All you need to know for renting ski gear!
Updated: Jul 13, 2020
One of your first steps in getting ready to ski is to find the appropriate gear that works for you. If it is your first time skiing, renting may be a better idea than purchasing because ski gear is quite expensive. Also, you may not ski enough times per season to make the price worthwhile. In this blog post we’ll give you tips on renting the best gear for you.
Skis
You can ski on various places and surface textures such as gates and parks and on powder, piste, and moguls. There are different ski types such as carving skis, freestyle skis and mogul skis. Most Korean ski slopes are groomed, so we’ll focus on carving skis. When renting, it is most ideal to pick skis that are 10cm shorter than your height. You can make changes to the length depending on your gender, body type, weight, and ski style.
Another thing to check on is the binding. The ski bindings attach your skis to your ski boots, and the bindings must be set according to an international safety standard known as DIN. Certified ski technicians should calculate your DIN Setting according to your skier type, weight, height, age and boot length. Experienced skiers who ski quickly and with force will have a higher DIN setting. If it is too loose, your skis may release from your boots too easily, but bindings with the proper setting will release when needed for safety. The DIN setting is 0.1 times your weight and subtracted by 2 if you're a beginner and a little more if you are experienced.
Most rental places set your skis according to your weight, but this may not always be the case. We recommend that you check it out to prevent any accidents.
Boots
It’s important to pay attention when picking out your boots. The boots drive your movement and power down to your skis, and they can often be uncomfortable or even painful because of their stiffness. It would be a shame to start off your ski experience with pain from your ill fitting boots! Ski boots that support your entire foot well are best, but they should not be too tight or painful. If you feel like they are too tight, go a size up. Each brand has various widths and heights, so we recommend trying a couple brands. For beginners, softer boots may be easier to get used to. All ski area rental places have measurement tools, so we recommend that you measure your size to get the best fit.
Here are some personal bad boot fitting examples I’ve seen:
① Putting ski pants inside of the boots
You might get cold from getting snow inside your boots
Your shaft of the boot might be too tight and cause calf pain
② Socks that don’t go with your boots
Fuzzy socks can cause poor circulation and can create uncomfortable folds inside the boots
Ankle socks don’t protect your shins from getting rubbed against your boots, and socks that are too thin may not be warm or comfortable enough
Poles
help you maintain your balance and rhythm and help you get up after falling. Picking the right pole is not too difficult. The most important thing is to get the right length. The pole should be about 65% of your height. An easy way to check this is by seeing if the top of your pole reaches your belly button. If you become more experienced, you may want to invest in poles with adjustable length.
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