The Ski Shop Demo Bus Trip (Colorado Springs)

The Ski Shop Demo Bus Trip

This is the best ski day you will have all season. And the best $140 investment you will make to have more fun skiing. This year it was on a Wednesday, first part of December.

Copper Mountain, the snow was not perfect, still early in the season, but they had three good lifts open. No grass, no rocks, but who cares; it’s not your skis anyway.

The $140 includes bus, breakfast, buffet lunch, lift ticket and more skis than I had energy to try. Plus wine, beer, snacks and movies. The bus has comfortable seats, storage above and a toilet.

Five (maybe six) ski manufacturers each had a tent equidistant between the American Eagle and American Flyer quad chair lifts. I used the American Eagle lift: about 1,700 ft vertical, seven minutes, and the same (Main View) blue run for all nine of my ski tests. Never shared a chair with anyone but my friend Martha, because it was so uncrowded. No lines all day.

The manufacturers that I tried were: Rossignol, Volkl, Armada, Salomon, and K2.

Now here’s how it works. Take all your gear (including poles), except skis and be at the Tejon Park’n Ride at 5:45. Coffee is waiting. Load your gear under the bus, take a seat and after you get over Wilkerson Pass on 24, breakfast in a box will be served, just like on the airlines (except the steward is slightly scruffier, he might be Rick, owner of the Ski Shop). (You can sleep on the bus, I did). A Warren Miller movie will entertain you, and by 9:15 you’ll pull up to within 50 feet of the reserved room where you carry in your gear, find a table, sit down to put on your boots and relax for a few minutes.

You can leave anything you want at the table, because the room is reserved just for this group all day. Restrooms nearby, on this level. Restaurant for coffee next door. Having this room steps away from the lifts was one of the biggest benefits of the trip.

Out the door and 50 feet away are the demo tents, each about 10′ x 10′ and lined with skis organized by types and sizes. Very friendly and knowledgeable factory reps are there to help you choose and to set up the skis for your boot size and skill level. The Ski Shop has measured all of our boots before hand and made a card to wear around your neck so there’s no confusion.

The only time I waited to get a pair of skis was at 9:30, when our group of 70 or so all showed up at the same time. After that, just ski up to the tent, take your skis off, the rep picks them up and you can try another pair from them or go to a different manufacturer. The reps will help you try a similar model if you’ll tell them what you liked or disliked about the skis you just came in on.

Here’s the way I prepared to find my perfect skis. First I prepared by skiing twice earlier (even though snow was not so good) so I would know what my old skis (Dynastar Legend 3800) felt like and how well I was skiing this year. Second: I worked on my leg strength at the gym, knowing I wanted to be able to make many runs. Figuring, when I’m tired it’s not a good test of the skis. Third, I had already been to the ski Shop asking an expert which skis he would recommend for me, just from an interview and him seeing my size, etc. (This is the way most people buy skis – no test, just trust the salesman’s recommendation)

So when I got to the demo, I went straight to the K2 tent and asked for the exact ski and length that the salesman had recommended. I expected near perfection and a big improvement from my existing skis. Wrong!

It was the first run of the day, so of course a little wobbly anyway. It never got better and really I thought it was me, I’m a crappy skier! Or maybe it was the snow. (I’m an intermediate, never quite made it to expert feeling or looking. I can get down all blues, don’t like blacks at all. On greens, I can keep my knees together.) I made it to the bottom on the K2’s, very disappointed and expecting the other skis to get even worse. You can’t imagine how bad that first run was, nor how much I didn’t want to go back up. Took the K2’s off and started looking at alternatives.
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Talked to Kevin from the Ski Shop briefly and asked him what are the most opposite skis from the K2’s? He suggested the Rossignol tent and showed me a similar ski, different construction. Put them on, went back up in thinking how could a different ski change my crappy skiing?

Guess what? The Rossi’s made me a good skier! I was smiling all the way down, and even later after trying other Rossi’s and other manufacturers, the Rossi ski that made me happy on that second run sold me on their line. Turns out one of the major differences between the K2 and the Rossi was the relative stiffness. Rossi’s are stiff, K2’s (at least the ones I skied) are flexible.

But I didn’t end up with that second ski as my favorite. Close, but there were three more Rossi’s before I could get it down to a question of – what length? Total of nine runs, the fifth on Salomons, not a good test, my legs were going. Next was a Volkl, they skied OK, better than the K2, but they weighed at least 50% more than any other ski I tried. I mean heavy. Who wants to carry 10 extra lbs 500 yards at Keystone? Unless they’re 50% better skis?

One thing I noticed specifically after three runs. The stiffer and wider skis seemed to be less work. I mean a LOT less. I could cruise all the way down; no problem with breathing hard or quads screaming.

The semi-final test was between a 87 mm wide (underboot) and a 97 mm wide. Both Rossi’s, same ski specs, right next to each other in the racks. Same length for equal comparison, and one run immediately after the other. It was very close, the 87 turned a little easier, but the 97 felt better, faster. So it was the 97, but what length?

Had been skiing on (recommended length) 175-177s all day, including the two Rossi semi-finalists. Went back up with the 186 Rossi 97, and decided that was right for me. That was my eighth run, I was tired but happy and went in to lunch.

Here’s the other good thing about this demo trip. Lunch was a full buffet, excellent choice of food, A+ for a ski resort. I knew better than to eat a lot, as I had to go back and try another Volkl and an Armada for a few more runs. I have friend who swears by Volkl, that’s all she skis. Turns out I could’ve eaten all I wanted because my legs were done and the Volkl’s did not get me down with a smile on my face. Only one run after lunch and I was done. I had lot’s of company inside and done like me, so didn’t feel bad. Nine runs, over 13,000 vertical.

Summary: I went on this bus trip looking for new skis. My current skis did not give me confidence to go fast on ‘cruising blues’. Yes they turn quick and keep me out of trouble on bumpier stuff, ice and crud, but I wanted to feel comfortable going faster. I do not mean crazy fast. By trying eight different skis on nine runs, suddenly it was clear which exact ski (actually two) was the one for me, at least at my skill level and (admittedly crappy) technique.

Part of the benefit of a demo is being able to change skis and compare their performance on the exact same run within a few minutes. There were no lines at Copper, the lift was fast and a perfect vertical for me with blue and green segments on the run.

Another comment: When I found how good the Rossi line was for me, I recommended it to other guys about my size and skill level. Not one single person agreed with me. Complaints were: too stiff, look at the Volkls, can’t get them to bite, etc. So, that is exactly why you need to go on a Ski Shop demo bus, because your favorite ski may be unique to you. Next year, I will be taking the demo bus again to confirm my ski choice.

My Thanksgiving trip was cut short to get back here for this ski trip. Glad I did. Sorry, Al and Peggy and that hot chick you’re going to fix me up with.

The Ski Shop. Rick is the owner, and a very nice guy. South Tejon. I am not in any way affiliated.