Different Way to Buy a Pair of Skis – Part II
Before I left Dallas, knowing I now had a new pair of Dynastar skis, I needed a new ski bag. The ones I had were designed to protect the skis on a car roof rack but weren’t suitable for riding in the baggage compartment of an airliner.
On visits to the local Dallas shops, what the shops had left was either really expensive or didn’t fit my needs.
So, I called the ski shop holding my new Dynastars, and sure enough, they had ski bags. But when I arrived, they had only bags for two skis or more. Again, not what I wanted.
That first night at Whistler, my lovely bride of 53+ years went to work. As a “master” Amazon Prime shopper, she found the perfect ski bag on Amazon Canada in minutes. The single ski bag listed for CDN$98, which equals ~US$69 plus taxes. On Amazon U.S., the bag listed for $149!
Then she asked “Do you want a new boot bag?” Sure, why not. CDN$69 (US $48) later, and the boot bag and ski bag were on the way to Whistler/Blackcomb. Skis, bindings, ski and boot bags all for less than US$500. Not bad.
The lesson learned is that currency arbitrage can be a wonderful thing. During our ski trip, the Canadian dollar was worth about 70 cents. So, everything we bought was at a ~30% discount.
Oh, and the skiing? Fantastic. Whistler/Blackcomb is one of my favorite ski areas in the world. I hadn’t been there since before Covid, but it is a place I love to ski. What Whistler/Blackcomb calls an intermediate trail, most ski areas would call expert. Most of the runs are well-groomed and the trails are well marked.
For the brave, you can take the gondola between the peaks, but if heights make you uncomfortable, I suggest skiing down to the bottom. There are runs that are great for all levels of skier and quickly enable you to switch areas.
The only negative was that we were there during the Canadian spring break (the first two weeks of March), and the trails were not crowded. Lift lines, if one knew where to go, were non-existent. The on-mountain restaurants were packed with very long lines for food and the fare limited.
We stayed in a condo complex within a short walk of the Whistler Creekside live. The area didn’t have as much snow as it normally did during the first two weeks of March, but there was plenty. Every day, we had periods of snow that dropped 2 – 4 inches and days when it was cloudy but no snow.
There were also parts of the mountain where the light was so flat, it was akin to skiing inside a milk bottle. I never liked skiing in flat light, and as I get older, I like it less and less.
However, the sun came out on the last two days and the skiing was glorious. Whistler/Blackcomb, I will be back!
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Hey Marc,
I love your stories!
We are transplants from Wisconsin, currently living in Austin. (And I do miss winter! )
my new fav ski place IS whistler!
Love the vibe.
Every year I do a girls’ ski trip and last year convinced my American friends to travel to the ‘motherland’ yes, a great exchange rate but the locals are what makes it, albeit 80 percent are Australian!
Go to Albuquerque by Plane then go rent a car and go skiing at friendly Santa Fe Ski Basin. Senior weekday tickets are just $79. Then drive up into Colorado and ski Monarch on the weekend. Check out their senior deal. Stay in Salida Sat. Sun nite go stay at Joyful Journey Hot Springs and Monday drive back to ABQ Tues fly home
Thanx for your kind words, If you go to Whistler, you need to learn how to say, “G’day, mate!!! There’s a lilt in there…. And, FYI, Aussies and New Zealanders are all over ski areas in the North American West!!!
Not quite sure how trails not crowded, and lift lines non-existent are a negative, especially there.
A great story about a wonderful ski area. Just eight winters ago my daughter and I spent a week there and discovered Whistler Heii-skiing. You can book a day in advance for a one day experience and they have skiing for all abilities. It was a truly great experience.