My 20 year old son is going to spend the next few months studying in France near a Ski resort. We tried skiing as a family in 2006, but my wife & I never enjoyed it (my son did as a 6 year old). None of us have been skiing since.
We want to buy my son some ski gear so he can see if he likes it- and we have no idea where to start. A few questions:
- should we buy in France or the UK?
- we are initially looking to buy mid range gear - so if he doesn't take up the sport it isn't a complete waste of money. Any suggestions on where we should look/ buy from?
- should we buy boots/skis or is renting best initially
- what do we need to buy?
- what is a realistic budget
Thoughts much appreciated.
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That’s a very big question.
Own boots- I’d say no until he knows he wants to carry on skiing as a properly fitted pair of boots is £500+.
Gear..TK Max have sometimes got some decent stuff. Decathlon is budget but good. Go Outdoors have some reasonable own brand stuff. Online Revolution Race are very good for the money. Snow and Rock/ Cotswolds Outdoor for a decent high street experience.
Decent merino wool socks, merino thermals, decent gloves and I’d invest in his own helmet and goggles.
From my experience (snowboarding for the last 25 years) and from someone who does not like being cold! get a decent set of gloves and thermals. Jackets, trousers etc once you get a decent brand will all be similar, most of options these days comes down to style over a jump in "performance". I personally always liked burton - white collection. As with many other things don't go cheap as you will end up just getting nicer gear down the line. A decent set of goggles is also very important, nothing ruins a day like flat light and goggles that cant cope with those conditions, I use Oakley Prizm flight decks for the last few times and they made a huge difference. I would also buy boots, but not the skis / board.
Ebay is a very good place, snow sports are very hit and miss for some people, they go all in spend a fortune and then don't like it and sell up cheap. Not the best time of year for this but if you can wait till spring some bargains can be had.
Buy him some sporty cold weather gear, that will be useful whether he takes to skiing or not. Don't get him too much, he'll probably prefer seeing what is worn there rather than stand out more than he already will (English and not a skier...)
Don't bother with any equipment yet. It is VERY likely the friends he makes there will have spares that he can use to see how he takes to it. It is certain that they will know where to get what.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Decathlon will get him going. It's fairly ubiquitous on the slopes and costs far less than anything else while still being backed by a decent warranty.
You can rent boots, but often it's recommended as the first thing you buy as a decent fit can make or break a week. They do take some getting used to, even fitted.
Decathlon, yes. Pref. a French shop. They have more stock to try on.
One thing for sure: get him a decent pair of
boots. Nowadays it’s possible to make a 3D scan of your feet. For perfect fitting and no cut off blood vessels causing cold feet.
Expensive, but an investment that will be useful for years to come.
Comfortable boots are important, but don't fall into the trap of buying expensive 'fitted' boots here before renting in resort.Originally Posted by guinea
Lots of people have regular feet and most boots will fit them just fine, if properly adjusted.
Also, what your feet do in a nice warm ski-shop in the UK may well be very different to how they behave on the slopes in sub-zero conditions. Those 'perfectly fitted' boots, may suddenly not fit quite so well and if you rent, you can simply go back and swap for a different pair! A decent pair of boots can come later (again, don't buy 'the best' as he'll probably not be able to make use of high-end, stiff boots for some while).
Otherwise, the suggestions of a lots of layers, decent gloves (more important than boots, imo!), a decent pair of waterproof trousers and a jacket are good. Decathlon gets good reviews, but often you can pick up last season's gear for a pittance (or even buy top end gear that has been used for a week on eBay - You'd be surprised how many people buy the most expensive stuff for their first week's skiing only to decide they don't like it! Actually, what am I saying, you won't be at all surprised if you look in SC!)
Most people wear helmets these days - You can rent them, but they're not (usually) expensive to buy, so it depends how much you fancy putting your head into a helmet someone else has sweated in for a week for the previous X weeks of the season...
M
Last edited by snowman; 8th December 2021 at 10:41.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I’d definitely recommend getting him to go to the local Decathlon when he is out there.
It will be cheaper, there will be a better range and it will save having to take everything out with him.
Thanks for the thoughts folks. Sounds like Decathlon will be the first stop.
That's great Christmas list sorted!
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I was in Go Outdoors yesterday and they had some really good deals. I’d say it’s got to be cheaper in UK, demand is low this year and ski resorts are notoriously highly priced. They had decent ski trouser reduced from 100 to 50.
Buy in the UK, France, especially in the resorts can be very expensive !
Decent first layers are important.
An expensive jacket and trousers are useless without good breathable thermals and by the same rational, a basic jacket can be much improved with quality base layers.
A top tip is to treat jackets and trousers with Diver Dave's waterproofing spray (eBay).
All our outdoor gear is treated with DD and nothing ever lets a drop of water in!
And proper base layers can be found in stores with builders’ supplies. E.g. Norwegian Helly Hansen (sailing gear) has a special line for professionals working outdoors. Cheaper than the highstreet brands
+1 for Decathlon. Even their Base Layers are very good. Should be able to kit him out pretty much from there alone. I would also suggest the best gloves; or mittens (warmer than gloves) you can afford. For a first time he might as well rent skis and boots in resort.
Also,for base layers you can’t get better than Marino wool.
Synthetic base layers will be better at wicking away sweat, will be easier to care for (ie wash) and will be cheaper.
I’d disagree, Merino is a good wicking layer, can be machine washed and doesn’t smell, although I accept it is probably a dearer option.
https://www.switchbacktravel.com/mer...is-it-worth-it
Nope! Apart from the cheaper, but then you will need multiple synthetic base layers to have ones to wear whilst your washed ones are drying
Meriino is the best baselayer on the market (particularily Icebreaker). Yes, its not cheap,but it's exteremly highly insulative, needs very little care, remains warm even when wet and doesn't stink after one use.
Can be worn for days or weeks without smelling ( I wore one for 3 weeks in Nepal, no problem), however the body inside will and we need washing more frequently
Whatever ski wear you buy, make sure has a 'Hydrostatic Head' of at least 10,000 (it's waterproofing guide). This will help keep the skier dry in most conditions.
I would agree with most posters that base layers (which can be used outside of skiing) and gloves should be your primary purchases. Also, please consider buying him a helmet as a necessity. They do save lives (I can testify to that fact!) and an Ill fitting rental one is not a lot better than none at all
Decathlon is a good idea and also keep a look out for the 'Town Hall' sales that happen around this time of year. Small businesses buy up old seasons product from Brands and distributors and sell them at very competitive prices
If you would like anymore detailed advice on clothing. please DM me and I will try to help from my experience (20 years wholesaling ski clothing and equipment in several countries)
Regards
John
A few people have mentioned getting a helmet. I mostly ski in Germany and it's rare to see someone without one there.
You'd have no chance of getting lessons without one, but again they can be hired cheaply.
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