New Equipment:

Used Equipment:

  Catalogs:

Ski apparel (including race suits and Spyder wear), variety of ski and winter gear, tuning supplies, waxes, etc.
No skis or boots.

Ski Show      Nov. 5-7 2004 at Portland Expo Center    (Go Friday for best selection)

You can usually find really good bargains on apparel, especially at U.S. Outdoor Store's space. Good prices on last year's models of skis and boots. Some used equipment.

Ski equipment has been evolving rapidly the last few years. The bad news is that top of the line race equipment from four or five years ago is completely outdated today. The good news is that this renaissance has produced equipment that immensely improves the ability to carve turns and improve skiing skills. The equipment is more customized to the types of turns you will make - so having separate slalom and GS skis is unfortunately a new reality for top competitors.

One obvious difference is in the size and shape of the skis. New school techniques are resulting in shorter ski lengths. The length of the ski dictates the radius, or natural arc the ski can carve in the snow. The shorter race skis will have a smaller turning radius, or the ability to turn more sharply than longer skis.

The turning radius dictates the type of ski you with to purchase. Clearly you want a larger radius for GS and smaller for Slalom. We have experimented with various ski lengths in recent years. The tradeoff, mainly in slalom, is between balance and turning ability. The shorter skis turn easier, but are more difficult to balance in the forward/backward weight distributions and hence can result in more crashes and hike times. This tradeoff should be carefully considered based on each skiers abilities and needs.

Fortunately the industry and racing experience is converging on the best solution of lengths and cuts. Following is the rule of thumb for choosing ski lengths and radius. However, talk to Coach Ken if you have particular questions:

1. GS Skis: These should normally come to about the top of your head. This is usually between 175cm and 185cm for the boys and 165cm to 175cm for the girls. For high school racing a radius under 21 meters is best.
2. Slalom Skis: These should come to about your chin. This is around 160-165 for the boys and 150-155 for the girls. Short radius skis with good torsional rigidity are best.
3. Notes: There should normally be about a 15-20cm difference between the slalom and GS ski. Most top boys in the league will use a 165cm slalom and 180cm GS ski, and the girls a 155-160cm slalom and 175cm GS ski, but these can be adjusted for size and strength. If in doubt you are better to err on the short side.
4. Single ski for both GS and Slalom: If you cannot afford a ski for both disciplines, an intermediate ski and radius should be purchased.

Rules Issues

Currently the international FIS and USSA regulations for ski length and radius are not enforced in the Metro League or the state OISRA race. Rules regarding ski brakes, helmets, boot sole thickness and stand height will be enforced according to USSA and FIS regulations.

In 2004 the USSA adopted ski length and radius rules as follows:

We feel that OISRA will not require ski length or radius requirements in the foreseeable future, so you should purchase equipment that works best for you without considering the FIS or USSA length and radius requirements.