[Sandwich]

So pretty basically I went skiing this weekend and had fun. I rented some gear and it was alright but my biggest problem has always been finding a pair of boots that were responsive but not too tight.

Anyways, I'm thinking of digging out my old gear from my folks in VA and I don't know if it's complete garbage or mostly garbage. I don't ski often and probably never will, but I never had a problem with these in the past...

http://atlanta.ebayclassifieds.com/sporting-goods/atlanta/elan-downhill-skis-183-marker-m31-bindings-with-poles/?ad=8871876

Are they any good? Am I better attaching them to the bottom of a bike somewhere? What exactly do I have?

 

[TN]

not sure....but I am thinking if you had some skis with a little more side cut turns might be a little easier on the hill.

if you don't ski often & you feel good on 'em why not use 'em?

you could always make a shot-ski outta one.

 

[Silver]

Those are crap.

 

[HAB]

Those are crap.

 

[bean]

Buy boots. Demo skis. Unless you're skiing pretty frequently, I don't think it's a good idea to buy skis.

 

[Sandwich]

Compared to modern tech (duh) or compared to old ass schit?

Buy boots. Demo skis. Unless you're skiing pretty frequently, I don't think it's a good idea to buy skis.

That sounds like a good idea. Has boot tech changed that much? Someday I'd love to be an active skier again...

 

[RUFUS]

Has boot tech changed that much? Someday I'd love to be an active skier again...

You have no idea.

 

[Silver]

Those were crap when they were brand new

Early cap skis...blech.

 

[Sandwich]

Those were crap when they were brand new

Early cap skis...blech.

do you have any resources where I can learn? I mostly just want to know what I have. It's unlikely that I'll ever be active enough to warrant brand new planks, but I'm a tech spaz and would love to know what i grew up on.

 

[maddog17]

those ski's were crap. new ski's are ok with pricing. shop end or beginning of season for better deals. boots have gotten better. if you're planning on getting new gear my suggestion i always put to my customers is to spend the money on the boots. depending on your ability, you'll have anywhere from 5-10 pairs of ski's to choose from. get fitted by an expert boot fitter. personal experience suggests that a lot of people always bitch about their boots not fitting right, so it makes perfect sense to seek out a good boot fitter and get a proper fit. keep an eye on local mtn's too to see when they have demo days for ski's.

 

[I Are Baboon]

Those look like straight skis...I can't view the larger pics. Nobody uses straight skis anymore except old skiers who are too cheap to upgrade their prehistoric equipment. I'm not even sure you can buy them anymore unless you buy XC skis. Everyone uses shaped skis nowadays.

 

[narlus]

well, they are on sale for $40...

 

[w00dy]

Have I got some boots for you...

 

[brungeman]

Yo sandy, even the entry to intermediate equipment at a ski shop would be better than that technology!
one thing that has to be said, skiing is dangerous, and there are safety checks made by the shop every time you have work done on bindings etc. there is a thing called indemnification, and an indemnification list (which basically tells the shops they cant even work on the bindings after a certain point because they could be worn out or defective by this point in time).

If you buy used, make sure the bindings and boots are on the list and can be serviced for years to come!

rental=problems getting used to different equipment every time you go out.
get a nice set of intermediate ski's and a set of "Mid" or "front" entry boots (do they even call them mid entry anymore?) they will transfer your effort into the ski!

good luck.

 

[Sandwich]

Have I got some boots for you...

ooh, does toe fungus make you go faster?

Yo sandy, even the entry to intermediate equipment at a ski shop would be better than that technology!
one thing that has to be said, skiing is dangerous, and there are safety checks made by the shop every time you have work done on bindings etc. there is a thing called indemnification, and an indemnification list (which basically tells the shops they cant even work on the bindings after a certain point because they could be worn out or defective by this point in time).

If you buy used, make sure the bindings and boots are on the list and can be serviced for years to come!

rental=problems getting used to different equipment every time you go out.
get a nice set of intermediate ski's and a set of "Mid" or "front" entry boots (do they even call them mid entry anymore?) they will transfer your effort into the ski!

good luck.

true...one thing to note is that these are my skis, I am not buying them, just digging them out of the garage and wondering if they have any life left in them so I don't have to rent the two times I'm going skiing a year. Maybe I'll see about buying a decent pair of boots to keep around and rent skis (have my own poles too- woot) but I'm just trying to collect info on what I've got since I can't find ANY info ANYWHERE....

 

[MMike]

If you have skis that are still in one piece, then they will work....but maybe not as well as you'd like. (Unless the bindings have rusted solid....but I've never actually heard of that happening.

But just like bikes. If you're not picky, crappy skis will not prevent you from skiing.

 

[Mr.Bishop]

If you have skis that are still in one piece, then they will work....but maybe not as well as you'd like. (Unless the bindings have rusted solid....but I've never actually heard of that happening.

But just like bikes. If you're not picky, crappy skis will not prevent you from skiing.

Very true...

However, the biggest thing with ski technology that is different between then and now is that new skis/boots are way more FUN. Skis are about a billion times easier to turn, lighter, more stable, grippier on ice. Boots are comfortable, softer, lighter and get better performance.

A good boot is important like nothing else. Buy brand new boots, spend up to $150 on custom insoles and go to a pro boot fitter. You will love the sport more.

As for skis, consider buying used or slightly older equipment. The cost of rentals are so high these days, that if you even ski a few times per season, you'll pay off the cost of skis from two years ago in no time. Do get yourself some nice new shaped skis, and proper bindings.

Those bindings might work, but if you get in a slow-twisting fall trust me they won't release as smoothly as a nice new pair. However, the slightly older model knees you are now sporting vs. when those bindings were new definitely have the chance of performing a full ligament release.

You can get great deals on gear online. Buy boots brand new, but then just shop online for skis, poles and bindings.

http://www.steepandcheap.com/ - amazing for the deal of the day. Watch it close and great stuff pops up.

http://www.backcountry.com/ - these guys have massive sales two or three times per year where you can get older equipment. Watch it close and you can get insane deals. I think there is a big spring one coming up fairly soon.

http://www.skitheeast.net/submissions/posts/693710 - Good classifieds

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=3 - More of a RM-type comunity, there are deals on gear that pop up there from time to time

http://newschoolers.com/ns/forums/forumthreads/cat_id/8/ - Like Pinkbike for skiing... if you want some of the twin-tip gear this is a great place.

 

[Pegboy]

Those skis are straight and were pretty low end to begin with. Think of it this way; remember when DH bikes were all about the amount of travel you had and weight was not an issue? Those bikes were fine for going in a straight line but as things became more technical and you actually needed to change direction... things became labored. Same with skis. Straight skis are fine for going...straight and/or sliding around on but something with some sidecut (they measure this in radius) is going to open up a different world to most people. Carving edge to edge, which may not be in your immediate future, is nearly impossible on those skis and if you get into the crud or non-groomed, those skis will sink instead of float. This actually puts more strain on your body (knees) as you torque around trying to turn. There's plenty more, but that is the basic. If you buy skis, which you can find for 2-$300 at ski swaps for high end models, look for something that's around 80mm under foot and 125mm in the tip and no longer than 176cm. This would be a good fun all mountain New England ski with somewhere around a 15m radius (give or take). Geometry, just like on a DH bike, makes a big difference.

Boots-probably more important than skis because that is where comfort and control come into play. You should be at least 1 size lower than your shoe size (2 if your a racer boy). Sizing is simple but not like shoes. You will see sizes like 27, 28 etc. The easiest way to translate this is to add the two numbers. Ex.- 27 is 2+7=9 shoe size which would be good if you are a size 10 street shoe, 28- 2+8=10 Again, you want to be under your street shoe by one size, so a 28 would be good if you're a size 11. Boots come in different flex patterns which are indicated by a number just like tire durometers. The difference is that the higher the number (the stiffer the boot), the higher the performance, but you have to have the ability to make these work. As an intermediate, you probably want around a 100-110 flex pattern. (For reference, WC guys ski 150-160 and gapers and most rentals are probably 90 or less). If you buy, I would look at Nordica as they seem to fit a lot of people with minimum custom work. Check out the Nordica Hot Rods or Speed Machines. www.nordica.com.

I think I've reached my typing max for one post....good luck and yes, equipment makes a big difference.

EDIT** Most shops will not even work on those skis, especially the bindings because after a certain number of years they are deemed a liabilty and will not release properly.

 

[Sandwich]

thanks for the tips and links. I'll check out the skis this weekend hopefully and maybe look into boots. It does look like I can pick up a used pair for about $100, and maybe even a new pair for around there...though I'd really not like to throw more cash at a sport I don't do that often....still trying to rebuild my sunday and build up my road bike...plus get married...so yeah.

 

[Silver]

do you have any resources where I can learn? I mostly just want to know what I have. It's unlikely that I'll ever be active enough to warrant brand new planks, but I'm a tech spaz and would love to know what i grew up on.

I haven't skied in 10 years, but I did quite a bit when those suckers were new. It was a dark era in ski technology.

 

[Sandwich]

hahaha, fair enough. Sometimes it's worth knowing where you came from. Hell, a top end schwinn homegrown from 98 would still be a pretty competitive hardtail MTB race frame, thought a bit dated...just wondering if my old skis were "cool sh.t" back in the day...

 

[SkaredShtles]

Nope. Those were never cool $hit.

K2 Extremes, on the other hand...

 

[Silver]

I had 7xks.

Remember the whole Scot Schmidt outfit? K2 Extremes, black and yellow North Face suits.

God, I sound old.

 

[BIGHITR]

I know a ton about this but it would be a book so I won't dump it here. If you want to PM me questions I can tell you what I know. I started skiing in 1976. I also have the long straight skis like yours and a new set of the arced skis. My straights are 200cm and the new ones are 168's. I can tell you there are pluses and minuses to both. But I won't bore everyone here with my knowledge of the sport. If you want more input, fire away any questions to me in a PM.

I've skied Snowbird Utah, Alta Utah, Park City Utah, Park West Utah, Solitude Utah, Brighton Utah, Deer Valley Utah, Keystone Colorado, Arapahoe Basin Colorado, Killington Vermont, Magic Mountain Vermont, Stratton Vermont, Hunter ICE I mean Mountain New York, and misc lousy ski resorts in PA.

What I will tell you though, if you use the old ones, GET THE BINDINGS CHECKED! Have them looked at to insure they release and the springs are not done on them. And boots, make sure you try them on in a store for fit. Buy GREAT fitting boots, and buy skis second. Trust me on that. Any questions, let me know, I'm glad to help you out. I can suggest where to get them and what kind etc. But I'd need to know more of what type of terrain and ability you are.

 

[Sandwich]

Cool dude. Yeah I used to ski like religion but on a small mountain. I don't think I was ever "good" but I had fun doing it. I don't think the skis I had are quite straight but they don't have the radical sidecut the new ones do, that's for sure. I remember the tips being relatively fat and the center being narrower. The description says "82mm at the front, 62mm at the waist, and 72mm at the back". I'll confirm this weekend, my folks are bringing them up (yay).

One thing I did notice was that the newer (albeit very short) skis I rented didn't feel very stable at speed. They were great for linking turns but when the going got loooong and fast they seemed to get a little nervous.

 

[maddog17]

your older skis were probably parabolic's, the predecessors to todays shaped skis. one thing on the bindings, if they are older than 7 years you may find shops won't want to work on them because of the indemnification clause. bindings are fairly cheap for flat deck skis since most shaped are now coming with bindings because they are now "systems". there are now mounting plates that only accept a certain binding, like K2 only uses Marker. so if you like a Salomon binding your pretty much SOL for using a K2 system ski. also keep in mind that compared to what you have now, you'll be getting a shaped ski anywhere from 5-15cm SMALLER than what you have now. for around here, an intermediate skier would probably have a ski that comes up to the bridge of their nose, maybe a bit shorter.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

I still have a pair of these bad boys in my garage

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rossingnol-Skis-7S-Kevlar-Groupe-7-Marker-Bindings-/230581912776?pt=Skiing&hash=item35afc0c4c8#ht_500wt_1080

Alberto Tomba won olympic gold with the same ski! I can't bring myself to part with them so someone can make a nice chair out of them.

 

[SkaredShtles]

I had 7xks.

Remember the whole Scot Schmidt outfit? K2 Extremes, black and yellow North Face suits.

God, I sound old.

You ARE old, ya codger.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Cool dude. Yeah I used to ski like religion but on a small mountain. I don't think I was ever "good" but I had fun doing it. I don't think the skis I had are quite straight but they don't have the radical sidecut the new ones do, that's for sure. I remember the tips being relatively fat and the center being narrower. The description says "82mm at the front, 62mm at the waist, and 72mm at the back". I'll confirm this weekend, my folks are bringing them up (yay).

Almost no skis ever manufactured were *truly* "straight"... Elan was one of the manufacturers leading the curve into "shaped" skis. I had several pair of Elans in the early/mid-90's... they were good skis.

One thing I did notice was that the newer (albeit very short) skis I rented didn't feel very stable at speed. They were great for linking turns but when the going got loooong and fast they seemed to get a little nervous.

One thing about shaped skis - they tend to feel unstable when they are skied FLAT fast. Get them up on edge and go fast and they will RAIL. It's more fun to carve at mach looney than go flat anyways...

 

[SkaredShtles]

your older skis were probably parabolic's,

Nope. Those were the Elan SCXs and they were quite radically shaped.

bindings are fairly cheap for flat deck skis since most shaped are now coming with bindings because they are now "systems". there are now mounting plates that only accept a certain binding, like K2 only uses Marker. so if you like a Salomon binding your pretty much SOL for using a K2 system ski.

Do yourself a favor and NEVER buy a ski with a binding "system"... there is no need. Discourage manufacturers from continuing this nonsense.

 

[Sandwich]

Almost no skis ever manufactured were *truly* "straight"... Elan was one of the manufacturers leading the curve into "shaped" skis. I had several pair of Elans in the early/mid-90's... they were good skis.

One thing about shaped skis - they tend to feel unstable when they are skied FLAT fast. Get them up on edge and go fast and they will RAIL. It's more fun to carve at mach looney than go flat anyways...

True on the "straight" skis. I found a website last night that described the evolution of skis and mine are right in line with the "right before 'parabolic' shaped skis". I think I'll still give em a chance just because I used to have so much fun on them...but I'll check the bindings first.

I'm no Tony Hawk's Pro Skier 2.0 but the skis I were on liked tight short turns and occasionally I needed to coast through a flat/shallow spot to get where I was going...that's the only place I really thought I noticed any instability, but I'm certainly no expert.

Do yourself a favor and NEVER buy a ski with a binding "system"... there is no need. Discourage manufacturers from continuing this nonsense.

totally agree with this. I never got Burton's refusal to adopt what everybody else had, nor with Schwinn's obsession with the 22mm hayes mount, or etc. etc.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>
I'm no Tony Hawk's Pro Skier 2.0 but the skis I were on liked tight short turns and occasionally I needed to coast through a flat/shallow spot to get where I was going...

Yeah - try some longer skis. The "retardedly short ski" fad is starting to fade anyways...

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

You ARE old, ya codger.

You spelled cougar wrong.

 

[Sandwich]

Yeah - try some longer skis. The "retardedly short ski" fad is starting to fade anyways...

eh they were rentals. I wanted to go longer but maybe next time....still had fun.

 

[SkaredShtles]

eh they were rentals. I wanted to go longer but maybe next time....still had fun.

My daily drivers are 186 Fischer Watea 94s (130-94-118). They RAIL.

 

[narlus]

Do yourself a favor and NEVER buy a ski with a binding "system"... there is no need. Discourage manufacturers from continuing this nonsense.

why not? my atomics came w/ bindings, and so far they seem to do a nice job holding the skis to my boots.

i don't plan on changing anything, gear-wise, until the next decade and half transpires.

 

[SkaredShtles]

why not? my atomics came w/ bindings, and so far they seem to do a nice job holding the skis to my boots.

i don't plan on changing anything, gear-wise, until the next decade and half transpires.

Binding breaks.

Guess what? You can't go out and get a replacement pair of $60 bindings. You have to get a "system" part to replace it. And you can be damned sure the "system" bindings are going to cost more than $60.

 

[narlus]

i'll take that risk that my binding won't break...what odds do you want to give me?

 

[I Are Baboon]

i'll take that risk that my binding won't break...what odds do you want to give me?

But then again, what the heck does ATOMIC know about making skis and bindings?

 

[SkaredShtles]

i'll take that risk that my binding won't break...what odds do you want to give me?

Here's another scenario. Your ski breaks. You don't want Atomic skis. Oh, wait. Your "system" bindings aren't transferable to anything other than Atomic skis.

I understand that you don't care. I'm just pointing out it's a dumb trend and should be discouraged IMO.