beaver mountain ski shop

PICKING A SKI
“What Skis are good?” this is the most common question I get asked as a ski technician. In riding loads of different skis over the years I can say that most of them have been good. Every ski got me from top to bottom and turned, most of them had something they did well.

Despite the fact that I had fun on most skis, There have been a handful that I loved. They fit my style as a skier, allowed me to progress and gave me the ultimate feeling of freedom as a sped down the hill with a smile permanently glued to my face. These are the skis I chose to spend my hard earned money on.

Skis are a sizable investment. Retail prices on skis hover around $1000 dollars and if you want a good ski you can expect to spend $400 for a lightly used pair. My point is, If you are going to spend that kind of money, you need to find a ski that is made for you.

Here are a two questions you need to ask yourself about your skiing before you begin your quest for the perfect ski.

1.What terrain do I enjoy skiing the most? You need the right tool for the job. Don't be the person who tries to drive your BMW sports car over the rocky dirt road. Some skis are made for Carving on hard snow. Others are made to provide a good experience on the entire mountain. Every manufacturer also makes powder skis that perform like a dream in the deep stuff but struggle elsewhere. You need to buy a ski that suits the terrain you ski.

2.How aggressive do I ski? Are you cautiously skiing the green runs or are you 'hucking your meat' of 30 foot cliffs? Where ever you fall on that spectrum, there is a ski for you. Being honest about where you are as a skier and where you want to progress to eventually will help you find the right ski or board.

There are a host of other factors that could play into a ski purchase. These could include: price, weight, brand loyalty, graphics. All of which can contribute to you feeling satisfied with your ski purchase. To try to mitigate some of the risks of ski buying, our ski shop continues to provide a first class demo program. We rent all of the best skis, both men's and woman's, from all of the best manufacturers. For $38 (among the cheapest demo rates in the industry) our entire demo fleet is at your command for a day. You'll be helped by one of our certified ski technicians to find the best ski for YOU. Then you don't have to take our word for it, you can switch skis as much as you want through out the day. At the end of the day if you want to purchase a ski, we'll apply your rental rate and give you a great price on a near new ski.

So let us take the risk out of ski buying for you. Come visit me at the shop.