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Skier Ability
Beginner/Intermediate
You're comfortable on green and blue runs and perhaps venture onto the occasional red. You may even be a first week skier. Difficult and icy conditions cause problems.

Advanced
You can ski most of the mountain although certain conditions could affect this. You may be keen to improve your technique on the bumps or in off-piste conditions. You appreciate when your skis need tuning.

Expert
You search out the most demanding runs, you're accomplished in all types of turns and you look for skis that provide stability at high speed. You can handle the bumps and variable conditions both on and off the piste.

Ski Types

Alpine skis love the hard groomed pistes. They're precise, fast and high performing. Suited to advanced through to race levels.

Freeride skis are all mountain animals that love the tough conditions. They float through powder, cut through crud and slice through the slush. Usually 50% on-piste, 50% off-piste, they are suitable for advanced, expert race skiers.

All mountain, all terrain bandits are less demanding than the Freeride skis. They're easy to handle off the piste, but still provide good performance on the piste. 70% on-piste and 30% off-piste, these skis are suited to advanced and expert skiers

All mountain trailblazers are just that. They're easy turning piste carvers that love blazing around the blues and reds. Suited to beginners and intermediates through to advanced skiers.

Just Cruising are very easy turning beginner and intermediate carving skis. They're perfect for cruising along blues and greens.

Carving carvaholics are short, fun, extreme carving skis. They will perform best if used by advanced and expert skiers.

Nu School means more of the funky stuff - twin tips, ski boards and jumping skis. They're fun skis for the fun parks and are guaranteed to leave you smiling

In the mid 90s two forces came together  to revolutionise skiing - snowboarding and new technology.

In the early '90s many skiers started to take up the new, cool sport of boarding. Snowboards - due to their shape and dimensions - provided a carving sensation that was difficult to match on traditional skinny skis. Consequently the ski manufacturers started to run into difficulties and were forced to rethink ski design radically.

Ski manufacture is a never-ending search for the correct flexibility. In the beginning, all skis were made of wood. There was a limit to the shapes of skis you could make - too narrow and they snapped, too wide at tip and tail and they would twist and lose their grip on the snow. Manufacturers slowly became more adept with composites and complex internal structures.

By the mid '90s, with the help of these new materials and improved technology, a number of revolutionary skis emerged. These new 'shaped' skis combined the torsional stiffness necessary for precision and good edge grip, with the longitudinal flexibility that makes turning easier. And so 'carving skis' were born...

When you've decided on the type of ski you want, you then have to choose the right length. Once upon a time, as an adult beginner, you would start on something around 150-170cm.

As you grew more confident, you would aim for a ski your height plus 20cm. A bit longer if you liked speed, a bit shorter if you liked ease of turning.
With the invention of carving skis, things have changed radically. The new skis are taken up to 20cm shorter than traditional 'skinny' skis. Short is now cool. Even racing skis are shorter and shapelier. As a general guideline most carving skis should reach between your nose your forehead. However you need to consider the type of skiing you want to do, your level and your weight; a ski can't tell how tall you are - only how heavy you are. If you are a beginner or like to ski slowly, then go shorter - for ease of turning and control. If you want to ski fast and hard, turn little and have better stability, or if you want extra flotation in the powder, then go for a longer length

Development
Over the years, manufacturers have tried many ways of solving the technical challenges posed by ski construction. A number of different systems are used, many of which involve laminating or layering various materials.

Alternatively, some manufacturers build their skis around a polyurethane foam core, or a carefully designed metal 'torsion box'.
Most advanced is the monocoque design, in which the upper surface of the ski is not merely cosmetic but, by curving down to meet the edges, actually provides the ski's strength and stiffness.

[Diagram: Rossignol UK]

Don't overestimate. Feel free to ask your instructor for advice.

Bindings

Your weight, your ability, any injuries that you may have had and the type of skiing you intend to do should all be taken into consideration. A good shop will automatically ask these questions.

Booking in advance

During the school holidays and peak season, the choice of rental skis may be limited, especially in some lengths.

Paying

Remember to take your credit card and passport as proof of identity when renting. Your credit card will be used to take a deposit for the equipment you rent.

Make sure you have a high enough limit to cover all your holiday expenses.

 With the revolution in carving, skis are now much shorter. As a general guideline, the ski tip should come somewhere between your nose and your forehead. Ability, size, weight and what you want to do must also be considered. Check the edges are smooth and the bases not dry. If you're unhappy with your skis at any point or you feel they need waxing, go back to the shop. Remember rental skis are your responsibility so look after them. If they are lost or damaged you will have to pay for them so don't lose your skis. Remember what they look like and, if possible, memorise the serial number that is usually engraved on the front. If you have to leave them Lock them up.

Skis do get stolen and edges & bases still get  even when the conditions are good so check your travel insurance to see if it covers theft and damage of rental skis.If you're not covered, check to see if the shop has its own insurance and what it covers.

Buying Skis

Go for a binding that suits your ability, not just because it matches the ski. Take a boot with you, as this will be needed to mount the skis. The shop should do this free of charge. Ensure the bindings are checked before you leave the shop. The DIN release settings should be adjusted to suit your size, weight and ability.

Hope this helps. see you on the hill!

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