I've had the bug for awhile and I think its time that I stoped renting and got some gear of my own. I will be at Snowshoe this weekend and would like some advice on some better places to rent demo skis from. In the past I have rented from Rt 66 but they don't do demos.

Also if anyone had any suggestions for me in terms of what skis to try that would be great too. I'm 5'10, 200 lbs (and dropping). I'm a comfortable intermediate skier who can handle advanced slopes although it certainly needs practice). I stay completely on-piste and my bump skills need a lot of work to be competent.

thanks...

Welcome Mark. I've deomoed skis at Snowshoe. There is a ski shop at the Top of the World. They used to have a good selection of demo skis. Plus, you can switch skis out and try different pairs. That's better than trying to rent demo skis off the mountain.

Bumps are such a "technique-oriented" style of skiing, that I wouldn't recommend really trying to learn them until you're pretty advanced. Plus, skiing them properly takes a high level of both practice and fitness. I could zipperline them in high school, but given that I'm out of shape now, I'm a lot rougher.

We demo'd skis for my wife from the shop near 4848 in the village. I believe they had Nordica Top Fuels for men. I'd look closely at that ski, if I were you.

They have a fairly decent demo program, details are here:

http://www.snowshoemtn.com/rentals-and-lessons/rental/high-pro/index.htm

The MAC is in the Village. Toolshed is at Top of the World. I can't make a good recommendation without knowing what brands they carry, but I bet the folks there can point you in the right direction. There are a lot of good intermediate skis to choose from. Be sure to pay attention to the boots -- they are as important or more important than the skis.

If you like carving groomed snow, the Fischer RX-6 is a great intemediate ski that can grow with you (I have RX-8). The Elan Magfire series are excellent skis that will cruise better than the RX and handle variable conditions well (if you have ever had a hard time in crud and loose snow, the Mag will make it easy). A Mag 8 or Mag 10 would be good for you (I ski the Mag 12 and love them). K2 Apache skis are good all around skis, with several models to choose from. These can accomodate intermediate through expert skiers. Finally, the Head Monster iM72 would be a great ski to check out for an intermediate -- blends many of the things I like about the Mag and RX skis. Of all the skis I have demoed and owned in the last few years, I have been most impressed with the Elan Magfire line, so definitely seek those out if you can.

When demoing, be sure that you are skiing balanced/centered on the ski with your weight forward (ie, not in the backseat) and also mix up your style between carving with a wide stance (hard snow technique) and making tighter parallel turns with a narrow stance (softer/looser snow technique). This will help you get a feel for the strengths and capabilities of the skis, and their range of talents. You may find that some skis do one thing well (RX series for carving) but other skis do many things well (Mag series for all mountain use).

Good luck and have fun!