newbi here

Ok, so I havent gone skiing in about 5 years, and I would really like to get back into it. I have always just used rental equiptment, and I think I would like to purchase my own stuff this year. I would appreciate any help I could get with this. I am looking for a good all around ski, I am a 6 foot tall rake of a man weighing in at 155 lbs. Any suggestions on ski length and such would be great thanks.

Joe

Skis have changed a lot in the last five years. There are some great all round skis that will keep you afloat in powder and carve like a slalom racer. Buying a pair on recomendation or by reading a few reviews is going to be a risky bussiness. You may need to update your ski skills as techniques have also changed.

A good idea might be to talk to the ski school at your destination, explain your expectations and see what they recommend you rent for a few update lessons. When you have tried some of the newer skis out, you could then buy in the sales at the end of the season (assuming you're just going on one ski trip).

You could buy your boots befor you go. That would be a great investment and a pair of well fitted boots would allow you to compare skis much better.

There are some recent threads on buying boots on this forum.

Hope that helps

Trencher

Boots are the key thing to buy - spend some time to understand the range of options and then spend even more time to get a pair properly fitted. Good, well-fitted, boots will last you longer than skis and are the essential purchase if you want to progress (and enjoy your skiing).

For skis, the benefits of owning are nowadays mainly related to being able to tune and service them (edges, waxing, etc.) yourself.

Unless you're spending the season in the mountains, the cost benefits of owning are marginal to non-existent. The budget airlines are all now charging hefty sums for ski/board carriage.

You can get good deals by pre-booking online, to bring the price down, which will also ensure there is a pair of whatevers waiting for you. Any good hire place will let you change equipment a couple of times in a week, to try something new or because the snow has changed, and most will service the gear mid-week foc if you ask too.

But if you really want to buy then, as Trencher says, do so at the end of the season, do your research first and don't buy without having ridden the ski first...

I have just bought my first new pair of ski boots today :D

Atomic M100s. I got them from Snow and Rock in Chertsey. They have a very good selection and the fitting process is excellent. As for the boots they were recommended by many people in the shop.

Next year i will be getting skis as i am doing a 11 week instructors course in Canada. The skis i have my eye on already are the K2 Apache Crossfires which are a great all mountain ski.