Skis are available in a great variety which can be confusing for a beginner. To help yourself decide what kind of gear you will need you can rent your skiing equipment.
Renting
Beginner skiers are better off renting their ski equipment for the first season. Buying a full set of skis, poles, and boots can be expensive. You need skiing experience to choose the appropriate equipment, but beginner skiers don’t have that experience.
In most ski resorts the rental shop staff are usually very helpful in choosing the appropriate equipment for every skier. They will take into account the current snow conditions, your height, weight, skiing ability and style. It’s important to know that they have no vested interest in pushing one brand over another — once you pay the rental fee you can choose any equipment in the shop.
They do have an interest in making your skiing experience as enjoyable as possible, however, so trust the advice they give you. If you enjoy your day of skiing, you are more likely to come back and rent from them again.
When you rent, you can try out various types of skis and boots to see what works best for you. For example, if you start out with short skis, try a slightly longer pair the next time. Don’t be afraid to experiment – how else are you to find out what you need?
Try skis which are made of different materials and skis from various manufacturers – this will be helpful when it’s time to buy your own equipment.
Buying
If you have a skiing season or two under your belt and you like to ski, you will likely want to buy your own equipment. Before going to the ski shop learn some of the skiing world terminology.
At the very least, you need to be familiar with the parts of the skis. You will be better able to explain the type of skis you are looking for. For example, you should know about the sidecut radius and how it affects turning performance. By the way, the larger the sidecut radius the broader the ski will turn.
Before buying the skis decide on the type of skiing – alpine, nordic, telemark, etc. Evaluate you skiing ability, measure your height and weight to determine the ski length. Also consider how you will use the skis. Are you going to use them off or on trail? Do you ski on groomed snow or powder? Are you more interested in speed or stability?
Since women have a different center of gravity and are lighter than men, they should buy specialized women’s skis made to compensate for this differences.
Just like in the rental shop, the staff in the ski shop will help you with your choice. Usually they are seasoned skiers who have first-hand experience with many of the skis they sell. Give them as many details about your skiing style and ability as possible and they will guide you toward a suitable pair.
The modern ski technology allows for designs where one pair can suit a variety of styles and conditions. You still need to use specialized skis for specific purposes, but beginner and intermediate skiers can benefit by getting a pair of skis that can be used almost anywhere. This allows you to try out different types of skiing as you progress.
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