Originally Posted by
evergrn
When you google how often you're supposed to wax and edge skis, there does not appear to be a concensus although the most popular answer seems to be as often as possible. I ski mostly blues and easier blacks, don't ski fast but do a lot of turns to prevent myself from going fast. I'd like to get better so I can start doing some moguls. Based on that, if you think I only need to get my skis serviced once a year, then that's very good.
I'm an advanced skier who skis fairly aggressively and tune my skis roughly every 5-7 full days, if that helps. As long as you're good about letting your skis fully dry after you're done for the day (as to not have your edges rust), you should be good for the 8 days. You'll know pretty quickly whether you need them tuned and you'll find shops anywhere. If you drop them off at a shop on resort at the end of your day, you effectively got free overnight storage for the night.
Originally Posted by
evergrn
I'm renting from National again next month (mid-size of course), this time at SLC arriving past 10pm. We'll see if there're SUV's available.
SLC is the only place where I've had some issues in the past because they're a franchise location. Typically though, if you ask at the counter, you can get a car large enough. The late arrival might make it tougher though. Check the National forum for best advice.
Originally Posted by
evergrn
Maybe will have to be next season, since every rental place for me this season requires having to backtrack 15-30min each way from the main slopes just to get there. Even though I've been skiing for years and have taken numerous lessons, I still can't turn left properly. My inner (left) ski won't follow my outer ski, and this is preventing me from having perfectly parallel turns and tackling moguls. I wonder if skiing consistently on the same pair of skis will help me overcome this once and for all.
Where do you typically go? I'm surprised you can't find a shop on the hill that you can work with. You can sometimes demo from the same chain (Christy Sports, Vail Sports, etc.) and pick up/return from any of them. No doubt in my mind you'll fare better with consistent & familiar equipment.
Originally Posted by
evergrn
With skis, am I trying to get a feel for different brands or am I trying to find a particular model?
Compared to boots, skis are less about brand but more profile - length, sidecut, rocker/camber, width, etc. If you go to a reputable shop and talk to someone, he/she can direct you to the right profile to try out. Just like your bootfitting, you can find solid people at those shops who can really help you. If you recall specific models that you liked in the past, you can mention those as a starting point. Considering what you've said so far, my guess is that you'd do well in an all-mountain ski with a width ranging between 80 and 95mm - wider if you like to ski deep powder. For what it's worth, I picked up Stoeckli Stormrider 95 after my last demo run and love them (they have flown roughly 10 times since purchase, with demo bindings rather than the fixed ones, with zero issues). Once you zero in on what profile you like, you'll be able to try some similar models and go from there. It might take a few days or a full season to find what you really like. Take your time.