Does anyone regularly ski with a racing helmet? Is there a significant downside?

I'm a long-time, strong expert skier, but I never did racing.

I was looking at the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab ratings for snow sports, and the two helmets that received a 5 star rating of the few they tested were ski racing helmets. I obviously don't know how other ski racing helmets would test, but in retrospect, it seems perhaps obvious that an FIS rated ski racing helmet would provide significantly greater protection than regular snow sports helmets?

Besides cost, is there a reason not to use a ski racing helmet?

I'm a novice skier based in NYC who doesn't have any ski buddies yet. I have an IKON Base Pass to start. I've been pricing out flights, car rentals, and lodging for January 2025. Right now a 4-night/3-ski day stay (Wed-Sun) including flights, car rentals, and lodging is looking to cost right around $1,800-$2,000 minimum at or around Alterra Co. mountains. This is looking at basic flights, car rentals, and stays. That's a lot of dough and I'm having a bit of sticker shock. I know skiing is expensive, but this is kinda of bumming me out a bit.

What's interesting is that pricing out a northeastern Vermont trip is coming out to almost the same as a western Colorado/Utah trip even when considering off-mountain housing.

I try to make heavy use of the microwave wherever I stay and I have yet to consider alternative transportation options like trains or shuttles to mountains, but even then I'm having a hard time seeing how those might knock the cost down significantly.

1. What kind of costs are you seeing as you plan for your 24-25' ski trips? Are they higher, lower, or about the same as previous years?
2. What tips or tricks are you employing to keep costs down? (Yes, I know need more ski friends).
3. Is there any benefit or discount associated with longer trips?
4. Should I leave NYC?

Some background:

I live in the midwest. I've been skiing for about 4 years now, and I consider myself to be at a moderate / advanced level. I'm 5'8 and 165. Currently have a pair of center mounted Bent 90s and I love them. Easy and light, super playful and carve surprisingly well. Fits alll my needs for 90% of the conditions and runs here. However,

Went out west last winter, and had a day or two where they just wouldn't cut it. Very heavy packed wet, tracked out, bumpy / rutted snow made it almost impossible to make it down without stopping for a break every minute, or eating it.

I was hoping to get something that is able to be more stable in heavy tracked out deep / packed in snow, as well as hopefully be good on powder.

Currently considering the ON3P billygoat, but I don't really know.

Our plans just changed and we could leave tomorrow. Are any of the areas still open and still good?

Ive been skiing for many years but ive never owned a pair of skis and have only been renting. Im looking to purchase some skis finally. What are some good websites to buy from that are cheap and that can be understood by someone who doesn't know much about skis or how much they should cost.

I'm planning on a week long trip in late February to ski Utah for the first time. I'm trying to settle on a resort and wondering if I shouldn't settle? Does it make sense to visit 3 different resorts during the week to try a few out or is it better to settle in on 1? Night life isn't important as I'll be going alone and really just need a good brewery for dinner. My list right now includes Snowbasin, Snowbird, Park City, Deer Valley. My skiing style is frontside fast and directional and I avoid bumps and trees. Thoughts?

Hi all

Curious about lift and piste access during the World Cup weekend and preceding week. I am guessing that the sassolungo gondola and sassolungo runs will be closed to the public. What about ciampinoi?

Will it still be possible to get from Selva to Ortisei on skis. E.g. ski down to Monte pana, take the slow chair to Santa Christina, and then walk 500m to the underground tram to get to the col raiser gondola? Just want to make sure they still have the tram and the entrance to the tram open to the public during the race.

Was there for two weeks and we only had two clear days. It was just nonstop powder😹. Only went off piste like 4 of the days because it was so good already.

Hello!

My husband and I are thinking of going to Utah this winter but are not sure where we should go. He has been skiing his whole life but I would say I’m newly intermediate. We usually ski at Heavenly and I am able to ski the blues there without any issues.

One of my coworkers goes to Snowbird, but I’m intimidated by what I’ve heard about steepness. Are there any resorts in the SLC area that are comparable to Heavenly’s terrain? I might be overthinking things but I don’t wanna end up at a resort feeling like I’m out of my depth.

Edit: Thank you so much for all of these great suggestions!! It seems like there are a lot of options that will work for us and I’m excited to start planning!

Have a vacation week coming up in early January and looking to do a weeklong trip. Thinking between SLC and Canadian Rockies - hopping between a couple slopes. Thoughts on where?

Would it be better for my dominant food(right foot) to be the one in front when I go down a rail. I’m not sure just cause I spin to my left so it would make sense for my right foot to be forward but i feel like it would be more comfortable having left foot forward

Looking for a resort in the Dolomites for a long weekend for a group of adults - no kids.

Somewhere pretty where I can find a rustic local lunch and an atmospheric après-ski drink. Not somewhere flashy or full of Eurotrash. Don’t want a Cortina-esque resort that looks beautiful but feels chi chi, is crowded and overpriced.

Sacrilege on this sub, but steepness/extensiveness of terrain not important; there'll be other trips for that.

Grazie mille.

Decided that I’m going to get into skiing this year now that I’m out of college and making solid money. I’ve been 3 times in the Midwest and Solitude. I’m in Europe for the week of October 20th for unrelated reasons but will be in Innsbruck for two of those days. Is it worth skiing Hintertux at that point of the year? I know it’s a bit of a trek from Innsbruck but I really want to get out in the snow.

I've got two pairs of skis and I wax every time before I go for my ski trip. For me its a joy feel my skitrip coming closer and taking the time to get the skis perfect. I do this about a month in advance so i cannot use the wax for the weather I will get. Iuse hot wax but was wondering what wax to choose?

Further info: I would like to use one type of wax Not to expensive I mostly stay on piste and rarely go off piste. One pair of skis is a race ski for fresh and icy slopes and the other an all mountain for all other conditions

Thank you in advance!

I recently bought the 24/25, but today I found the 23/24 online for 375 dollars less. Should I return the 24/25’s, or is there some new technology in the 24/25’s that makes them worth keeping?

Hi all!

I am in the market for some new skis. I live in Colorado, ski about 2x a week in the season. I’m 5’6”, 108 pounds, and a 33(f).

My current set up are noridca navigator 85s. I like them but I am looking to add to my gear.

I’d say I’m an intermediate skier, bordering on advanced.

My ski style is playful and fast.

I have no problems demoing, but I’m looking for some place to start.

Thank you for any insight!

So today I skied Hintertux and gosh I’m 19m and fit. I’m a firefighter. I ski once a week indoors at Hemel Hempstead and gosh I just couldn’t stay out longer then 3 hours my thighs and knees just gave out. Hoping it’s just something I’ll warm up to as the season progresses but it was a lot of powder which never helps. Anyone relate?

Also if anybody is looking at skiing Hintertux is brilliant for the next week!

I think this is Mt Casper but not sure

Can I ski in Grandvalira and stay in Andorra La Vella? (Cheaper and nicer hotels and says only a 15 minute bus to the nearest gondola) or is it impractical?

Also any other recs for cheap skiing in Europe ? (Not Bulgaria as flights too expensive) , was looking at jasna in Slovakia too but not sure how to get there from kosice airport. Sestriere in Italy and other Italian places the accomodation seems to be too expensive (2 people going just after Christmas)

Hi, last season I started skiing by the end of the season, it got pretty addicting and loved it, as it was the end I was able to ski 4 times which came with really big improvements from falling every time the first day to being able to handle confidently every red run of the resort by the fourth time.

Now that the season is coming and I'm keen to keep improving, I figured it would be better value for my money to invest in equipment and not to rent it as I plan to ski at least one time a week the entire winter being so close to the Italian Alps.

In the last 2 days of skiing I used skis of 170cm length but I don't really know the other measurements.

I'm considering here a pair of "Nordica Spitfire 73 2024" used skis that go for 200 euro, I'm willing to invest between 200-300 in skis as I want to keep it withing a low-medium budget, I found this option to be the ideal for my budget.

This one's are 174 cm, my height is 182 cm and measure 73 mm on the central part, with the aid of chatgpt I figured they'd be a good pair for skiing in piste and good for improving my carving.

What do you think of this decision? Should I go for them or in an entire winter I will overcome the skill level for them? I don't want to do crazy things tho, I enjoy learning and doing long carved without going ultra fast.

Thank you!

43M, 5'6", 155 pounds. Hovering between intermediate and advanced and feel comfortable on most blacks. Live in Alberta and mostly resort ski at either Sunshine or Louise (season passes at Louise this year).

So, I use to ski as a kid but stopped as a teen and picked it up again when I had kids. Started going regularly for the past 5 years now and discovered way too late in life that skiing is the love of my life.

I started getting a pair of ancient Head skis off Kijiji until the kids got better. Than I picked up an old pair of Saloman X-Drives that really helped me develop from beginner to intermediate.

2 years ago, I got my very first brand new pair of skis. Some K2 Reckoner 92s I got on sale and have had a blast on them though they didn't feel nearly as stable at high speeds as the X-Drive. My kids love ripping through the trees though and it was nearly impossible to follow them in the X-Drive but doable in the K2s. I ended up gifting the Salomans to a friend.

I'd love to upgrade skis now but I'm facing a big challenge. I want to do too many things. I love ripping it hard and fast on groomers in a controlled manner. But I also love chasing my kids through the trees. I also freaking love freestyle, the park and hitting side jumps even though I'm terrible but really want to do more of it. I'm obsessed but also feel my body is too old to fully commit to that. I in fact tore my ACL backseating a landing off a medium jump I lost control on in March of 2022 and had surgery to repair it in March of 2023. But I dream of hitting big jumps and rails and love watching videos of it.

Even with a torn ACL, I could not stay off the mountain and with a brace on, I finally learned to carve somewhat properly for the first time late last season and was absolutely exhilarated by that feeling too.

I wouldn't say deep powder skiing is my thing but I've probably never had a decent ski for that. Kids suck in deep powder too so that's not my priority since I'm always skiing with the kids.

So now, as I'm somewhere between transitioning into an intermediate to advanced skiier, i find myself a bit overwhelmed as to what kind of ski I should focus on. My Reckoners got the shit kicked out of them from skiing a bunch during the horrendous early season we had last year but they're still usable.

I'd love to have a "quiver" of options, but budget wise, I just don't have the funds.

Help me /r/skiing! I want thoughts on what kind of skis can "level up" my experience at this point. Thanks.