Ski purchase advise.

Question
I am planning on getting back into skiing after many years.  I am 45 yrs old in pretty good shape I work out several times a week and want to start skiing again and need to know a good quality ski and binding , boot setup.  I would consider myself a decent intermediate skier that doesn't mind speed or real steep, at least when i was younger.  I live in Montana and will be skiing usually in good conditions.

Thanks you for your advice.

John

Answer
Dear John --

You will be amazed at the quality of ski equipment now on the market.  However, you will also be amazed at the sticker prices.  Most skis, bindings and boots from top manufacturers will be of fine quality and high performance.  Whether they will be good for you depends on how you like to ski.

That said, now that you are getting back into the sport, I recommend finding a good local ski shop, and entering into a seasonal rental agreement with them.  That way you can spend this season re-exploring your skiing skills and learning about the new skis and how the re-designed equipment performs.  I recommend this arrangement with a ski shop and not a ski hill or resort, because the ski shop will likely have "demo" quality skis to choose from, where as most hills will cater toward the beginner skier.  You do not want to get back into skiing on beginner skis.  

You want to start on upper intermediate skis at least.  But to accommodate the fact you haven't been skiing in a while, start on shorter skis than you think you need.  The new super side-cut skis will give you excellent turn initiation and carving ability while providing stability at high speeds even with a relatively short ski.  

The first piece of equipment you should buy, once you have demoed a few, are your boots.  Boots are the key link between you and your skiing platform.  They must fit as closely as a glove without any pressure points.  They must provide sufficient room in the toe box that your toes can move, and stay warm.  Boots that I recommend trying are Solomon, Rossignol, Technica, and Nordica.  I do not recommend Lange or Dynafit for skiers trying to move from intermediate to advanced skiing because they tend to be too stiff to allow the improving skier to flex sufficiently to get full performance from the boot and the skis.

Skis that you should demo include Dynastar, Fischer, Rossignol, Solomon, Volkl, and Atomic.  All of these ski brands will give you good performance.  

Please write back, if you have additional questions, or if questions emerge as you get back into the sport this winter.  Have a great time!  Think snow.