Whether you’re looking to buy or rent/demo skis the following may be helpful information how to select the best skis for you. Valentines Day is a good time to visit big white Canada for a date skiing.

First you must decide what is best for you, to rent/demo (renting top of the line models, not rental stock skis) or buy? Beginning skiers or those just trying out the sport to decide if it’s for them, it makes sense to rent ski equipment. Once sure you’re going to spend enough time on the slopes to justify buying ski equipment you can invest in your own ski gear. Considering today’s economy and the cost to ship or fly with your equipment you may just want to rent/demo till things improve and our economy improves. You can demo top of the line skis for what it would cost you to fly round trip with you equipment- you may want to consider carrying-on your own boots.

What is the Best Ski for You? With a numerous skis to be had on today’s market, choosing can be overpowering. Deciding what skis will cater to your ability level, gender and your goals can be difficult. You must consider the ski conditions you will ski the most, your honest ability level, your terrain preference and type of skiing (racing, downhill, or off piste, for example), and how much experience you have – number of days, years on skis -when choosing skis. With honest answers to these questions you can start generating a list of what skis may be right for you.

Advanced technology in ski construction has allowed downhill ski manufacturers to make excellent skis for various skiers and conditions but understanding the different ski categories is essential. When potential buyers ask for suggestions, many skiers or shop personnel will recommend their personal favorites. What ski works for them may not necessarily work for you but interpreting your friend’s descriptions can be useful in helping you find the best ski for your unique needs.

Today the most popular terms I like to use in categorizing different types of skis are:

Technical, racing or carving skis are for skiers who engage primarily in technical carving on hard or groomed snow and skiers honing basic technical skills. These include all racing and race carving skis, cross skis and recreational carvers. This is the choice of many teaching pros and advanced expert skiers. Typical waist measurement is 71mm or less. Turn radii are typically 15 meters or less depending on length skied. Typically these type skis are skied short.

Tactical, multi-condition, aggressive all mountain, good everyday skis for skiers for whom the relationship of the ski to the snow is of paramount importance. These skiers roam the entire mountain, or at the other end of the spectrum, simply cruise around the groomed on flat edges. These types of skis are the most popular with wide-ranging selection to choose from. Waists are generally in the 68 to 82mm range, with a turn radius from approximately 15 meters to 19 meters

Freeride Skis are for those who enjoy the freedom of the backcountry. If you want a ski that can take you into the backcountry as well as the rest of the mountain this is the one current label that seems to work for everyone. Many do have twin tips and many can do double duty as deep snow skis and park/pipe skis. Still, in my view these wide skis focus on deep snow and crud expertise. Formerly called deep snow, or powder, or “big mountain” skis. Waist range from low 80’s to over 100 mm under foot with a turn radius from 15 up to 35 meters.

Specialty Skis – everything else, especially twin tip skis that fare best in park and pipe conditions and mogul skis. Most shops concentrate on more mainstream models and it’s been my experience that dedicated slope-siders and committed bumpers rely not on reviews but on peer-to-peer communication and coaches’ recommendations.

Hopefully you now have a reasonable working knowledge of types of skis and the criteria to determine what is suitable for your type of skiing it’s to time to put the info to use and head to the shop.

No matter whether you are renting, demoing or buying you need to find a shop that has knowledgeable technicians to assist you in your needs. You will find it hard to talk to a person that only has snowboard background to buy or rent skis and visa-versa. Experience of shop personnel not only in sales but in local knowledge of the area you are skiing will make the process easier.

More guests may be renting/demoing equipment this winter than ever before. Airline bag fees have sky rocketed with the increases of fuel prices and other airline problems. Along with baggage fees guests are trending to give up buying, lugging equipment through airports and taking the chance their gear will be at their destination. Under these circumstances shops need first-rate, well tuned equipment for our specialized guests. In the past shop have only provided rental performance skis and boots now have to provide better equipment.

It is common for shoppers to check out the stores and then go on line to look for cheaper prices. There are a growing number of web sites where new and older model skis are for sale at prices that can vary across the Internet. A lot of the difference in prices is due to the popularity of certain model skis that are designed for specific snow conditions. I only recommend buying online if you have already tested and know exactly the ski you want. You may find it difficult to find this year’s current gear on line till after Christmas or cheaper than the minimum advertised price determined by the manufacturer. Give your local merchants the business you may be surprised what deals are out there.

Don Jewkes, is a 32-year certified PSIA-RM level 3 Pro for the Ski and Snowboard Schools of Aspen at Snowmass, local resident and owner of Sunset Ski Repair. Drop him a line at donjewkes@comcast.net. Visit his website http://www.sunsetski.com.

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Finding a place that combines romance with winter adventure is a difficult search. However, we have found the perfect location for you sitting in the lap of bald mountains and lush green valley, Sun Valley Ski Resort at Idaho will be your ultimate romantic retreat with your loved one. Experience the wonderful vacation by getting a Canada ski packages at Bluepowder.com.au.

Brief History
After the success of the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, winter sports began to see a significant increase in American past time activity. Alpine Skiing by far became the most popular sport. William Averell Harriman, a son of the chairman of the executive committee for the Union Pacific Railroad company, to which Harriman’s banking business would be a top financer for the Union Pacific Railroad company after his father passed away on September 6, 1909. Harriman was an avid skier. After several ski trips on the European Alps he wanted to setup a ski resort here in the United States that could equal to the alps and give Americans that experience locally because most Americans could not afford trips just to ski in the European Alps. William Averell Harriman financed a project and hired a surveyor to travel across the western United States to find an appropriate location to build this ski resort. The surveyor was an Austrian count named Felix Schaffgotsch. He made a stop in Ketchum Idaho after a United Pacific Railroad employee informed him that a lot of money was paid for snow removal when the company was extending the rail line through this area of Idaho. Upon surveying the area Schaffgotsch saw huge potential for a mountain resort due to an abundance of snowfall, sunshine, a moderate elevation, and it was protected from the wind. The tallest mountain being Bald Mountain was well as the other peaks nearby provided excellent conditions for skiing. Harriman stopped in to check out the location and liked it as well and approved the purchase of the 3,888 acre land. In 7 months a mountain resort was completed, but it was named Brass Ranch and not Sun Valley. The name was not changed to Sun Valley until 1936.

Getting there
Hailey’s Friedman Memorial Airport is 14 miles from Sun Valley village. The airport is sizably linked to all the major American airport hubs such as Seattle (SEA), Los Angeles (LAX) and Salt Lake City (SLC). You can find flights to Sun Valley with Horizon Air and SkyWest. Horizon Air has daily direct flights between Sun Valley and Los Angeles and Seattle. For SkyWest you can fly direct from Salt Lake City. If you are a west coast resident you can be in Sun Valley in 1-2 hours. Upon arrival you can hop on the complimentary guest shuttles that operate between Friedman Memorial Airprot and Sun Valley Resort. If you fly into Boise Airport (BOI) then you can hop on the Sun Valley States charter bus, which have a daily schedule from the airport to the resort. Adult fares will run you $50 each way, children (3-10 years) are $10 each way, and very young children are complimentary. You will definitely want to check the website for Sun Valley Stages for their latest schedule and pricing. Their bus schedule will change based on the summer or winter season. The bus ride will take a little over 4 hours from Boise Airport. The last option is you can rent your own car and explore the area on your own and at your own pace if you want to check out other sites on your way to the resort.

Lodging
The Sun Valley Lodge is a state-of-the art luxury lodge that was built to offer all the necessary amenities a winter sports fan will need. There are 148 rooms that range from the Deluxe room option offering 2-bed or 1-king bed options, rooms offering a balcony with stunning mountain backdrop views, and suite style rooms that can accommodate a small family. The Sun Valley Inn’s European décor work makes it a good choice too. Condominiums are an interesting mix of ease and inexpensiveness. Cottages could also be your preferred option, which are splendidly made with every luxury you can think of!

Featured Attractions
The Sun Valley Resort is a state of the art dream come true for any win any winter recreation enthusiast regardless whether you are a total novice or at the advanced expert level. It is a 58,000 square foot facility that sits behind the lodge and offers everything from a fine dining restaurant, lounge, bar area, ski & equipment rental. It provides all the amenities to give visitors the true ski resort experience. If you and your sweetheart are coming here to ski for the first time then the Nordic Center offers a ski package for around $40 that includes both ski instruction from professional skiers and your ski rentals. Falling down is just a part of learning the nuances of skiing, but watching your sweetheart fall on her bum makes for more memorable fun. If you want to try something easier rent out two pairs of snowshoes and head out to one of the many groomed trails. The resort boasts 40 km of trails that where some trails offer gentle terrain for you to snowshoe with your partner and explore the winter wilderness. The resort also offers a sleigh ride and dinner at the Trail Creek Cabin package. The sleighs are pulled by horses that depart from the Nordic Center and take you through scenic the wilderness arriving at Trail Creek Cabin. The rides run three times a day at 5:45pm, 7:00pm, and 8:15pm and will take about 30 minutes. Upon arriving you will get a chance to dine on delicious foods and an opportunity to try some of the locally caught game meat. It will be a great experience for two people to share. You will have plenty of things to do for entertainment around the village area. If you head over to the Sun Valley Duchin Lounge they have live jazz music every evening and you and your partner can order up some cocktails and take in the sounds or if you love to dance then head on over to the dance floor. Whichever you choose you will not want the night to be over until the restaurant has to close. It is okay though because the lounge is open until 1am. Not bad, right? In the village center this resort town has a charming Opera House that can seat about 340 guests. When there are no shows it doubles as a movie theater. Call the Opera House at (208) 622-2244 and get information on the latest events and show times. Once you are tired you can retire back to your Sun Valley Resort Parlor Suite and cozy up with your beloved on the couch in front of the fireplace wondering to yourself it probably does not get any better than this.

Places to eat
Sun Valley Lodge Dinning room makes for an interesting dining experience. It is the only place with live music and dinner dancing. The other places that you can get wholesome food are Lookout Restaurant, Dollar Cabin, Ram and many more.

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