ShinyDiscoBall 2 Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 When you buy new ski/board gear, do you get a chance to test it out and see how it feels - and where? I have heard of some testing events going on, but there don't seem to be too many of them. I'd love the chance to try out different stuff before making a buy. Link to post Share on other sites
me jane 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 I saw Line at a resort last year but I don't remember which one. They had a stand with a lot of their skis laid out at the top of one of the snow park and you could just borrow them for a few runs and leave your own skis (and presumably some other kind of deposit) with then until you got back. I didn't try them so I don't know if you had to pay but it looked like it was free. I guess you could contact the individual resorts to see if they have anything like that going on. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 At Happo in March they had tents from all the major ski dealers doing demos. It was all race style stuff though without a fat ski on site. Why even bother??? I like trying before buying but it doesn't always work out that way. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Toque racing is so in these days didnt you know. One day they had a demo there the snow was so slow and tou could only demo the skis on roped off easy slope. Everyone was tucking to get speed to turn. That would never help you to understand the ski. I demoed vector glides alot last season and found them nice but a bit stiff. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Racing is the new snowblade Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 I dunno. seems that if its all the rage these days then maybe Ill give it ago this next season!! Im gonna sell all my BC gear and fat skis and buy some racing skis and go for that perfect carve that so many J-peeps try to perfect. They work on it so much that they make skiing look boring. No more ducking ropes, searching for powder, hiding from patrol, or falling into creeks for me!! Im gonna be a safe and conservative skier from now on. Scouts honor Link to post Share on other sites
jared 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 sounds to me like you were at the wrong places... At appi the full line of next years salomons were demoable and later at Hachimantai all of next years fat skis were there for demo - but we had to fill out forms about what we thought of the ski for the magazine doing the test. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Well I guess that is kind of Japanese because they can only demo fat skis where there is powder. And we don't get powder in the alps. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Actually Toque, you get powder in the Alps but its Japanese powder, so you need Japanese skis to ride it Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 No powder here, scouts honor. cb The more you fall into creeks the more rope practise that I get. Not falling in is hurting my rope skills Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 well, if you got your hands on a rope more instead of yourself youd have a bit more hands on experience wouldnt you? Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Is that why my palms are hairy? Back on topic Sally skis lick poo Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 I have to say I don't think I've ever skied on their bindings though. I've always had Markers Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 You have to be of the correct Japanese size to demo stuff. If you are above size 28 shoe, forget it. They won't have anything big enough (because Japanese people never get above size 28. Kimari desu.) Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 I always wonder what Japanese people with big feet do. In the big cities maybe not a problem but for the life of me I can't find shoes in my town of 60,000 and it's the hub of my region Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Dunno. I take a 9, and can only just find sizes to fit. I bought some new ski boots last spring, and in the end I just had to ask them to bring all of the biggest boots they had. Eventually they dug out a size 29.5-31 pair that fitted just fine. Two season old stock, out of fashion, 66% off. Call me cheap, woo hoo. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Quote: I can't find shoes in my town of 60,000 and the BIGGEST city in Japan, right? No Japanese have big feet, didn't you know that. If there are any freaks out there, they get treated for it. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Quote: Originally posted by scouser: and the BIGGEST city in Japan, right? Takes more than 2 hours to drive East to West and about 2 hours to drive north to south Thanks to Gappei I live in Japan's biggest city I need new shoes. Mine are falling apart. Going to have to wait till Christmas when I go home though. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 kimari dakara!! Link to post Share on other sites
minus 1 Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 shikata nai ne. Link to post Share on other sites
me jane 0 Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Toque, Can't you buy shoes online? When I first came to Japan in '96 I remember that it was really difficult to buy anything and the few online retailers that there were didn't ship abroad. Now you can get just about everything you need. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 I guess I could but as much as I detest shopping I would like to try them on first. And I don't have a credit card. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Quote: Originally posted by me jane: Toque, Can't you buy shoes online? When I first came to Japan in '96 I remember that it was really difficult to buy anything and the few online retailers that there were didn't ship abroad. Now you can get just about everything you need. I think Id like to try them on before buying them though Link to post Share on other sites
cheeseman 1 Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 With new cheeses I often like to try a sample before I go and buy big chunks. Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 The only events I have noticed before have been towards the end of a season (March). I think there was something at gala in march where you could try next seasons gear for free. Link to post Share on other sites
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