skis at ski swap

Question
Hi,
My 15-year-old son has been skiing five or six times over the last three years, but really wants to do more skiing this year. Cost is an issue, so if possible I would prefer to buy skis for him at a local ski swap. Since I don't know anything about buying skis, I'm wondering if this is even possible. My son is about 5'8" and 125 pounds. I would classify him as an accomplished beginner, but the desire is there for him to improve rapidly. My choices are to buy new, low-end skis or gamble on a better quality ski that is used. Do you have any advice?

Answer
Dear Bonnie --

Your best bet is to get your son at least intermediate level skis, since that is the level to which he aspires right now.

However, you should consider getting a seasonal rental from a local ski shop.  You will not own anything at the end of the year, but since your son is probably still growing, you will not have spent a lot to buy equipment he can no longer use.

The benefits of a good seasonal rental are that your son will get to ski on better equipment for less money than it would cost to buy.  Further, if he grows or improves this year, your shop should allow you to exchange equipment for size or performance.  So if he grows and his boots no longer fit, you can change out for a larger set of boots, at no or a  very small additional cost.  Additional costs should only be incurred, if you upgrade the boot from the original package, not just change size.  

If you prefer to own, I recommend looking for junior skis that still meet his weight requirements.  You should be able to get a very high performing junior ski for about a quarter of what a new adult ski would cost.  At 125 pounds, your son will still fit on a number of excellent junior skis.  Consider Fischer, Atomic, Dynastar, and even Volkl (if they're on sale).  If you can find any of these skis new at a ski swap (sometimes ski shops unload last year's equipment) then that would be a good deal.  Be sure you know what you would be expected to pay for these skis in your local shop.  Since a shop will sell a ski package with binding mounting included, you may actually save money buying last year's equipment in your local shop, and not trying to buy individual pieces at a ski swap and then get the mounting and tuning done at an additional cost.

The most critical factor in skiing is a well fitting boot.  You should spend the most time on ensuring he has a boot appropriate for his skiing level, weight, and aggressiveness on the slopes.  If he is still growing, I highly recommend renting, as I stated above.  

Please feel free to write back, if you have additional questions or are trying to decide between alternatives.  I'd be happy to discuss further.