So, after 20+ years of riding a snowboard we gave skiing a go. After 10 days or so on skis over the past two seasons we've decided we like it enough to buy some boots. We know where we're going to buy them from, but what buying tips do people have? We've bought enough snowboard boots to know if a boot fits well, but what other things should we be looking for in a boot and what things should we should avoid?
oohhhh, new boots, half price in the sales in Switzerland whilst on holiday....
http://www.scarpa.co.uk/ski/maestrale/
Very nice, I take it you do a bit of back country touring, [b]tragically1969[/b]
[b]bluebird[/b], that's the plan, wanted to get into touring ever since i started skiing, seemed rude not to at 50% less than i can buy them for here.
In terms of boots just put your feet in as many pairs as you can, get measured properly, get them fastened tight(ish) and see how they feel.
What fit's one person will cripple another as some boots have totally different lasts to others, but i guess you know that having used snowboard boots
Just make sure you use somebody who knows what they are doing and isn't just interested in making a sale as that's what they have i stock, i speak from experience on that particular one...
Who are you using ?
We got split boards a couple of seasons back and now try to get at least one day out of resort for every week we ride. We both love it, a totally different kind of day to riding in resort.
We're planning on using Fanatyk, or possibly George McConkey both in Whistler. We'll be there for a month so plenty of time to get any tweaking done. Fanatyk have a big range of brands and both are highly rated by locals as boot fitters.
igm - MemberLessons is awsumz, no matter what level you're at!
Skier
I've done 3 seasons and countless holidays and I know I could definitely benefit from some lessons. Anyone can, whatever level you get to, you will have picked up some bad techniques or at least be able to do things better.
@bluebird - no surprising advice, just something midrange and comfortable. Make sure you try the boots with the socks you'll be wearing. Getting moulded in-soles can be worthwhile, I have had boots with and without (currently).
Agreed with @tragically too, despite having 20 years "experience" I bought some heavily discounted boots on sale and struggled with them for 5 years as they never really fitted.
Awesome night at Chill Factors tonight......full slope freestyle.....I went off 6 different features and nailed some more board slides. Just got to do a grab off a kicker within the next few weeks and I'll have nailed all of my targets for the summer!
🙂
Newbie to the ski thread (but not to skiing). Has anyone on here used the direct ski train from London to Mounties or Bourg? Was it a lot easier than flying?
Specifically looking to cut down on travel time (and airport time) by leaving Friday night from London, returning for Sunday morning for work on the Monday
i didn't notice cabins on the snow train website- so I guess it's just like a plane where they turn the lights out and you get an average amount of alcohol induced coma?
Cost wise it looks similar for 2 of us 280 return for mid January, with an extra day ish on the slopes!
Have a look at www.snowcarbon.co.uk - it has loads of info on ski trains. A combo of Eurostar and Corea Luna would give you a bed for the night rather than trying to sleep in a seat.
Ladies and gents. Any tips on brands of jackets which tend to have high collars? I'm trying to find something to keep me cosy on the lifts.
Interesting site that Wallop, bookmarked ffr 🙂
@alwillis Not used the snowtrain myself but loads of our guests have. As a rule of thumb if you are in or around the M25 then it is a similar overall travel time on the direct train to Moutiers/Bourg as flying (assuming a drive to an airport, check in 2hrs before departure, a wait for luggage then a 2 hour transfer to resort). Our guests have said that sleep can be difficult especially if some of your fellow travellers are on the vino.
The direct train gets to Moutiers at 620 ish I think. We tell our guests to grab some food from a cafe opposite the station then collect them at 730. If you do use the snowtrain keep in mind that the previous week's guests will still be around so make sure the chalet/hotel you are staying at has secure storage for your luggage and a place to get changed in. Also if you are hiring kit make sure that you can get an early fitting at the chalet if the company offers a mobile fitting service (someone like SlideCandy in Meribel) so that you can maximise the time on the slopes.
Saturday skiing tends to be much quieter as the majority of the resort will be on changeover so you can get a good day in at either end of your holiday.
Ladies and gents. Any tips on brands of jackets which tend to have high collars? I'm trying to find something to keep me cosy on the lifts.
My Eider (Shell, plain black. Called a Tahoe, IIRC) has a pretty dammned good collar, goes up to the back of my helmet. Combined with a high necked base layer and a buff, it's been great in most conditions. To date, have only ever needed to wear a base layer and a midweight fleece underneath it.
What sort of jacket are you after, though?
@wallop and meribelmtb thank you, great info there! I'm only a couple of miles from st pancras so it looks like a really good option to me (Saturday skiing is indeed excellent from experience)
What sort of jacket are you after, though?
Not sure yet. I'm thinking of going for a shell, instead of a down jacket, as my skiing thus far has tended to include a cold week in France and a warm week in Austria. A shell would give me flexibility to adjust layers for temperature I think.
Just catching up on this thread a saw this from last week sometime:
meames - Member..I'm competent on a snowboard having done 3 trips thus far and comfortable on black / off piste terrain...
Now I know I'm not exactly a body-natural rad-to-the-max type - but I've been snowboarding since the mid 90's and probably done at least 25 weeks abroad by now in Europe, America and Canada.
And I wouldn't say I was [i]"comfortable on black / off piste terrain"[/i] 😯
I mean I do off-piste runs through some fairly tight forest in Slovakia - but it's bum-clenching stuff, [i]comfortable[/i] isn't a word I'd use!
Am I just crap? Should I take up something more sedate, like dominoes?
Wallop, shells are the only choice, IMHO. Layering means they work well in anything from blistering -20s to the lunacy of April in Serre Che in the heat, and the days when you have to seek out the shade to stay cool!
FWIW, I've always liked the look of Eider, stealthy not too Euro looking, and the performance of Schoffel. The latter, however, often go a little bit too lairy Euro/race stylee, though. Stuff like Arcetryx or Noronna always look a little too try-hard to me (Often worn by the ski equivalent of the Audi in the trail centre car park driver...)
I suppose budget (and of course colour!) are the next choices...! 🙂
Oh, and the first of my 2014 lust photos..
[img] 
[/img]
Week booked in Val d'Isere in March so looking forward to hitting some familiar runs across the Espace Killy. Would have preferred to be based in Tignes but its the same week at the X Games so accommodation difficult to get.
Thinking of buying some boots this year, and would ideally like to be able to get a second week in.
nice lust-worthyness up there^^
Have quite a few Schöffel bits of clothing, but all are from a couple of years back, and it just looks like "a red ski jacket", and "plain black salopettes". Hope the latest kit is not too much in your face, and "hey look at me". Better than what I had before (Columbia + Berghaus), and here, it's just normal ski clothing that's better than the cheap stuff, and cheaper than TNF and the posh brands.
But I do think it's time for a new jacket (unless the salopettes shrunk in the wash again 😉 in which case they'll need upgrading first). Have a €100 voucher to spend, and I think SportScheck accept them.
Only just saw this now! I'll be moving to Oz for at least a year, so not sure when I'll even see snow again 🙁 .
Give Thredbo a red hot go, Bruce!
[img] 
[/img]
Bruce? Hmmm that does look kinda tempting though. 🙂
Anyone getting new skis and or boots this season??! 😀
Anyone getting new skis and or boots this season??!
Looking at these I am... 👿
[URL= http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt219/takamush/image.jp g" target="_blank">
http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt219/takamush/image.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
Bit'o filler there taka, jobs a goodun!! What's the front of the ski like, make/model?
There rossignol bandits there a few years old now so could do with replacing at some point anyway the fronts have no damage at all I don't know how it's got that bad...
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-sports/23831270 ]Woodsy doing well again this season! [/url]
[img] 
[/img]
🙂
Whoop, have received confirmation that my Wife and I will be working in Chalet Amber in Morzine this coming winter.
http://snowytrees.com/chalet-amber
Mates rates? 🙂
Has anybody tried both skiing and boarding with a dodgy ankle?
My ankle is still knackered from 18 months ago and am torn between the two, I can probably ski better than I can board but turning right really hurts.
turning right really hurts.
You are Derek Zoolander, AICMFP.
Not sure which is best here, but a part of me would be thinking that the support provided by a well fitting ski boot would be an advantage for a knackered ankle. I suppose it's also about how said ankle was knackered and if lateral or vertical movements would be the more painful.
Either way, ski. It's betterer. 😉
CaptainFlashheart - Member
Mates rates?
Well It's not my company but I could probably sort 5 or 10% I expect.
Captain the ankle was knackered while skiing! I managed to break it on my first ever day.
It hurts to twist and it hurts to put a lot of pressure on it. Last season I was having to plow right and then do parallel left turns.
turning right really hurts
Go to the Dolomites and do the Sella Ronda.
Anti-clockwise. 😀
[img] 
[/img]
like
don't go that way with a board though, else you'll need to walk on the flat bit heading from selva to campitello
edit: which map is that one? it's upside down.
Nice idea Graham but I'm already booked for Morzine for the first week in Feb.
Speaking of which I saw this vid on facebook and quite liked it. Its a long one but looks fun.
easy - do the PdS loop anticlockwise 🙂
Second snow season in Carinthia, Austria for me. Season ticket goes on sale next week!
One of these arrived yesterday for my better half. Very nice.
Go to the Dolomites and do the Sella Ronda.
Stayed in Colfosco and skied there at the end of last summer. Beautiful mountains.
Beautiful mountains.
Yep - definitely one of the prettiest mountain ranges I've visited.
Fairly middling in terms of actual slopes though I found 😕
Fairly middling in terms of actual slopes though I found
Yes, I'd agree with that, but if cruising is your thing then it's a great back drop to stare at.
What is that bluebird? Loving the 2014 Burton boards....really fancy the new Hate....Mrs B will kill me though!
I imagine that's a Custom X
I still find that the wood overlay on an Arbor board can almost make me want to turn the dark side...
Yes, it's a Custom X, fantastic board. My wife's ridden them for years. I switched to one last season and love it.
Just bought some Head Titan skis. Demoes them in Val Thorens at the end of last season and didn't want to give them back. Now I'm itching for the season to start and it's only August.
Just bought some Head Titan skis.
Be careful, my new Titans got stolen in Verbier just this last season, they were the most recent model. Big demand for them on the 2nd hand market so I've been told.
I just want to warn other skiers that the ski thieves seem to be out there. I had a pair of new skis stolen at Verbier this last season, I never used to use a ski lock but I will from now on. Insurance didn't cover them as I wasn't looking at them at the time and didn't have them locked.
So I advise that everyone locks their skis up or pairs them up with someone else to we can try and avoid this happening to lots of other people.
Be careful, my new Titans got stolen in Verbier just this last season, they were the most recent model. Big demand for them on the 2nd hand market so I've been told.
As in, being stolen to order? Crikey!
Still reckon there needs to be a better way of keeping your skis secure when having lunch/etc. My normal lunch spot has the benefit of being in the sunshine, and I can always see my skis from where I sit.
[img] 
[/img]
Ski racks now tend to be on the right of the pic, just at the bottom of the stairs.
Anyone using a cable lock or similar? Some kind of skinny cable a la cafe bike stop lock might work, but it's just one more thing to carry...
Hmm. Must be a solution out there.
As in, being stolen to order? Crikey!
That's the impression I got from talking to some of the staff from Altitude ski school who were on the same course as me. Seems quite sickening...
Have a skinny cable lock, but that's just to keep insurance guys happy. And I'm assuming that cutting a cable counts as "forcibly removed".
Chunkier coiled up cable locks go rather stiff in the cold.
If not to order, I guess they just look for popular ones. If you don't have a lock, at the very least separate your skis.
I think I will get a lock this year.
we always split skis and lock them up to something secure. wherever possible keeping them in view.
nobody would steal my skis though, they're old and probably on their last legs 🙁
Madness, though, isn't it? When stopping for a bacon sarnie somewhere like CYB or Glyncorrwg, we'll either sit with our bikes, or put them away first. But, when skiing, we just leave our skis lying around and head in for a beer or two.
Given that skis can, and do, cost the same as some bikes these days, is it any wonder people are stealing them?
[b]I_Ache[/b] - Member
Has anybody tried both skiing and boarding with a dodgy ankle?My ankle is still knackered from 18 months ago and am torn between the two, I can probably ski better than I can board but turning right really hurts.
Have you tried a "wobble board" - I have been using one for my knee rehab and they are recommended for ankle injuries too. I will buy one as it's easy to use at home every day
By the way was "torn" supposed to be a joke 😉
Always use a board lock. They're pretty skinny but might be enough to deter the sneak thief.
I've just checked, and I didn't post pics of this in the 2012 thread.
New board. Never ridden, but I demo'd one. Flippin amazing fun. 😀
clicky bigger, nice understated graphics, the backround grey design on black is just sanded/etched finished rather than polished.
[url= http://www.addicted.fr/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/d/1/d1-5_5-black-plus_1.jp g" target="_blank">
http://www.addicted.fr/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/d/1/d1-5_5-black-plus_1.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
ZOMG!!!! Just booked up my first ever mountain holiday....going to La Plagne Feb half term....one is rather excitable this evening!
woo!
Back to the skis being stolen thing though, I'd urge everyone to either get a lock or split them with someone else. Mine were stolen in Verbier of all places, thought it would be safer there.
Do boards get stolen much?
Maybe a lot less bikes get stolen compared to skis, relatively speaking?
Tom B - Member
ZOMG!!!! Just booked up my first ever mountain holiday....going to La Plagne Feb half term....one is rather excitable this evening!
[img] 
[/img]
🙂 Cheers chaps....I'd like to say that I have calmed down, but if anything I'm more excited now that I've realised that goggles are now a 'must buy'.
I'm more excited now that I've realised that goggles are now a 'must buy'.
Fire up the shopomatic!
Be sure to try them with your helmet, to make sure they work together. Far more important with a ski helmet/goggle interface than bike/sunnies.
Do boards get stolen much?
Never happened to anyone I've snowboarded with and we used to frequently leave them sitting unlocked outside an après bar till the small hours. Only incident I can remember was someone's rental board going missing and another rental board that looked almost identical being left on an adjacent rack. 😆 (easily sorted out at the hire shop)
That said I've also watched in horror as some numpty crashed into a pile of gear outside a restaurant and sent a board flying off down the slope. Away it went, picking up a fair bit of speed, till it got to the bottom and launched itself off the edge and deep into the woods below!
I sometimes wonder if said numpty hung around to explain to the owner where their precious board had gone.
^^smooth!
Friends have had skis nicked. One guy was loaned a pair by the restaurant to get back home. Other had skis nicked from outside the restaurant, right next to the bus stop in Tignes.
I very rarely leave skis or stop at restaurants by top stations of gondolas, cable cars, or bus stops.
In 4 seasons we've only ever had one guest have a board nicked from the slopes and no skis. The board got left out of sight in a whiteout while the guy went for lunch.
We carry a cheap cable bike lock to secure boards but at the end of the day it is only a deterrent. If some one wants the board the can just undo the bindings and scarlet but it stops your casual twokker. Always tell guests to split and mix skis.
Well I've worked 3 seasons and had quite a few holidays so have heard of a fair few robberies. More skis than boards but both have gone. The worst was Les Deux Alpes, my mum had her boots nicked from the ski locker below her hotel! Also a guy I worked with had 1 pair of skis nicked from the ski locker, and a 2nd hand board he had bought nicked from there too. The wierd thing is that they walked all the way to the back of the locker to get his board (which was quite beaten up), past mine, and past another really top end board. The same guy had 2 sets of skis nicked whilst up the mountain. We all had Professor Messer names, his was Professor Messer It's been nicked.
2nd place for thievery was Tignes. Quite a few mates had stuff nicked from outside bars, on and off the mountain. Mostly snowboards that season.
3rd place was Meribel. I don't think any freinds actually had anything stolen but 3 or 4 of the guests did up the mountain. I was chatting to a guy there who ran a bar up the mountain and he said quite often at the end of the day there would be a few sets of rental skis left. He would call up the company and they would have been stolen in the morning, and then left at his restaurant when the fu€kers had found some really good skis to nick. Easy pickings.
I am not saying these resorts are any better or worse than other, these were just my experiences on a few different seasons. I'm sure It's different every year.
its not just outside/inside buildings either.
my friend had hers taken from the outside of a ski bus. she ended up with a horrible old pair when she alighted to lift hers off at her stop.
Had one board stolen a few years back, only one in fifteen+ years of riding. Insurance paid up as it was locked with one of those retractable wire combination locks. Apparently there'd been a spate of high end kit being stolen to order. Always use a lock now just to be on the safe side.
Tignes seams to be popping up quite a bit. I had some friends who had their 5 boards stolen from their balcony whilst in Tignes 3 years ago. Yes it was silly to have them on the balcony but even when I saw the place, I thought the thieves must have had huge brass knecks. The balcony could be seen from miles around so they obviously weren't scared of being noticed.
I'm usually skiing with the other half who boards so I have one of those cable locks for us both. You could easily snip through it, but it I can see why it would put off the opportunistic.
Love the look of the new Bent Chetler!!! If only I was lucky enough to have these as my one quiver ski 🙁 .
[img] http://www.atomic.com/static/images/productfinder2013/zoom/AA0024894.jp g" target="_blank">http://www.atomic.com/static/images/productfinder2013/zoom/AA0024894.jp g"/> [/img]
Image doesn't seem to be copying properly. http://www.atomic.com/en/Products/Alpine/Ski/Powder/BENT_CHETLER/AA0024894.aspx?filter=
Those waterskis look ace!
One quiver ski? Not too sure, myself. Fine on the bigger stuff, but for a day cruising in the sunshine?
Oh a better way of putting it, if only I was lucky enough to have the right snow conditions every day to justify that as a one ski quiver!!! 😀 ..I'm sure they suck for carving in the sunshine.
Ah, right you are! In that case, crack on! 🙂
I'm glad I bought my Line Prophets the year I did, the new ones looks god awful imo, cheesy graphics... which seems to be a bit of a trend in skis these days!
Well movies seem to be dying out a bit in the mtb world but they seem to be going strong in the ski world! New Teton film...
I'm glad I bought my Line Prophets the year I did, the new ones looks god awful imo, cheesy graphics... which seems to be a bit of a trend in skis these days!
Not too keen on the Sir Franks this year, either....
As an aside, Snow&Rock website is currently down, which means only one thing - The [s]shopping[/s] season is upon us already! 🙂
Just sorting out 2013/2014 fun at the moment. So far it's looking like:
Lake Louise/Banff for start of Canadian season
Chamonix in early January and April
Alaska in March
Plus i've got a splitboard on order, so plenty of big mountain days in Scotland all season.
I bloody love winter!