The most significant items from the ski equipment are:
Skis
Ski Boots
Bindings
Ski Poles
Goggles(if you wear eyeglasses consider over-the-glasses goggles)
Helmet
Ski/Boot Bag
Among these, you have to think first about the skis, ski boots, bindings and ski poles - without which skiing is impossible.
Skis
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Skis
Of all the gear that you need in skiing, skis are of course the most primary item. Choosing among the numerous types of skis in the market is not easy, but in order to choose the right skis for you, many things have to be considered in advance. You need to know the structure of the skis well in order to take the proper type for you. Here are the must-to-know ski parts. |
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Base
that is the bottom side of the skis, the part that touches the snow surface. During the years, skis have followed the traditional model and the producing material has been wood. Nowadays, due to the new technologies, wooden models are a kind of left behind and skis are made from aluminum or fiberglass. |
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Camber:the space beneath the center of the skis - if left on a flat surface and its weight rests on the ski tip and tail. The skiers responsiveness and liveliness depend exactly on the camber. |
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Contact Points:
these are the points with which the skis contact the snow without the pressure of the rider being displaced on the skis. The contact points can be found easier if placing the board on a flat surface and slide a piece of paper under the center of the skis exactly before the ski nose and tail. |
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Edge:the metal edge on the both endmost sides of the skis. Holding the edge is important in turns, to maintain sharp edges make sure you keep control in turns in order to prevent skis from slipping. There is also an effective edge: represents the length of metal edge on the skis, which touches the snow, used to make a turn, especially carved turn. With a longer effective edge, you can make a more controlled and stable ride. From another point of view, if you choose skis with a shorter effective edge, this will help you to make easier and looser turns. |
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Ski Tip/ Nose:
the front-end part of the skis. The tip has to be always directed upwards to ensure that the front of your skis does not grip and dig into the snow. |
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Women's skis
There are more and more women interested in ski sport and many of them demanded that ski engineers should pay more attention to their specific needs. In result, ski producers have started designing ski models more appropriate for women. At first the modifications were more cosmetic, directed to a basic repositioning of the ski bindings. With the advance of technologies, today the skis marketed to women have specific characteristics in order to attract the women skiers who insist on individual style in skiing. |
Each company works on improvements and new models of womens skis. Thus, some of the models meant especially for ladies are: Elan Spice Pearls and Magic, K-2 T Nine, Rossignol Saphir and Salomon Rush and Siam.
Elan upholds the tradition of engineering excellent ski models, designing attractive models and offer something for everyone including young skiers and those at low to intermediate level.
K-2 also cares about the female skiers as they progress from beginner to advanced. Among the models, all the T: Nine skis can give everything a skier needs to pass to her next level. These skis support women in each skill range.
Rossignol ensures that their women's skis are tested and designed for the purpose by women. The Saphir ski series are meant to pay attention at the light-weight women and for this reason Rossignol keeps skis and bindings light. The skis are trustful in the whole process for a young skier advancing from novice to expert.
Choosing Salomon as a brand, have in mind about the two series of skis designed for women: carving and all-mountain skis. Skis are constructed especially for easier carving turns and for skiing on diverse mountain terrain. All the three ski series are designed for different weights - flexible and easy-handled. Women skiers adore especially the all-mountain series but approve the graphics on both series.
Ski boots and Bindings
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Ski Boots
Together with the skis, ski boots are the most essential part of the ski equipment. You have to know that exactly like shoes, you need to find the ones that will fit you properly because not all ski boots are the same size and fit the same way. It is very important to feel the boots snug on your foot and feel comfortable with them. The next step is to make sure your boots are adjusted for optimal skiing, there is nothing much worse than skiing all day on boots that make your feet sore. To avoid further inconveniences, a good idea is to try your boots on with the socks that you will be wearing skiing. |
Thus, you will be sure that you will not feel them too tight after several up and downs on the slope. The best you can do is to try on several pairs to find the boots that fit correctly. Go to the ski shop and fit boots on later in the day because your feet tend to swell as the day progresses. If you are an advanced skier, you will need stiffer boots than the beginners, because they respond more effectively to the movements of your legs.
You might have preferences about the entry system of the ski boots, according to which there are boots with top entry or rear entry. With rear entry, you insert your foot from the back, with top entry you slip your foot into the boot from the top. Depends how you will feel more comfortable about inserting the foot in.
Before renting or buying the ski boots, you have to follow some certain procedures.
Once in the ski shop and chosen a pair of ski boots take the first step and put them on. Once your feet are in the boots, you have to latch the clips to tighten the boots. It is necessary to tighten the clips well. According to the entry system of the shoes you choose, the rear entry boots typically have one clip, while usually top entry boots have four clips to adjust the fit of the ski boot. Most of the ski boots models have a velcro strap called a power strap, across the top of the boot. Pull it tight to adjust additionally the fit of your boots and thus you will tighten your calves and shins, which is also very important.
Once you have tightened the clips and the strap, move your feet and make several rounds in the room to make sure you feel comfortable. Watch out that the boots are not too tight to cut off your circulation or too loose, which will impede your movements and the skiing itself. Be sure, also that you have room to move your toes, otherwise you risk to receive some injuries on the front part of the toes or the toe-nails. Bend your knees, observe if your heel stays put and make sure your foot does not move up. In case your foot is sliding in the boot, rebuckle the boot so it is tighter.
Choosing the proper pair of ski boots might take longer than expected, so give yourself at least an hour to try fitting the boots. In fact, you might need assistance of a trained "boot fitter". These are the experts in fitting, who go to school especially to learn how to fit ski boots to the individual skier. Proper boot fitting can be a remedy for skiers with foot problems like ankle tilting or those being bowlegged. Remember to emphasize to the salesperson on your foot or ankle issue, because real delight of skiing happens only when having the proper boots to transmit your commands to your skis.
Once you have taken the decision to buy ski boots, follow the rule for buying that first pair of boots and go to a reputable ski shop. Better yet, find a store with experienced staff who are themselves skiers. Ask your friends for advice or pick out a reputable store, where you can feel comfortable dealing with.
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Ski Bindings
A ski binding is an attachment used to anchor the ski boot to the ski. They are well-designed, complex pieces of machinery, which need to be set correctly in order to give maximum security to the skier. They have to be adjusted well according to the skiers weight, because a binding that releases early in skiing can be dangerous exactly as a binding that does not open at all in case of a fall. |
To set a binding in the right way, the heel position must first be adjusted for correct pressure when bending or moving forward. You have to know two important terms related to bindings: AFD and DIN. The anti-friction device (AFD) is a small and smooth pad set directly behind the toe-side part of the ski bindings. As far as DIN settings are concerned, it refers to the Deutsche Industrie Normen, which is an internationally agreed scale to ensure that ski bindings release under the same force in each country around the world. Thus, after adjusting the correct pressure next is to fit the height of the toe piece, so that the AFD can effectively release the boot when necessary. The DIN settings have to be adjusted according to the weight, height, and ability level of the skier and are usually set by a technician when skis are rented or bought. The purpose is to adjust the binding so to release the boot and help prevent injury if a certain amount of pressure is applied (in the general case created by the weight of a falling skier). Technically, the amount of pressure required to release the boot is adjusted by turning a screw on the toe and heel parts.
There are different types of bindings, according to the skiing discipline. Usually the bindings for alpine skiing fix the ski boot to the ski at the toe and heel. There are also bindings for other disciplines like telemark skiing (called cable or Kandahar binding), cross-country bindings, alpine ski touring bindings, skiboard and snowblade non-release bindings.
The advanced technologies produced bindings with plates. Plate is a part set between the ski and the actual binding to result in extra height. This increases the leverage you have onto your edges and also helps to prevent booting out (when you go over onto your edge and your boot touches the snow). Some of these plates are also designed to flex with the ski, thus reducing the space under the binding and improving the snow contact.
Ski poles
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Ski poleshave double function: to hold you up and help you propel forward, as well as to help you keep balance while skiing. When using ski poles, you engage the entire upper part of the body and exert the major muscle groups. There is a version that tells the ancestors of the contemporary ski poles were simple walking sticks, used while traveling; another that they evolved from spears. But in general, there is no doubt that poles help skiers to improve balance, acceleration and speed when being in action on the slope. |
In the old times, before the advance in turning techniques, the skier would use one long pole, leaning or sitting on it in order to decrease the speed in skiing and increase friction with the ground, so slowing down or stopping. In modern skiing two poles are used - one in each hand, and each pole has a round "basket" attached to the lower end in order to prevent the pole sinking excessively deep into snow. At the opposite upper end of the pole, there is a strap attached, which the skier usually slips over his wrist to prevent the loss of the pole in case of a fall. Those that prefer skiing off piste in trees, do not normally use the wrist strap, since they risk injurying the wrist if the pole happens to catch on some hardly visible branch or root. The poles are a crucial piece of the ski equipment. They are made of different types of material but the cheap metal poles are proved to be sufficient for the average skier. Those skiers that are more advanced or specialized can take poles, made of technologically advanced materials like carbon fiber, which are very light and durable. The advance in skiing technologies allowes creating alternatives to substitute the traditional wrist strap - for instance there are poles with "trigger" mechanism that comes off in case of a crash in order to avoid injury.
Ski accessories: goggles
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Ski accessories are usually put last in the skiing checklist but they are also very significant. You need ski goggles to protect your eyes from the sun, snow and wind while skiing. They are essential piece of the ski equipment, especially in cold weather and presence of high wind. The cool sunglasses are not appropriate in this case; you need to have reliable goggles to ensure complete eye protection. |
When the moment comes to buy ski goggles, you have to be sure you are able to see properly, especially in case you wear corrective lenses. If you wear eyeglasses, the best option for you is to take over-the-glasses (OTG) goggles. Before going to the ski store to choose OTG goggles, do not forget to bring your glasses with you to try on goggles, if you need to wear them while skiing. Even in case you wear eye lenses, remember you may want to wear glasses in some occasions while skiing. If so, you will need those larger-sized goggles that are fit over the glasses.
For the rest of the skiers that do not have any sight problems, there is a wide selection of regular ski goggles. They are smaller and more compact than the OTG goggles. Today, when the demand of ski equipment is so big, the skier can choose among a wide variety of ski goggles in different price ranges and various tints. Tints are for changing sunlight conditions and by taking goggles in a certain tint, you determine how well you will be able to see the contours of the mountain. The tint that works well in all levels of sunlight is yellow or yellow/brown.
Ski goggles: maintenance
It is very important to keep your ski goggles clean and protect them from scratches. Your ski goggles have to be clear in order to provide optimal vision, and there are some tips to keep your goggles clear, clean and avoid scratches. A practical advice you can follow is to store the ski goggles in the soft bag that you will receive together with goggles when you purchase them. Thus, you will be sure that your goggles will not be scratched by some sharp edge of the gear in your ski bag. If it happens that you have not taken your goggle bag with you, you can put your goggles in some soft piece of clothing (fleece gaiter or neck warmer). Another useful tip is to choose a very soft cloth when cleaning your goggles. You have to treat them carefully and try not to touch the lenses. If you want to place the goggles on the table, do not place them lense-down on the table surface but in a way the lenses are facing up towards the ceiling.
Other ski accessories of first necessity:
Face cream with high UV protection;
You need also a nourishing lipstick with high protection factor against the sun, wind and cold temperatures while skiing. It will also treat your lips, if are rough and chapped.