Is there a Sheldon Brown of skiing?

[gillstone]

For reference, Sheldon Brown is the master of cycling knowledge who provides his technical expertise without charge on his fantastic website: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/

We went skiing with kids yesterday and they took to it like naturals and loved it.  We would like to keep doing it, but the upfront costs are steep (at least for mustachians).  When I started commuting by bike I relied on Sheldon Brown to sort out what was actually needed vs told I needed by a salesman.  Is there a similar living encyclopedia for skiing that will help in figuring out the best path to enjoying this without breaking the bank?

MOD NOTE: Merged duplicate topics.

[Miss Prim]

We are a skiing family and my kids started skiing at the age of 5.  We would pick up skis and boots at ski swaps, garage sales or in some instances when we couldn't find the right sizes, we would rent at the ski resorts.  Only when my kids were done growing in their late teens did we finally get them brand new stuff and it was one kid a year that got their stuff for Christmas.  We live in Michigan and we skied only in Mi. until they were in their teens and then we took one trip out west. 

Now, we only go up skiing once a year to a resort and we rent a house for all of us for the weekend.  My kids (30 and 34) still have their same equipment we bought them new.  My grandson went skiing for the first time last year and we just rented equipment for him. 

I don't know of a specific site, but you will need helmets, skis, boots, bindings and poles if they are older than 5 or 6 maybe.  The best place would be ski swaps if you have any in your area.  If you only go a few times a year, I would just consider renting gear.  Definitely invest in ski school or private lessons for them.  It is worth every penny! 

Skiing is not cheap, but it is very rewarding.  There is nothing like being out in the snow going down a hill!

                                                                                           Miss Prim

[dude]

There are some good forums out there for skiers where you can likely get some good advice, like these:

www.firsttracksonline.com

www.epicski.com

[StetsTerhune]

I've gotten lots of good info on the epicski forum, though there's also a lot of "gearhead" types on there, so you'll have to sort through that some. Just stop reading when anyone starts talking about their "quiver" of skis.

Seconding Miss Prim on Ski Swaps. I got my wife a full set of everything for about $300 at a ski swap last year, skis were demos but didn't look like they'd been used at all. For an adult I'd say get a good pair of all-mountain skis that's a year or two old, if you only ski on trail, they'll last forever. Fit is all that matters for boots, spend time finding cheap boots that fit well. Get the cheapest poles used poles you can find -- as far as I can tell there is no difference in utility between any kinds of poles. The clothing has gotten super expensive. Just don't buy "ski" clothing, go to Ace Hardware or Walmart somewhere cold. Someday someone will have to explain to me how "breathable" jackets are better than just unzipping the f*ing thing. I guess if you're skiing in a driving rain, "ski" clothing might be nice, otherwise you can manage your temperature pretty well with a zipper. Helmets are the only thing I'd only buy new, for obvious reasons.

 

[Northwestie]

Not that I'm aware of - but, particularly with kids, because they grow out boots/skis pretty quick, you can find used equipment pretty quick on Craigslist or on other local ski websites.

[use2betrix]

In regards to clothing (helmets, jackets, etc) if you look in the summer or really early in the season you can find last years stuff for like 50% off. good onto for like $50-$60, jackets for $100, helmets for $30-$40, etc.

I just did this and got new everything since we had nothing. Since we don't go a lot, it will all last a very long time. Made our recent ski trip much more enjoyable than my previous one wearing
Carharts lol.

[JLR]

Someday someone will have to explain to me how "breathable" jackets are better than just unzipping the f*ing thing. I guess if you're skiing in a driving rain, "ski" clothing might be nice, otherwise you can manage your temperature pretty well with a zipper.

I sometimes ski with my jacket unzipped, but prefer to do this only in nice weather. If I get my layers all wet and the day is nice it is bearable. It I fall over and get snow through all my layers in bad weather...yuck! Whilst you are sweating so much the moisture does warm up, it doesn't feel nice having that extra moisture in your clothes.

To the OP, do you live near the snow? Before moving to a snow area all the gear seemed totally out of reach to me. Now I live here I realise that it is just like baby gear - there are heaps of people wanting to get rid of their old stuff. Perhaps check out somewhere near the snow. I know here they do car boot sales, the rental places sell off ex-rental stuff (and will make the necessary adjustments for you), and when you talk to people they always have stuff in their garage they are happy to part with. Even thrift stores have oodles of gear.

[kimmarg]

I assume you mean alpine/downhill skiing with lifts? Cross country skiing is genrally pretty cheap - just buy skis.

For kids, look into seasonal equipment rental. They outgrow it so fast it really cost effective. Don't skimp on good waterproof/warm clothes. Cold kids are unhappy kids. Go to smaller mountains which are generally cheaper in addition to less overwhleming for little ones.

working or volunteering at a mountain part time is a great way to get free skiing but you'll need some skills so that's not a solution for this season.

[gillstone]

We live in the mountains and I can count a half dozen resorts of various sizes and lift prices within 3 hours of our house so there is a big second hand market in my area.  Hopefully we can find what we need at some swaps and on craigslist. 

Thank you!

[bognish]

Boots are the most important part of the kit. If you are going to spend money or ski alot, getting well fit new boots is a good investment. Good goggles would be next on my list. And don't buy used helmets for any sport.

If you live close to the mountain the end of March through April is a great time to buy gear from ski stores. Find stores that demo high end skis. Typically at the end of the season they will sell off current year models for a good price. Some stores will even let you reserve the ski you want to buy during the season for a little extra. This works great if it is a low volume store or in a bad snow year, since the demos won't have much use on them. I like this better than buying used on Craigslist, since the shop will typically tune the ski and fit them to your boot. Later in the spring and through the summer you can get some great deals on new gear if you happen to be close to a ski shop, but the options are obviously more limited.

Little kids do great on ski swap used gear or seasonal rentals. My kids use their regular winter clothes for skiing. If the conditions are bad enough to need fancy clothes they won't be having fun anyways so we stay home.

I have been skiing in army surplus wool pants since I was a broke college kid. For $15 they have lasted me 5-10 years per pair and I used to ski 50+ days a season in Colorado. The wool pants would get heavy and soggy in wet Tahoe snow, but still plenty warm. For 8 hours on a chairlift where you can warm up in a lodge or dry out at home you don't need fancy extreme clothes.

Eating bagels and bars in your pocket will save you money if you skip the lunch lodge, and a thermos of hot chocolate in the car for the end of the day warms the kids up and give a sugar boost to keep them happy on the drive home.

Have fun. Keep skiing until the mountains close at the end of the season. April is my favorite month of the year to ski, especially with kids. The days are long, usually much warmer, and the mountain is empty.

[KirstyB]

The ski shops here in Calgary offer a deal whereby of you buy the first set from them new (but not necessailry this season - they are happy to offload old stock) and then bring them back when they outgrow them, they will give you 50% off the next set. If you ski a ton of days in a season, then it works out pretty reasonably. Good gloves are my only other recommendation - cold, wet hands are a nightmare for kids, and can put them off completely.
re food, even if you buy hot food on the hill (as much to keep you warm as for the convenience) make sure to pack chocolate and other small snacks in your pockets as they can really add up. Some hills still sell you hot water too, so you can make your own hot chocolate / tea.

[hyla]

Unfortunately, there is not a Sheldon Brown.  Waxing skis and tuning edges is relatively simple, so if you are interested in learning how to maintain skis you can buy a file guide, a file, a diamond stone, some wax (the cheapest ski wax is fine), and an iron (I use an old clothes iron actually) and take care of your own gear.  I learned from a friend but I'm sure there are youtube videos out there. 

Of the things you need (skis, boots, bindings, poles) boots are the most important.  If you're budget is limited and you can only afford one nice thing, spend money on boots that are newer and fit really well, and buy older cheaper skis.  Ski boots that fit you should be very snug, not slip at all, and not rub weird in any places on your foot or calf.  Do not size up for comfort (as I saw many customers request when working in a rental shop) - you will not be comfortable if your feet are slipping around in your boot.  Get cheap used skis/bindings to start.  If you just started skiing, you may be improving fast and outgrowing short skis, and you don't really know what type of skiing you like to do and what ski shapes will work best for you, so just get used and cheap skis to start with.  As you ski more or your kids get bigger and are no longer outgrowing skis every year, then you might consider demoing a few different types of skis and upgrading to nicer skis.

You do need a helmet and googles, but if you already have winter coats and pants you can wear those, no need for ski specific clothes. 

[big_slacker]

I'm from Tahoe and was a snowboard bum till 30. All locals are broke. It generally goes like:

If you're serious about doing this long term get some tools and a basic bench to do your own tuning, waxing, etc. You'll get a TON more life out of your gear. Or find a buddy who does it and pay in beer. This makes used gear a lot more viable.

Skis/boards: Get a shitty/used one for early/late season where most damage occurs. This will get you more life out of your good stuff.

Boots/bindings: You just really want to makes sure all the ratchets and contact points are going to work. Comfort can be adjusted with extra socks. :D

Clothing: While some of the new ski specific tech clothing *IS* very nice and offers advantages all you really need to do is layer properly with cheap clothing that you can get from ross, marshalls or other discount places. When in doubt about conditions just bring more stuff and leave it in the bin in the back of your car.

Passes: Generally get a weekday pass cause it's cheaper and you don't want to ride with a bunch of gapers anyway. :)

Food and water: Bring your own, because no one should pay $15 for a costco burger.