New skier, totally green

Good luck with the bikes. Skiing can be great fun and doesn't have to be dangerous but unless you have a ski teacher friend you do have to spend a little to start out with.

Thank you for your time. I see skis, boots, poles and bag on Craigslist for $20 in the very near future.

What a difference a little research can make. I see now, your point about alpine boots and cross country skis. I think I'll stick to downhill for now, as it's a workout for one as out of shape as myself. I finished yesterday thoroughly expended.

Yes, I'm on old straight skis. Laugh all you want, I know I did, but the shortest skis I could find were Rossignol LTDs with a woman's name engraved in them. I'm sure they'll do until I'm ready to upgrade to some newer equipment.

I gather that longer skis are suited for downhill and higher speed, not so much for turning. I'll keep my 190s for the distant future where I may want to try them, but in the meantime I'll stick with what I've got. They come up to my nose, which is a little longer than what I've been reading is best for beginners.

Does a couple inches really make that much difference? Turning sharp and stopping seem to be my only weak point thus far. The plow evades me every time, often the skis just cross and I'm glad I'm not moving very fast.