Racing skis

Question
Hi,
I am a HS senior, very athletic and a good snowboarder (boarding for 15 years mainly @ Jay Pk VT.  My HS ski team coach has been after me for years to try skiing and racing, and I have decided to do so.  The problem is I do not want to spend a fortune on equipment (I just got a new board - boarding will always be my passion.)  But I am willing to give this skiing a try (I did ski until I was about 10).  I am now 18, pretty petite - 5'1" and 105 lbs.  What size racing skis should I get?  Is there a particular brand (mom skis on Salomon Dad on Vokl).  I will probably be looking for used equipment (2005-2008).  Any suggestions will be welcome.

Many thanks. Maggie

Answer
Dear Maggie --

With your height and weight, you can do very well on the top end junior race skis.  That will save a bit of money and still give you high performance equipment.

The junior race skis I prefer are Solomon, Nordica, Atomic, Fischer, and Volkl.  However, any top end manufacturer's junior race skis will perform well for you.

If you will ski both GS and slalom on the same ski, I recommend getting a slalom ski, understanding you will have to work a bit more to hold your edges when racing the GS.  I find it almost impossible to horse a stiff GS ski through a slalom course, but I can ride a slalom edge effectively on a GS course.  If you will ski just GS, then focus on a GS specific ski.

If you narrow your ski choices down, please write back, and we can discuss in more detail.

Good luck racing!