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Im actually gonna switch...

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FRussellVisual
Posts: 60 - Karma: 179
 Ive been snowboaring for my whole life. But i think its time to mix it up a little, so im going to start skiing. What would be good beginner skis/ bindings/ boots?
Dec 13 2011 11:44AM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
Boots- Totally depends on your foot/leg shape. Having a proper fitted boot is way more crucial than it is in boarding. Take a trip to your local shop and they should be able to set you up.

Bindings- I would take a look at the stickied thread in gear talk, should tell you everything you need to know.

Skis- Really all personal preference, what are you going to be riding?

Also be prepared to pay more than you are used to for everything. Ski equipment is more expensive to make so everything costs more.
Dec 13 2011 11:52AM
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.PeeInMyButt
Posts: 44 - Karma: 11
go with the boot that fits you best, id sudgest one of these brands:
Dalbello, Salomon, Fulltilt. Ask the guys at your local skis shop.

Try these out, and decide for your self how good they feel around your feet. thats important!

then theres skis, id sudgest some of the more known skis: K2, Salomon, Dynastar, Atomic, Armada, Line. All of these brands have sweet skis, find one that fits you. (Softer and lighter skis for a more playful time at the park, whilst stiffer skis may be better all arounnd the mountain.

Bindings: Salomon, Marker, Look, . all of these binding brands have great park bindings.

Ask your local ski shop about the stuff i just tossed out.

good luck, see you at the hill :)
Dec 13 2011 11:53AM
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FRussellVisual
Posts: 60 - Karma: 179

Mostly park, but i wouldnt mind messing around in the trees.

And i have a thousand dollar set up for my board, so i could probably sell it for at least 600 dollars. Would that be enough money to work with?

Dec 13 2011 11:54AM
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.PeeInMyButt
Posts: 44 - Karma: 11
no idea on dollar / prices in US. check these threads out

https://www.newschoolers.com/ns/forums/readthread/thread_id/311248/
https://www.newschoolers.com/ns/forums/readthread/thread_id/481906/
Dec 13 2011 11:58AM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
What is a park binding?

Also op, a well fitted ski boot is probably going to feel a bit tight at first, especially coming from snowboard boots. But having a snug fit is important and remember that the liner is going to pack out, giving you more room.
Dec 13 2011 12:01PM
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philip.thaxter
Posts: 20 - Karma: 10
when it comes to bindings and skis you can do it on the cheap regardless what anyone tells you.
I got a pair of marker 14's for like 25 bucks (used old ass pair of skis that i threw out but kept the bindings). Skis you can buy used off ebay, amazon and the like. if youre looking for something new i suggest bluehouse because they are cheap and pretty damn good quality. Just start off with a cheap park ski as they are fairly versatile. Boots you will have to chuck some dough on if you want to be comfortable and shit. I just gotta say, dont give up on snowboarding. I think we need to all practice a bit more fuckin solidarity here. I want to ski with snowboarders more, they give my creativity a boost for sure.
                          -Philip
Dec 13 2011 12:04PM
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ForeverYung
Posts: 8385 - Karma: 2,060
If want to do mostly park and some trees, check out the line blends
Dec 13 2011 2:56PM
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stupendous-man
Posts: 8637 - Karma: 13,293
if you look for deals, 600 is easily enough. i got brand new suspects and squires and hardly used full tilt classics for a grand total of $400. good enough for me for my first park setup
Dec 13 2011 3:00PM
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.frenchy
Posts: 18212 - Karma: 12,257
I've been snowboarding 11+ years and I made the switch to skiing for this winter. I hope I progress fast haha.
Dec 13 2011 3:01PM
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brhisawsome
Posts: 141 - Karma: 88
try ski and binding combo's at evo, they usually have some pretty good beginner set-ups.
Line skis are what a lot of people start off with because they're cheaper and flexy. (completely my opinion) K2 might work out well too.

As far as boots, just get something comfortable, my first boot was a Dalbello Proton 4 all mountain boot that i found for 30 bucks on ebay. When you get your boot make sure that it has a good flex so when you land hard you dont break your leg
Dec 13 2011 3:06PM
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Casual.
Posts: 1125 - Karma: 28
You are now a man. I made the switch to skiing 3 years ago
Dec 13 2011 3:21PM
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El_Patcho
Posts: 182 - Karma: 53
outstanding suggestion
Dec 13 2011 3:31PM
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Jew-Jitsu
Posts: 159 - Karma: 45
try a pair of used rossignol scratches to get yah started
Dec 13 2011 3:33PM
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steezywannabeezy
Posts: 990 - Karma: 690
I got a decent park setup for $350 with online deals. I have heavy nordica boots, though.
Dec 13 2011 4:27PM
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.frenchy
Posts: 18212 - Karma: 12,257
And lol @ getting beginner stuff... Go big or go home.
Dec 13 2011 4:30PM
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Heart
Posts: 6156 - Karma: 3,462
Beginner gear can be pretty shitty. if you know you'll continue to ski there is no reason to buy equipment that will hold you back. buy quality gear

With that said the best place to look for ski gear would be at ski swaps (unfortunately those are at the beginning of the season), used gear for sale, or deals on last years stuff. Buy skis that are about as tall as you are, or longer if they have rocker.

Make sure to buy no less than a 12 din binding. unless you are really heavy or riding massive cliffs there is no reason to have more than a 12 din, however. Almost any 12 din binding will meet your needs, and there are many cheap dynastar bindings online

Boots can be a bitch if they dont fit right, and they can make skiing miserable. i would recommend going to a boot fitter and buying the boot that fits your foot properly, not whats popular right now *cough* full tilts *cough* (i have a pair myself but they dont fit everyone)

hopefully that helped you out

Dec 13 2011 5:02PM
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FRussellVisual
Posts: 60 - Karma: 179
So, my friend hooked me up with a free pair of skis and bindings. Theyre 155cm 4frnt skis, and they have nova look bindings. Im 5'11 so are they too small?
Dec 13 2011 8:20PM
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Crowley.
Posts: 190 - Karma: 19
Armada Ar7 with Marker Griffin Bindings and Tom Wallisch Hot Dogger Boots
Dec 13 2011 8:23PM
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PON3
Posts: 3817 - Karma: 783
Hey now, dont be hatin! jk

I wish I had the budget to go big or go home, but skiing just 6 times a year for me doesnt qualify to drop 1500 on a banging setup. mine is only like 350, of all used stuff but hey it works :)

But the other 98% of the time I ride bmx which I have dropped $2,000 into my bike
Dec 13 2011 8:29PM
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PON3
Posts: 3817 - Karma: 783
Yeah, but you will be fine though. It will make learning stuff alot easier. Free is free!
Dec 13 2011 8:30PM
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pelle_munch
Posts: 4110 - Karma: 502
you will. Same concepts, different feel
Dec 13 2011 8:42PM
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willy_baller
Posts: 1622 - Karma: 693
they'll work for now but when you can I would get something in the 170-180cm range. Thats awesome you got that stuff for free! That means you can put more money towards boots. I highly recommend going to a boot fitter, getting fitted for some boots without looking at price tags and get whatever fits best. if you have boots that don't fit well you will have a miserable time on the mountain.
Dec 13 2011 8:45PM
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irishpandah
Posts: 23 - Karma: 11
in the same boat and went up for the first time with em (the skis) on sunday. It felt really weird at first but I started to link some turns. feelsbad watching the 4 year old kids fly past me down the bunny hill.
Dec 13 2011 9:52PM
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BigBadWolf
Posts: 2000 - Karma: 432
I have 9 days ever on skis. So far i have rails, switch ups, 270s, 3s over 10 footers, and i can ski as fast as my friends. I am SO glad i switched
Dec 13 2011 10:37PM
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.frenchy
Posts: 18212 - Karma: 12,257
All 9 this season? And thanks for the replies guys!
Dec 13 2011 10:41PM
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BigBadWolf
Posts: 2000 - Karma: 432
Yup this season. Im going up on friday and im thinking about hitting the 2nd in mainline (at keystone) so thats about a 60 foot jump probably. I have really good friends who push me hahaha
Dec 13 2011 10:51PM
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FRussellVisual
Posts: 60 - Karma: 179
I have a bet with a friend that i will be better than him on january 14th. His best trick is a 540...
Dec 13 2011 11:04PM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
getting a legit pair of boots is way more important/worth spending money on if you have a budget.. that doesnt mean you need to get crazy expensive boots, but you should be ready to spend a good amount of your allotted money on getting a pair of boots that fits really well and is appropriate for your skills/preferences/feet. so try to find a good bootfitter to find you some good boots and dont rule out splurging on those in relation to your skis

bindings- well, a big part of me says you should get some really dependable bindings cause your safety's in their hands, and a binding that literally almost never prereleases means you arent tempted to crank your DIN up which can be dangerous for obvious reasons. you could definitely argue that you would probably be fine on some cheap bindings i guess, but i cant give any recommendations there really. all i can say is ive skied a few different brands but nothing can touch Look pivots or FKS's in my opinion. i havent tried their PXs but ive heard very mixed reviews. the Marker royal line (Dukes, Griffons, etc) also seems to be really liked, and ive had nothing but good to say about them the few times ive used them

skis are something that you can definitely cheap out on IMO..you can get a good condition pair of used park skis for a deal usually, and most any modern park ski from a respected brand will be great in the park and plenty good enough on the rest of the mountain.. it's easier to make a park ski work in non park situations that it is to make a non park ski really work in the park. id say just grab some "midfat" all around park skis used for a couple/few hundred
Dec 13 2011 11:21PM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
thank you for encouraging me to do better tomorrow.
Dec 13 2011 11:37PM
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BigBadWolf
Posts: 2000 - Karma: 432
Haha for sure.
Dec 13 2011 11:43PM
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crawley
Posts: 605 - Karma: 729
this. if you have only $600, I would spend $400 on the boots at least and then grab whatever skis and bindings you can find with the leftovers. The boots are far and away the most important part of your setup. I personally don't care what skis or bindings I'm on unless it's a pow day, but I won't ski period if I don't have my boots. you'll progress more in 3 days in the right boots than you will in a whole season in the wrong boots.
Dec 13 2011 11:49PM
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BigBadWolf
Posts: 2000 - Karma: 432
This, i had shitty fitting full tilts for my first boots then sold em and got the new spks. I love them more than life.
Dec 13 2011 11:55PM
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