benjaminteoh 0 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 I am an intermediate skier with an old ski and thinking of upgrading. I will be going to Niseko and Hakuba in Jan for 3 weeks. Should I buy a new pair of ski here in Sydney and bring it over or should I rent a pair in in Japan, and perhaps buy something in Japan after trying out a few models. The problem with carrying the skis is the weight and inconvenience, but I get to use my own ski and save on the cost of rental. Any advice? Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 We were discussing this at a party last night - there were 6 families all at the same party ALL heading to Niseko this Dec or January or both... Some said BUY on-line now, do not hire - for the same money as hire you can buy from the US... Others said hire. The reasons varied. If the flight weight, inconvenience of carrying etc are big issues for you, and you need new gear anyhow - then hiring or at least demo-ing in Japan before buying, - might be a good option for you. Personally we are carrying not only our clothing and personal needs but 6 snowboards and bindings, 6pr boots, knee pads (for me), wrist guards (multiple pairs), and 6 helmets. That is quite a procession at the airport let me tell you - but it is worth it for us to have our own gear - the things we are used to and have broken in to suit us. Big questions: **How often are you going to use the gear? Is this a once in 5 years trip or are you hitting the slopes twice a year (or more) having a trip in the Northern AND Southern winters? **How important is the cost, and if so how does the hire cost of a suitable set of ski's for you for this trip compare to the cost of buying the ski's you want to own? **How annoying do you find it to carry your own gear in transit? Is it really going to eat you alive to be lugging it on and off buses, trains and planes - or is it a mild inconvenience? **As a previous Ski owner how sensitive are you to being an AVIS? Some people could not care less what they ride and who owns it, but there are some who's sense of self is wrapped up in the brand they ride and would not be caught dead on a hired stick...how do you feel? I am sure there are other questions to ponder - but it is late, brains not working well... Good Luck making a decision that is right for you. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Bring boots and buy anything else here. Contact Sandy he loves helping with this stuff and can tell you where to buy exactly what you want. Link to post Share on other sites
Probe 0 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Benjamin I'd say - rent for a couple of days, try a number of different skis and then buy in Japan. There are some good prices and overall it would be the same price as Australia or cheaper. Demo rentals are going to run at about $260AUD per week, so you may as well buy a pair. If you haven't skied Japan before you may well find yourself liking a much wider ski than you imagined , so probably rent for that first couple of days. There are some very good deals in the ski shop district of Tokyo, though. If you do decide to buy before you get to the mountains, I'd say get at least 90mm underfoot. Link to post Share on other sites
grantj71 0 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 My two cents worth.... If you are like myself coming from Australia, then the gear that you would normally use in Oz, while usable, isn't ideal for the amount of powder that you get in Japan... As such, while you can get around the place, it is hard work.... As someone else has already said, you will probably find that using a FAT pair of ski's makes life a lot easier... The problem you then have, is that on your return to Australia (if you are coming back to Oz), you will then find that the 3cm of powder we get here in a 'HUGE' dump is not really applicable for your big fat powder ski's... So, if you want to get suitable gear for the right conditions, then I suggest that you get a set of POWDER ski's for Japan, and a set of 'rock' hoppers for Australia... A bit like having a 4 wheel drive and a Porsche in the driveway depending on if you are going off the beaten track in the mountains or out on one of those fantastic bitumen windy roads like the Great Ocean Road... Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 medium fats at 90 or 100mm waist would work just fine. you can hire past season skis very reasonably. Having said that, I would always bring my skis. That's what they're for. Link to post Share on other sites
ausi ski bum 1 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 I use AMC76 ski's in Japan and they go well and they are also very good in Australian spring snow so owning a set is not such a bad idea. The wider ski's go well in powder but are not so good on the runs and you will find you will ski much of the time on the runs because inlike here they just go forever. There are a lot of different ideas but look at what you intend doing and then find a ski to suit. Oh and I hate hire ski's nothing like having your own and learning how the feel and preform in various conditions and locations, hiring in Niseko is very expensive but buying ski's in Tokyo or Kutchen is very reasonable. Link to post Share on other sites
benjaminteoh 0 Posted December 3, 2007 Author Share Posted December 3, 2007 Thanks for the quick response and the good advice. I am leaning towards getting an all mountain ski like the Volkl AC30 (waist 76) and bringing it to Japan - it will be inconvenient to carry it around, but I can get to use it, and then later in Aus. I am an intermediate skier with main interest in the groom run.....maybe I will change my mind when I have a taste of the powder in Niseko. I saw a pair for around AU $1000.00 with binding in an off season sale in Sydney, and it is about the same price to buy online from US. Unfortunatley, I am going striaght to Niseko, so I don;t have the time to stop in Tokyo to shop. Are there shops in Niseko that stocks a good range of skis for sale? Is it cheapaer in Japan? Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 There are some great shops around Hirafu and in Kutchan. You'll have no problems finding great skis there thats for sure. Though Im not from Australia, according to many it seems that skis are cheaper here...correct me if Im wrong. Also, if you search "buying in Japan" you will find some other threads to help you with this Q Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Skis in Japan are really cheap. Skis in Niseko may not be, but even in the Alpen shop, they were selling old Volkls with bindings for 20,000. ex-rental ofcourse. Many more of the same from the rental shops. Link to post Share on other sites
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