Different Way to Buy a Pair of Skis – Part 1
New skis at Whistler
It was after Thanksgiving, 2022 and ski trip planning was well underway. With ski passes in hand. I decided to buy a new pair of skis.
Being a cheap sort, I decided to wait until after the first of the year before going ski shopping.
The Ski Gods didn’t cooperate. In early December 2022, I had a transient ischemic attack (TIA) that lasted for the better part of 10 minutes. During the TIA, my right arm was paralyzed. TIA’s are also known as a mini-strokes. If you’ve never had one, the emphasis is on stroke and they are really, really scary.
Skiing was the last thing on my mind as I went through a full neurological and cardiovascular workup. In the words of my neurologist, “my veins were 77 years old and not as flexible as they used to be.” The tests found where a piece of hard plaque had broken off and probably caused the TIA. The good news was that I was cleared to go skiing.
The next day, I started my search for a pair of skis. Understand that 10 years of ski testing, when a short ski was 190 cm long, gave me a very good understanding of how skis work and what brands fit my skiing style. For the record, I’m a Dynastar guy.
I live in Dallas, and, believe it or not, there are ski shops in town that carry skis, but now it was February, and the pickings were slim. Calls to ski shops near Taos (10 hours by car from my house) told me none had either the model or size Dynastar I wanted. Conversations with ski shops in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Angel Fire, and Red River Ski areas were unproductive.
“Panic” was setting in. However, by then, we were planning to ski at Whistler/Blackcomb so I called shops in Whistler/Blackcomb. No luck. Then I called Dynastar dealers in Vancouver, and bingo, a shop had my second choice in the right length – 184 cm.
I told the salesman that I’d be there in three weeks and asked what did the shop need to hold them along with a set of bindings. He said I had to pay for the skis which already had a pair of Look bindings mounted.
Numbers flashed through my mind. U.S. retail list price for the skis was US$999, and I figured the bindings would be another US$300. Total – US$1,300 plus Canadian taxes.
When the shop sales manager told me the shop wanted $469 Canadian for the skis and bindings and would be happy to hold them and adjust them to my boots when I came in. I almost fell out of my chair and couldn’t get my credit card out fast enough.
At the time, CDN$469 equaled ~US$328! In other words, I saved about a grand. Better news, when I returned to the U.S., I could ask for a refund on the Canadian taxes.
Part 2: https://seniorsskiing.com/different-way-to-buy-a-pair-of-skis-part-ii/
- Musings from Whistler - March 19, 2026
- Northstar – a Gem Discovered - February 19, 2026
- Notes From a Few Days at Palisades - February 19, 2026
This is so encouraging, the huge savings of course, but more so skiing after a TIA! I ruptured my achilles tendon and had surgery in 2022, a long, slow recovery, but all seemed to be progressing. I started a new job where I was standing all day and at first I was apprehensive, but the strength I gained was quick and actually not too hard. I started planning a trip back to New Hampshire for that “one last ski trip”, I was hoping to ski Crotched Mountain (I learned to ski there) day and night skiing. Fast forward 7 months and we went to 12 hour workdays….way too much for that tendon. Now I have multiple tears on the tendon from repetitive motions and fading dreams of skiing again. I still have hope, maybe I can duct tape it LOL!
Good grief, I feel your pain. I have bone spurs in my right hip, arthritis in both knees, hips and joints… Don’t know what you do that keeps you on your feet for 12 hours a day….
Walking hurts, but using an elliptical or sitting bike for an hour 4 – 5 times of week doesn’t…. Go figure.
BTW, have you looked into orthotics that you can wear that will provide support for the Achilles tendon?
Seems to me your method of buying skis is antiquated. There is this thing called the internet where literally ever brand and model of ski is for sale both new and used. And there are some really good deals out there. Local ski shops offer limited choices of select brands and models which is fine if you’re not picky. Last year I bought a pair of Rosignol Hero Elites (outstanding ski) for $400 off retail on Ebay and it was shipped to my door in a week. Maybe your part 2 should be about that.
Actually, I tried both Craigs list and Ebay and couldn’t find the model ski in the size I wanted. What’s not in the story is that our family has a place in Valdez, which is 17 minutes from the base of Taos so going to that part of the world was no big deal. Also, this was the first time in my life I bought a pair of skis without trying them as demos. So, in my mind it was a huge risk.
No, I enjoyed his tale of an old fashioned hunt! A treasure at the end!
But I’m Canadian . . .
Looking for new skis in January 2022, There were NO demo skis available locally narrower than 85mm.
The last time I purchased new skis, I told myself not to purchase without a demo. Had to break that rule but fortunately got a pair that perfectly meet my needs.
I’ve had two positive experiences buying skis without trying them out first. Back in 2013, after researching extensively online, I ordered a pair of Atomic Crimson Ti all mountain skis with an integrated binding system. I was planning a trip to Telluride travelling from my home in Australia. The company agreed to ship them to my hotel and they were waiting for me when I arrived. I loved the skis and skied on them until 2022. Then, with an upcoming trip to Davos, Switzerland, more research and watching You Tube videos, I decided to buy a pair of Stǒckli Stormrider 88’s, a handmade Swiss ski. I found a shop in Davos that had the length I was looking for with bindings already mounted. They agreed to hold them for my arrival and I’ve found them to be the best ski I’ve ever owned.
Marc…..Do yourself a favor and forget about those long 184cm skis. Try 165 SL skis and feel the difference immediately. Edge to edge is a dream and stability is super…..Try ’em and let me know ……………
Marc, stick with the 180s’ family. When you start dropping in ski length, you begin dropping in your physical condition and confidence. I call the 160’s family, children length skis. Sorry Stan. I’m surprised those on children length skis need to use poles. lol. Just keep an eye on the turning radius of the ski. To my thinking, the 160 and 170s have just about as much edge as a snowboard has, and you wonder why they fly by the seat of their pants? It’s because of their length of edge. Note: every new ski is good in some conditions. It is up to the skier to determine what those conditions are. Those skis that do not connect with your brainwaves should only be used on groomed trails. I keep the skis that turn when the brain says turn for technical conditions and glades. Enjoy your Dynas, their P-tex bottoms are probably the faster materials found on any ski, in my opinion.
Sounds a bit condescending as well as erroneous that everybody should ski +180 length skis. Length depends on height, weight, ability, etc. I am 5’6” in height and am a ski patroller . I also own five pair of skis all of which are in the mid 160’s….and I hardly ski by the seat of my pants.
I normally don’t reply to posts that have such obviously incorrect information, but phrases like “children’s length skis” show a real lack of understanding.
Ski technology has been transformational in the last two decades. The new materials, the double rocker profiles, and evolution of shorter, wider, all-mountain skis have made skiing an old man’s sport. I am 84 and now ski pitches I could not ski 40 years ago because of the new technology. My 177 Nordica Enforcers are not the most up-to-date but are representative of the inflective progress of modern ski development. It can make every skier an expert regardless of age.
In the old days we skied on the downhill ski, (commonly refered to as A-frame style), thats why we needed the (200 cm,s). Todays shaped ski are skied with both feet doubling the effective edge length. (so it’s 160 cm’s x 2 = 320).
Rockerd tips and tails also allowed wider skis to be quicker edge to edge and also better floatation but thats a story for another article.
Properly skiied todays ski turn is initiated using the little toe on the uphill leg. the belly of the turn loads both skis simultaniously.
This being said the length of the ski you require depends your skiing style and where you do your skiing.