Ski Cellar Snowboard encourages you to take time to enjoy the great outdoors.  Our goal is to get you on the right products so that you enjoy your time on the hill to the fullest.  The information in this guide is designed to give you some basic knowledge to assist you in choosing the products best suited to your needs.  We invite you to visit one of our four stores to speak with our expert staff.

Skis and Snowboards

Being on the proper equipment can radically and instantly improve your skiing and snowboarding skills.

Women are not small men; because of their different body type they have different equipment needs.   Women's skis are lighter in weight.  The mounting points are moved forward to compensate for their lower centre of gravity.  Women's snowboards are lighter in weight and are narrower at the waist to accommodate smaller feet.

The choice of your ski or snowboard model depends upon several factors including your weight, your height, your age, your athletic ability, the terrain you want to ride, your budget, and the product’s graphic appeal.   Our expert staff can guide you through all your choices.

For people just starting out, we recommend a ski or snowboard that is good in all types of terrain and conditions.  As a beginner who is looking to progress, it is important for the ski or snowboard to be reasonably forgiving in flex to allow you to adapt to changing terrain with less effort.  If you are committed to the sport, buy intermediate level equipment that you will enjoy and improve on for an extended period.

Caring for your equipment is important.  Wipe down skis and snowboards after a day on the hill to prevent rusting of the edges.  Have skis and snowboards waxed and your edges checked after every five or six times that you are out.  A properly waxed ski or snowboard will glide smoother and make it easier to turn.  If you mainly ride man-made snow, we suggest waxing after every three or four times out. 

We recommend a full base tune once or twice a year.  This will check to make sure your bases are flat, fill any gouges, clean and lubricate your bindings, and check edges and waxing.

Boots

Boots are the one item where brand or price should not affect your purchase decision.  Boots are the most important piece of your equipment. Happy feet =  happy skier/snowboarder! 

How should boots fit?   Comfortably, snug all over, with your toes slightly feathering the front of the boot.  Your feet should not move laterally back and forth.  If they do, effective steering and edge control is reduced.  The top of your boot should do up easily and not bite your leg.  You should have minimal heel lift in your boot.

Knowledgeable boot fitters will ensure a proper fit by first looking at both of your feet -- socks off.   They will measure both feet in a standing, weighted position.  Based on the above assessment of your feet, they will offer you two or three pairs of boots to try.  They will then “shell fit” both feet which means inserting your foot into the boot shell ensuring there is the proper amount of space between your foot and the shell all around the perimeter of the boot.

Footbeds are strongly recommended to stabilize and support your foot inside your boot.   The footbed that comes with your boot is thin and provides virtually no support.  A “trim to fit” or custom-molded footbed will cradle your heel and keep your foot in a neutral position so that it can function properly.

Properly care for your boots.  Keep your boots clean to ensure that your bindings work properly.  Dry your boot liners regularly.  Do not dry them by a fire or any other type of high heat.  A dry boot will keep your feet warm and also prevent odour from building up in your boot.

Boots for Children

Children are no different when it comes to fitting ski or snowboard boots.  They require proper fitting boots to allow all day comfort, warmth, performance, and fun.

Kids feet grow fast so it is understandable for parents to want to buy boots that are too big so that there is some growing room for next year.  Unfortunately, if the boots are too big, the feet will move back and forth, and side to side, which will not only cause blisters but will significantly reduce steering and edge control.  Because children are lightweight, their steering force within the boot is much less than an adult.  As a result, we can give them a slightly more generous fit to allow for some growth but not so big to allow foot movement within the boots.  In other words, the feet still need to be comfortably snug within the boots -- they can't be sloppy.

To enhance the boot fit for children, we recommend proper fitting technical socks to wick foot perspiration (which causes cold feet) and footbeds to stabilize the feet and provide greater shock absorption.

Bindings

Ski bindings are the devices that hold the ski boots onto the skis. They are designed so that if you get into trouble, your boot should detach from the ski before you can hurt your legs. Bindings play a very important role as not only are they safety devices, but they also transfer all the inputs you make into the skis, which is where all of your control comes from.

An important part of the bindings is the DIN setting.  This determines how easily your boot will be released from the binding.  The correct DIN setting for you should be high enough that the skis do not come off when you don't want them to, but low enough that the skis will come off before you are in danger of injuring your legs. The proper DIN setting is calculated based on your weight, height, skier type, age and boot sole length, and should be set by one of our qualified technicians. 

Helmets

Helmets protect your head from serious injury.  We strongly recommend them for everyone, no matter your age or ability on the slopes.

To get the maximum protection from your helmet, it must be properly sized to fit snugly.  It fits when it sits squarely on your head with the front of the helmet low on the brow to protect the forehead.  The padding should exert firm, uniform pressure all around the head so that the skin on the forehead moves as the helmet is rotated from left to right and back to front.  The harness should be adjusted so that the helmet cannot be knocked off.  The front and rear straps should form a “Y” just below and forward of the ears.  There should be no slack when the chin strap is fastened.

Goggles

Goggles should be worn at all times.  Your riding and skiing are better when you can see the terrain.  Eye protection at higher elevations is of the utmost importance.

Look for goggles that offer proper UV protection, that fit your face size, and that are compatible with your helmet.  Double-lens goggles do not fog as quickly as a single-lens goggle.  Venting and anti-fog features are major considerations.  Choose a goggle that allows you to change the lens as the light conditions on the hill change.