Probability of Getting Good Race Skis at Small Ski Shops ??

I'm starting this discussion thread so hopefully I and other r.s.n
readers can learn more about how racing skis are distributed from the
manufacturer to the consumer. I'll keep this discussion "ski vendor
generic" so as not to offend anyone.

I don't know much about ski manufacturer distribution models. But I
know a lot about buying skis ... I've been buying skis for over 30
years. During this time I can safely say, the best skis I've ever
owned I either bought in Europe, or bought 2nd hand from a former
European national team member. I've never had much luck buying great
skis from a small local ski shop in the US.

This leads me to visualize that a typical ski company distribution
scheme as such (please ski company reps ... correct me if I'm wrong):

1) A batch of skis are made in Europe.
2) World Cup/ Euro national teams pick over the skis.
3) Euro clubs pick over the skis.
4) Big Euro sports shops pick over the skis.
5) What's left is sent to other places in the world, like the US
6) US National and vendor sponsored teams pick over US skis
7) Large US ski shops and ski service companies pick over skis
8) US Universities and clubs pick over skis
9) Whatever is left over ... is then shipped to small retail stores

The ordering of steps 1 to 8 above may be off ... but my main point is
that it sure seems like the best skis must be long gone before the skis
that go to local shops are shipped.

Actually, this distribution model would not be that bad ... if it
wasn't for my next point: quality control. It seems quality control
for ski manufacturers is still in the stone age.

It amazes me, and shop owners, what can show up at local ski shops in
Anchorage. Skis with identical serial numbers that don't have cambers
that are even close. Skis that are warped and would take
stone-grinding off part of the base and into the core to flatten the
ski!

I'm sure skis are difficult to make. But they can't be any more
difficult than computers, cell phones, TVs, etc. All of these devices,
like skis, were once hand made ... but then the manufacturers got their
act together. Imagine if you went to buy a Dell 8400 computer and the
salesperson said - "Why don't you squeeze these 4 keyboards to see what
fits you best". "Oh no - you can't turn the computer on and try it!"
That's the way skis are still sold.

After 30 years of composite ski manufacturing, you'd think that two
skis could be made exactly the same. But that doesn't seem to be the
case. And because of this lack of quality control, there is a need for
this hierarchal "pick-over" of skis. And the result seems to be that
the full-price-paying end customer at the small ski shop cash register
in the US ... is often screwed.

Your thoughts ...?

Tim Kelley