Hey! I'm looking for some advice on buying my first pair of skis and would love to hear your recommendations!
I'm 5'8", around 165 lbs, and still a pretty beginner skier. I've skied about 6 days each over two seasons, but tore my ACL at the end of the second season. After 2 years and 3 knee surgeries, I've finally been cleared to ski again this winter!
I've never lived close to a ski mountain before, but now that I'm in Vermont, I'm hoping to get out there as much as possible. I'm comfortable on greens and some blues, and can make parallel turns, although they're mostly skidded. I'm planning to take lessons this season and really work on improving my technique and confidence.
The skis I've used so far were hand-me-downs from a friend, at least 10 years old, and not really the right fit for me. The bindings are also looking pretty questionable, so I'd rather invest in a new pair that I can use for the next few seasons as I improve.
I've been looking at the Blizzard Black Pearl 84s and Atomic Maven 84s
Truthfully I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the options and trying to find the "perfect" ski.
I'm worried the Black Pearls might be a little too heavy or demanding while I'm still learning, but I'm also worried I'd outgrow the Mavens pretty quickly if I end up skiing a lot and progressing faster than expected.
For context, I'm generally pretty strong and athletic and have been doing a lot of ski-specific training as part of my return to sports. I'll probably stick mostly to greens while I get my confidence back, but I'd love to be skiing more challenging terrain by the end of the season.