we use a vx1000 and here are my thoughts:
1. it held up fine all season, i don't know what this talk about them falling apart is all about. yeah, it's an older camera, so you probably don't want to use it for, say, a rugby ball, but if you're reasonably careful like a reasonably intelligent person would be with a reasonably expensive piece of equipment, it should hold up reasonably well.
2. it does suck in low light, this is true. we were also using a vx2000, so that took care of any night-time shooting, etc. low light is definitely the 1000's weakness.
3. from what i hear from skateboarders, the 1000 supposedly has the best sound of any of the vx's. that's probably more important for filming skating than for skiing, but something to think about.
4. personally, i think the vx1000 has the best color of any of them in daylight. of course, this is dependent on using it correctly (i.e., WHITEBALANCE ALWAYS). but i think a properly whitebalanced shot on the 1000 looks MUCH better than an equally well whitebalanced shot on the 2000 or 2100.
so, bottom line...i love my vx1000, but if you plan to do a lot of low-light filming it's not the best choice. having access to both a 1000 and a 2000 was perfect, but obviously not everyone has that opportunity.