WHEN DOES NS BUY NEW SKIS -- or retire a set of skis

first_rodeo

first_rodeo

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All of us have friends that have parents that buy them new setups every year

brand new ARs

brand new Looks

brand new Fulltilts

i've never seen it necessary, as i take care of my skis and maintain rather than replace

My view: skis are like skateboard decks, its a matter of personal preference

i skate my decks well beyond razor tails, chips and warp

Last year i decided to set my old Armadas old Lines aside old K2s and get Salomon Threats

they did not last long........... clearly cheap skis are made to be replaced after 1 park season

I plan on buying some new Armadas and keeping them in my "lineup" for 5 years like the others



WHEN DOES NS BUY NEW SKIS -- or retire a set of skis

 
I buy multiple pairs of new skis every year, i maintain my skis regularly so they last longer, but most park skis for me get worn to the point of inability to use before a year is done.
 
I buy skis that are new to me (used) about once every other year. I have two pairs of invaders so I just keep swapping one ski out when it gets to bad. Bought a pair this year that I don't plan on using until the invaders and anthems are completely shot. Never really retire a ski though until its missing more than a foot of endge and I can't stop on east coast ice.
 
I havent had a park ski last me more than a year. I am currently on a cycle of a new pair half way through the season.
 
depends on the ski. ive had certain companies that i have to get 3-4 pairs a season, but i have some fisher addicts that have made it though 3 seasons before being retired to my back up skis.

In general, to me park skis are disposable and a good ski is one that can make it through a season. It's really pretty ridiculous because it's not like i thrash them any harder than anyone else. It's time for ski companies to either make skis that won't delam or have edges rip out or make a cheap ski that can be treated like a skate deck.

Surface tried something like that with their blanks, which is awesome, but i think someone could make them even cheaper. the idea that you need all of these gimmicks like rocker or wavy edges to improve your park skiing is stupid. you just need a ski that can take some abuse and give you a stable platform to land on.

/rant
 
I have been on a pair of '09 Nordica ace of spades since 2011. So, I have two full seasons on them plus the one season the previous owner had. I am hoping to squeeze one more year out of them
 
I have 2006 Tanner Halls that are my favorite ski to rip

ive redone the bases topsheet several times

since the skis are black | | | white i repaint them as well

everyone fucking adores those skis cuz their kids had them at one point
 
I haven't bought new skis in 3 years and I reckon the skis I just got will last me the rest of my life. Park skis are different but an all mountain/pow ski will last a long time.
 
i dont understand how you guys go through multiple pairs of skis a year. what the hell do you do on them? my skis usually can go 2 years
 
daggering,,,,, indian sits ,,,, buttering

broken grinds, step ons , East coast groomers

idkk

plenty of things fucking rip out edges without much effort
 
line invaders

top sheets are terrible, aside from that indestructable

8 years later the edges and bases are in better shape than 2010 2013 skis i own

one of my buddies had his ski rack open on thruway

fucking invaders got tossed down the roadway at like 80 without damage
 
Here's what I want to know, and it would be badass to get awesome answers.

For the people buying multiple skis a year: are you buying them, or are your parents? And if it's you, how do you afford this shit? Do you not have actual bills? Are you not putting money into a savings? Do you not spend money on anything else?
 
i work full time and never pay more than $200 for park skis. buy older models and jump on good deals for skis. its really not that hard.
 
I only retire them when they break or the get too soft to ride. I've only owned 5 pairs of skis in the 16 years I've been skiing
 
RANT-->

Oh trust me, if I had the time and money these would be made, tested, and tweaked so we could drastically reduce edge pullouts:

https://www.newschoolers.com/ns/forums/readthread/thread_id/756906/

That thread gives you a good look at why it's not happening. Edge manufacturers are mostly the root cause of the issue. What they have works well enough for most of skiing's needs; and for them to invest in new shit that might not work, that doesn't translate to $$$ in their pockets.

Ski manufacturers might not like really good edges either. Sounds stupid but if I knew people were going to be buying skis every year because that's the rate my product deteriorates at, then I won't touch the product. Seems like an odd theory but I feel like it's a contributing factor. Personally I feel like it's a great selling point but who knows...

Then people are skeptical which is the lamest shit of life. "Reality is a bitch". No one has fucking tried it, so reality hasn't even happened. Theory is maybe a bitch, but until we try that or something like it, we don't know if reality is a bitch or not. This relates back to manufacturers not wanting to try something like it. R&D isn't cheap in the short term but if a drastic improvement comes along then I think it would be worth it in the long run.

Who knows, maybe some open minded thinker who has the capability of developing edges at a reasonable cost will come along, improve upon the current standard or my idea (and other poster's ideas in that thread, there were some good ones). Hopefully one day, we will see a better ski edge

/RANT
 
i buy my skis/bindings on backcountry and ski em til i break the skis or bindings then return em. i like to keep 3 pairs in rotation though, a 100mm park ski, a 115 bomber, and a 130 pow slasher
 
i dont think you guys realize how hard it is to do this besides ninety four, and even then, there is so much to overcome to make an idea in the ski market come to lif in the real world. there are so many steps that you have to take to ensure that your product holds up as well as possible without allowing the ski to cost $800. I recently talked to the nordica rep about new skis and I have Ace of spades and the only thing i didnt like about them was edge durability and other than that they are indestructable. He said that they have the technology to make good edges, but there is no way they would ever sell the ski because the whole construction of the ski would change and that on its own would invoke the right to shoot up prices for a revolutionary ski. (about $1100 for a high end ski with this edge tech in it) but would anybody buy these skis? no. no they wouldnt. cmon people be smart, of course companies have the ability but its all about price, profit, and performance. Nordica could sure as hell make the most indestructable skis ever but the business would suffer from it. what we have is not terribly bad and im not complaining.

Sidenote: NinetyFour, i saw your idea earlier and once you get the resources i would love to see that in action
 
no savings really, i have a savings account, and there is always a decent amount of money in it, but its not like im putting aside money for retirement or anything yet.. i buy skis when they are really cheap, i dont pay more than 250 for skis EVER. no matter what. I may buy 3 pairs of skis a year, but i probably spend less than some kids on here do for a single pair.

Ballin on a Budget
 
There is a reason that I have 'shitty' 200-300 dollar new park skis, Head the Show, K2 Presses. I would love to be able to ride a pair of AlDentes all season, but i know, dispute the superior construction of the Armadas, they will probably only last a little bit longer, and cost a whole lot more. I get the need for the people hitting huge ass jumps to need a super good ski at speed, but I think alot of companies seem to focus way too much on the high end of the market. The 200-400 range seems much more reasonable for a ski that is essentially considered disposable (1-2 seasons max). I never understand the people who buy a new pair of non-park skis every other year (Im looking at you, older ski instructors), that serve essentially the same function as their old pair.

If your a baller on a budget, you should be hitting up ski-swaps and end of season sales for all your ski needs. You can almost always find park skis at swaps that have never seen a rail or box, and 50%+ off sales right after the season finishes.
 
Like how @parkplayground said, skis with durable edges would be +$900, so not many people would buy them; But does that mean they have to mass produce it like their other skis, no. They can make it only for people who order it. It could be like the ski company keeps one pair for each size and when they sold a pair, then they could make another to replace it to minimize losses.
 
Really? I had heard quite the opposite. Ive only skied a few days on them at the end of last season and a few summer sessions so far.
 
Seeing that I'm still growing, I replace my skis when they're too short for me or when they break.
 
I had a pair of K2 disorderlys that i beat the shit out of for three years, and they lasted well. I have been using them for a backyard ski for the last two seasons. This will be my fifth season on them. I am hoping that my FR's that I got last season will hold up for another two years.
 
My skis at the end of this season had around 4 or 5 core shots and were in the 20's for edge breaks. Skiing in the east and hitting mostly rails does that to a pair of skis.
 
I can usually afford 1 new set of skis. Never at full price.

I just don't spend a lot of money man. This year I could afford new skis and that was after traveling to New Zealand for 5 monthes. I'm just good with money I guess (knock on wood)
 
Still on my k2 revivals, plan on being on them for at least this coming season, maybe even the next. Skis are fucking bomb proof.
 
i rode my jeronimos for nearly 50 days last year, primarily park. the edges, while rounded, have 2 extremely small cracks (between all 4 edges). i bought them on sale for $460 shipped, and while a park ski has never lasted me more than a year before, these ones (really fun skis not to mention) should and could last me another season or two.

make smart choices when you're buying skis. don't buy the 700 dollar pair that will break in a year, but at the same time you don't have to settle for a shitty pair that won't be much fun, while being inexpensive. find a happy medium. on3p has given me a really nice ski
 
when i was younger I would retire them when I'd outgrow them or broke them (delaminated one pair and snapped two other pairs)

now I never retire them.. because they either turn into urban sticks or more importantly SHOTSKIS!
 
I snapped my ski just behind the binding last year and continued to ski on them until the back end of my ski started to fold in half when ever I landed switch.

They were literally pool noodles at that point, but you gotta do what you gotta do when money is tight.
 
I usually rip through a pair of park skis every season. Wether they snap, edges rip out, or the bases get destroyed, they are usually done after one season.
 
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