

Some mountains have week-long clinics. Check to see if they have instruction for a skier of your ability. That can be a way to have good, consistent instruction over several days to really hammer in a skill set and built camaraderie with others. As others here have noted, Taos does a ski week which is very reasonable in cost. A bunch of us here are going in January.

Your ski boots are the most important piece of equipment, as others here note. Your new boots should feel like a firm handshake. Don’t discount a boot just because it may have a spot that feels too tight…..it’s easy these days to punch or stretch the shells….many of them are also heat moldable. It’s also typical to do “surgery” on the liners as well. Footbeds are super important; the stock footbeds in most boots suck.

I’m on the fence between demoing different skis or just getting a recommendation for a good performance rental for the season before purchasing your own. At this point, you may not know what the appropriate ski for you should ski like. It may be hard to tell the true differences between them on snow. I second the suggestion to ask your bootfitter for a recommendation. There’s also nothing wrong with purchasing a recommended ski to get started, using for a few seasons, then, if and when you feel you want to change it up to something different, sell those and get a new pair (or add to your quiver)! :)

Good luck! I agree that you’re ahead of the game with your waterskiing background. Balance and edging is going to be a lot easier for you.
 
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Thread Starter
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BobBeau

BobBeau

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@BobBeau, you are probably by now noticing a pattern in the responses you are getting. People are now focusing on boots, not on skis (boots are the most important piece of gear, and big purchasing mistakes are rampant). And you are hearing about lessons, which you also did not ask about in your first post. Some of the recommenders talking about skis are telling you to do a season rental of skis for your first season.

These knowledgeable folk are all talking to you out of concern that you will make the usual (expensive in time and $$) mistakes beginners frequently make. Here are some of those mistakes.

Boots: Beginners buy boots assuming they can figure out which ones fit well from standing in them while in the shop. They also assume they know what flex they need. This does not work. Beginners have no idea how a well-fitting boot should feel. They also don't know what custom work their purchase includes (you'll be amazed). The flex you'll need may be stiffer than you expect; you need to know that flex can always be softened by a good bootfitter, but it can't be stiffened. The forward lean of the cuff also needs to match the skier's range of forward motion at the ankle. For these reasons, buying boots influenced by the reviews you've read and by the manufacturers' descriptions just doesn't work. A boot is a prosthetic device that determines how much control you have over your skis. Let me repeat: your control over your skis is determined by your boot fit. Because everyone's feet are different, every boot needs to fit extremely well the shape of the individual's smallest foot -- in three dimensions, volume, length, and width. The boot on the bigger foot will be altered to make room for its excess size by the bootfitter. A GOOD bootfitter will figure all these things out for you by handling your bare feet and applying years of boot-fitting experience. So go to a good bootfitter who has years of experience. If people here know where you'll be skiing, they can recommend a person. A person, not a shop, is what you need. Call ahead and make an appointment.

Skis: Beginners buy skis before they know enough to choose well. A seasonal rental is an excellent way to avoid this pitfall. An instructor that you've worked with all season can recommend what kind of skis you'd do best on for the following season. Look for this advice mid-February as the season's skis go on sale.

Lessons: Beginners don't take enough lessons. Once they figure out how to "get down" a blue, they think they "know how to ski" are done with lessons. But there are many ways of getting down a blue trail. Often beginner lessons serve the purpose of getting the skier out onto the mountain beyond the beginner terrain. For this reason some instructors teach whatever movement patterns the skier can learn most easily during the time frame of the lesson. This produces a happy client, but it may not produce a client who skis well and is ready for blue terrain. If you stop taking lessons before those limited-functionality movement patterns have been replaced by better ones that someone taught you, you may be setting yourself up for years of frustration because your knowledge of fundamentals is flawed. Once habits are deeply set, it will be very difficult to replace them when you realize you don't really know how to ski well. This is too, too common. Take lessons frequently, leaving some time in between so you can practice.

Learning efficiently: After taking a lesson, skiers often think they can embed newly taught skills on more difficult terrain than what they have been skiing on during the lesson. Excited beginners are no exception. Two things happen when a skier does this after a lesson. They go up the mountain onto higher pitches that force them to deal with higher speeds and pressures. It's thrilling, because it's intimidating. Success getting down is exhilarating. But no one can embed new movement patterns at the same time as seeking thrills. Deeply embedded self-preservation tactics previously learned on dry land kick into play when people are scaring themselves for thrills. New movements that require focused attention get distorted or just plain thrown out in such environments. My point is do not practice your new stuff on steeper terrain than you were taught on. Stay on low-pitch terrain going slow, focusing intensely on what you are trying to embed. Move up the mountain slowly, in steps, checking that you can continue to use the newly developed skills as they were taught. Delayed gratification is important when learning to ski. Many defensive and dysfunctional habits get embedded when people do this. It's quite common.

TIP YOUR INSTRUCTOR. In the US, instructors get paid a tiny, tiny percentage of what you pay the ski school. You'd be amazed. It seems criminal. Of course the ski school doesn't tell you this. Instructors need tips to pay for vacation-land lodging and food. Tip generously.

Lesson cost: If you are on a budget, lessons at smaller hills can be a great choice because prices may be lower. Group lessons during non-holiday weekdays may be empty, so your group lesson might end up being private lessons.

Best of luck on your new venture, and welcome to the club.
Great info!! Much appreciated. I did mention in my first post that I had a bootfitting and lesson scheduled. Was just looking for advice on underfoot and length for my size.

I understand that boots should be first and foremost. I'll be at the Big Sky resort from Dec 12 through the 18th. I've booked a bootfitting with Grizzly Outfitters. They're listed on bootfitters.com website. If anyone has info or can recommend an instructor there, please pass their name on..

Demoing skis seem like the way to go. As far as getting anxious to get on more difficult terrain... I know everyone is different but I'm in no rush to get on difficult blue or black slopes. I don't want to drive Ms. Daisy down the hill but I do proceed with caution. I'm fine working on tequnique and practicing on wide open green slopes.
 

Marathoner

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@BobBeau - During the fall, get some exercise so that you are in reasonably good shape before you hit the mountains so that you can maximize your ski experience. Skiing has both an aerobic and anaerobic component so you want to be fit in both dimensions

Given you are based in Louisiana, find a bootfitter when you start the season at the ski resort that you are visiting. There are many good ones; there are many more mediocre ones. When you buy the boot, make sure to get a custom footbed and get cuff alignment for your boots so that your boots respond to the pressure applied by your legs equally.

You also want to have the right clothing gear so that you can stay warm and comfortable in inclement conditions. That typically means goretex shell jacket and pants, wicking base layers, good gloves, and a very comfortable helmet and goggles.

After that, I personally believe its most important to have fun. Clearly, it appears you are experiencing the fun factor already so its a matter of maintaining that.

In addition to live instruction, I would note there are lots of good video resources on the web and on youtube. Reading and watching them repeatedly has helped me to internalize the theory and the mechanics much better than just live instruction and practice. Best of all, most web and youtube resources are free. This is important because skiing can be an expensive hobby. Just think of how much you have to spend in terms of flights and lodging to just get on the slopes!

Occasionally having a friend video you skiing will be helpful. Unless you are athletically gifted, your proprioception alone will not be able to guide your skiing movements and body effectively - reviewing videos of your ski technique will help you to identify your most visible weaknesses so that you can research resources to improve them.

A general idea that I keep in mind in my ski improvement journey is that, similar to most sports, the first 80% of time & effort equates to 20% of the result you are seeking. And the final 20% effort is where you see 80% of the improvement that you want. An example that I've read of why this is the case is imagine you are a gymnast on a balance beam. A novice gymnast who is very off balance after performing a movement will fall off the beam. But even an experienced gymnast who is only moderately off balance will also fall off. Only when the imbalance is slight after performing a movement will the gymnast stay on the beam. So, my experience with skiing is that it takes lots of time and effort where you will not see as much improvement as you'd like until you hit a critical mass of experience, when you then improve quickly for a period of time

Finally, there is a lot of information presented in this thread and on SkiTalk, in general. Much of it will be difficult to internalize and apply until your knowledge level and ability are sufficiently mature enough to do so. This is also like any other sport or subject matter that we need to learn such as math. Its important to constantly apply ourselves so that our brain is constantly learning and evolving - because the mind needs to be developed with the base information and skills so that we are ready to absorb a particular idea or piece of information that will then translate into effective output. Hope this helps.
 
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BobBeau

BobBeau

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How's your slalom technique? 5 @ 32 off? You're probably already accustomed to turning forces most skiers can only dream about. And at 215, I'd stick with 130 and above. The usual suspects are Lange RX 130, Tecnica Mach1 130, Nordica Promachine 130, Fischer RC4 The Curv GT 130, K2 Recon Pro, and a few others. Maybe even a race boot: Head Raptor 140, Lange RS 130, Atomic Redster Club Sport 130, ... Again, it's the fit not the brand.

Assuming you like the grunt of a hip-on-the-water slalom turn, here's a few all mountain skis that could be good (go a shorter length the first year or two): Blizzard Brahma 88, Völkl Kendo 88, K2 Mindbender 90Ti, Salomon Stance 90, Fischer RC One 86 GT, Dynastar M-Pro 90, Liberty Evolv 90, Nordica Enforcer 88, ...
Hahaha not exactly 5 @ 32 off but sure can throw some water and have a great time on a slalom ski. I didn't think shopping for snow skis would be an overwhelming task. Like others have suggested, I'm going to demo different skis and figure out what fits best for me. The Amphibio on the Elan Wingman looks good but the resort I'm going to doesn't offer them. I'm sure I'll find something that suits me well. Thanks for the advice
 

François Pugh

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40 days of lessons would cost me nearly $40 grand :roflmao:. I didn't realize a full day private lesson was so expensive. My initial response to a lesson was, "I'll just youtube some 'How to' ski videos and enjoy my time on the slope". I quickly came to the realization that in order to enjoy my time on the slope, I should first get a lesson. In your opinion, should I break the lessons up? I was going to get 1 full day lesson. I have a 5 day trip planned and was going to get a lesson our first ski day. Now I'm leaning more towards getting 2 or 3 half day lessons, that way I can practice what I've learned the second half of the day. Thoughts?
Lessons: My advice is to take the first day just to get used to it, and then get a private full-day or half-day morning lesson on your 2nd day. You don't want too much time before the lesson to ingrain bad habits, and you want some time to practice what you've learned.

Boots: I see you gambled on the shop assigning you a great boot-fitter, which could end up being a great experienced boot fitter, or not (maybe his or her apprentice). Good luck.

Skis: Do not, I repeat, do NOT get a pair of beginner specific ski; they won't be able to supply sufficient force to turn your mas. Most quick learners will outgrow beginner skis very quickly regardless, and you are most likely already there, given your experience skiing and waterskiing.

Try to find a ski which according to reviews is suitable for a range of skiers, a range that includes both "expert" and "intermediate" skiers. Choose width underfoot based on where you will be skiing, and how driven you are to learning good ski technique. More narrow skis are better teachers on the groomed trails, but wider skis are easier to ski in deeper snow. Also if you will be skiing somewhere that has softer snow even when the trail has been packed down by a groomer (like the Pacific northwest), you can go wider than what you would use on hard-packed trails (like the northeast). How much harder do you want to make skiing in deeper snow in the glades just so you can learn to carve? The available range for your weight and what you want to do is big - from around 70 mm underfoot full-cambered 13-m side-cut-radius skis for hardcore learn quickly at all costs to some (not all) 96 mm with camber underfoot and rocker at the tip and/or tail skis. I would hazard a guess that lower to mid 80's would suit; these are not water skis!

Once you settle on a ski's make and model, let your weight guide you to the longest or at the least 2nd longest length that particular make and model comes in.
 

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