Would you buy skis without a demo first?

[SkiEssentials]

I looked. Unfortunately, they don't have them.

We'll have more soon. And by more, I might mean a lot more.

 

[bbinder]

I try to demo any ski before buying. I also compare my experience on a ski with certain other testers that appear here. Over time, I have learned that these folks like the same characteristics that I do. I have also learned that I can translate some other testers comments in a way that makes it easier to narrow down the field.

On another note, why does auto correct want to make “I “ into “I️”?

 

[Lorenzzo]

On another note, why does auto correct want to make “I “ into “I️”?

Putin.

 

[johnnyvw]

After a few bad experiences with shop demos at ski areas, I don't bother with that anymore (one pair was railed so bad, it was all I could do to get down one run...). So when there is a demo event is available where I can try different brands and models, I take advantage of it just so I can get a feel for different skis. Even then, I have been on skis that were "the brand/model etc" of the year and they didn't impress me at all...most likely a bad tune.
I pretty much go be reviews like you find on this forum, but I always try to find a bargain. The only ski I've bought in the last 20 years I haven't liked is the first "shaped" ski I ever bought, and I just didn't downsize enough from the size I was used to on old straight skis.
As far as research goes, I don't get too carried away, so that I don't get caught by "analysis paralysis"

 

[crgildart]

I drive 3 hours each way to ski so time on the slopes is limited. That said, I'd probably not pay the going rate for current model skis without trying them out. Regardless, I'm more of the "get something cheap and make it work" kind of guy so ya... of the 20-30 pairs of skis I've bought since age 17 I only recall trying two of them before making a purchase decision.. both were current model year skis. Everything else I've bought was either used or new old stock at HUGE markdowns.. most sight unseen. If I don't like it I either give it away or just leave it stashed at the back of the quiver favorites..

 

[Chris Walker]

Yep. I’ve had a lot of skis in my life and I’ve never once demoed before buying. I know what I’m looking for in a ski and I read reviews until I find one that fits the bill and I buy it. I’ve liked some skis more than others but so far I’ve never been disappointed with a ski purchase. YMMV.

 

[mikel]

I prefer to demo but that has as much to do with getting the feeling of a particular length as anything. That said I purchased my Z90's based on reviews and conversations with Cyrus. No demo but not needed with the return policy. Great ski.

For the Kore? If you have a good idea about your length then just buy it. I would be calling @SkiEssentials and asking about reserving one. The Kore seemed to be the hot skis at Luv's demo this past weekend. If you buy and don't like it I'm thinking you won't have much trouble selling it.

 

[L&AirC]

I will admit that part of my reason for not demoing, is I don't do well with too many choices. I rarely order a salad in a restaurant anymore because they always follow up with "What type of dressing would you like?" and then name off about 10! I'd rather not have dressing than try to chose. Sometimes I just tell them to give me the healthiest and only a little.

My wife and daughter get palpitations if I mention looking for a new ski jacket (I'll spend about a month doing research and making spreadsheets and then ask them their opinions).

Being an Elan Ambassador and a Race Coach makes it easy. Now I only have to pick what length of SL or GS ski I want and Elan's website will do that for you when you enter the data.

Having a rack of skis in front of me of varying models and sizes and I'll go into overload.

 

[Lorenzzo]

My wife and daughter get palpitations if I mention looking for a new ski jacket (I'll spend about a month doing research and making spreadsheets and then ask them their opinions).

I took someone shopping for a ski jacket yesterday who also found it extremely difficult to decide. It took most of the day. It was patience trying for me but for her I think it was like a house of mirrors.

 

[KingGrump]

My wife and daughter get palpitations if I mention looking for a new ski jacket.

I took someone shopping for a ski jacket yesterday who also found it extremely difficult to decide.

Replace the "a" with "several" and the journey quickens.

BTDT. Evolve and adapt.

 

[Monique]

Demos can be sketchy sometimes too. A bad tune and ruin a great ski, as can sketchy conditions...wrong ski for the conditions, etc... I agree w/ @Guy in Shorts

This is true - a bad demo doesn't mean it's a bad ski for you. But a GOOD demo - that is meaningful.

After owning and skiing so many different skis I think you get a feel for what the ski will do just by looking it over, feeling the flex etc.

I agree with this.

I’d stick with an intermediate to advanced rated ski.

Sure, but in general I wouldn't overthink the ratings. Not everyone - even an expert - wants the skis that are labeled as "expert," which are often the skis described around here as "11/10."

demoing skis is not as practical as many people would have you think

This, for sure. I have for the most part given up on calling around and trying to reserve a demo. When I have a ski in mind, it's usually outside of mainstream brands. Even if it's available, I can't find it in my size. And if it *is* a popular ski, it's often out for demo when I want it.

On the other hand, I've found it interesting to attend demo days or take advantage of the Pugliese fleet (thank you @Tricia and @Philpug for all your hard work keeping them tuned and schlepping them around!). I try to demo brands I haven't already owned. I try to stay open to possibility. And on demo days, if the ski I want isn't available, I just move to the next tent. I wanted to demo the Kore last Sunday, but it was already spoken for, so I moved on. It's also good to ask the rep what inventory matches your skiing or situation. When I specified my knee issues Sunday, I got recommendations I hadn't ever considered. And one of them REALLY worked for me.

Current ski quiver and demo status -

Line Celebrity 100 - I demo'd these several years ago and liked them enough to buy them the following spring, when they were on sale. I skied them for quite a while, then mounted AT bindings on them when I decided they didn't have enough oomph for resort skiing. They're so easy to ski - great when my legs are already shaking from the uphill.

Blizzard Viva 8.0 - No demo. Bought on personal recommendation (I started a thread asking for suggestions) from the pugski community as an easygoing carver for my first few months back on skis, and potentially for future use as teaching skis. I've never fallen in love with them, likely because I am not much of a carver myself, but they're nice skis and I have skied them a bunch on the WROD while we're waiting for snow to fall and terrain to open.

Scott The Ski - No demo. Bought after I saw lots of people enthusing about it on the then-EpicSki community (but really the same people). I really liked it at first, and skied it on some pretty challenging terrain despite its being a pretty low-key ski. But after I skied the Santa Ana, The Ski didn't get a lot of exercise until rehabbing my knee, when I needed something narrower, even on soft snow days.

Nordica Santa Ana - No demo. Like the Viva, I bought this after asking for recommendations in a public thread. I wanted a "playful crud buster," and this ski delivered. I lurved this ski.

Nordica La Nina - No demo and no buzz. I got interested in it because I wanted something fatter than the Santa Ana, but otherwise similar. I heard two things: one, from a shop, that they weren't popular. And two, from a ski buddy, that she loved hers and skied them most every day. But they looked right on paper, so I bought them. I loved them. Even more than the Santa Anas, which then languished in the basement. I skied the La Nina on everything from hard pack to two feet of snow. I'll admit they weren't the best on hard pack, but they were acceptable. Held a surprisingly good edge and turned on a dime. But in soft snow? Dreamy.

DPS Zelda Foundation 106 - At Mother's Day, I hadn't planned to ski any of the millions of skis Tricia and Phil brought. But then as I walked past, I saw these lovely purple skis. And I'd always been curious about DPS. And they were around my preferred width range. So I hopped on, and I loved them. Loved them. Loved them so hard that I flew down the mountain too fast, went spinning like a propeller, and tore my ACL. Oops? But now I own a pair. Actually, THE pair. And I skied them last season in some bowls, after I got cleared to ski that sort of thing. Very happy.

Fat-ypus V-Rock - these were very cheap, new. I have a lot of Breck ski buddies who swear by the V-Rock/I-Rock. A lot. So I bought 'em. Then I tore my ACL, and I still haven't yet skied them, so I don't know.

Armada ARW 96 - last weekend's demo day. I fell in love, and they were easy on my knees. They're on hold right now - I have dibs on them when they arrive on the truck.

Now, those are all the skis I *kept*. It's worth noting some that I sold.

Icelantic Gypsy - fell in love with their inaugural graphics, liked Icelantic. Bought them. They were fun, but way too heavy for long powder days.

Volkl One - I should have kept these. I enjoyed them, but convinced myself that they were too short and too narrow to be a powder ski for me. Ego. I *think* I got these with input from Phil and Tricia and Susan - but I'm not sure if I asked them about the ski, or if they suggested it.

Volkl Two - I replaced the Ones with Twos, 10cm longer. Mistake. Again, fun, but very heavy - and the weight and width and length combined to wear me out and result in lots of crossed tip falls.



I'd say, if you know what you like and if you do some research, you have a decent chance of buying pretty good without demo'ing. The more experienced you are with skiing and with skiing different skis, the better you should get at figuring this out. But if you get a chance to do a demo day with multiple brands, you have the opportunity to remove the blinkers and try some skis you otherwise never would have considered.

The specs will get you in the ball park, but every ski has an X factor. You won't really know how they ski until you ski them.

For me personally - I'm fine buying a ski based on hype, research, and feedback from people who have seen me ski (which, fortunately, includes the staff here at PugSki. Another good reason to go to a Gathering or Mother's Day!). Demo'ing is best, but it's just not always available, especially if you're trying to time the demo of a powder ski. But I have a many-ski quiver, and any given pair of skis won't break the bank, so it's not that critical for me to get it right. I'm at least trying, these days, not to buy anything at MSRP, and to consider demo/used.

 

[Marker]

If I was buying at retail prices, I would want to demo. But I buy older models on discount after researching many reviews around the web and have not purchased a bad ski. Free demo days are great, but they don't tend to carry the longest lengths that I need. I still have my eye on some Fischer Rangers that I tried a few years ago, which might just drop into my price range...

 

[CalG]

I've never actually "demoed" a ski yet. The time limits and hassle has always cut into good ski days. All right, I did check out as pair of Hexcels way back when. But I wasn't shopping, It was a snow day and I wanted to try something wider ;-)
I buy based on reputation, and "Type match" my skiing preferences with the ski rating, (i.e. I don't buy "race skis, I'm no racer!) knowing that the ski makers always "hype up", never down.

Now if I could just keep the older skis from reproducing in the corner. There must be 50 or more, I've gotten to the point where I use old skis for architectural and structural elements. even landscaping soil stabilization enhancements. (I buried them ;-)

 

[scott43]

I'd buy a ski without a demo. Frankly I don't know that I could tell the difference. I spill my guts to the ski guy and trust his word.

 

[Philpug]

I spill my guts to the ski guy and trust his word.

And how does that make you feel?

 

[scott43]

And how does that make you feel?

I just need someone to listen Phil..that won't judge. And that's what my barten...uhh..ski guy gives me. No judgement..I feel validated..he empathizes..

 

[luliski]

I've only bought 4 pairs of skis for myself in almost 30 years. I've bought as many skis for my 22 year old daughter as I have for myself.
The first pair I bought for myself were PREs. I have no idea how I picked those or which PREs they were. They were long and skinny. I bought them at Any Mountain in the East Bay, along with Lange boots. I used those until after my daughter was born. I didn't ski that much in those days (maybe 10-14 days a year).

After my daughter was born, we moved an hour and a half closer to the mountains. I started skiing more, and I needed new skis, so I went to the local ski shop and talked to the young man there, who recommended Rossignol Saltos (I think they carried only Rossignol then). He told me his mom skied them and really liked them. I was not old enough to be his mom, so I gave him a hard look. He said, "She used to race. You won't out-ski them!" So I bought them and they were fine. All I skied in those days was the Backside at Northstar in the mornings, which tends to be firm at that time of day; and blue groomers with my daughter in the afternoon.

Then one spring we went to Squaw for four or five days and it snowed the whole time. Nothing was groomed. I finally demoed skis from the Gold Coast shop, because I wasn't having fun on my Rossis in the heavy fresh snow. I found a pair I really liked, and they were selling the demo fleet for a pretty good price, but I wasn't ready to buy. When I went back the next week, my first choice skis were gone, and I bought my second choice: Nordica Conquers. They are super-heavy but plow through anything. I had 5 fun seasons on them and still have them.

Last year, I was tired of the weight of my Conquers in fresh snow, so I decided to demo again. I thought I also wanted a wider ski because I had skied some powder days the season before where I ended up exhausted on the Conquers. I had demoed Auras, which were super fun on fresh powder, but made me really tired by the end of the day on the chopped up snow. So I thought I probably wanted a lighter ski. It turned out to be a great season for demoing wider skis in Tahoe. Based on reviews on a women's- specific site, I tried out the Nordica Santa Ana first, but was not sure about it. I am a OSQ type, and they didn't hold well on scraped off hard snow. Maybe it was the tune? Anyway, I was in line at Starbucks after trying the Santa Anas and started talking to an instructor in front of me in line. This was at Squaw during one of the many storms there last season, and the power went out as we were in line, so we walked through the parking lot together and I told her about my demoing experience. She recommended the Head Great Joy, which I demoed the next day, along with the Blizzard Samba. Then it was really hard to choose! I think I actually liked the Samba a little better when I was fresh and the Great Joy when I don't want to go as fast or work as hard.

So I think the point of this long ramble is that it's hard to have the perfect ski. Conditions vary, and we vary. I tend to just ski what I have, although I really enjoy trying different skis. Even if you demo, you might second-guess yourself. I am still thinking about getting the Sambas. And this season I might look into some narrower skis again too. So maybe I won't have a one ski quiver after all.

 

[Schlubbe]

Well I would, but I was born to seek adventure.

There really is so much information available these days, it's unlikely you can get it totally wrong.

And living where you can't just run up to the hill for a half-day to try something out, you really just have to take a leap of faith.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

Demoing many different skis ensures that you get a ski you love right away and ensures that don't get a ski that you hate. Buying without a demo (of well reviewed and researched ski) ensures that you get a ski you'll eventually love or at least like a lot because it's the ski you have and you'll learn it's strengths and weaknesses and adapt. I've done both and been happy both ways. I've never bought a ski I couldn't learn to get along with. That would be like saying I don't like bad sex..even bad sex is good(not that I would know anything about that). On the other hand, you may not maximize enjoyment.....first world problems.

 

[Goose]

Demoing many different skis ensures that you get a ski you love right away and ensures that don't get a ski that you hate. Buying without a demo (of well reviewed and researched ski) ensures that you get a ski you'll eventually love or at least like a lot because it's the ski you have and you'll learn it's strengths and weaknesses and adapt. I've done both and been happy both ways. I've never bought a ski I couldn't learn to get along with. That would be like saying I don't like bad sex..even bad sex is good(not that I would know anything about that). On the other hand, you may not maximize enjoyment.....first world problems.

But that's only assuming you are able to demo enough of them in models and sizes that work and also find that love..Not to mention finding the conditions when you demo that are on par with what your use to spending most your time skiing in. Nothing about that is technically "right away" but can actually be quite the process.

But also.....isn't it also very possible an initial love for a ski can (via some more extended ski time) end up being something you no longer feel are as great as you originally thought? and perhaps even be unhappy with? I mean you can grow to love a ski you ended up buying without demoing but imo it would then stand to reason that you can also grow to hate a ski you thought were great on a demo. We can generalize but I just don't think there is anything ensuring for certain either way.