If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Want to race and need pointers and new equipment (skis bindings poles boots etc)
I am currently in college and next winter i will be transfering to a
college with an alpine ski team that i am inquiring about. I am 6 Ft tall and 130lbs/58Kg male. I am hopeing on getting into giant slalom and have been looking at skis. My currnet pair i have a feeling are not going to do the job well (late 70's - early 80's Dynastar 185's) though ive babied them since ive owned them..... i just have a feeling ;-) Also just a note ive been skiing since i was 2 to give an experience level. So as far as my major intersts go Should i go as far as to actually buy racing grade skis or should i ? Yeah im in college but ive been saving and can afford around 1000 - 1200 USD total for the whole shebang. Ive never actually bought first hand skis and never for anything more than recreation, so should i stick with the size ski that im used to (185) or should i go with what the manufacturers reccomend when i input my information? What if anything are the upsides and downsides to both choices? Im looking at Elan and Rossignol as far as manufacturers go as ive tried a pair of Elan's my frinend owns and loved the ride and Rossignol has good advertising :-$ I want to try the skis before i buy them and was wondering a good way to go about doing so. I live in the midwest (Wisconsin... Northern Michigan next winter) and most of the local ... hills... dont have anything near that caliber for premium rentals and am having a hard time finding a shop that is willing to let me do so. Next I was wondering about Bindings. First off i dont really know where to start in looking for a binding to fit my needs (though i cant really say what i need as ill be starting next winter actually racing) What are some things to look for in a good pair of Giant slalom bindings. Reccomendations to try/buy. Next im going to have to get a pair of boots to go along. What to look for, i have rather narrow feet for a guy and ive found that many boots are made for people with much wider feet than me. Im also going to need poles, i know ill need the curved ones but do they come already curved and how do i make sure theyre bent in the right place for what im doing or do i have to get them adjusted? As far as goggles go i have a pair if nice goggles at the shop that im going to probably get , but is there anything special that i should know before i go ahead and get them. Im going to wait to hear back from the coach of the team before i look into helmets as they might have some of their own or some odd color requirements or something. Now i think thats everything, if youve read this and have or are going to post something helpful, I thank you greatly, as i said before ive been doing this since i was 2 but everything i have now and have had in the past was handed down to me quite a while ago so ive never done this before. Any other information or recommendations or random thoughts will be greatly appreciated. Jace |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Want to race and need pointers and new equipment (skis bindingspoles boots etc)
Jace wrote:
I am currently in college and next winter i will be transfering to a college with an alpine ski team that i am inquiring about. I am 6 Ft tall and 130lbs/58Kg male. I am hopeing on getting into giant slalom and have been looking at skis. My currnet pair i have a feeling are not going to do the job well (late 70's - early 80's Dynastar 185's) though ive babied them since ive owned them..... i just have a feeling ;-) Also just a note ive been skiing since i was 2 to give an experience level. So as far as my major intersts go Should i go as far as to actually buy racing grade skis or should i ? Yeah im in college but ive been saving and can afford around 1000 - 1200 USD total for the whole shebang. If you're serious about racing, yes you should go for racing grade skis. My informal survey indicates that the Fischer RC4 and the Volkl P50 are the race skis of choice for that part of the country. But you'll probably do better by asking your coach or other team members than by listening to the advice of strangers on usenet. Plus, the coach/team may have a line on discounts directly from the rep which may save you some money off of retail. Definitly worth asking. Ive never actually bought first hand skis and never for anything more than recreation, so should i stick with the size ski that im used to (185) or should i go with what the manufacturers reccomend when i input my information? What if anything are the upsides and downsides to both choices? Most racers are on short skis these days. I want to try the skis before i buy them and was wondering a good way to go about doing so. I live in the midwest (Wisconsin... Northern Michigan next winter) and most of the local ... hills... dont have anything near that caliber for premium rentals and am having a hard time finding a shop that is willing to let me do so. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by Northern Michigan. If you mean the northren lower peninsula, the resorts in that area all have demo centers. Nubs Nob is probably the most extensive, but the Boynes and Crystal are fairly close. Shanty Creek only has Salomon & Volkl. If you're talking about the UP, I don't have the foggiest. Next I was wondering about Bindings. First off i dont really know where to start in looking for a binding to fit my needs (though i cant really say what i need as ill be starting next winter actually racing) What are some things to look for in a good pair of Giant slalom bindings. Reccomendations to try/buy. Many new skis have integrated carving plates that require a specific brand of binding. If you get one of those skis, get the binding that'll fit. Otherwise, bindings are somewhat of a religious issue. I say stay away from Salomon and go with Marker. Other people will tell you different. Next im going to have to get a pair of boots to go along. What to look for, i have rather narrow feet for a guy and ive found that many boots are made for people with much wider feet than me. Boots that fit your feet. Brand, model, gizmos, etc are not as important as whether they fit your feet. Google boot fitting. -- //-Walt // // http://tinyurl.com/yubxo |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Want to race and need pointers and new equipment (skis bindingspoles boots etc)
Jace wrote:
I am currently in college and next winter i will be transfering to a college with an alpine ski team that i am inquiring about. During your enquiries ask the team coach at your new college for recommendations - he'll know the level of racing involved, and the appropriate gear. Also go to the Demo ski shop at your current mountain and try a few high end skis to see if you're even capable of skiing an upper end ski. Thirdly, check with the ski team coaches at your current mountain (or nearest mountain with a serious race team) about second hand skis from their racers - serious racers turn over 4-6 pairs of trace skis every year; good deals can be had cheap. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Want to race and need pointers and new equipment (skis bindings poles boots etc)
A few thoughts, based on what little I know (so take it with an appropriate
grain of salt): "Jace" wrote in message om... I am currently in college and next winter i will be transfering to a college with an alpine ski team that i am inquiring about. I am 6 Ft tall and 130lbs/58Kg male. I am hopeing on getting into giant slalom and have been looking at skis. My currnet pair i have a feeling are not going to do the job well (late 70's - early 80's Dynastar 185's) though ive babied them since ive owned them..... i just have a feeling ;-) Also just a note ive been skiing since i was 2 to give an experience level. So as far as my major intersts go So far as I can tell, the "level" (if you will) of college ski teams seems to cover a wide spectrum. At one end, you've got your Denvers and Colorados and Dartmouths. They recruit racers like some schools recruit track stars (though not quite like football or basketball players) -- if you're not at least on the US Development Team (or the equivalent in some European ski power), you're not going to make the grade anyway. At the other end are the large numbers of colleges where skiing is a non-varsity (or "club") sport. At those, there may be no-one, or maybe a guy or two, who's ever even raced before. In between, there's the whole gamut. There are certainly non-powerhouse colleges, where the entire ski team is made up of people with 5+ years of USSA racing under their belt. It's not clear where the college you're talking about fits into this. If its at the "club" end of the spectrum, you're in great shape as far as experience. On the other hand, the advice (good in other circumstances) about talking to your coach isn't going to do you a lot of good, because there probably isn't a coach. In any event, you should figure out who the coach is -- or who the Club president or whatever is -- and address these questions to him or her or it. For one thing, it's possible the team gets a deal on some equipment. A few more specific thoughts: 6 feet / 130? You might want to hit the steroids, or the weights, or the cheeseburgers, or something. Your skis are about the same age you are? In the pre-shaped ski days (i.e. until a few years ago), 185 was a pretty short ski. Presumably you had these since you were 13 or something. Nowadays, that's in the ballpark for a GS ski. Given your weight, you'd probably go a bit shorter. Should i go as far as to actually buy racing grade skis or should i ? Yeah im in college but ive been saving and can afford around 1000 - 1200 USD total for the whole shebang. If you want to race, you should get racing skis. They'll work for other skiing -- particularly in Michigan, where you're unlikely to be cutting tracks through deep pow in the backcountry on a regular basis. You should be able to get there in your price range, though it's a push. You're not going to make it paying retail for new equipment. Nor are you going to make it with the full-on racer's kit of training skis, matching race-day skis, etc. Even if your team doesn't get you a deal, there are some the used (obviously, also: last year's model, overstocks, sniagrabs or whatever they call 'em. ... I want to try the skis before i buy them and was wondering a good way to go about doing so. I live in the midwest (Wisconsin... Northern Michigan next winter) and most of the local ... hills... dont have anything near that caliber for premium rentals and am having a hard time finding a shop that is willing to let me do so. In most areas, good ski shops (not the rental place at the hill) are the best place to find high-end demos. The coach / club president might help you here. Another approach would be to track down someone from the racing program at a nearby area, and ask what ski shop they shop at. Next I was wondering about Bindings. First off i dont really know where to start in looking for a binding to fit my needs (though i cant really say what i need as ill be starting next winter actually racing) What are some things to look for in a good pair of Giant slalom bindings. Reccomendations to try/buy. The main thing to look for is that they'll mount on whatever plates you have. Given your size, you're probably not going to want a full-on "race" binding, because the DIN will start too high. One other thing to worry about is that they're legal as to height (with the plate and all) -- if they even check that in whatever league you'll be racing in. Next im going to have to get a pair of boots to go along. What to look for, i have rather narrow feet for a guy and ive found that many boots are made for people with much wider feet than me. Race boots are normally narrow. They're also going to be a bit on the stiff side for you. Im also going to need poles, i know ill need the curved ones but do they come already curved and how do i make sure theyre bent in the right place for what im doing or do i have to get them adjusted? You can buy them curved. You don't need them for GS (though some people do use them). There are a number of other things you haven't mentioned (like a suit) that are more important than bent poles, if you're starting down that road. As far as goggles go i have a pair if nice goggles at the shop that im going to probably get , but is there anything special that i should know before i go ahead and get them. They should fit under your helmet, and fit your face. Im going to wait to hear back from the coach of the team before i look into helmets as they might have some of their own or some odd color requirements or something. They probably don't have a uniform helmet. They might. For GS, IMHO (which may differ from others), you don't need a special helmet. You're not supposed to hit GS gates with your face. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Want to race and need pointers and new equipment (skis bindingspoles boots etc)
sjjohnston wrote:
For GS, IMHO (which may differ from others), you don't need a special helmet. You're not supposed to hit GS gates with your face. You'd be maybe surprised. Anyway, IIRC USSA is requiring helmets for GS for junior races - I suspect they'd may be required for Masters also (Mary?) I don't know what rules college club teams race under, but the competitive higher level teams race under FIS rules, which have archane requirements on ski length and boot footbed height from the snow, etc - the OP really needs to discuss this stuff with his potential coach (I think even club teams have someone, maybe a seasoned volunteer, in the role of coach. And I have seen club teams where equipment deals were on the table, through the coach.) |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Want to race and need pointers and new equipment (skis bindings poles boots etc)
lal_truckee writes:
sjjohnston wrote: For GS, IMHO (which may differ from others), you don't need a special helmet. You're not supposed to hit GS gates with your face. You'd be maybe surprised. Yeh, you're not s'posed to, but there were a couple of people at nationals wwho were reportedly taking out gates with their faces in the speed events. It does happen -- I'd opt for some protection. Anyway, IIRC USSA is requiring helmets for GS for junior races - I suspect they'd may be required for Masters also (Mary?) I think so. I never saw anyone in a GS without one. -- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::: Mary Malmros Some days you're the windshield, Other days you're the bug. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Want to race and need pointers and new equipment (skis bindings poles boots etc)
"lal_truckee" wrote in message
... sjjohnston wrote: For GS, IMHO (which may differ from others), you don't need a special helmet. You're not supposed to hit GS gates with your face. You'd be maybe surprised. Anyway, IIRC USSA is requiring helmets for GS for junior races - I suspect they'd may be required for Masters also (Mary?) I may have been unclear he he definitely needs *some* helmet for GS. The USSA has required them for years and years and years. The NCAA requires them now, though I believe that's a fairly recent change. The NCAA requirement is that it be "manufactured for ski racing," which maybe is a bit narrower than "any ski helmet." My only point was he doesn't need a slalom helmet with the teethguard and forehead bumper. I suppose it might be nice to have ... but from what I've seen, most people -- even those who have slalom facegear -- don't wear it for GS. I don't know what rules college club teams race under, but the competitive higher level teams race under FIS rules, which have archane requirements on ski length and boot footbed height from the snow, etc - You make a good point here. It looks like he should probably not drop below 185 (or, possibly, 180) with his GS skis. Some college teams (or team members) definitely compete in USSA divisional races. Which have the FIS height restrictions (55 mm), but (at least now) none of the ski length/radius rules that apply to FIS races. If he's never raced before, I don't see him exactly entered in a FIS race. BUT -- in addition the 55 mm height restriction, the NCAA recently adopted a new rule: "The length of Alpine skis shall comply with international standards." (Incidentally, if anyone's interested in the NCAA rules, they (like all other information you might ever possibly want to know ... okay, not quite) are available online: http://www.ncaa.org/library/rules/20...iing_rules.pdf The NCAA rules would, I believe, be applicable at the "carnival" college races (like the Dartmouth one, etc.) and, of course, the big championship, if our guy is good enough to wind up at that. This isn't the clearest rule I've ever seen. Presumably "international standards" means the FIS rules. There actually are special FIS rules for university competitions, but they're the same as the general rules as to equipment. For slalom, the FIS rule is minimum length = 165 (for men). For GS, it's 185 (for men), plus a "tolerance" of -5 cm (except at the very top level). The FIS also has *radius* restrictions for GS (21 meters). Radius is affected by the ski length, but I suspect it's not the "length" standard referred to by the NCAA rules. If he does want to comply with that, he should check that the ski radius isn't less than 21 m -- the radius should be written on the topsheet of any racing ski of recent vintage. the OP really needs to discuss this stuff with his potential coach (I think even club teams have someone, maybe a seasoned volunteer, in the role of coach. And I have seen club teams where equipment deals were on the table, through the coach.) Yeah. Even if it's a club, it at least has a president, or an advisor, or something. I think everyone's in agreement that he needs to make a couple phone calls. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Want to race and need pointers and new equipment (skis bindings poles boots etc)
thanks everyone for giving me a point to start from. As for those
wondering as to whether is a club team or otherwiose, it is an actual ncaa registered team and all. Yes i did not flub up, im freakishly tall and thin but ive been hitting the hamburgers and carbs hard since i was a frosh in highschool (about 6 years) but so far it hasnt helped any. The fact that I am a long distance runner and train mostly for that purpose may give some explanation as to why i lok like this also. Im thinking of competing in the giant slalom or super G events and have contacted my coach about my interests. "Norhtern michigan" that I am speaking of refers to the upper peninsula of michigan... or the part above wisconsin. At any rate thank you all for your input and any more info will be greatly appreciated. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|