Stuff heard at a ski shop's service desk....

[Tom K.]

Who says wax is bad?

Well, a snowboard shop?!

• What is the best ski?
  • The one I own, AM PLANNING TO BUY NEXT of course

Fixed that for Ski Talkers the world around!

One of the reasons my husband doesn’t like to alpine ski. He hates the boots. He’s type 2 diabetic, and although it’s managed very well and he’s otherwise healthy, ski boots kill his feet. Skate ski boots and classic XC boots? He’s fine.

Rear entry? New Nordica HF 120s?

 

[dbostedo]

Yeah... but what if the leads are weak?

 

[Philpug]

When I was back at my old shop in Pa, the hardgoods room was up stairs. One time the owner brought his friend up to see me for new gear and jokingly told him "Don't be alarmed, I am just bringing you into the spiders web, try not to resist, you will just be making it harder on yourself". His buddy looked visibly scared as the owner walked away laughing.

 

[Blizzboy283]

Yeah... but what if the leads are weak?

Being in sales myself, this movie is a staple. The rare time we received any leads, it became a bunch of quotes from this movie, along with wolf of Wall Street.

 

[Slemers]

Harley shop, yeah the Arai wouldn’t go down well (although I use that on my triumph). A brain bucket on the other hand…..

I had a 96 Bmw 1100RS at the time .
The bike didn't go over well with that crowd either

 

[Slemers]

You don't really need shop expertise if you smoke the right stuff:
View attachment 153347

Her first pair of skis and he's showing her 210s? Yikes

 

[MikeW Philly]

I had a 96 Bmw 1100RS at the time .
The bike didn't go over well with that crowd either

Hah, I bet not. I always laughed, I have 12 triumph thunderbird (big cruiser) and the Harley folks always got a kick out of it. I had to laugh though it’s basically all the good in the Harley but a big cruiser that can actually Lean and brake…. I like harleys but the price and the fact that they don’t ride that great just kills it for me.

That said I don’t know what I’ll replace the Tbird with now that triumph stopped making them.

But bike shops (helmets in particular) and ski equipment usually make for some interesting stories.

 

[crgildart]

I've got a quiver of poles to match my quiver of skis. Down to one pair of boots again though... the red ones..

 

[Rdputnam515]

My favorite is when I was getting some insoles made in Steamboat Springs. A woman next to me was buying boots -- black boots with purple accents and lettering it so happened Her friend was roaming the shop while she was getting fit and found a pair of black and purple skis on the rack. "These would go perfect with those boots!" she proclaimed and brought them over for inspection. The boot buyer decided to buy them on the spot, not knowing the width, characteristics, or type of ski.... SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WOULD MATCH HER BOOTS!

Salesman didn't even try; he just rang up the package and ushered them out.

Are you even married bro?

my wife would do this, no question lol.

 

[AmyPJ]

My husband has worked at a shop tuning skis for nearly 25 years. Oh, the stories. One of his favorites is the long-time customer who paid yearly for the ultimate (most expensive) tune on his 20 year old skis that are worth less than the tune. He did finally convince the guy that a new pair of skis would make him happier than a fresh tune on his worn out old skis (which at some point they didn't have any material left on the ski to tune any more.)

 

[Wendy]

When I was back at my old shop in Pa, the hardgoods room was up stairs. One time the owner brought his friend up to see me for new gear and jokingly told him "Don't be alarmed, I am just bringing you into the spiders web, try not to resist, you will just be making it harder on yourself". His buddy looked visibly scared as the owner walked away laughing.

It was easy to have a captive audience in that room!

 

[François Pugh]

In all fairness, there is no reason a newish skier cannot be a 3+ even without much skill. The "Skier Type" is not a skill rating. It is a rating of how aggressively you ski -- with or without skill.

LOL. I brought my deep snow skis to Vancouver Island. I skied on hard frozen green groomers with family. The closest I got to deep soft was making some tradiditional speed killing short radius turns beside the trail. 108s are not the ski for groomers. Next time I am going to rent skis. I will of course tell them to set them at 3+.
Maybe I plonk my old Koflachs down too, and tell them I got them at a yard sale. My new boots are still a work in progress. The new custom foam liners, I am happy to report, are excellent in terms of hardness, but are crushing down on my instep, and may be impeding circulation. I am diabetic, undiagnosed for decades, with numb bottoms of feet. Getting a performance fit is not easy for diabetics. You worry more about black toenails from frozen toes. IIRC a big chunk of material was removed from the old boot tongue. Maybe I will try the new boots without socks (how I fit in the old boots).

 

[teejaywhy]

First shop I visited on my search for new boots was a board and bike shop (not a lot of choices in the Phoenix metro area).
I entered and told them I was looking for ski boots.
"I'll go get the ski boot guy."
In comes a 20-something and in a voice that sounds just like Otto Mann from The Simpsons:
"Looking for some boots?"
ME: "Yes I am."
OTTO: "Whoa, what kind of boots were you looking for?"
ME: "Uh... something that fits my feet and is appropriate for the type of skiing I do."
OTTO: "Yeah... My girlfriend just got some new boots. She really likes them. Don't remember what kind they are... "
ME: "I think I'm going do some more research and come back."
OTTO: "Cool man!"

 

[Wendy]

LOL. I brought my deep snow skis to Vancouver Island. I skied on hard frozen green groomers with family. The closest I got to deep soft was making some tradiditional speed killing short radius turns beside the trail. 108s are not the ski for groomers. Next time I am going to rent skis. I will of course tell them to set them at 3+.
Maybe I plonk my old Koflachs down too, and tell them I got them at a yard sale. My new boots are still a work in progress. The new custom foam liners, I am happy to report, are excellent in terms of hardness, but are crushing down on my instep, and may be impeding circulation. I am diabetic, undiagnosed for decades, with numb bottoms of feet. Getting a performance fit is not easy for diabetics. You worry more about black toenails from frozen toes. IIRC a big chunk of material was removed from the old boot tongue. Maybe I will try the new boots without socks (how I fit in the old boots).

When you had the liners foamed, did the fitter put a piece of foam or other material on top of your instep?

I had liners foamed once WITHOUT that step and it crushed my instep. The foam doesn’t pack out either.

 

[Wendy]

It was easy to have a captive audience in that room!

@Philpug in all seriousness, that was a neat shop in a neat environment. Kinda homey. Last time I was there they had a potbellied pig.

The boot room/ski room was cleverly designed, maybe unintentionally. Sit there for a bootfitting and ogle the skis.

 

[François Pugh]

When you had the liners foamed, did the fitter put a piece of foam or other material on top of your instep?

I had liners foamed once WITHOUT that step and it crushed my instep. The foam doesn’t pack out either.

Surprisingly, no. Toe box, yes; big bone on top of foot no. Also for those who were wondering, boots are noticeably stiffer than with stock (mushy) liner. Technica Mach 1 MV 120.

 

[Wendy]

Surprisingly, no. Toe box, yes; big bone on top of foot no. Also for those who were wondering, boots are noticeably stiffer than with stock (mushy) liner. Technica Mach 1 MV 120.

I agree about stiffness. My foamed boots that I’m referring to were Tecnica Mach 1 LV 120. I had to get them softened a bit afterwards.

 

[François Pugh]

I don't mind the extra stiffness; I have an acquired taste for stiff boots. However, I want to avoid amutations.

 

[newboots]

Heard in the shop today:

"Sir, I"m so sorry. But the bindings on your son's [system] skis are no longer indemnified."
[Explanation of indemnification etc.] [Guy starts texting somebody.]
But that can't be! They aren't 10 years old! They have to be over 10 years old not to be indemnified! They aren't 8 years old!]

[Explanation of indemnification re age of bindings. At length.]
But wait! You said they aren't on the list! That means you can work on them!

[Explanation of how the list is constructed. Manager offers to contact Marker to double-check, but can't until Monday, "because it's New Year's Eve and they aren't in."]
We are going skiing tomorrow!

[Offer of rental skis until Monday.]
No! My son wants to ski his own skis! If I need rentals I'll get them on the mountain. If you guys won't work on them, I'll look on YouTube and do it myself.

[Man stomps out of store.]

Manager calls the bindings guy at our other store. Definitely not indemnified.
Half an hour goes by.
[Man calls on the phone.]
I went on my computer and looked these up on Marker and they are definitely indemnified.

[Man is invited to come and get his son's skis and boots.]

 

[Philpug]

Last time I was there they had a potbellied pig.

I hated that pig and it hated me.