Alpine Skiing Equipment

Whether you are into recreational Alpine Skiing or you are a “hardcore” Downhill Skier, paying close attention to the equipment you use is imperative for your success and safety.

There is a wide variety of Alpine Skiing Equipment available today and it is important that you understand what you are using and what effects it will have on your run down the mountain! Technology is ever changing and there is no sport that is impacted greater from year to year in the changes of equipment than snow skiing.

The following are tips to assist you in your pursuit of the perfect Alpine Skiing Equipment setup:

Choosing the right skis to use is comparable to having the right tires and tread on your car or truck. If you don’t have the right ski to fit both your skill level and the type of skiing your planning on doing than you are putting yourself at a disadvantage before even jumping on the lift. Before you chose your ski you need to evaluate your skill level (Recreational, Intermediate, or Advanced), and determine the type of terrain and runs you intend to use them on (Powder, soft snow, or hard pack). That information along with you height and weight should allow you to choose the right ski profile and make your next ski trip much more enjoyable!

boot and binding combination Your skis are may be the tires on the road but the effectiveness of your downhill alpine skiing is only as good as your chaise. The most important part of your Alpine Skiing Equipment is your . They are what transfer your body’s movements to the ski. In order to have the best possible combination of effectiveness and safety it is crucial that you have the right boots and bindings. The boots need to be fit to your comfort and are intended to give you the proper stability to protect against ankle and foot injury. They are also essential to keeping you warm and dry. Anytime you are not comfortable it makes for a long miserable day on the slopes. Just like the shoes you wear athletically the inner boot must fit to the contours of your foot. Every inner boot will fit your sole and arches differently so find a boot that fits you individual needs. Alpine ski boots will come in three general styles; rear entry, mid entry, and top entry. Both rear entry and mid entry boots are easier to get in and out of and have fewer straps and buckles to contend with but top entry boots allow for greater stability and more adjustment options to find your individual comfort level. Regardless of which style you choose the most important factor is how well they fit the style of binding you chose. For the recreational skier I recommend purchasing a boot binding “package” that is manufactured to go together.

Your bindings are far and away your most important piece of Alpine Skiing Equipment. They can not only improve your quality of skiing but they are designed to greatly decrease your chances of injury in the event of a fall or crash.

Choosing which bindings to use will be determined by the size of your skis, your skill level and the type of skiing you intend to do. Skis have gotten wider in recent years which requires a wider biding to ensure the brakes can get around the outside of the ski in the event of a release (the brakes stop the ski from getting too far away from you on the mountain). Your skill level and terrain are essential variables that will help determine how to adjust the release setting on the bindings, in layman’s terms how easily your boots will release from the bindings. In the case of a fall you want your skis to release to prevent from injuring you knees, however if they are set to sensitively for the type of skiing you are doing they can release just from heavy vibrations or impacts. These settings should be adjusted by a professional technician only after consulting you on your level of skiing.

The final Alpine Skiing Equipment piece of you need before youth the hill is a good set of poles. Unless you are ultra competitive the poles are a little straighter forward than the rest of your equipment. The two most important factors are the proper length for your height and the size of the “basket.” The basket is the disk like piece at the bottom of your pole. If you are skiing on powder you should have a larger basket than you would if your are skiing groomed runs.

Now you are ready to go find your appropriate equipment and hit the slopes. Have fun and be safe!!