When it comes to renting ski equipment on a ski vacation, there are several things you need to know about the process. Here are tips and tricks for renting the ideal equipment for your skier ability and the conditions that exist.

1)      Choose the Ideal Ski Rental Location

The lift tickets are bought, the lodging sorted, everythings in order but your ski rentals. Choosing the location of your ski rental company is often overlooked. Ideally, if you can find a ski rental shop near your lodging accommodations. This is often preferred because lugging around ski, boots and poles can be quite the workout. Most bases at ski resorts offer a multitude of ski rental locations to book both alpine gear and snowboards.

2)      Saving Money on Ski Rental Equipment

First things first, in order to save money on ski rentals, it is imperative that you book online prior to your vacation. Go to the internet for the best deals and discounts. There are several sites that specialize in rental equipment for resorts around the world. Most sites are set up to take your skier information which makes the actual process of fitting for your skis and boots extremely easy. Early bookings done via online channels can sometimes save 25% or more. It can also often save a lot of time.

3)      What Type of Ski Gear Should I Rent?

Ski and snowboard rentals come in many different flavors. From parabolic skis to fat powder planks, the choice is yours. Most common for brand names in the industry are Salomon, K2, Line, Dynastar and Rossignol. All of these manufacturers offer powder skis, racing skis, mogul skis and park skis. For those who lust after Colorado corduroy, you’re ideal ski will differ from a powder hound.

For corduroy skiing, you’ll most likely stick to shorter skis with deep sidecuts, which will enable you to simply put your skis on edge and let the magic of the “hour glass shape” do the work for you. Parabolic skis have revolutionized the ski industry because of their ability to perform quick edge to edge turns. Much less leg work goes into controlling these type of skis.

Powder hounds on the other hand need a longer, fatter ski, which will enable them to float on top of the powder. Though many powder skis still provide sidecuts, the radius isn’t nearly as dramatic.