The Garage

Get to Know Your Gear
Take the Time to Research New Equipment

By Sarah Richardson
PSIA-NW Tech Team, Timberline Snowsports Director
Winter 2002

I love this time of year. I can feel the evenings getting cooler and winter approaching. All the winter magazines come out with all the new gear, local shops hold their preseason sales, and everyone passionate about sliding on the snow starts getting excited about the approaching season. 

I worked a couple of the Seattle shows in late August and was reminded of the huge amount of choices our wintertime guests are presented with. I chuckled at how individual learning preferences are reflected in how people choose their equipment. Some people come armed with the various buyers’ guides, others wander around picking up and touching everything in sight. Some notice the graphics right away and others ask very educated questions about waist width and flex characteristics. 

As you well know for some of our guests the process of choosing equipment can be very overwhelming. Most people will own one snowboard or pair of skis. They often rely on our experience and knowledge to help them make the right choice.

 If it has been awhile since you took the time to get out and explore the different characteristics of equipment do it again this season. It will provide you with a great personal learning experience as well as provide you with current and accurate insight to share with your guests. You can start now by reading the different equipment reviews and looking at other equipment related articles available to you.

 Education comes in many forms. Every time I get the opportunity to try out different skis I not only learn more about the individual characteristics of each model but my skiing and communication skills improve as well. My feet get a little wake up call as I adapt to the flex, responsiveness, side-cut etc. I get better at describing the different skis to my guests and improve my ability to answer their questions about which skis would suit their ability and preferences.

 I am constantly learning new things about boots and bindings. Currently I am trying to better understand how the ramp angles on various bindings interact with the ramp angles in different boots and how this factor affects my student’s overall alignment and ability to apply the things we are playing with in their skiing. I get dizzy thinking about it but I have benefited so much personally from the boot experts who have fitted by equipment and constructed my orthotics that I want to do everything I can to assist my students with their equipment. Boots like skis and snowboards come in all shapes and sizes. Knowing among other things which boots are best for narrower feet and which suit the wider foot will help you assist your student in choosing a few models to try as they wade through their local shop.

 We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to purchase equipment on pro form. In exchange we can help our local shops provide the best choices for their customers. Provide your students with a place to start, and then recommend where they can go to get more expertise. It is these kinds of partnerships that will give our guests an even better snowsport experience, and help the industry to grow.

 On-going education is important for all instructors. There is still so much going on in the evolution of snowboards, skis, boots and bindings that can help our guests. We need to stay current and share ideas in order to provide our student’s with the best experience. Conducting your own equipment test is a valuable educational opportunity, and what could be more fun?