At the end of January 2017, we attended the SIA Snow Show at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Plus, we also got some new ski testing time in at the On-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride Fest at Copper Mountain Resort. These events let us really geek out over ski gear—in a good way. Here are a few key takeaways for the upcoming season:
SKI GEAR TRENDS: Gone are the days of mega-fat skis. As we choose our rental fleet for the 2017-2018 season, we’ll be on the lookout for:
- Skis trending with an underfoot width of around 91-100 mm
- Light, powerful, and playful skis—with carving skis back in the game
- Skis that have top sheets with streamlined graphics and simple visual appeal
- Lighter downhill boots and skis
- Innovative helmet technology that combines lightweight and high-performance materials
Get the full scoop here: Vail Ski Rental & 2017-2018 Ski Retail Trends
SKI TESTERS REVEAL FAVORITES: We’ve got a passionate crew of skiers here at Vista Bahn Ski Rentals, and the feedback we get from our ski testers helps us bring the best Vail ski rental options to you. Here are their top picks for powder skis, all-mountain skis, and top sheets for the upcoming 2017-2018 season:
Favorite powder skis: Blizzard Rustler 115; K2 Pinnacle 118 (Snappy yet playful packaged together in a light ski). Salomon QST 106
Favorite all-mountain skis: Blizzard Bonafide; Blizzard Brahma – Easy turn and stiff enough to handle speed;Â Volkl Kanjo
Best top sheets:Â Blizzard, overall. Simple, easy-to-repair, and good colors. All Nordica and Liberty are also really attractive.
Co-owner Dominique Underhill adds that the Nordica Santa Ana remains an overall ski favorite.
The annual SIA show and on-snow ski testing ultimately helps us hone our fleet of Vail ski rentals so that we’ve got the best available for you each season. We look forward to sharing new ski technology and gear with you in 2017-2018!
Get more details in our 2017-2017 Vail Ski Rental Preview.
