Your Own Pair of Skis

Can't Get This Type of Fun in a Hotel in Prague!

A skiing vacation on the best slopes of Ukraine is very rewarding. The costs only seem prohibitive, but when you add things up, you hardly spend more than what you would on great hotel in Prague (even those listed here), certainly less than what you would have to dish out for a full fledged holiday on the best Amsterdam hotels (you can find some at Expedia.) After skiing for a couple of years using mostly rented equipment, I started wondering if it would be time to purchase my own pair of skis. I did the math and noticed that if you have been skiing for a while using rental skis, you should consider making an investment and purchasing your own. The fact is, that purchasing your own skis is much more than a simple investment in a hobby. When you get your own you can pick exactly the type of skis you want and can fine tune them to your personal needs.

Making that purchase, however, can be really tricky for the first-timer. There are many options to choose from that can have a very real impact on how good the purchase will be for you in the end. To help you get started here are some guidelines for picking the best skis for your interests.

1. Before you make your purchase, and even start to shop around, it's very useful to be informed about the different aspects of skis. The ideal scenario is for you to have a working knowledge of the different parts and the various features that make the skis. Also great is to know a bit about the materials and, of course, the various ski types and what each one of them is used for.
2. The first factor to take into account is the discipline (or disciplines) you would like to use your skis for. There are various different disciplines and each one of those has a different goal and thus benefits better from different tools. Knowing what you want your skis to do will give you the information you need to make the best purchase. If you are looking for all-rounders (in case you need your skis to work on several disciplines) your best best is to go with alpine skiing skis. While they can't be used for things like telemark skiing, they are sufficiently flexible to work in several other areas.
3. The second most important factor when trying to make a purchase is your skill level. Try to get skis that are designed for a skill level that is a bit higher than the one you currently posses. That way you give yourself enough room for growth and don't hamper your learning curve. Don't aim too high, however. If you buy skis that are for people much more experienced than you are, you will spend most of your time dealing with your skis than actually learning how to ski.
4. The third factor to bear in mind is the surface that the skis will have to perform on. While all skis can work on all surfaces, many are specifically designed for peak performance on a particular surface, or to offer you a good performance on a variety of them. This might come into play if you have preferences for your skiing: do you favour staying on well-groomed pistes or would you rather man the challenges of going off piste?
5. Women have different needs than men when it comes to skis. Women have their centre of mass in a lower position than men do, which cause most women to lean back more. The ski bindings are thus set more to the front to compensate for this. As another factor, women are usually lighter than men, which means that their skis must be more flexible to gain the same flex in turns as men do. The lighter the weight, the more flexible the ski needs to be.
6. Finally, you need to decide on the ski length. This will depend on several factors, such as your weight and your particular needs. If you need to have more control at lower speeds, which includes better turning abilities, better carving and more stability, then shorter skis can work wonders for you. If you want to ski through widely different snow conditions, choose longer skis that can keep you centred and smooth out any possible moguls.