Buy or Rent Skis: Which Should You Do?
Hitting the slopes can quickly and easily become a favorite family winter pastime, but the many considerations around how to approach it can be daunting. One of the biggest questions is whether to rent or buy ski equipment this season. Here are a few things to think about whether to buy or rent skis before investing in an entire ski package.
Frequency of Skiing: How Often Do You Hit the Slopes?
How frequently you anticipate skiing should be a major consideration in whether or not you rent or buy equipment. You can do some quick cocktail napkin math and determine how many days or seasons you’ll have to ski on a brand new equipment package before you’ve realized the cost of renting equipment for that same period of time. For the typical skier, you’ll have to ski for about three seasons (obviously depending on how many days you ski in a season, and how long you ski during those days) before the cost of buying equipment becomes less than the cost of renting.
For beginner and intermediate skiers, that’s a substantial amount of time, and a hefty investment if you’re still testing the waters – or should we say, the snow – and figuring out if skiing is for you.
Understanding the Cost: Upfront and Long-Term
Along those same lines is the importance of weighing up-front and long-term costs. New skis, boots, and poles will require a large expense today, while renting when you go on ski vacations or spend a day at the hill allows you to spread the cost of equipment out over time. As the price of lift tickets, ski passes, resort dining, parking, and transportation continue to increase, renting equipment instead of buying it can be a great way to offset expenses associated with your next ski vacation.
Convenience and Flexibility
Perhaps the biggest plus of renting skis versus buying them is convenience, specifically if you have to travel to ski. Ski and boot bags can be cumbersome and create unwanted travel hassle. Instead, look into rental options once you arrive at your destination. Black Tie Skis set this bar high with their rental equipment delivery service, making it even easier to rent your equipment. Instead of packing and traveling with your gear – subjecting it to potential dings and damage along the way – consider renting a custom ski equipment package online or over the phone before you arrive. Then enjoy being properly fitted for your gear in the comfort of your accommodations versus standing in long rental equipment lines.
When it comes to convenience and flexibility for beginner and intermediate skiers, or those who only get on the slopes a handful of days a year, a ski rental delivery service is the perfect way to go.
Performance and Personalization
Owning your ski equipment does allow for custom setups, while many rental equipment companies will supply you with standardized gear. While this might sound sufficient if you’re just learning or skiing a small number of days this season, it’s still important to make sure the gear you’re using is customized to your height, weight, ability, and skiing experience, and yes, this can definitely apply to rental equipment, too!
Ensuring your equipment is appropriate for you is an important part of learning and improving your ski technique. Boots and skis that have been sized specifically to you are also safer than generic settings.
This type of rental equipment customization is where Black Tie Skis shines. Our ski tech experts come to you with not just one setup option, but a variety of choices so they can put you on equipment that will help elevate your enjoyment and skill level. They also fit the gear correctly, making sure boots aren’t too small (no one likes cold toes!) and your skis are the right fit for the type of skiing you want to do.
Maintenance and Care: An Ongoing Commitment
If you’ve ever hit crisp corduroy with freshly waxed skis, you know how nice it is. Maintaining your equipment is another time and money cost to consider when you’re weighing whether to own or rent. Skis need to be tuned – waxed, edges sharpened, DIN set – on a regular basis. For lifelong, full-season skiers, owning a tuning bench isn’t uncommon. But for those who are simply hoping to chalk up some quality turns a few weeks a season, the maintenance typically falls to someone else.
Dealing with maintaining and storing your equipment can be a downside to owning it. Again, Black Tie Skis is here to make skiing easier and more attainable. Our experts know how to properly maintain and store skis. Your equipment arrives freshly waxed, tuned, and dry without you having to lift a finger.
Travel Considerations: Logistics of Skiing
It’s not just flying with ski and boot bags that can become a hassle. Ever tried to fit a few pairs of skis in a compact rental car? Or had the airline lose your skis enroute, leaving you high and dry? Not great. Given the other obstacles of winter travel – snow, slippery roads, unpredictable winter conditions – renting skis can provide peace of mind and plenty of convenience. No need to travel with tie-down straps or worry about whether or not your luggage will fit in your transport, or arrive at all.
Skill Level: Does Your Expertise Matter?
Beginner, intermediate, and expert skiers will probably approach the rent-versus-buy question differently. For those who ski more than 15 – 20 days per year, it might make more sense to own. However, even the most advanced skiers still love to try a new pair from time to time, and this is where renting provides an opportunity.
Similarly, beginner and intermediate skiers who are still figuring out terrain and conditions enjoy the flexibility of renting versus owning a single pair of skis. The variety allows skiers to demo different types of skis as they progress without having to make a hefty investment. Regardless of ability level, renting equipment allows skiers to pair their skis to the current conditions. Groomers, moguls, steeps, and powder skiing are all that much more fun if you find yourself on the right set of sticks.
Conclusion: What’s Right For You?
Ultimately, whether you buy or rent depends on your skiing objectives, your budget, and the amount of time you can realistically spend on the mountain. When weighing your options, here are some questions to ask to help guide your decision:
- How many days do I plan to ski this season?
- Do I have to travel to my ski destination? If so, will I fly, drive, or take public transit?
- What’s my budget?
- Will I have the time to maintain my ski setup throughout the winter?
- What kind of conditions and terrain do I want to ski this year?
- Will I be content with one ski equipment setup, or would I prefer to try a variety of choices from this year’s top brands?
You’ll know which solution is right for you, and if you do decide to rent, the experts at Black Tie Skis can help get you into the boots and skis that cater to your on-mountain needs.