Six Things to Know Before Buying a Pair of Skis

Perhaps you’re fed up waiting in rental lines, or your aging gear has you coasting down the slopes on the alpine version of a rotary phone. No matter what your motivation, buying skis can be daunting. To demystify the process, we sourced pointers from two industry veterans who have sold thousands of pairs of skis over their combined 36 years in the business: Dawn-Marie Jackson, who manages Sport Thoma at the base of New Hampshire’s Waterville Valley, and Jon Crowley of Mammoth Mountaineering in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. If it’s time to hit the ski shop, here’s what they say you need to know.