It is starting to look like spring, which means you should be checking out ski clothing and accessories. What, you say? Yes, this is the time to review what sales your local store may have in store.
I am always looking for deals on ski apparel and equipment. Even though this is a fairly expensive sport to participate in, you can still enjoy the sport without breaking your bank.
Clothing
I normally scour the local sports stores for clothing on the cheap, but there are other options, such as online ski stores, outlets, even some discount stores like Target or Walmart. You have to go back often, dig through a lot of ‘sale items’ to find some fairly good deals. I am on the lookout for new ski pants, so I am going to test some of the online stores to see if I can find a good deal.
Helmets and goggles
I was told from one sports store that helmets and goggles typically do not go on sale. However, I found several ‘Winter Sales’ where you can get as much as 60% off. One way to make sure you are getting a good fit is to try on several styles at your sports store and then buy the model online. I think investing in a well fitting ski helmet is an important step to safe skiing, so be sure to check out your online options. The price for the ski goggles I saw online seemed to be about the same price as what I saw in the store, and I liked being able to see and touch them. If you are an expert skier, you can probably do well with an online sale. You may also get some good deals from those who are selling goggles for the next season’s styles.
Ski boots
I have seen a lot of deals on sites like Craigslist or Ebay, and swap meets are good to buy used ski boots. The sales started in mid February and March, and continue in April. Many sites are touting extra percentage off now in April for boots. I am on the prowl for ski boots and hope to score big with the sales going on. As a beginner, I am ok with a simple style. One thing to note, however, and I found this out when I went skiing in the Seattle area: if you have your own boots and you rent your skis, it may cost more money then renting both together at your sports store. Since they need to adjust your boots to their skis, there is an additional cost. I am looking to improve, so investing in better fitting boots is a good option for me, but I will take into account the additional charge and try to save someplace else.
Lift tickets and lessons
There are a lot of groupons and sales as the ski season winds down. One thing to note, regardless of when you ski – if you book a group lesson, there are relatively few people in class, and if you are a beginner, many of them fail to come back after lunch or the next day, so you may get a class with just one other person or just yourself.
Be sure to keep ski season in mind as you look towards spring – you can get your gear ready for next year and have some money left over for swimsuit season.
