PREPARING FOR YOUR COURSE

As with any sport, your gear is one of the easiest things to get right in order to help you perform and succeed. Changing your technique is hard and takes time, but sorting out your skis and boots is easy, but makes one hell of difference.

In most cases, people will need to purchase new boots and/or skis for this course, however it is possible that your current gear is already sufficient.

If you’re not sure, please check in with us and we can advise – but don’t just assume your skis will be fine! We always have a handful of trainees turn up to their course with unsuitable gear and all it does is hinder their progress and often they end up having to shell out for the right stuff once they get to resort.

So if you have decided that you need to purchase some new skis or boots, read on for our thoughts on the best options out there.

SKI BOOTS

This is one of those rare occasions where you will have to physically visit a shop in order to get this right – please don’t try to buy a set off the internet and then take them to a shop to get them fitted.

Find your nearest good ski store and let them help you find the right fit, it’s a real art and investing some time and money in getting this right is well worth it. Finding the right boot for you and making the necessary adjustments will make all the difference to your happiness on the mountain.

Sore feet suck, plus there is nothing worse than sharing a chairlift with someone ranting on about how much their feet hurt – don’t be that person.

A good boot-fitter will be able to select the right make and model of boot to fit your foot and they also have a lot of tricks up their sleeve to help it fit perfectly and match your foot exactly.

So get yourself down to your nearest ski store and let them guide you. The one thing you need to dictate to them is that you need a piste performance boot and also that you are on a ski instructor training course.

Tell them that you are looking for a boot with a flex in the range of 100-130 for men or 80-110 for women. The heavier or taller you are, the stiffer you can go.

They may guide you towards a race boot or a free-ride boot, please be firm here and tell them you need a piste performance boot only.

To give you a bit of an idea of the kind of boot models you’ll be looking for in the shop, below are some of the key models:


Finally, you might also notice a bit of a change in the look of some of the new boots.

Most of the brands have started using the BOA system on the lower boot rather than the classic buckle closure. This is a dial which tightens a wire ‘lace’ to close the boot.

Don’t shy away from these, they are designed to provide better comfort and greater adjustment to the tightness of the lower boot, so they are a good choice.

SKIS

Now lets take a look at skis, as it states in the pre-course information on your Member’s Area, you should have piste performance skis that are around chin to head height in length, no more than 80mm underfoot in width, with a turn radius of around 14-16m (this radius may be lower for shorter, women’s skis).



I know this seems very specific but it’s really important you stay within these guidelines as the wrong ski will make your life much harder when it comes to trying to achieve the exam criteria.

The right ski will tip from edge to edge freely and carve around a turn easily, this makes it much easier to ski the tasks set for you during training and the exams.

We have put together a list of skis that are well suited, this is based on many years coaching people on these courses and also from testing these skis ourselves. I have seen students succeed in their exams on all of these over the years.

Again, if you’re not sure if you current skis match up, then reach out and we can help you decide if you need to invest in a new set or not.

HEAD SUPERSHAPE E-SPEED / E-MAGNUM:

They have been a firm favourite of ours for a few years now, they look good, they perform well and loads of people have passed on them.

They also have enough about them to take you into your first steps of level 3 training should you wish to move on to that.

The E-speed or the E-magnum are the best in the range as they are the right width for piste performance skiing. For the women the Super joy is the equivalent, offered in slightly shorter lengths and slightly softer.

Dynastar Speed ‘763’ or ‘563’ or E-Lite 7 / 9

These are another great choice for GAP courses, tried and tested by many previous Peak Leaders trainees.

For the guys, the 763 is the beefier option, suited to those who are a bit heavier or fancy themselves as a future level 3 candidate, while the 563 is a softer option if you’re smaller/lighter.

Their Hybrid core gives a nice balance between lightness and smoothness giving them a really nice feel on the piste.

For the women, the E-Lite 8 is the perfect choice, designed with a slightly softer flex pattern than the men’s ski.

But there is a stiffer E-lite 9 if you’re used to a sturdier ski.

Rossignol React Forza 50D

Rossignol’s offering comes in the form of the Forza 50D, these are well made and do the job nicely. They use a ‘carbon alloy’ matrix which helps provide a smooth but stiff flex pattern.

There is also another model called the Hero Elite MT which would suit someone planning on moving beyond level 2 and towards the level 3 ISIA qualification.

Providing more stability at speed, but just be aware that as you go towards stiffer skis, they get more expensive and less forgiving to ski on.

A stiff ski can take you for a ride and it is harder to stay well balanced and centred if you’re not accurate enough with your movements through the turn.

The Nova 10 are the go-to women’s option from Rossignol, a great ski designed specifically for women.

The unisex Hero Elite MT is also the option to go for if you are used to stiffer skis or if you are potentially considering moving on to level 3 training in the future.

Salomon S/Max 12 / 10

Finally the Salomon S/Max range is always worth a look. I always include them as they are reasonably good value, look smart and sit perfectly in our guidelines.

The S/Max 10 and 12 are the options to go for here, under the same name for men and women, the 10 is the lighter weight version and the 12 has a little more metal in the construction, making it stiffer and more stable at speed.

If you’re keen on moving further beyond the BASI Level 2 and your skiing is already strong (e.g. have previous race training experience), then you could consider the S/Race GS range, but again, be careful not to over-spec yourself with a stiff high performance ski.

All of the above are really great choices, there are other options out there but please check with us if you are looking at other models. The general message here is that all brands offer good piste skis which hit the spot, but you just need to find the right model within their range.

If you go too soft and entry level, the ski won’t support you skiing at the speeds and performance level that you need for this course.

However, if you over-spec with a high end ski which is too stiff for you, you’ll get ‘pinged’ around all over the place and struggle to stay balanced and consistent in your performance.

Generally as you move towards the high-end piste skis, they get more expensive, be aware that just spending more will not mean you get the best product for you.

You will be able to find all of these skis online or at your local ski shop. However at Fluid Lines we offer exclusive discounts to Peak Leaders, just follow the link in the Members Area to access the offers or get in touch for specific advice on which ski will work best for you.