Should I buy or rent skis and snowboards?


The classic debate of buying or renting has been going on for years, and we don't mean houses!

The list of pros and cons goes on and hire shops are everywhere you turn in any resort, so why not let us guide you through all the advantages of purchasing your own skis! Lets be honest, its quite daunting having to part with your hard earned cash on that first purchase of your very own ski equipment.

But in the long run you save yourself time and money and gain a lifetime of comfort and ease here's how; Not to put people off renting, as most of us here at some point have worked a season in a ski rental shop to fund being in the mountains, but most people have a story to tell about that time they hired some skis.

Like that time the boots smelt like they had been used to store cheese for the week before, or the fact that when you picked up the skis, they still had snow on them even though you were told you'd be getting a brand new set.


The Travel Cost Myth Back in the day, it was pretty expensive to take your winter sports equipment on a flight.

It was also seen as such a strain to get it from the airport to resort, especially on public transport. Things have changed. Whilst hand luggage dimensions have shrunk, so have the prices for taking your skis. With brands making bigger and stronger bags, you are now more likely to fit everything you need for your trip in one bag.

Plus there are some airlines who dont charge for your equipment sure you might pay for a slightly more expensive ticket but its definitely worth it. When you own your own, you can say goodbye to hanging out waiting to be seen in the rental shop.

Literally get to resort and go straight to your hotel or chalet. After the time youve spent travelling, you just want to take your skis, which survived the trip thanks to the padded and heavy duty ski bag, and relax.

Having your own skis means that you get to know how your skis perform. Progression is a big part of snow sports, its hard to imagine that theres anyone out there who is happy on the toddler slope on every trip and without your own equipment it might seem like an uphill struggle to get better.

If you are an aspiring freestyle skier then buying something that you can get used to and progress on a great place to start. The chances are, each trip you take youd end up with a different size, model, length and style of ski and in some rare cases, even if you have pre-booked, they are all booked out and so youre given a similar set. Also, nothing can take away that feeling of being a proud owner of a new set of skis, everyone should experience it!

Do we really need to go into the advantages between renting a helmet and buying your own? Who knows what's happened to that helmet the week before?

Getting the right advice is a key factor; here at Absolute Snow we have specialists on hand every day to offer the best advice. Everything from the length that suits you, what style of riding you want to set out to do and the perfect skis to progress with. We can set your first set of skis up for you so that when you arrive in the mountains you are ready to go.

Check out our full range of Snowboards and Skis today!


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