Just wondering what everyones opinion is on the best brand of ski?

I currently rent my skis but will be looking to buy soon so am doing a little bit of groundwork on what I should be buying?

I also rent but I have got Atomic ski's a few times and was very happy with them. They seem to be cheaper than the bigger brands Salamon etc.. and still be a decent set of ski's.

I also rent skis but I am looking into buying a set of Fischer skis! :D I have heard some good reviews.

I have used Atomic most of the times that I have rented and I have never had a problem they are really nice and flexable and they are fast.

i think that the best overall brand of ski is k2. they are great because they make some of the best all mountain skis out there, but they also make good park and pipe skis. if you are gonna get a pair i would suggest the K2 Apache Crossfire because they are perfect for all mountain skiing. here (http://www.thejibshop.com/K2-Apache-Crossfire-Skis-P3801C456.aspx) is a site with great pics and prices.

I don't think you can say what the best brand of ski is. There are certainly some brands with poorer quality, but buying K2 just because somebody thinks they are the best quality skis is foolish. Each ski maufacturer will produce skis that vary accross all ski disciplines. One ski may be more fit for park (freestyle), whereas others may be better for moguls, or powder skiing, or groomers. Some skis are made to be more all-rounded, called all-mountain. The variables of length, girth/width, side-cut, or shape, all contribute to the skis specialty.

If, hypothetically, you were a groomer lover, a high-quality park only ski may be worse for you than a poor quality ski that was better fit to ride that terrain type. The better question for you to ask would be: "what type of ski is better for x style of skiing?", and then: "what brand makes the best skis for my style of riding?".

If you can give more information on your style of skiing, I can suggest a few models from various reputable brands, and you can then make a more informed decision.

I ride Volkl Karmas, they are a discontinued model which has now been renamed the Volkl Wall. I use this particular type of twin tip because I ride park, but also enjoy alot of moguls and trees, and often powder. This type of ski works for me because it is a fatter ski (perfect for park and powder), but not super fat (which would be bad for trees and moguls), it is also only moderatle flexible, making it flexy enough for park, but not not too flexy for carving. Now, why didn't I buy a ski of similar design from a different company? That is a more personal choice that I made based on its Austrian construction, and reputability in the industry.

Give us more info and we can give you some good models, not brands. As far as quality goes, I need to know which brands not to name, as some companies like Armada and Line specialize in twin tips.

How often do you ski?

What are the typical snow conditions you ski on?

Have you demo'd any brands?

Do you like bumps, powder, groomed, GS turns, all mountain?

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I've skied on K2, Kastle (a long time ago) and Rossi. Demo'd Salomon, Volkl, but came back to what felt best. For me that was Rossi.

Personally, I'd be more focused on your boots. If your feet aren't comfy then the skiis are going to suck no matter what.

Snobeach is right on. Tell people where you ski, how fast, front or back side, like to feel the skis feedback or not, etc.

Dynastar, Volkl, Nordica, Solomon, K2, etc. all have their good aspects.
They all sell their lowend at places like Dick's sporting goods or other big chains.
The ski shops usually have their better, more expensive stuff. Most skis come with integrated bindings now, but you can still opt to buy seperates if you look around (cheaper sometimes).

http://www.ski-review.com/

Hi, It is hard to find bad skis these days, but you can buy the wrong skis for your skiing style.

Levelninesports.con has a ski selector formula which makes it easy. You will get an idea of the kind of ski you need. You input info about you and your skiing and the selector lists skis in rank order of suitability. Yes, it promotes the skis they sell, so you may not find the perfect model, but you can find fabulous deals of last year's models. Then check the models for reviews and see if they stack up. But, as I mentioned, getting the right style of ski is more important than choosing brand.

I have owned Salomons (X-Cross - nice once you got them going - dog awful in the slow stuff and crud), Rossignol Bandits (nice but a little bumpy at speed) and now have Fischer RC4 World Cup SL Pros (try saying that after a few beers) and have to admit they are perfect - I have yet to find anything about them I don't like. They are basically slalom skis so not as chubby as full on carver or all mountain ones but they suit me fine - as a few folks mentioned it's all down to personal preference and skiing technique ability. The point about boots being more important is salient too. I had Rossignol Axioms for years that crushed the living daylights out of my plates of meat. Put some Nevicas on and it was a revelation.

try out some of the "top" brand skis and then try the "off" brand skis. You'll notice that they are almost the same as long as they arn't really cheap and will break the firt use. otherwise concentrate on your boots. me? I like using shoes instead of boots, they feel a lot better and are a lot cheeper!!

see my thread "who needs boots?" http://www.talkski.com/ski-forum/showthread.php?t=1088

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/7069/finisheded0.png

I'm addicted to gs and all mountain, but I ride like a tard with a dozen roman candles up his bum. I'm getting into AT so I have picked up a set for that type of skiing. I agree with what's been said as far as what are you going to be skiing. Btw, just so I can finally tell people about the new AT setup. Fischer Watea 94's, Black diamond Frischi Diamir Freeride plus and still working on boots but looking towards garmont

LINE all the way for park and just screwing around. Solomon is really nice but scratch easy

4front line k2 soloman rosignol volki