I research the piss out of gear and teach myself what to look for and what I am looking for. As a retail worker, I can only tell you what I think would work for you, however, if you know what you’re looking for based on past experience and stuff, you get get the right gear. Research Research Research. Take that info and bring it to stores. Flex skis, feel materials of jackets, try on boots, put on goggles, feel the build of all products and understand the differences they make.

For skis, I demo if I can. It isn't free, but it's a lot cheaper than ending up with a ski I don't like. I also buy in the spring time when they're on sale.

Demos for a week sound great, but I’m in western Pennsylvania. I can’t afford resort prices, and my favorite shop is hours from the slopes. Is it really feasible for me to demo skis?

Blister

I demo skis every time. Rent skis for a week and in the evening change to a different model until you find your favourite.

All mountain skis have gotten so good you don't really need more than one pair but for enthusiasts of course there's always new, cool and different skis to explore.

It's also just a fact that the vast majority of skiers ski will ski the same type of terrain 80-90% of the time, so also ask yourself how much money you want to spend to have skis that are 15% better for that 1 day or half day a season you run into different terrain.

Having said that while I love my Nordica Enforcers I'll probably buy another pair of skis down the line. Not because I'm missing something with the Enforcers or 'need' something else but because I want to experience different types of skis more.

Those brands are all well regarded by the way.

I'd definitely include Nordica, Salomon, Rossignol and probably a couple of others I can't remember off the top of my head.

We're honestly spoilt for choice there's an incredible diversity of great skis out there.

Despite the posts you see here of people posting their "quiver", I suspect the vast majority of recreational skiers own one pair of skis. I have one pair of "all mountain" skis.

I second this. First and only pair of skis I own so far, Ripstick 88s with Tyrolia Attacks. Very fun ski, great for me as an intermediate still learning.

Start with all-mountain skis.

Buy powder skis.

Buy carving skis.

Buy backcountry touring skis.

Buy backcountry touring skis.

Buy backcountry touring skis.

Repeat.

My only pair of skis are Ripstick 88s and they have been great. I’m an ex-racer that skis purely for fun now. They are easy to maneuver and tons of fun on groomers. I’ve taken them out in deep powder a couple times and they get the job done but not nearly as fun as something wider underfoot. My only complaint is they chatter at higher speeds and you can’t be too aggressive with them.

What's the deal with volcano touring? I am assuming it'd be the same thing as spring touring skis?

First thing’s first I’m buying boots from a highly recommended bootfitter, preferably locally in case you need adjustments made in the future. These will be expensive but critical to your overall experience, way comfier than a rental boot as well. Then I’m buying 2 sets (top, bottom & socks) of high quality base layers, preferably merino/smart wool. On the cheaper end you can buy from affordable brands like Spyder, and you can get even cheaper by buying at the end of the season where things go on sale. You can use these for multiple days on longer trips without smelling rank, especially if you buy the merino ones. For outer layers, I’m hitting up the good ol’ Facebook Marketplace. A few years ago I got a deal on a Burton jacket and snow pants combo for $20. Used em for years no problem and to this day probably the best $20 I’ve spent. Nowadays I prefer bibs so I’d look for that first and foremost but would be willing to settle with pants if the bib search is unsuccessful. Now that we’ve covered all the main clothing items, I’d buy the Blackstrap balaclava (I like the thicker expedition one but the thinner one is good for warmer days as well) that I use for 95% of my days on the mountain. It’s only like $30 so worth buying new, plus buying used clavas/gaitors is kinda gross. For gloves I’m buying the ol’ reliable $20-$30 Kinco mittens that (although I’ve never tried them) everyone seems to love. Helmet I’d go brand new MIPS from whatever brand has a sale at the time, however FB/second hand isn’t off the table as long as its only gently used and you inspect for damage. Goggles I don’t mind cheaping out on, however I would buy one with magnetic swappable lenses and get one lens for bright conditions and one for low light conditions. I got mine on Amazon from a random brand called Zionor for like $40-$50 with both lenses. All we’re missing now is skis/poles. If you know what you like/what you’re looking for, head straight to Facebook Marketplace and start digging. Otherwise, I’d probably demo a few different pairs for a few days to figure out what I like. Bonus is that if you buy a pair from the place you demo’d at, most places will discount the rental price from your total. Congrats, you now have everything you need to be a true skiier.

Bonus points: Platypus water bladder. Its unique shape allows me to carry the 1L version in my pant’s pocket no problem. Very clutch.

EDIT: My comment was more tailored for someone ready to commit to the sport, if you’re still on the verge rent skis, helmet and boots. If goggle rentals are a thing (I don’t think they are but idk) rent those as well. However still emphasizing that the first thing you should be checking off the list when you decide you want to take skiing seriously is boots.

As everyone has said, get boots. Skis aren't that important (NOTHING like rental skates that haven't been sharpened in 3 years), you can rent those pretty easily and then demo(new models of skis you could buy at a shop, basically) when you're getting close to wanting to buy something. Welcome to skiing! As a hockey player you have a huge advantage and should essentially be able to skip the first half of learning and just start linking turns. Have fun!

Get boots ASAP. Used might be fine, but hard to find because you generally need to try on a million pairs to figure out which ones work for your feet. Worth it though, I just rented for three days because I'm on a trip that I didn't expect to be skiing on, and it sucked so much.

Used skis are much easier, you can get them from a lot of rental shops this time of year.

Youre gonna want twin tips if you play D, Telemark if youre a goalie

Imo, you're correct in your comparison. If you know you're committed to learning to ski. Get your own gear and get gear that will allow you to learn and grow into it. If you aren't sure skiing is something you'll do for a while. Rent a day or two more to see if you have the craving for more.

Boots are #1, if you buy nothing else. Buy good boots for yourself. Skis, you should be safe with most any mountain ski. Unless you live in a place where you'll see lots of powder days. Then you may want something wider for a daily driver ski. As far as ski length, get something that is midrange for your height. I used to ski 200 cm skis back in the day. It was all about length back then. Not so much today, 170 cm is what I'm running now. Just don't go too short though. You'll out perform short skis quickly once you start learning. If you know how to ice skate, you should pick up skiing quickly, as well.

Or, you can be like me. I learned to ski as teenager and skied into my mid 20's. I then took a long break, like 13-14 years lol. I just picked skiing back up this season. I knew I wanted to get back into it though. I found a good deal on skis, bindings, and boots over Black Friday last year. I then demoed a pair of Black Crows Mirus Cors in February, and I ended up buying a pair with bindings a couple weeks ago lol. So, now I have two pairs of skis. I totally did not need the second set, but I'm enjoying myself. Money well spent, if you ask me...

Beginner equipment might be more comfortable, roomier, skis might be shorter or easier to turn, and less stable at high speeds. They may also be more oriented to groomer / on piste skiing

advanced might be the opposite. Tighter boots, potentially uncomfortable, stiffer. Skis could be a lot of things here, you’d probably be expected to explain what conditions you want to ski so that you can get a reasonably appropriate ski.

with rentals there’s also a lot of unknown. Even the top packages wont fit you as well as your own boots would.

W

Pre-book the intermediate. If, when you get there, you see the expert level stuff is what you really want, they're going to let you upgrade.

Have you not tried asking them though? Like "what skis and boots are available for each category this year?" It seems the obvious thing to do rather than asking people here who won't know.

If you go skiing every year, for the love of god, buy your own boots instead of renting.

In the alps, tonnes of experienced skiiers rent top spec skis every year, but every single one of them have their own boots.

I don't know how much "ungroomed" terrain US has, but european resorts have plenty of side slopes that are tracked out in a few hours after a snowfall. Unless you are lucky or in some familly resort.

We just don't get 1m of snow every week like you do so most people learned to ski what they can.

What? European resorts are mostly groomed? The whole alps is a free for all, anywhere you see without a piste pole is off piste. Literally ski as far as your eye can see at a resort with no one to pull your pass for ducking a “closed trail” rope

Off-piste in the North American sense, no. There is no distinction between off-piste and out of bounds for European resorts. That's why you see them measure in Kilometers of trails rather than acreage.

You’re fine with intermediate.

I think you need to be real about what you’re skiing and how much you really care.

If your goal is actually “do a little bit of everything and just have fun” (seems to be the vibe of your post), any of these would work.

If you think you’ll realistically do 1 of the 3 styles (groomer powder park) more than the others, the feedback could be more constructive.

Völkl Revolt 96

Et voilà!

Hello! (sorry for mistakes english isn’t my native language) I think the qst or prodigy are the right choice, you can’t really park on black crows and stockli. If you want to choose the prodigy, you should go with prodigy 2 or even prodigy 1 instead of prodigy 3 (the waist width might be too large for park)

I recommend you to check on snowleader.com, there are some huge sales right now

Je suis dans un cas similaire et j'ai fini par trouver un deal chez decathlon qui est pas mal interessant. 420 EUR pour des ski qui m'ont l'air tres polyvalent moin 130 EUR si les avoir en rose te derange pas (je les ai pris en rose men fout lol)

https://preview.redd.it/vvoljryne1ce1.png?width=1227&format=png&auto=webp&s=0923b28974ad93b19d372363840828612e64b89f

Check out there captis

Agree with the other poster who said you should start with boots fitted by an expert bootfitter. The right boots are more important than the right skis.

Tell them your budget so they know the constraints. I'd encourage you to visit multiple shops to find the fitter and boots that seem the best match for you (assuming there are shops in your area). If not, you might call around to the the shops where you ski, explain the situation, and ask if they think they'd still have decent stock from last year (and available at a corresponding discount) by the time you next go skiing. The best time for this would be at the start of the season.

If you tell us where you live/ski, we might be able to make recommendations.

No one here can advise you on particular models, since fit is paramount, and all shells fit differently. So you need to try boots on.

Once the boots are dialed, the next step would be to demo different skis to see which ones you like (and also find the right length).

You say that you have a low budget. But what is your budget, roundabout? I'm guessing that if your budget is 600 or less you should spend the money on a new pair of boots that are fit by a legit bootfitter. If we are talking $1000 in your budget, I would still go to a bootfitter and get some boots, maybe they will have some of last year's model that are new you could get fitted for. Depending on where you are, you might be able to rent some skis for the season ?

Depending on where you live Decathlon is a good option. They typically make their own stuff and sell 3 versions of everything: basic, medium and premium.

I might buy my skis elsewhere because I'm picky about them, but I'm not picky about base layers, ski pants, socks...

It’s July, so now is the time to buy. K2 formerly Full Tilt boots are really comfortable and easy to get on and off.

Shaggy skis are made in Michigan and great. You can get some great deals on mass produced skis right now.

Depending on your weight and DIN setting you can probably get some bindings that don’t break the bank. Marker Squires go up to a DIN of 11.

BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS. GET THE BEST YOU CAN AFFORD THAT ARE PROPERLY FITTED

Then you can rent to suit the conditions until you get some feel for the size and style of skis you like the best. Then look into buying a lightly used pair of last years model when this year's models are about to be released and Big sales are happening

The yellow ones because they give you two skis.

Joking aside, the top and bottom likely wont make a difference. The person at the ski hire will just ask you some questions when you are there. There will likely be minimal difference between skis 1 and 2.

I have been in rental stores and rented "intermediate/red level" skis and my mate "beginner/green level" and we have walked out with the same model skis.

Don't worry, just book something. Staff will ask questions about your level and will find boots that fit you. Almost guaranteed you will walk out of the shop with a different gear than what is on the screen.

I appreciate the use of the word 'deténte' in the sense of the first package.

Beginner setups are fine for 99% of the population.

Rent the middle one, I assume you can also do with the intermediate but if you feel you get confident again you can always go back and change them.

I always go with the “Demo Ski” for the fact I will get better boots. Being comfortable is my #1 Goal.

And yes, get the helmet 👍

My buddy was walking to the slopes, slipped on ice and fell backwards flat on his back hit his head. Lucky he had his helmet on.

Have a blast!

Anyone have an opinion on the enforcer 104 free vs Fischer ranger 102? Deciding between these two skis and would love some input on the differences.

Honest question - why the hate on the bent 100s? Admittedly, I bought some this year for my first new sticks in a while but I actually did like their feel when I demo’d last year. r/skiing seems to love them but r/skigear seems to hate them. Why the difference and take on opinions? Again, no flame. Asking for honest opinions.

@u/djgooch

Why did you choose the Rustler 11 vs the Enforcer free 110? Why did you not write more reviews about the 110? Out in BC here and I just picked up the 110 for my resort ski (1/3 of my quiver) in Fernie for the better part of the season.

Oh man, I bit the bullet this year and went for the Nordica Enforcer 100. Hoping it matches your 104 review!!

Thanks for this!!

Very true. In all seriousness thank you very much for doing this!! Really appreciate the time and thought that went into it.

Video starts at about 60 seconds in, for anyone else interested on just getting into the topic.

I think you provide good points, I definitely agree that boots/proper clothing/helmet are all the most vital parts of having a good ski day. You mentioned that people might perceive wearing a helmet as nerdy. I don't really think that's the case anymore. I would say about 99% of people skiing where I live are wearing helmets. That perception has really changed over the years. You can get away with crappy goggles and I'll even ski with sunglasses on nice days. Getting a jack of all trades all mountain ski as a first ski is probably the best bet, can always add more to the quiver that specializes as a skier finds what they really enjoy from a ski and from the sport.

Bindings are probably the least important piece of gear for most people. I have a feeling I'll get blasted for that comment on here, but a large majority of skiers I see do not need the bindings they ride. There are few skiers who need an Attack 17, Pivot 15/18, STH 16s etc. I understand some people really value the metal toe pieces or higher build quality, I get it, but most people with that gear aren't realistically skiing anywhere near hard enough to even worry about blowing out a toe binding or anything like that. Obviously it's your money, spend it out how you like, and if having that nice binding, overkill or not, makes you like skiing more than that's great. I doubt most people on here would even really be able to notice the difference in bindings if they went from one ski to another same ski with a different binding.

I’d argue that nothing is “more” important than the other and they should all be working together. Let’s say its a pow day and you have a beginner or intermediate skier in great boots on rental skis vs bad boots and some like soul 7s or something easy to ski. They’re going to have way more fun on the soul 7s.

Also the hyper waterproof goretex that everyone needs to have isn’t necessary unless you’re skiing in wet snow and rain all the time.

tldw

Hey there,

I have been on a fair amount of ski trips and Therefore have written a guide on ski equipment. I’ll leave the link here: Skiing Equipment Guide

It might help in one way or another! Otherwise, I hope you have a splendid day🤩⛷️