European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The. Equipment game gearing up for downhill by Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writer no aspect of skiing is More confusing for beginners than choosing equipment. The vast array of boots bindings clothing and accessories can be mind boggling Etc n for Long time skiers. Sam Marks Avalanche adviser and former director for the european division of the american ski patrol has some tips for people planning to Purchase gear. Marks lists ski equipment in this order of importance boots skis bindings and poles. Those priorities Are endorsed by Dale Caeth ski shop supervisor at the Wiesbaden sports Center in Germany. Quot the Boot is the most important part of your equipment Bec Ause if you have a fun ski and your feet Hurt you re going to be miserable Quot Gaeth says. Quot if you Don t have any Money to buy your ski equipment you should at least buy your own  the Quot top Quot boots Are rigid and tight fitting for Quick response in turning. Quot an Ideal Boot for a racer would be a piece of plastic folded to his foot so that when he moves his foot it will move his ski Quot Gaeth says. These boots Are designed to provide a competitive Edge in a sport where the difference Between first place and also ran is measured in hundredths of a second and winning is More important than Comfort. Expert recreational skiers also want tight unyielding boots for Quick turns on Steep trails. But the no. 1 concern for Novice and intermediate skiers is Comfort. The boots should be flexible with a soft liner that allows some foot movement. When buying boots it is important to put on heavy socks and Wear the boots for at least a half hour to an hour around the store Marks advises. This will help Avert any unpleasant surprises on the slopes. While skiing your feet tend to swell. If you pick boots that Are too snug in the showroom you May be in for severe discomfort on the slopes. Marks has evacuated skiers off the slopes who were in pain because they had tried on their boots Only briefly and with thin socks. Gaeth concurs. Quot bad boots have ruined More ski trips Quot than any other Factor he says. Both Marks and Gaeth list three main variables to consider when choosing equipment your ability the number of Days a year you ski and the Cost. Gaeth s first question for customers is How Well they ski. Quot basically i ask them what kind of runs they take Are they into parallel Quot Gaeth says. Marks emphasizes that it is very important for skiers not to overestimate their ability. Quot the first thing i Tell them is be truthful with the  if you Are a Novice who has been on skis for five Days during a learn to ski week do not c All yourself an intermediate. Likewise if you Are an intermediate Don t say you Are an expert. If the salesperson recommends skis and boots based on an overstated evaluation of your skills you May Only be buying yourself heartburn. One of the biggest mistakes beginner or Novice skiers can make Marks says is Quot going out and buying the top of the line equipment and not being Able to handle  often the mistake is made because the skis or boots Are on Sale. Many people have a hard time accepting the idea that they should not buy those $300 skis that Are on Sale for $150. But the Quot Best Quot skis Are usually fast and stiff making them difficult for beginners and most intermediates to control. Quot if they get on the skis and they have a bad experience then they will be turned off Quot Marks says. Skiing can become More work than fun. Some people May be so discouraged that they give it up. Gaeth tries to discourage Novice skiers who want to buy top of the line skis. But he is not Adamant with More advanced skiers. Quot if you re an intermediate skier and you have a positive attitude you can learn to ski any ski Quot Gaeth says. He qualifies this statement with a cautionary note that it May be a difficult learning process. Experts he says generally know what they Are looking for and do not want advice. In selecting bindings the most important Factor is the release Range. In general bindings for beginners Are designed to release under much lower tension than those for experts. An expert skier who skied with lower Range bindings might find himself jumping out of them. Conversely a beginner who bought racing bindings could injure himself before they released. Other factors considered Are age and weight. A very heavy skier even if he is a beginner probably could not use the lowest Range of bindings. Even during Normal skiing the pressure of his weight might cause them to release. The Wiesbaden store Sells three of the biggest name bindings Marker Salomon and Tyrolia. They Are classified according to their release ranges established by the Din the German Agency that sets safety standards. According to Fiona Ashley manager at Wiesbaden a typical adult beginner binding has a Din release Range of three to nine. In contrast a racing binding has a release Range of seven to 14. Marks cautions skiers against falling into the trap of buying new equipment simply because styles change. If properly cared for ski equipment should last for years. Quot i think a person should switch equipment when the equipment becomes unserviceable Quot he says. Correspondingly Marks tells skiers it is not necessary to buy new gear. Clubs and other organizations sponsor preseason and end of season sales of used equipment. It is a Good idea to get advice from a knowledgeable Friend if you Are not sure what you want. Once skiers have the Basic equipment they need to consider ski clothing. Most important Marks says is to Quot get something that s comfortable that lets the air circulate around something that is wind resistant and water  it is also important he says to dress in layers and in general to Over dress. The reason for this is because it is easier to take off something you have on than put on something you do not have. Marks cites the example of an inexperienced skier who went on an Early season trip to a Glacier resort. In the town people were walking around in shirtsleeves and shorts but when he went up on the Mountain in a to shirt he got a severe chill and abrasions from several Falls. A few thousand feet in Altitude can make a big difference in the weather. Quot it s better to be in the Valley wishing you were up on the Mountain than on the Mountain wishing you were Down in the Valley Quot says Marks. Marks is emphatic in his condemnation of jeans As ski attire. Quot Blue jeans Are Cotton. Cotton absorbs water. What you re going to have is a very cold wet  in the worst Case it can Lead to hypothermia because Quot water cools 240 times faster than  he recommends a simple inexpensive solution to the problem. Quot for $15 to $20 you can buy an Over Pant to keep you  Marks prefers two piece outfits Over the jump suit style because they allow the wearer Quot to Peel Down if you need . . Sports stores in Europe skiers usually can save Money by purchasing equipment at sports stores on military bases. Telephone numbers Are listed As they would be dialled in the country where each store is located. Cafes sports stores in Germany Baum older building 8666 Smith Barracks 08783-7614 Kaiserslautern building 2779 Kapaun air station 0631-55452 Berchtesgaden hotel general Walker 08652-1315/2981 Barlin building 184, Truman Plaza Clay Alle 169 030-8141059 Garmisch building 501 shopping Center Barnho Strasse 11 08821-3848 Karlsruhe building 9641 Gerszewski Barracks 0721-755115 Munich building 400 Terlacher Forst shopping Center 089-6904409 Schweinfurt building 203 Ledward Cavern 09721-87703 Giessen near shopping Center Rudolf diesel Strasse 48 0641-4924544 Stuttgart building 132, Burgholz Hof Robinson Barracks 0711-850059 Grafe Wohr building 534 Wilbur Road 09641-2039 Wurzburg building 9 Leighton Barracks 0931 -708922 Heidelberg building 3802 shopping Center Czerny ring 2 06221-22941 cafes sports stores in Italy Aviano a Casella postage 6 0434-652348 Vicenza building 243 Caserma Ederle 0444-500535 other . Stores in Germany Berlin sports store Temple hot military Airport Columb Adamm 2-6 030-819-5140 or ets 3325140 Sam Bach a sports store building 105 06302-67-7780 or ets 4967780 Hahn sports connection building 109, Hahn a 06541-51-7622 or ets 4507622 Span Dahlem a sports store building 152 06565-4889 or ets 452-6635 Ramstein a gear up sports store building 2113 06371-47-5226 or ets 4805226 Rhein main a sport Center base hotel 069-692588 Wiesbaden ski shop Wiesbaden sports Center building 04002-a Mainz Kastein storage station 06134-203116 sports Center 06134-203147 ski shop 6 october 23, 1991