European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Finding the gear that s right for you stories by Leah Larkin features editor the experts agree. A Good comfortable properly fitted Boot is More important than a pair of skis. Quot buy the boots and rent the skis Quot advises Dale Gaeth ski shop supervisor at the Wiesbaden sports Center in Germany. Kris Kalmar an cafes merchandising manager specializing in ski equipment says Quot comfortable boots Are important. Without them skiing is no her recommendation Quot Purchase boots first and rent skis the first few Quot All boots Hurt when wearing them for the first timeout if you want to get serious it s the Best bet Quot Gaeth says. Boots that Are broken in by you not another skier will be More comfortable in the Long run he says. But these Days even new boots Don t have to Hurt. Quot All Good brands offer a Safe firm comfortable fit with Good cushioning Quot says Roland Reinhart co owner of sport team a Chain of eight sports shops in Northern Bavaria. Time is critical to Boot Purchase. Quot it s important to take time and try on different brands Quot he says. Quot a Boot must fit perfectly. If it s too Loose you won t have control. It s like a car when the tires Are Reinhart and others advise walking around the shop preferably for a half an hour wearing the boots you plan to buy. Another tip buy from someone who knows the merchandise. Reinhart says it is important that the salesperson know the boots As Well As feet. For example some manufacturers produce boots in different widths which May provide a better fit for a woman s foot. Be it boots or skis do not buy equipment you can t handle. Dick Reppard Avalanche and ski mountaineering adviser to the National ski patrol Germany Region says Quot buy intermediate a not the top of the equipment designed for experts holds the average skier Back he explains. Quot but people refuse to be honest with themselves about their ski too Many skiers Rush to the products with the Quot racing Quot Label. Even he fell into the trap. Last year he decided he wanted a pair of Salomon racing boots. The company representative asked him what kind of skiing he did. Reppard explained that he did some ski instruction worked with the ski patrol and skied for fun. Quot but do you race Quot the Salesman asked. the Salesman refused to sell him the Boot explaining that he would hate it because it was uncomfortable and not designed for / his Type of skiing. Quot recreational skiers Are not professional racers. They ski maybe 15 Days a year a far less than those who ski for a living Quot Reppard says. Racing skis Are very stiff and designed for High speeds. Yet too Many Good skiers buy them. Reppard can Tell by watching them ski. Quot they skid instead of carve their turns. The ski is too stiff to make it Quot How fast does the average recreational skier ski Quot he asks. Quot if he reaches 30 Mph he s at the panic yet professional racers on downhill courses Are often timed at speeds up to 75 Mph. Quot when manufacturers put labels on a6ove, Mary Lou Winfield left and Janet Braddock Check out a variety of ski gear at the Frankfurt ski club s above right the single most import piece of ski equipment is not the ski but the Boot equipment they do it for a Good which ski to buy John Schwartz an avid skier and manager of Scherer Tours a Wurzburg company specializing in ski trips says there s Quot no such thing As a bad ski anymore. Ten years ago i remember telling people the most important thing about a ski is the length and the color. Make sure it matches your even though most in the business agree that just about All skis Are Good these Days some skis May be better. And some Cost much More than others. Gaeth at Wiesbaden says the hot item this season is a ski called Quot basically the extreme ski is a ski with a slalom Side Cut but with a giant slalom the Wiesbaden shop carries a Volkl Model priced at $414.35 and a k2 Model at $273.30. A hefty Price but a bargain compared to this season s porsche of skis the Salomon Monocoque. Reinhart sings the praises of this Beauty which is Quot built like a race car with a a shaped Frame Quot putting All the pressure on the edges. Quot the ski offers excellent handling and makes skiing simple. I like the Security it gives you with the grip of the at 890 Marks $597 at the current Exchange rate it better be perfect. The Quot prohibitive Price Quot will keep the Monocoque from making an appearance on the Racks at the cafes sports stores a at least this season. Quot Well wait and see How it does this year Quot says Kalmar. Cafes is Selling skis by Dyn astar head k2 and Rossignol at its 13 sports stores in Germany this season. A limited selection of ski equipment is also available at stores in Aviano and Vicenza Italy. Prices Range from $53 for a Junior ski by k2 to $290 for a Rossignol 4 sivas. The Dollar s drastic decline will make european manufactured ski equipment More expensive this year Kalmar says. Quot but our prices Are still considerably lower than stateside and much lower than on the Economy. We re still offering prices at the Wiesbaden sports Center and Rhein main sports Center also rank in the bargain category compared to the Cost of equipment Back Home. Topsy Stanley manager of the Rhein main a shop which is Selling Rossignol k2 and Dyn astar skis this season says american made k2s Are a better buy because of the Low value of the Dollar in Europe. For More savings Stanley recommends a ski package including skis poles and bindings. The Rhein main shop has a variety of these packages starting at $177.but to enjoy skiing there is no need to part with big Bucks and Purchase expensive gear. Quot it s crazy to buy when you re learning Quot says Schwartz. Quot and when the Snow is bad Good skiers should rent so they Don t have to worry about damaging their staff writer Mark wonders contributed to this care Chris Futch Sharpens a ski at the Mainz Kastel sports store. De Helm skis need tic. And that Means proper maintenance. Quot How you keep a ski is important. A Good ski with poor edges is a poor ski Quot says John Schwartz a former ski instructor and owner of Scherer Tours a company specializing in ski trips. In addition to Edge sharpening skis need Wax. Both waxing and Edge sharpening Are tasks that you can do yourself with the proper tools and technique. However if you Lack both take your skis to professionals. Military outdoor recreation centers offer reasonable ski maintenance services. Most All ski shops also provide the service. Ski shop owner Roland Reinhart of Wurzburg Germany recommends that ski edges be sharpened after eight to 10 Days of skiing. At the same time have the ski base waxed he says. Wax conserves the base and makes the ski turn More easily. It s important if you Don t want to work too hard and want to make Nice effortless a
