As any seasoned skier knows, having the right gear is crucial for an enjoyable and safe season on the slopes,  With a plethora of new designs, engineering, and technology emerging every Fall, right at the beginning of the Season. As those first snows begin to fall, it is hard to know exactly when you might want to trade in your old planks for some brand-new. super-charged sleek new models coming out this season. So, the question for today’s blog is when do you upgrade your skis? In this blog, we’ll look at some key pros and cons and some questions you might want to pose for yourself.

Wear and Tear

1. How old are your skis? If your skis have no side cut, do yourself a favor, donate the skis to the nearest ski museum and welcome to the 21^st century of ski construction.
2. How much wear and tear on the ski edges is present? If the edges of your skis are starting to look like cross-cut saws, full of serious gouges, signs of excessive wear or damage, then also look for dullness, nicks, or sections where the edge has been noticeably ground down. Damaged or excessively worn edges dramatically reduce your skis' ability to grip the snow and carve effectively.
3. What condition are the top surfaces of the ski? Are there large strokes or gouges and scratches in the laminar surface?.
4. Worse, are there signs that the actual plastics in the top of the ski are beginning to delaminate? Delamination occurs when the layers of the ski shell begin to separate. Look for any sign the ski top sheet (or shell) is showing any signs of peeling, bubbling, or outright separation from the underlying layers. In general, a ski that has suffered extensive delamination, is so badly damaged that the core of the ski itself may also be compromised. In my opinion,  is simply not worth trying to repair the ski and it is better to replace it.
5. Is there evidence of core damage? Core damage may be difficult to assess, and it may be worth your while to take your skis to a professional for evaluation. Oftentimes, one can see evidence of a large dent into the body of the ski that is so deep that the core of the ski itself is also damaged. Look for evidence of cracks or soft spots in the actual core of the ski. Another tip off may be that your skis flex at radically different rates when you are looking at longitudinal flex (I refer to this extensively in the new encyclopedia of downhill skiing). When there is evidence of damage to the core of the ski, the ski\\\\ is no longer safe to ski on and it needs to be replaced as a matter of safety. cracks or sloth spots in the actual core of the ski these are usually evidence of such extensive structural compromise of the ski that it is not worth trying to repair it. Instead, it is time to get new skis. significant damage. Core damage can affect the ski's stability and responsiveness, and such skis should be retired.
6. Is the compatibility of the binding compromised? If your ski bindings are outdated, there can often be issues with the screws coming loose over time period in many instances there have been multiple attempts to replace with different screws. When this happens the whole area where the binding is anchored becomes compromised and this is another reason to get rid of the old skis. Finally, you may be skiing in a very up-to-date boot that requires a more modern binding, or you may want to upgrade to a so- called “knee- safe binding,” In this case it becomes a matter of obtaining new skis so that you get the proper anchoring and placement of your new ski bindings and upgrade the entire system.
7. Have your skis come to the end of their useful life? This is probably one of the toughest questions to answer. However, skis deteriorate over time and they deteriorate with use. Most of my friends who are ski instructors, get a new pair of skis every season. When I have asked them how frequently should they change their skis, they often comment that more than 100 days of skiing is time to get a new pair of skis. You can take that with a grain of salt, because you probably are not skiing with the same energy and ferocity as a skin structure but I think it's a good rule of thumb that 100 days of skiing should raise the question of whether your skis need replacing.
8. Has it become difficult to maintain your skis in tip top condition? In order for skis to maintain their maximum performance characteristics, they need to be maintained properly. This includes regular maintenance, regular tuning of the skis and maintaining an excellent wax finish. However, as skis age, it becomes difficult for them to hold this proper tuning and the skis actually become sluggish and slower to respond. If that is the case with your skis over the last couple of seasons, then it's probably time to think about upgrading to a new pair of skis.

Age

There are two issues with age: the first is the age of the equipment. The second is the age of the skier. Just like any other piece of equipment (like your car where your vacuum cleaner clothes parentheses skis wear out and they just don't continue to function at maximum efficiency. As I mentioned before ski instructors tend to think in about a season of 100 skiing days but in general if your skis have been around for more than five years you have to start raising questions about whether the plastics are starting to break down and the skis are getting too old period in addition as you age as a skier, you are changing your equipment and that means that you want your skis and your bindings to sort of stay compatible with the ski boots that you're wearing period since ski boots last about 2, skiing days or five to six seasons you're going to also have to think about changing your ski boots and your skis along that time frame as well. Finally, there's the whole issue of technology. One of the great joys of skiing is that new materials and new engineering designs are coming out all the time. And, yes, many of these make our skiing better. A perfect example of this is the invention of the side cut skis and then the addition of camber to that ski making the all-mountain ski a brand-new kind of prime contender for the new one pair of skis we want to own. For this reason, it's helpful to just change your skis from time to time to keep up with the technological changes. I can guarantee you'll be glad that you did and that your skiing will also improve. And besides, what's not to like about a day when you go out and grab a new pair of skis? Just like any other piece of equipment, skis have a lifespan. If your skis are over five years old, they will likely start to lose their performance capabilities. This is especially true if you are an advanced skier looking to push your limits on the mountain. If you ski frequently, your ski boots should last 75-200 days, depending on the quality of your boots. But it's not only about how frequently they're worn; it's also about their age, so 6 - 8 years seems to be a better rule of thumb. Plastics get stiffer and more brittle as they age. What are you going to do with your old skis? Check with your local ski shop or resort to see if any local organizations take donations of ski equipment. This is an excellent alternative if your equipment is still in good condition and is less than ten years old. Donating children's skis is especially beneficial because many organizations accept gently used equipment for youth programs.

Changes in Skill Level

If you've been improving your skiing level substantially over time, then you might find your old skis are just letting you down. Your skis have to match your technique and your abilities. As our skill levels go up, we demand greater speed greater agility and shock absorption from our skis, and this means that we have to upgrade our skis as our skiing technique improves. Again, the rule of thumb should be that skis last about 100 to 150 days before they need to be replaced. For the average skier this would run about this would mean replacing their skis approximately every seven to 10 years.

Technology Advancements

We already talked about changes in skiing technology and the manufacturing techniques that go into skiing and related equipment. Again, come if you want your game to change and you want your skill levels to rise, this often means that as you train you need to have better and better technology under foot. If you haven't changed your skis in the last 10 years, for example, then you're not taking care advantage of the significant side cuts come with the thinner skis the addition of rocker technology and camber all of which make skiing infinitely more enjoyable and allow you to ski much more difficult terrain. So there's more to changing your skis than meets the eye or the snow.

A Change in Skiing Style

If you've recently switched your skiing style, or where you're skiing, you may want to switch your skiing equipment as well for example if you move from carving to powder then you may want to add a powder ski to your collection just so you can take advantage of your pristine powder days. If you're skiing more off piste then you're going to want much more of a demanding all mountain ski that it's going to be able to handle a lot of crud and make fast turns. Finally let me add the senior skier. As we age, we often tone down our skiing style so that it's a little bit slower, safer, and smarter. This may again be the opportunity to look for a new pair of skis.

If you're wondering about all of these issues, and whether it's time to upgrade your skis or not, then Dr. Allan J. Hamilton's recently published book, The New Encyclopedia of Downhill Skiing: the Definitive Guide to Everything About Alpine Skiing from Novice to Expert Skier, is the gold mine of advice you’re looking for. Candidly, there's never been a book in skiing like The New Encyclopedia. It contains two chapters on selecting boots, two chapters on selecting skis, one chapter on selecting bindings, and it is a definitive reference to absolutely everything you could ask about skiing. So, if you're filled with questions about whether your old skis should stay or be retired when you hit the slopes this year, you'll find the answers and counsel you ned in in Hamiltons New Encyclopedia. It is a superb reference because he goes into all of the science and the arguments about the different technologies and manufacturing techniques. Hamilton's book will have you covered. You will be able to extract expert advice out of it to help guide your decision making not just for you but for other members of your family. So, pick up your own a copy of this incredibly informative and comprehensive skiing biblw. To buy the book click here now https://amz.run/6ebR