The banks are floundering and suddenly you find yourself asking about the health of a wealthy grandparent, shaking your coin purse and looking for a long-lost savings account. Winter’s coming and you need some gear. For some, hand-me-downs from the old man are good enough, but for everybody else we’ll lay out all the different ways you can get ski and snowboard gear. Multiple choice is a college favorite, so we have five options for you.
Before you go, know your skill level and what kind of activity you want to be doing, because it will affect the type of gear you’re going to want to look at. You want a tighter boot fit and a salesperson should help you out with that. To size a ski pole, just turn it upside down, grab the bottom near the basket and fully extend your arm. If the pole fits, it should combine with your arm to make a 90-degree angle with the floor. A site called realskiers.com offers some handy reviews of recent gear. Here’s where you can shop.
Go Local.
If you’d rather see your dollar go down the street instead of across the country, there are plenty of local shops with people who learned on the same slopes as you. They’ll measure your feet and make sure you don’t go out in a unisuit. The local stores have a great feel to them, are laid back and anti-bureaucratic, and you can relax and not worry about any line. If you have a nice smile, make some friends, trade recipes and get some insider prices on decent gear. Most shops offer a 40 percent discount on last year’s stock. If you want this year’s stock, Milosport on 3300 South has a good setup for boarding at a cost of $800. The cheapest you can go from nothing to setup is about $400. If you really want, you can spend upwards of $1,800 on the highest quality gear. Shops at Snowbird Ski Resort offer deals on last year’s demo gear. You can get skis with bindings from $300 to $400.
Go Big.
The staff is old and wise and the gear is new and yours to name. Big stores offer a wide range of ski and snowboard equipment. If you feel the sudden urge to buy some climbing gear or a survival whistle they are only a few aisles down instead of a few avenues. REI has garage sales for members, while Sports Authority has the Sniagrab where a lot of perfectly good returns and last year’s models are sold. Local branches are having fall sales now or very soon. The lines show up early and are big8212;so make coffee.
Go Global.
For the cheapest gear you can find, “this is the place.”
The world has put its shelves on the Internet. People find true love, apartments and Star Wars collectibles on the Web, but you can use it to find some gear as well. Caution is required, for this is a frontier. You need to have a good pre-knowledge of the fit and quality of gear that you need, and try to see it before you buy it. Maybe you have more faith in the human race than I do, but I’ve seen things. Horrible things. A few sites that will put in you contact with local people are craigslist.org and ksl.com in the classifieds section. There seemed to be good stuff on there.
Go Once.
If you have a brand-new dusty guitar in the corner that you swear you’re going to learn one day, you should rent. Unlike your high-school sweetheart, gear deserves commitment and to be treated with respect. After all, “nobody puts baby in a corner.” These are words to live by when it comes to gear. It doesn’t take long for rental costs to add up and it takes a few days to be able to go down the slopes without an aching backside, but renting will give you the chance to see if you prefer skiing to boarding. Or maybe after a day of falling hard and often, you’ll decide to finally learn “Stairway to Heaven.” You can rent from the resorts. Christy Sports at Snowbird has rentals at $31.50. Canyon Sports in the Avenues offers packages at $20. The U’s Outdoor Recreation Center offers two- to three-day ski packages for $18 and snowboard packages for $20.
Stay Home.
These might be crazy times, but not crazy enough to stay home. If you happen to be an investment banker or mortgage lender, it’s better that you stay home and save up for next year. Or buy a sled.