Returning (hopefully) to skiing after 14 years

[Eddie]

I do agree about leasing/renting easier skis for some time, since the Volkls are too stiff. Yet, out of curiosity, since I've read so many good things about the Nordica Navigator 85s, they ski themselves, no work involved, etc, would I be ok with these?

 

[VickieH]

What length ski are you considering? You might pick up something in The Marketplace here that will get you back into the game. When you outgrow them, you can take them to a ski swap and get back a few bucks toward your next purchase.

 

[mister moose]

Wait a minute. We don't know the Eddie's ability as of when he left skiing. We don't know the length of the X Screams or how many days are on them. We don't know his height/weight.

I don't get the rush to buy or lease for the first few days. The X Screams will still go down the hill, they'll still turn, they will get your ski legs back. If they have low hours on them, get the bindings safety checked, a tune if they need it, and go get a few days at the local hill. The X Screams are a perfectly fine shaped ski that's likely a little narrower and maybe a longer radius than where you'll end up with a new ski. Your first few days you will not be in a place where you can judge the ski you are renting/demoing to any worthwhile extent.

Then you might want to start a demo tour. I'd try at least 4 skis that are in the running for your objectives. It is very worthwhile to discover the contrasts that exist between some skis, and demoing just a pair or two won't show you that. Try some differences in width, rocker, sidecut, stiffness.

If you ski a lot this year, you should get enough experience to make an informed decision for a ski purchase mid season. If you don't ski more than 4-5 times, those will all be demo days and you can buy something on sale in March for a lot less than you will pay in December or January.

If you rent for the season, you might pay for something you won't use much if you demo a lot.

For skiing the bunny hill, the X screams are fine. You aren't going to be getting anything out of what the RTM will deliver. Since $$$ matters, focus on the skiing, not the shiny new skis. Sure, somewhere out there is the best ski for you that you will like way better than the X Screams. But you need to get there first. It's skills, muscle tone and balance you want to rediscover, and new skis on the bunny hill aren't going to help you in those areas. (Maybe a teeny bit)

Dollars spent on a lesson or two is money well spent. Hit the close-by local hill a few times before you do the Okemo weekend. I hope you have a great time!

 

[Eddie]

Good point Moose. I am 6', now 250ish, hoping to get down a few pounds if I ski. I last skied blue runs, not a fast charging skier. Simply cruising for fun. NOW, here's the thing. Before I skied on the Sceams, I was on old, straight Olin DTSL, 208 in length, had lots of fun. Skied many easy single black runs. Then with the Sceams, never got used to them. Bought them in 187s. Skied fine on blues, but on diamond, wihere I was fine with the Olins, I could not finish turns with the Screams, kept falling. Back then I was <200 lbs. Also wore Saloman X-Wave 10 boots. SO, either the skies were too long, boots too stiff, OR me, never learning to use the, back then NEW, shaped skis. Each year took private lessons with the Olins, yet never with the Screams. As for days on my Screams, not many. I averaged only 5 - 10(if that) days per season on them, 2000 - 2004. Bindings I KNOW must be replaced.

 

[HDSkiing]

I do agree about leasing/renting easier skis for some time, since the Volkls are too stiff. Yet, out of curiosity, since I've read so many good things about the Nordica Navigator 85s, they ski themselves, no work involved, etc, would I be ok with these?

Hey Eddie, so cool that you want to get back, but be careful or you will develope (or redevelop) a skiing problem like the rest of us!

While some skis are easier to handle/maneuver/turn etc, particularly at the slower speeds you will be going until you get back into it full swing, no ski will do it for you, it only respond to the inputs you give it i.e. cause and effect (good or bad). Certainly some skis are more forgiving and less demanding and the Navigator 85 loooks to be a good choice, but if you only think you’ll be out a few days this season stick with rentals and invest in one on one instruction, revisit the fundamentals as even the seemingly most basic task relates to a more advanced one and will help you regain your stance and balance.

As mentioned above it’s like riding a bike, and it will not take long to be back to where you were or even better, in the meantime I would’nt sweat the equipment except the boots, make sure you are still comfortable in them and wear them around the house for awhile to be sure.

Have fun!

 

[BS Slarver]

@Eddie - if your heading up on a week day look us up before heading to windham, we can make some turns.

Welcome back !

 

[SallyCat]

If you come to the Poconos, both Camelback and Blue have really nice demo fleets; for usually $60, you can swap out three skis, using each for as long as you like. If you buy from the shop, the sixty bucks gets applied to the price.

Both places also are currently having deals on 3-packs of tickets.

If you're able to get to Blue on weekdays, you'll find the place almost empty.

 

[KingGrump]

get the bindings safety checked,

Good chance the bindings are no longer on the indemnified.list.

 

[va_deb]

Welcome back to skiing, @Eddie! My better half and I were never evers in our 40s. One of the best things we did after deciding that we wanted to get into skiing was buying some cheap new but prior year model skis at levelninesports.com. Their staff are very knowledgeable, and they will IM with you or talk to you on the phone to help get a ski that meets your needs. Another thing you could do is look on their site for a few that meet your specs, ask for their recommendations, then post here to see if others have tried them or what they think.

Also check out galacticsnowsports.com. They have mostly used demo skis and some skis that are new but several years old.

Guessing that you can probably get a new ski that's a couple years old with an integrated binding for not a ton more than you would pay for a seasonal ski lease. You may have it just one or two seasons and outgrow it, but you can always sell it at a swap. I ended up making a little money when I swapped our relatively new and well treated skis since they were a good brand and I had gotten such a good deal.

Other thoughts: Go to a boot fitter with your old but new boots and get a professional fitting. Custom footbeds are worth their weight in gold IMO if you have even slightly unusual feet or fit issues.

Also start your trip on weekday or at least on a Sunday if possible. So much better than crowded weekend. And if you sign up for a group lesson on a Monday there is a chance it could end up being private for the price of a group. You could always get your ski legs back during a small group lesson then pay for a private after you get some runs in.

Also, check out season pass options or the Max pass since you're in NE if you really want to get back into skiing. If you go enough days it's a great value.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Monique]

Good point about the injuries and yes on the studies about injury prevention. In fact, some studies have shown that stretching prior to physical activity can actually cause a higher possibility of injury. Overall, it seems to work for me as a morning warm up, so I do it as I tend to seize up pretty easily.

My trainer taught me a stretch based on PNF that he claims doesn't have the issue of weakening the muscle. I'm loathe to try to explain PNF, but this seems like a decent intro : https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/pnf-stretching ... YMMV, consult your doctor before attempting, etc etc yadda yadda.

He taught me a PNF stretch to help with a particular knee pain I was experiencing. It has helped a ton, as evidenced by the fact that the pain moved to another part of my knee. I took what he'd taught me, made an educated guess, and figured out how to apply PNF to another muscle ... and wow, it worked! These stretches seem to be way more effective for me than traditional "hold for 30-60s" stretches.

(Is it annoying that the PTs covered by insurance haven't been able to come up with this stuff, but my personal trainer who is quite expensive and is not a medical professional is fixing me? Yeah, sort of, but I'm just so glad it's helping!)

Along w/ breath exercises: Ujjayi Pranayama (ooh-JAH-yee prah-nah-YAH-mah) is one technique that helps calm the mind and warm the body. When practicing Ujjayi, you completely fill your lungs, while slightly contracting your throat, and breathe through your nose. This breathing technique is used throughout Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga practices.

<3 Ujjayi breathing.

X Screams will still go down the hill, they'll still turn, they will get your ski legs back. If they have low hours on them, get the bindings safety checked, a tune if they need it, and go get a few days at the local hill.

Good chance the bindings are no longer on the indemnified.list.

Yeah, what Grump said. The X Screams aren't worth it because you'd have to put more money into them for them to be skiable. (I'm sure there are people who would feel comfortable determining for themselves whether the binding is safe regardless of indemnification status, but I'm not one of them, and it doesn't sound like OP would be, either.)

But then we see that the X Screams never felt good to the OP. Definitely ditch them.

@Eddie welcome back to the addiction! I mean, sport!

 

[Mike King]

One of the best conditioning routine for ski legs is to step up and down at the bottom of a set of stairs. Step up with a leg, bring the other up next to it, step down with a leg, bring the other back down. Do this at a steady beat of 96 moves a minute for a couple minutes. Gradually extend to five minutes.

Kneale, miss fit to ride? We still have it in Aspen...

Mike

 

[Kneale Brownson]

Kneale, miss fit to ride? We still have it in Aspen...

Mike

Don't miss it a bit. But I did find that the preparation for the step-up test prepared my legs for a painless return to skiing, other than the pain around the boot tops.