Best time to buy
 

I haven't skiid for at least 15 years, but am looking to get back into
it now that I have some time (with albeit meagre resources). First
step is to get new boots, mine being very old and purchased when I was
much younger, smaller and unwise.

Ok fine. Not planning to start until a trip I am taking to colorado
next january. When is the best time of the year to purchase equipment?
Logically I would figure the summer, but I live in the mid south
(central tennessee) and we aren't exactly bristling with ski shops.
I'm going to have to drive about 3 hours just to get to a city that has
ski equipment, and being the midsouth, I am guessing they let their
stock go low after the ski season.

Are there any good options for me? I know firsthand how miserable a
skiing experience can be with a pair of boots that don't fit right, but
I am skeptical that I will be able to find any without either driving
extraordinary distances to find them or hope I get lucky via the
internet :P

Ideas? Thanks!

Brandon

Avarice wrote:
I haven't skiid for at least 15 years, but am looking to get back into
it
CLIP


Ok fine. Not planning to start until a trip I am taking to colorado
next january.
CLIP


Are there any good options for me?

Buy your boots upon arrival in Colorado - expect to pay more for an
honest chance your boots will fit. Use your week of skiing to visit the
shop several times for adjustments, which your WILL need (everybody
does) and which you CANNOT get away from actually skiing on the boots.

Avoid buying anything ski-ish where people don't actually ski regularly
- you'll get ripped off. It's inevitable. Inexpensive gear that turns ut
to be junk is actually quite expensive.

eBay in the Spring is the best time to buy gear cheap. That's when the
wholesalers dump this seasons stuff.

Please take lal_truckee's advice about the boots. They are your most
important piece of equipment. Get a REAL expert fit--from a shop with an
iron-clad gaurantee that they will make any and all adjustments to your
boots or replace them untill you are satified. Be sure to include good
footbeds in the deal. The planks you should buy depend on many variables but
won't matter at all if your boots suck.

The spring ebay option is a pretty good one--but I get better deals on NEW
equipment right here from my local shop--since I typicaly put 80 to 100 HARD
days on my skis every year--they tend to wear out after about 2 and half to
3 years. I can typically pick up last year's models of top of the line skis
from my local providers once they get back from the big shows in
November--for a song. (e.g.--This year I got last year's Salomon's + pilot
bindings--all new--that retailed for almost 1K for $259 + tax)

--
I ski, therefore I am
"lal_truckee" wrote in message
om...
Avarice wrote:
I haven't skiid for at least 15 years, but am looking to get back into
it
CLIP


Ok fine. Not planning to start until a trip I am taking to colorado
next january.
CLIP


Are there any good options for me?

Buy your boots upon arrival in Colorado - expect to pay more for an honest
chance your boots will fit. Use your week of skiing to visit the shop
several times for adjustments, which your WILL need (everybody does) and
which you CANNOT get away from actually skiing on the boots.

Avoid buying anything ski-ish where people don't actually ski regularly -
you'll get ripped off. It's inevitable. Inexpensive gear that turns ut to
be junk is actually quite expensive.



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Avarice wrote:
[snip]
Ok fine. Not planning to start until a trip I am taking to colorado
next january. When is the best time of the year to purchase equipment?

Sometime after you know what to buy, which you won't know until you ski
on some modern skis.

Are there any good options for me? I know firsthand how miserable a
skiing experience can be with a pair of boots that don't fit right, but
I am skeptical that I will be able to find any without either driving
extraordinary distances to find them or hope I get lucky via the
internet :P

Boots by mailorder, bad idea. What I would do would be...hrm. Well,
the boot thing is tricky. What I think I would do is to spend a
non-skiing day at the start of your vacation, and devote it to buying a
good pair of boots and getting started with the fitting process. You
_will_ pay a chunk of change for these boots, no matter what -- you're
paying for the boots, and for the expertise that will help you select
them and that will fit them. Get a recommendation for a shop with an
excellent boot-fitter, make arrangements in advance so you can go in the
morning, select your boots, and spend the time to take care of the
fitting. That day will also help you acclimate to the altitude.

Then rent skis, don't buy. Find a rental source that has a good
selection of better skis, and try something new every day. By the end
of your vacation, you'll likely have a pretty good fix on the model that
you want. Then you've got two choices: buy 'em then and there -- most
shops will let you apply rental/demo fees toward a purchase -- or take
notes and watch for sales. But it's only when you _know_ what you want
that you can really take advantage of sale situations where you can't
try the skis.