or maybe a previous years version of new/gently used skies and equipment?

I'm tired of renting skiis & boots and ready to buy. Don't need top of the line equipment considering I typically take 1-2 trips a season and am just intermediate/advanced skier.

Same question for boots....want some nice comfy ones. Any suggestions?

my only suggestion on boots is to get fit in person. had a lot of friends buy online or without trying them on, only to find out that they were a very poor fit. not sure where you live, but if in texas, there's a bunch of mom and pops or sun and ski sports.

As noted above, she'll out $$$ for good fit boots, especially if you're doing blues and blacks.

Skis matter so much less since you can get all mountain, powder, etc. get a cheap older pair and a nice wax and you're good to go there.

Powder7 is a good place to find used demo skis. I would check the other places that rent skis as well.

I bought boots at Sun and ski in San Antonio and felt like they really knew what they were doing with the fitting and selection. Discount was great, too. Probably have about five or six ski trips in them and I am very happy. To me it wouldn't be worth the hassle to travel with skis. Although when you rent skis and use your own boots do you still pretty much pay full price almost

bam02 said:

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To me it wouldn't be worth the hassle to travel with skis.

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For AA, skis are the same as checked bags now

EVO has good deals on gear after the season ends. I don't ski but I've bought snowboards from them.

https://www.evo.com/

For boots, I would try on before buying. Go to a shop even if you don't intend to buy there and find a pair that fit well.

If you only go 1-2 times a year and are flying both times, splurge on custom boots, get a nice boot bag that holds your helmet and everything else, and just rent nice demo skis each time you go.

Good suggestions...thanks all! I totally agree with the boots and finding the right fit. Looking for the right shop with somewhat knowledgeable staff in that regard.

Reason for buying the skis, however, is that if one goes 7-10 days/yr you pretty much come out ahead with owning your own set after year #2 considering rental fees. Many airlines carry them for free (or one piece of luggage) as well. Surfboards, on the other hand, are a totally different animal $$$. Much cheaper to rent, or buy-sellback, at your destination.

It will be hard to find last year demos. The shops sold out of everything and finding skis and boots last year was very difficult.

If I can recommend a ski, I highly rec Atomic Maverick Ti's with the 104 waist. Spend the money for a great ski and not whatever is on sale. And get them a size smaller than whatever is recommended for your size.

You can get good demo sets still. Call around local rental shops - stay away from buying online.

If you're only skiing 1-2 times a year, I wouldn't splurge on boots. Your foot changes shape every year and if you aren't having the liner reheated and remolded, you're going to spend 2 days getting them adjusted vs. a rental lining that molds quicker.

Plus, if you get custom boots, the plastics will warp if not buckled and kept in a climate controlled environment.

Regarding buying boots online - I do t really understand the push back here. If you had a set you liked, the hard shells are going to be the same fit assuming the same mondo and the liners can all be heated shaved or molded to fit your foot.

Atomic's sans the Backlands are super heavy especially in a 104 waist. That's not something that I'd consider an all mountain ski. That's a power backcountry set. If you're looking for all mountain, you probs want to stay under a 100 waist. I typically recommend a 94-99 rocker camber rocker profile. It allows for maneuverability given the lower arc turn radius for trees but also has enough pop w the camber under foot to push through chop or float over power.

I typically try to stay away from most of the heavier brands that really require you to drive them: nrdica, atomic, volkl etc. I much prefer black crows camox freestyle, j skis, elan rip sticks, head core, or Fishers.

On the ladies side I will say the Atomic backlands 104 are a solid set. They are playful enough on the toes to not feel bogged down, they are wide enough in the waist to push or float, and the rocker camber rocker profile is subtle on the heels giving you a TT level of maneuverability with a little extra heel for stability on groomers.

If you're lookin for an all mountain mens ski, the Black Crows Camox Freestyle w look GW pvot 14/15 is a solid setup. That's what I ski .

Sure foot will size you and make a dimensional assessment of your foot and weight distribution - they don't require you to buy. Note they run almost exclusively Lange so if you want a different hard shell, they won't be much help.

Also note once you get into R120-R130 flex boots and custom liners, you're easily looking at $1,600-2,000+. I had to get new boots last season and I wasnt stoked on the price - luckily if you buy off season you can usually get a decent price. Mine were $1,800 after my discount…That may be different w the supply chain easing, but I know the Lange LX 130 LVs we're on back order for months during the season especially in anything between a 24-26.5 mondo.

I picked up a pair of lightly used last year demo Kastle MX98 w Tyrolia Attack 14s for $375 out the door last weekend in Vail. So, there are still some solid deals out there. Probs more so in longer sizes - I ski 174-186 and one things that's a constant is the fact that over 180cm usually has a ton of inventory even during the off season

My one thing I'd warn is to be very careful w rental bindings. I personally won't ride rental bindings - I just don't trust them. Too many of the pins get stripped and a lot of novice skiers and intermediates place to much pressure on the toes over flexing the exterior housing that holds the forward pressure constant.

I also look for pro deals or ExpertVoice deals for bindings and replace the rentals w a lighter and more advanced binding. It makes a huge difference.

Lastly, make sure your helmet has MIPS. Not all helmets are created equally and MIPS will save your melon from rotational forces that can really harsh your mellow dramatically.

You're going to have an easier time finding new skis from previous seasons that have been marked down versus used demo skis, in my opinion anyway.

I would do your research on what ski you're targeting - there are a handful of good all mountain skis that are a nice step up from rentals that won't break the bank. You'll likely also have to do the same with your bindings- buy separately a trusted set.

If you know what boots, skis, and bindings you're interested in, I'm happy to look and see what pro deal discount I can get you.

I get 50-70% off Rossi Lange Look
30-50% off Smith Spy Solomon K2 Atomic Marker
50% off Grass Sticks
40% off FT

JustPanda said:

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Atomic's sans the Backlands are super heavy especially in a 104 waist. That's not something that I'd consider an all mountain ski. That's a power backcountry set. If you're looking for all mountain, you probs want to stay under a 100 waist. I typically recommend a 94-99 rocker camber rocker profile. It allows for maneuverability given the lower arc turn radius for trees but also has enough pop w the camber under foot to push through chop or float over power.

I typically try to stay away from most of the heavier brands that really require you to drive them: nrdica, atomic, volkl etc. I much prefer black crows camox freestyle, j skis, elan rip sticks, head core, or Fishers.

On the ladies side I will say the Atomic backlands 104 are a solid set. They are playful enough on the toes to not feel bogged down, they are wide enough in the waist to push or float, and the rocker camber rocker profile is subtle on the heels giving you a TT level of maneuverability with a little extra heel for stability on groomers.

If you're lookin for an all mountain mens ski, the Black Crows Camox Freestyle w look GW pvot 14/15 is a solid setup. That's what I ski .

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I had some Elan Ripsticks as rentals last time and I loved them. I'm considering getting my own skis but I only go once or twice a year, so I'm not sure if it's worth the investment or not.

Whatever. You just wanna look cool in the airport carrying your skis around.

(was supposed to have a winky face)

bought my skis/boots/bindings/poles as a combo set from Evo.com a few years ago. I probably ski 5-10 days a year.

Having your own gear is way better than rentals. Less time standing in line waiting to try on and get fitted and you have your own gear fitted to you.

Nice skis to rent now are usually 50-75 a day at the mountain. I think my whole set up was... $700? I bought them in August on super discount, brand new.

They're probably not the best or most high-end but I just wanted a good mountain cruiser, all-mountain ski. I've been very pleased with them and have paid for them 2x over now.

Also, to echo others, ski bags count as a single checked bag these days. I just pack my boots in my large duffel with ski clothes. Can easily get everything you need in 2 checked bags.... My wife and I can fit 2 set of skis and then ski clothes + boots in a larger duffel that make it through baggage check on weight.

I like to order from SkiEssentials. They're a local shop in VT I stop by when I'm up there for the day, so I'm probably biased. They have a big rental/demo department, so they usually have lightly used gear on sale. I've had lots of friends buy demos from them before with good luck.

That said, I'd also agree on getting boots over skis. I don't think going bespoke, custom molded footbeds are all that essential for someone just going a few times a year, but you can find a lot of high quality shells with heat moldable liners that work really well and cost a fraction of the customs. I use Dalbellos with Intuition liners that have been molded. I threw some superfeet in the bottom of the liners and I love my setup. It's important that you talk to someone who knows what they're doing though; don't buy online. You may think one type is the perfect boot for you, you put them on, and immediately know those would never work. A good salesperson will be able to take that feedback and adjust which model to look at. "I like these Langes except they pinch my little toe." "Alright, I'll swap out for the Dalbellos that should be better there, but let me know if they're too tight on the big toe, then we can go to the Technicas if we have too." That's the kind of rapport you should have with your boot salesman.

If you're just going a few times per season and stick to the resorts, I'd honestly stay under 90mm underfoot. This is likely going to be a controversial stance given everything in ski marketing and sales is about going fatter and chasing the dream powder day. That's not most days. Be honest with yourself and buy for your ability level and your typical conditions.

I was skiing Rossi experience 88s that didn't do anything exceptionally, but could handle everything pretty well without being too demanding of the skiier that I'd recommend without hesitation for anyone in the intermediate category. I switched out to some 78s a few seasons ago and my carving/mogul skiing has improved drastically. I've got friends that ski 108s up here (NE), and they swear they're just as easy to get around on, but I watch them compared to how they skiied before and it's like watching someone try to turn a cruise ship at mach 1.

My "new" K2 four 88's are still in perfect condition and I'm on my second pair of boots. It's a pain taking skis and snowboards on planes. I wish I could find skis worth renting. I try new skis from time to time but, nothing comes close to my now "vintage" k2 fours. My wife is a Shred-Betty, so deep carving trumps speed or bumps. I couldn't keep up with the kids anyway. Boots get better, skis do not. I would own skis over boots.

"Boots get better, skis do not".

ROFL