How to / Where to buy Snow Skis

I would rent a few times to zero in on what you like.

Personally, I’d go to a really good ski store and ask an expert. Ski technology has changed a ton, and there are different shaped, widths and varieties for everything. Get the expert advice from the expert.

Once you know what shape and size you want, see if they have any deals on last year’s models, or even demo skis. If not, you can then scour the Web, or even hit up ski swaps (if they have them near you).

I skied 197 on straight skis, and only 158 on shaped. Shit changes so much, so you may as well ask an expert.

There are a lot of questions to be asked before recommending how one should go about buying skis. Where do you expect to be skiing (areas)? When you did ski, in what style did you ski? Aggressive? Short radius turns? Long arc - high speed turns? Powder whore? Bump basher? 

Answering those questions will help you start narrowing down your choices. One of the best ways to try out a number of skis is look for on mountain demo days. Most major resorts have one early in the season. Talk to the reps and give them as much info as to what you are looking for and they always do their best to point you to the skis in their line that work for you. Manufacturer reps will steer  you right because they want to make you a customer brand buyer for life. Some ski shop employees, not all,  will steer you towards a ski that has a high profit margin or a higher priced model that is more ski than you will need or be able to take full advantage of.

My number one suggestion is to pause the buying of skis until you take care of the most important thing someone getting back into the sport should do first.

Buy a good boot first. Deal with a shop that has a rep for boot fitting. Having the right boot does more to help your skiing than any ski. The boot is what transfers your leg energy to the ski. An ill fitting or a flex pattern that is wrong for you will make that transmission ineffective, leave you with pains and bruises, having cold feet and any number of other things that will make your day on the hill a lot less pleasurable. 

Depending on what area of the country you are in, I can make some recommendations as to top notch boot fitters. Find a boot that is almost perfect and then get it dialed the rest of the way in with a fitter is the best investment you can make in skiing. 

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>>>>>someone getting back into the sport?

Perhaps even more important than the boot is getting back into skiing shape, physically. Even if you are fairly fit, skiing uses lots of muscles and associated structures that may need special attention if you want to avoid an early, possibly season-ending injury. 

Powder Whore would make a great band name.  Maybe not if they have real commercial aspirations.

Can't help with the skis.  I've only rented.

Rent maybe - or a better idea is to choose a ski area that has varied terrain and a demo center. Talk to the demo guys about what you like and how you ski and also what type of surface and terrain you want to ski and then demo pair after pair until you find the skis that work for you.

What surfdead said.  I just started a cross-fit class and I found I have muscles that haven't been used in years. You don't realize how out of shape you really are until you use an old muscle.

Rent maybe - or a better idea is to choose a ski area that has varied terrain and a demo center.

Demo centers are a good way to check out a number of skis in one day but have one major drawback...cost. Demo days in the early season are normally free and if you have done your homework and have a few skis that seem to fit what you want, it can be an efficient and less costly way of doing the same thing. Of course if you are ready to plunk down right away, demo centers usually credit the cost of the demo to the purchase of new skis. 

Try before you buy

I will rarely ever buy a board sight unseen, unless it's a model I've used in the past or if it's cheap enough AND I'm confident (based on other's accounts) that it's closely related to something I have tried.

I very much agree with the Boot-oriented approach.  Skied Boreal Ridge a few years ago after 20 year hiatus.  I rented equipment at the local shop in Truckee rather than at the hill.

Skis were just fine.  However,  the right-foot boot was just a bit too snug.  I had mild but obvious pain in that foot for about a year.  Then again,  it wasn't something where I couldn't walk or do hard labor,  just an ever-present sensation of discomfort.

This from a guy who is oriented toward comfortable footwear at all times.

>>but have one major drawback...cost.

True. Since my wife works for a resort - demoing is free for me and I failed to put that into the equation.

Still - if you want to check out a bunch of skis at one time - that is the choice I still think is best - and as Tony pointed out the demo center will put the demo costs against your purchase if you are willing to make the commitment that day.

Im in CT 

In the Northeast, I always recommend my boot fitter for many years and acknowledged as one of the best in the US, Rob Hodge. Rob is now based at the Okemo branch of Northern Ski Works after many years in Killington at both Northern Ski Works and The Basin Ski Shop. Rob also runs his own business providing custom orthotics for doctors around the world. Rob is also a Board Certified Pedorthist. Call the store, set up a time to come in to see Hodgeee, give yourself some time without rush, peep some leaves and have a nice meal afterwards. Tell him Tony Saddler aka iSkiTony sent you. 

Lots of solid advice in this thread.

Northeast skiing is indeed wildly different than out West from perspective of conditions and terrain which drives ski choices.

I have learned the hard way that boots are critical as well. As a youth when ski and boot technology was nowhere near where it is today, I powered through with sheer youthfulness. Can't do that anymore (in mid-50's now). Actually bought a high quality boot, but did not do myself any favors with poor fitting approach. Been laboring through that for years since I'm too cheap and scared I'll make a change and end up in same boat.

Below is a link to an Ogden Utah based ski retailer's guide to ski choices. Just an FYI, hope it's helpful in some way.

https://www.levelninesports.com/learn-center/gear-education/skis

Let's hope for a strong season!

Yes, lotta good advice above.

advice from weirdness's 5+ decades of idiocy on skis :

Boots:   Keep the boots kind of loose, they are more comfortable and warmer and that makes you work more on your balance and technique.   How tight to tighten the boot depends on the ski you are using.

Skis are too idiosynchratic, as someone said, some skis are gonna be too much engine for some people, you gotta try some different ones and see what you like.  Most shops will credit the demo charges to your purchase (or buy the guys at the shop some nice vodka/tequila etc)....make freinds with your local ski shop employees.

:)

I have been skiing the same old tele skis that I have had for over 10 years and Scarpa T2 boots I bought 20 years ago.

I rarely bother doing tele turns any more and generally ski Alpine in my tele gear. Now, I ski about 25 days each season and I am super comfortable and can ski anything in this set up, but I noticed that my teenage daughter can ski faster than me now... so I am ready to go to regular Alpine gear. It has been about 25 years since I skied on regular Alipne gear, and the gear has changed a ton. 

I heard that there are a couple of stores in Portland that will rent a ski and boot set up for the whole season. I understand they sell out early (I looked into it in late Jan last year), but this is a route I am seriously considering. Anyone tried this before?

Interesting that the Kästle MX89 has been mentioned as that is one of the skis I plan on demo'ing this season. Kästle has always had the reputation of amazing edge hold but in years past you had to ski it like a racer for it to come alive. You definitely need an advanced skill set to do them justice. Sounds like you don't have to have a racing background anymore though. 

Keep the boots kind of loose, they are more comfortable and warmer and that makes you work more on your balance and technique.

I wouldn't say loose. I loose fitting boot, unless used in practice for the above balance and technique, will get you hurt. Loose boots are the cause of most ankle injuries these day (dislocation and/or tendon breaks) and also up your chance of ligament damage in your knees. If you are working skills with a loose boot, do it slow and deliberate. A better description is to not over-tighten in order to compensate for poor boot fit. When you over-tighten a boot it tends to restrict blood circulation to the foot, which in turn makes your foot colder. Both my boots, one race style, one high performance but less stiff, were dialed in by the fitter mentioned above, Rob Hodge. I put them on, tighten them correctly and don't touch the buckles again until I leave the hill for the day. A good boot with a dialed fit should be like that.  

I vouch for the MX 89 as a non-racer. But my racer-background friends love it too.

I bet you will like the MX89 (& the 84 if you want a little more quickness...i'd love a pair, demo-d both and picked 89 as maybe a little more stable and I'm a spastic).

p.s.  try to buy them at the end of the year on a discount, they are spendy.

But life is short.