How to Buy Skis

Tips for buying skis

1. The first thing you will want to figure out is whether or not you want long or short skis. Short skis turn much faster than long skis, but long skis are more stable when you’re skiing at a very fast speed. For most people, skis that are between 170 and 180 centimeters long suit them just fine.
2. Now you need to choose the width of your skis. If you most frequently ski on powdered snow, go with a wider ski. If you’re on icy slopes and ski fast, go with a ski that’s slimmer in width.
3. Skis are expensive—be prepared to spend some money. It’s recommended that you begin shopping for a pair in the spring, after ski season is over. You can find great deals on markdowns, older models and especially demo skis.
4. Talk to a salesperson at a ski shop about your level of expertise. He/she will be able to guide you in the right direction for a purchase after discussing where you’re at as a skier. If you're relatively new to the sport, but do have a good handle on it, go for skis that are a bit soft—this will allow for greater flexibility when on the slopes.
5. If you’ve found your dream set of skis in a store but they’re simply too expensive, write down all the information about them (brand, model number, length and width) and go home and surf the Web to see if there are any online shops selling them at a cheaper price. Also be sure to check the classifieds, especially in early spring. Many skiers sell their old skis in the spring and buy new ones for the next season, so you just might have some luck in finding a bargain.

Caution

It is absolutely necessary that you do a demo on your skis before buying. The last thing you’ll want is a pair of skis that prove not to work for you once you make the trek to the slopes!

Where to buy skis

A ski supplies paradise awaits those who decide to do their ski shopping online. Here are some shops definitely worth checking out.

backcountry.com has an absolutely massive ski department, one in which you’ll find sales of alpine, telemark and cross country skis, plus related supplies and accessories.

Visit the Sport Authority's ski section and shop for skis by brand, your gender or price range. You’ll also find sales of goggles, poles, sunglasses, and instructional videos and DVDs.

Skis from such popular manufacturers as Salomon, Burton, K2 and Fischer await you at ProPeak Sports. Boots, bindings and demo and previous model year equipment is available, too.