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Snowboarder looking to ski, I need your help.

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y0ungb100d
Posts: 12 - Karma: 10
Hey guys,

So as the title reads, I'm a snowboarder looking to give skiing a shot. I've been boarding for about 4-5 years so I know what I'm doing, I'm just impressed by the style the guys on skis have in the park. So that's what I'm thinking about getting into, freestyle skiing.

I'm 21 years old and I've been skiing when I was like 8 so I kind of remember the basics. Im just asking for advice as to what I can do to start my "conversion" process haha. I plan to go this weekend and just rent a pair and see how I do but is there anything else I can do to prepare? I mean if I dont like it I can always fall back snowboarding but if I do want to pursue skiing, is there any recommendations as far as gear goes for freestyle?

My stats: 6" Tall, ~190lbs, shoe size 10.5. let me know if there needs to be more info.

Thanks for all the help.






Jan 13 2011 1:30PM
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GolfingElephant
Posts: 659 - Karma: 473
get a good soft beginer ski. maybe line masterminds.
Jan 13 2011 1:34PM
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i.ski.NC
Posts: 572 - Karma: 18
Just go out and rent a pair of skis. It may seem nooby but just spend at least half the day on the greens to get the basics down, then try an easy blue, and after you feel pretty comfortable on that, move up until your on the harder blues. If you wanted to try out the park. just try to 50-50 a really wide box. It probably won't look pretty but after a few tries you'll start to get the hang of it.

And nice first post.
Jan 13 2011 1:41PM
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y0ungb100d
Posts: 12 - Karma: 10
Hey thanks for the feed back so far, yea thats my plan is to just get my legs used to the motions and stuff then I'll start getting more confident in the park. Any idea on what length of skis I should get?
Jan 13 2011 1:44PM
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i.ski.NC
Posts: 572 - Karma: 18
I don't really know much about sizing honestly. I would got with something around 170. Thats what I ski on and I'm pretty much your height and weight. Don't take my word for it though. Talk to the guy at the rental place.
Jan 13 2011 1:54PM
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jibnut
Posts: 3038 - Karma: 304
Good decision. I did the same thing last year :) Seriously either go to rentals and rent for a few days. You should take one lesson from either a very experienced skiier or your mountains actual ski school. Then if you have buddies who ski and are hip (haha) borrow their skis or talk to them about what you should get. Or demo days are always a nice place. Line has skis for cheap, I would start there then progress to more dependable skis. I just started last season and I ski on Line Elisabeth's and they are a bit wider, I love them. :)
Jan 13 2011 2:00PM
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i.ski.NC
Posts: 572 - Karma: 18
Oh yeah I forgot to say you might wanna take a lesson just to kind of help you get back on your feet. Also if you're planning on buying a pair, I would suggest seeing what kind of demos they have for sale. I ski on 08 Volkl Walls I picked up for $250 with Marker bindings included that were demos. This is my second season on them and I haven't had any problems with them at all. Also generally they are somewhat beat up so you don't have to worry about scratching them up when you're learning.
Jan 13 2011 2:08PM
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y0ungb100d
Posts: 12 - Karma: 10
Sweet thanks for the info. I'm going to go this weekend for 2 days so hopefully I can get a lot of practice in. As far as a complete ski setup goes what am I looking to purchase.
For example, with snowboarding its just:
A board, boots, and bindings.

What about for skis? Do the bindings already come with the skis when I purchase them? Should I shop used ? On Craigslist I found a pair of skis with markers(what are these btw?) for 25$ but the skis look like they are from the 70s haha
I will definitely look into Line skis though, I just need a cheap beginner setup to thrash around until I'm ready to upgrade.


Thanks
Jan 13 2011 3:33PM
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Crehm
Posts: 951 - Karma: 842
Its probly better to spend the money now, within 2 years you will be wishing you didnt have POS boots especially. I still ski on heavily used nordica f5s and they give me terrible shin bang everytime i go out.

Spend the money up front and it will be alot better and easier of an experience.

That said a good used boot is better than a crappy new one look around on ebay and try to get the best you can.
Jan 13 2011 3:50PM
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D1X
Posts: 402 - Karma: 16
Line is definitely a solid brand with fairly cheap bindings. Same as snowboarding, skis, boots, bindings. As with snowboarding, the bindings and skis are seperate. Although you can find deals where they come with both. Since you're just starting something in thee 168-175 range would probably be best
Jan 13 2011 3:57PM
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crab_pretzel
Posts: 3919 - Karma: 622
you made the right choice my friend haha. my friend snowboarded and switched to skiing once and never looked back.

for a beginner, something around 170 would work for your size. boot should be between 28 and 29
Jan 13 2011 4:00PM
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.Midwest
Posts: 493 - Karma: 22
Skis*

I would look into renting for this season, and see if you can catch any of the post-season deals later. If you're 21 I'm guessing you're in college, so money might be an issue.
Jan 13 2011 4:02PM
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y0ungb100d
Posts: 12 - Karma: 10
hey thanks for all the replies, I'm getting more feedback than I expected lol. So when I go this weekend I'll just rent and post back here on how I did, the place I'm going to has a pretty advanced park lol I might have to fight the urge to go mess around to avoid killing myself.

As far as post-season deals go, whats a good website to find the ski stuff? I know of the house and back country and REI but there has to be some good skier websites. I'll also be watching whiskey militia and steepandcheap for any gear.

Thanks
Jan 13 2011 4:11PM
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willy_baller
Posts: 1622 - Karma: 693
At the end of the season, just go to a local shop and ask if they have any cheap all mountain twin tips that were demo skis. Demo ski set ups are great when youre first getting into it because they are cheap and once you get better you will find that you might want a stiffer or softer ski. Dont cheap out on boots!! boots are the most important part of your setup and will determine how long you can stay on the mountain and how comfortable you will be. Go to a boot fitter and get the boot they fit you to. Also, make sure you ski lots and lots of all mountain stuff. I you immediately ski park all day all the time, you wont have a good core skill set which will hinder your ability to progress and have fun.
Jan 13 2011 4:30PM
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athompson4
Posts: 20 - Karma: 10
This is a very helpful thread for me as well. I am also a snowboarder who is in the process of switching over to skiing. thanks everyone for the help even though this is not my thread. its helped alot +k
Jan 13 2011 4:56PM
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y0ungb100d
Posts: 12 - Karma: 10
UPDATE: I just went skiing on sunday and I have to say it is definitely different then flying down the mountain on a snowboard lol.. it was awesome though. At first I was really sloppy but after a couple of hours I figured out how to carve and link turns. Didnt Pizza/French Fry it haha. I then decided to get a little ball-sy and tried to ride switch and throw just some baby 180s. Some were nice and some not so much lol I smashed the crap out of my lunchable.

So in conclusion should I.... rent more the few more weekends I get to ski this season? or buy a complete setup now and ride that through the end of the season?

So far I'm looking at Line Mastermind skis. I'm looking at either the 167 or 177 size. I rented 160's but I'm not sure what size to choose when buying the ski.

as far as boots go I have no idea what to look at, I'm just going to go to a ski shop here in town and ask for advice and hopefully they hook me up and dont rip off a newbie. Any suggestions would be nice!

and bindings I have no idea either lol...

Thanks everyone
Jan 24 2011 10:53PM
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
stop landing back seat
Jan 24 2011 11:26PM
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barberdude
Posts: 520 - Karma: 140
This thread is amazing! The fact that kids want to switch to skiing is mind boggling to me!

Good Luck Dude!
Jan 24 2011 11:36PM
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ganja_enthusiast
Posts: 1119 - Karma: 34
go demo different sizes of skiis you like then do the same for boots
Jan 24 2011 11:46PM
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y0ungb100d
Posts: 12 - Karma: 10
Haha I'm sure they both go hand in hand. some skiiers board and some boarders ski. I just love the freestyle aspect of skiing. I was getting burnt out on boarding haha.. I'm sure some day if I do pick up skiing I'll give dust off my snowboard but for now I'm pretty hooked. All my friends are boarders so they give me crap but they were pretty impressed on how good I was doing my first day. Plus when they get stuck on cat walks having a skier with you is always a bonus lol...

Jan 24 2011 11:48PM
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dayinthelifepc
Posts: 242 - Karma: 88
As far as starting out. Start small. You dont want to start on stuff thats to hard and then maybe get burnt out or frustrated. Start hitting small jumps and jibs and slowly move up. Mostly, just ahve fun with it and getting good will follow pretty quick. Give it a shot.
Jan 24 2011 11:49PM
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Bi-ShredinalGuy
Posts: 1075 - Karma: 321
dude im the same! i skiid when i was little and started snowboarding as a teenager. i got back to skiing last year and like it way more. i rented a pair of twin tips a couple times just to get the feel for skiing again to make sure i really wanted to commit to buying a pair, which i did.  i got the cheapest pair i could find on ebay and love them. i know they arent the best skiis out there but as a beginner i dont need the best skiis and neither will you. i would recommend doing what i did as it worked very well for me
Jan 24 2011 11:51PM
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