To anyone renting skis - if the shop has 3 tiers of rentals, I'd avoid them. Any store that pushes a sport, performance, and demo line is putting lip stick on a pig and renting out crap training wheels or old hard run skis at an elevated margin and calling them "performance" skis and then massively up charging for the real "demos" by making you think they are unique and special. They aren't unique and they aren't special, they are the norm but the shop wants you to think they're unique.
There are two types of skis: beginner (Rossi RTLs etc) and everything else. Beginner skis are going to be more flexible, easier sidewall cut, and narrower at the waist but more parabolic in the toes/heels. The top sheet will be super boring and super plain (because they aren't trying to sell them to anyone but rental shops so why put any give a **** into the top sheet design). Don't let them fool you!
If you aren't an overt beginner, one question that I always respect that will speaks volumes about the quality they're putting you on: How many of you local friends ride on this ski?
Beginner skis (mostly white and black, green and black, or another combo of white/black/green etc but a VERY basic top sheet that plasters the name of the ski all over it)
Not Beginner Skis (far more attention to the top sheet, doesn't have the name and model plastered all over the ski (Kastle would be the exception here), and overall has a more premium look and construction).
If you put a set of learners and a set of demos next to each other, the learners will look kinda like the equivalent of clown shoes to running shoes. You can run in both but ones makes it a lot easier.
Also a fair warning: most shops don't care if you have a good time, they just want you out the door and will tell you what you want to hear not what the truth. I'd always call and specifically get the lines of skis they're peddling. If you have any question about where we would classify them, shoot me a text or an email or post on here. I don't mind letting you guys and gals know where we would quantify that gear.
Another thing to note: skis have about a 100 day life before the core flexes out and the integrity is shot. If they have you in gear that's older than last season, don't take it as the number of days on those things is probably well over 100 already. You want this years gear or at the oldest last years. Anything older isn't what it was and they're making a killing renting out a ski they've already paid off 10x that been fully depreciated and will get sold to an auction for $35/pair after the season ends.
And yes that happens ALL the time. ALL ALL ALL the time.
They have a record of the ski days on every set they have in the store - I'd always rec asking how many days have been on them already and if it's an elevated number ask for a new set. That's not being a pain in the ass that's being smart.
For instance: our oldest gear was bought in 2022, I know shops that rent out gear that was bought pre covid. That's criminal IMO but when you have people value hunting to save $10/day it opens that door.
You don't usually test drive buy or rent the cheapest and oldest car w the most miles on it unless you really DGAF about the experience and just need to get to work. Same goes for skis.
Once you can link your turns, once you're off the pizza French fry train (level 4ish), get demos. It's a huge step up and makes a huge technical difference. They are safer and more responsive.
Oh yeah and no one that's a local learned to ski on RTLs. We all learned to ski on what would be classified as demos. That's a fact and kinda highlights where shops make their money. They love renting out RTLs at $10-15 dollars a day less then the demos because it keeps the demos fresh and the margin on the RTLs and other true beginner skis is the best in the shop outside of the margin on kids gear and merchandise.
Oh yeah again: if you're on RTLs etc DO NOT buy the insurance. Those skis do not belong anywhere but on groomers. I should NEVER see RTLs in the trees or the back bowls or anything that isn't groomed. If you're one of those people, you need to be on demo level gear. It SHOCKS me how many times I see people in the trees or in the back on RTLs or equivalents. That's NOT what they were made for and not even close. That's like takin a ford focus hybrid off roading or to the local race track. It will make it maybe but there's a lot better options.
Oh yeah again again: another back of the hand way to tell beginner skis vs not beginner skis is the toe cap on the front. SOME factories (Faction has a couple of lines and so does Atomic just off the dome) still have a couple of lines w toe caps, but a majority of skis w toe caps are beginner skis. Not all, but most.
