That’s why I carry some rub on wax and a diamond file. It’s embarassing if someone paying nearly $700 for a day of lessons with you then has problems with their rental/own kit. I would also do a free hand tune for clients, or if their base was not flat help them to get a good deal with a shop tune. Even skis tuned properly could have the wrong wax for the conditions that day.

someone paying nearly $700 for a day of lessons with you

Have I read that correctly? Do you mean a week?

Edit (is that Canadian dollars?)

You’ve read it correctly and all dollars are worth about the same these days.

$700 a day? Holycrapola! For that, I’d expect you to ski for me! And open my beer in the evening!

😉

I’ve had some great instructors in the past, but for $700 a DAY you had better be able to make me ski like Doug Coombs!

Fair enough – everyone has to earn a living 🙂

Is there a helicopter involved?

That money goes straight into Vail Resorts pockets. Most instructors will make less than $15ph for that day.

edit – lift pass is extra!

Pretty good DIY guide here too:
http://www.jonsskituning.co.uk/content/category/5/14/34/

It’s embarassing if someone paying nearly $700 for a day of lessons

Are you an ISTD or similar?

I have a pair of K2 Apache Recons which are a few years old they get used on piste. The new K2 charger is similar but has rocker technology and they are good.

Last year I treated myself to a new pair of powder skis and bought some Line “Sir Francis Bacons” they are 115mm under foot but are not too deadly edge to edge on piste and they are awesome off piste.

I am about 13.5stone 5’11 and I am an OK skier not brilliant but not crap. I used to ski about 5 weeks a year then I did a season in Val D’isere 2 years ago where I got in 90 days skiing.

I am quite happy with the above skis.

The assumption on this thread seems to be that off-piste means powder or soft snow. Over a typical winter that’s far from the case. You’re as likely to find glassy, hard conditions as fresh powder and hard crusted snow is common. On steep ice a 20-year-old pair of almost parallel Yetis will beat any modern parabolic ski for avoiding terminal velocity.

On hard wind-blown snow with patches of soft deposits a GS ski is a better option than floppy wide things that will scrabble for grip on steep hard ground. With the wide, parabolic designs you end up with the talon and spatule (heel and tip?) taking the load (and twisting horribly) whilst the patin (the bit under the boot) bounces uselessly in fresh air. Some very parabolic touring skis appeared a few years ago, frightened their users and have fallen from favour. Most of the people I ski with are back on skis with a GS profile.

Edukator who did you work for in Val ?

Ski Love, La Daille.

Edit, that was in 87, I’ve just Googled it and it no longer seems to exist.

That most have been a fair few years ago ?

LOL pass in the post 🙂

some good advice so far …

as a recreational skier don’t get dragged into too wide a ski ( ie 100mm waist plus ) not so great on ice unless you have good technique, also rocker is a friend is soft snow but cuts down the contact in the ice

for the record a few skis i like, volkl kendo, scott mission , fischer watea ( scott / fisher same ski under the skin )

k2 skis are nice, poppy and fun (we have 2 sets in the house )

like bikes demo days are a great way to try before you buy, most euro ski shops have demo stations and nearly all the shops sell the rental kit at the end of the season so can be the bargain of the year if you time it right

@micheal – that’s the going rate at Breckenridge and for that, if you don’t request your instructor, you could potentially end up with someone uncertified.

@bunnyhop – I heliskied in NZ for 6 lifts and that worked out cheaper than a one day private lesson at Breck.

Cheers Gravity. I spotted lots of recommendations for him on Snowheads & he seems to have a very good rep. As he’s pretty close I think I’ll be using him rather than the DIY route.

Edukator without being rude your coming across a bit anal with all your Ski set up 🙂 workman always blames his tools and all that….

Hire skis are fine, ok the edges can be a bit crap but that can be sorted in 5 mins with a file. I wouldn’t have a clue what edge angle I get them too but it does work, and besides depending on the ski and the conditions, depends what and where should be blunt or Sharp. I agree that hired skis don’t always get the best wax, but I just take them back and get them re done if needs be. I’ve never had a bad hire ski since I stopped racing and hence started hiring.

Edukator – Member
The assumption on this thread seems to be that off-piste means powder or soft snow. Over a typical winter that’s far from the case. You’re as likely to find glassy, hard conditions as fresh powder and hard crusted snow is common. On steep ice a 20-year-old pair of almost parallel Yetis will beat any modern parabolic ski for avoiding terminal velocity.

You forgot to mention the death cookies! 😯 🙂

True out of all weeks I’ve been skiing I’ve had very few powder days, i can probably cound those on one hand. Most of the time its icey, cruddy and just generally cut up from everyone elses tracks. Still beats skiing on piste for me though! I only like on piste if its quiet really.

Well, FunkyDunk, my wife is one of the work(wo)men that use the tools I prepare and she won the French winter triathlon championship on X-C skis I prepared. My son races downhill and has competed in the French championship though is still a long way off winning it. I can’t claim great things for myself unless you count age group wins and 6th scratch. We usually manage at least one podium a year when skiing as a team in ski-alpinisme races.

So give a good work(wo)man good tools and (s)he’ll do a good job. Maybe if you’d had better prepared skis… .

grinds the edges (ask for 0.5°/89° if the machine can be adjusted)

As an ex-ski tuner all i can say is the only ski that will turn properly is a non-railed, base filed ski. Don’t EVER put edge high skis through a stone. The stone is only there to add structure to the base (think grooves), structuring edges is a very bad thing. If the ski is also edge high it will not turn over very easily and your edge bevel angle will make no difference. Having taught for years (and yes I am qualified), and also taught instructors you can make a ‘non’ skier actually learn properly on well prepared skis. Flat base (hand file it), stone, edge file and bevel, clean, wax. Done. Unless you damage the base you shoudl be able to keep them flat quite easily from there. I used to go through 2 pairs of skis a season working 6 days a week and skiing 7 for around 43 weeks a year.

Rossignol S86s seem to have had good reviews for being to do anything, eg:

http://www.epicski.com/products/2011-rossignol-s86-freeride-ski/reviews/1637

strangley it has been discontinued and there is no direct replacment – maybe rossi didn’t want to see a do-everything ski as that might reduce ski sales.

There are still some knocking about.

The Sultan 85 also seems to have good reviews although not quite so much as a do-everything ski.

I wanted to replace my Bandits and took a punt on the S86s as I have always liked Rossi skis, and nearly always disliked Salomon skis.

Edukator – I was hoping this wouldnt decend in to willy waving but I guess I’ll join in… 🙂

I only raced to International standard, and never did that great, however I did hold a FIS licence for 3 years. I also in my time have been a qualified instructor as well. I also spent alot of time with the Bell brothers when I was younger (ok they were not that great either).

IMO and experience the initial prep of a base can make a difference if your racing, but then you need multiple sets of skis to get skis for the right conditions. All the top races would have technicians to do this form them, but come race day the edges would always be fininshed by hand with an edge file dependant on the conditions.

For average Joe Bloggs there is no need whatsoever to get so detailed about base grinds and how to sharpen an edge. Also XC skis are in no way remotely like DH skis.

Although modern skis have made life easier for average skiers, they do unfortunately now make people think they need more than 1 set of skis to get down stuff, I guess like mountain bikes.

Everyone is different but these days I like a de tuned type GS ski, so its not hard work all day, can be used very easily off piste in any condition but will still be ok on ice and piste.

Can I just chip in to say that I am a very average skier but do enjoy it?

I’m particularly fond of the peach or black cherry ones.

I think I may be a little better than average – maybe an expert-average, or advanced-intermediate-average?

Hopefully not average-dd (double-dose)

😆

@deepreddave – lol

A good thread but can we keep it light?

Where are you going to ski CFH…?
Considering you won’t buy the same skis for different resort/region, I would choose carefully.
If you’re going around here, I can point you toward the best skiman around.

🙂 @ yoghurt!
juan, most likely going to be based at Serre Che, possibly other Alpine spots, but hoping to get out to Japan next year (assuming work are paying for flights! 😉 )

There is only one more to add to this willy waving contest and the STW ski team is complete!

well are you driving/flying to serre che?
Can you stretch to Nice? There is someone you may want to talk to 😉

Waxing and base preparation of skate X-C and downhill skis is identical. The French squads in three disciples have combined their efforts on base preparation which goes some way to expalin the excellent result across biathlon, downhill and X-C. They took their own machine with them to the Olympics.

It’s a ski thread, it was bound to end in willy waving, go back to my first quote on ski preparation a few pages back and you xon’t go far wrong if you want your ski to be performant and easy to ski.

Have you seen the latest machines NZCol. The old Wintersteiger that just gave a flat base with two possible finishes is a thing of the past. Why would you want an “edge high ski”. Edge high is considered a defect solved by grinding the base then dropping the edges by between .5 and 1.5° and then sharpening to taste. Always put edge-high skis through a stone, or bin them.

Unless you holidaying a whole bunch just rent your skis and look for a higher performance rental.
Most resorts (certainly North America) will rent the latest and greatest ski’s.

Invest only in a well fitting boot that will last you for 10 years. A set of skis will be out dated and the next fun concept will be out next year.
Plus, if you buy a groomer ski and get a big snow day, you’re stuck with what you have. At least with rentals you can go and swap out your groomer ski for a pow cheater ski and have a blast!

Only 1 week a year and there’s no chance you’ll get any continuity anyway of your own skis, so you may as well let some one else do the service, storage and not have to bother travelling with them.

/2c

Just found this and, as by far the best skier here, thought I’d chip in

Unfortunately, too much sense has already been talked. I’ve used hire skis for years now and It’ll be a long time before I consider buying skis again, now that I’ve ceased dominating the world cup circuit.

(anyone want a pair of salomon x-mountains ? PR8 I think, mismatched bindings, hand-serviced by the greatest living technician)

So which one of you lot are going to tell us you are also better than Danny Hart? 🙄

Danny who?

There are rumours that Chemmy Alcott is going to be on Strictly come dancing this weekend. Shame it’s not Aksel Lund Svindal. Swoon.

Julia Mancuso!!

I do believe that Julia and Aksel are a couple.