Latest posts for the topic "Ski & boot hire"

Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 12:33:17 GMT

Just had a nasty shock when looking to hire boots & skis in Obergurgl, so much so I sent an email to Intersport to ask for an explanation.

In Tignes I hired boots & skis with insurance from their Noire range for a total of Euro 124.50 from Intersport.

Intersport in Obergurgl want Euro 199 discounted to Euro169 for superior skis & Euro 72 discounted to Euro61 for boots, which comes to Euro 230 excluding insurance & service charge.They say in their reply different countries have different charges due to their economy & of course that's obvious but almost double for the same gear seems OTT.

Many including myself avoid France as being too expensive but it seems there are some exceptions, such as ski hire.

I hired boots & skis in sauxe last year & in Engelberg 2 yrs ago & none were anywhere near the Obergurgl prices, Skiset are the same co as alpine ski & they want more, am I missing something here as the prices seem crazy for 6 days use?

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:39:25 GMT

I can read this Brooksy :-)

That's a ridiculous price for skis in Obergurgl :shock:

I've skied there and hired from Intersport and I'm sure the prices were in the normal range.

Is it because for some reason you're not getting the usual discount? I mean, Intersport in Les Brevieres was at something like a 40% discount.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:59:17 GMT

And I keep being told how cheap Austria is/was 8)

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:22:47 GMT

Thanks for the replies, Ian I ski Austria mostly but have not hired ski equipment there apart from my first ski trip many years ago.I think over GBP200 for 6 days hire is outrageous & am now considering taking my old skis & boots with me as its GBP34 each way for skis with BA, that would save me about Euro150 or GBP129.Ally the discount in France was 35% & in Austria 15% so 20% should be the difference, but it looks like the original price is 90% higher & I don't think this is because of cost of living differential, more like lack of competition & greed.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:26:38 GMT

Here is a copy of the emails.
Dear Christopher

Thank you for your e-mail concerning Ski rental and for booking with us. You have reached the head office of IIC - INTERSPORT International Corp., the managing and purchasing company of the INTERSPORT group, in Switzerland.

We perfectly understand that you are surprised by the price difference, but this is completely normal. You must understand that this are two different countries and also different shops, which are independent from each other.
Live standard is not the same in every country: rents, salaries, taxes etc. are different in every country. You cannot expect same prices in every country. Hotels, transportation, food and other things are also not the same price in each and every country and this is also no exception for services like ski rental. Furthermore if you compare prices with other rental services you will see that their prices also vary from country to country and from shop to shop.

I hope I could help you with this answer and hope to keep you as INTERSPORT Rent customer.

Kind regards,

Thalita Salzmann
Marketing Services

IIC-INTERSPORT International Corp.

From: christopher brooks [mailto:chrisbrooks_56@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: Sonntag, 27. Januar 2013 18:33
To: contact
Subject: Ski & Boot hire

Dear Sir

I have just returned from a ski trip in Tignes France & hired my boots & skis from Intersport in Les Brevieres & was very happy with the service & equipment. I am now going to
Obergurgl on the 9th of March & was looking forward to hiring the same equipment from your shop in Zentrum.The prices quoted for 6 days superior skis is Euro 199 discounted to Euro 169 & the boots
are Euro 72 discounted to Euro 61, this means a total of Euro 230 excluding insurance.I hired boots & skis from the Noire range in January for Euro124.50 including insurance so almost double the price in
Obergurgl. Can I ask you to check these prices before I post them on a UK ski forum to alert others of these very high prices & if they are found to be correct I will have to hire elsewhere or even
purchase the equipment.I have hired equipment for the last 3 seasons & have never come across prices this high, so I'm asking if its a mistake or am I reading it incorrectly?

Thank You.

Mr C.A.Brooks

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:30:14 GMT

Disgusting prices Brooklyn, a sure sign of profiteering. It was cheaper in st Anton in march last year when my mate hired his mrs some skis.
I always take my own which at these prices makes total sense.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:55:54 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Disgusting prices Brooklyn, a sure sign of profiteering. It was cheaper in st Anton in march last year when my mate hired his mrs some skis.
I always take my own which at these prices makes total sense.

Totally agree Tony, I always go for Austria by choice & finding France cheaper in this respect unbelievable.My kit is dated & the boots worn on the heel up to the shell, due to my age I didn't want to start buying again as is possible I wont get the full use, now I may have to change my mind as I have Obergurgl in March, Chamonix in December & J2 next year.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:53:40 GMT

I have written on here before that these hire shop miss a trick ........ just aim your prices 10% over what it costs to transport your skis and they will make a killing, as there are times where I get pee'd off carring two sets of skis around, just dumb and greedy I guess.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:18:22 GMT

It's not just by country that there are differences, but by resort

I have booked 6* skis for half term next month in Maria Alm and they were Eur155 discounted to Eur131.75
I have used Sport2000 but Intersport would be pretty much the same

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:49:40 GMT

Interesting this as it was not long ago on this forum people were asking why those of us who take our own skis bother with all the hassle and cost,
I think is gone full circle now.
My skis cost me GBP300 and approx GBP30 per trip for carriage return, plus GBP30 a season for tuning.
If I rented, I'd have paid for my skis in 3 visits.

No brainier?

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:18:40 GMT

I think its because things keep changing & you can win or lose depending on the times.
Many like to hire skis to keep up with the latest designs & their increased competence, BA used to let you take ski gear free, but not now & some airlines charge more for carriage than the hire charges & no lugging them around as a bonus.

I fully understand the difference between countries & resorts but still think GBP200 for 6 days rental is OTT & as you say 3 trips cover the cost of owning & something I'm now considering.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:33:11 GMT

If you go to the Obergurgl website http://www.obergurgl.com/main/EN/GG/WI/orte/infrastruktur/index.html#searchresult and select "Sportgeschaft" under "type" you will see that all the sports shops are owned by 3 people, so there isn't much competition. You should be able to get a slightly better deal from Scheiber Sport.

One of the reasons for the extra cost might be that more shops in Austria comply with ISO standard 13993:2001: Rental ski shop practice -- Sampling and inspection of complete and incomplete alpine ski-binding-boot systems in rental applications, than in France. This is a lot of extra work but helps to ensure that the bindings are in proper working order and the boot soles aren't out of spec.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 23:12:55 GMT

brooksy wrote:I think its because things keep changing & you can win or lose depending on the times.
Many like to hire skis to keep up with the latest designs & their increased competence, BA used to let you take ski gear free, but not now & some airlines charge more for carriage than the hire charges & no lugging them around as a bonus.

I fully understand the difference between countries & resorts but still think GBP200 for 6 days rental is OTT & as you say 3 trips cover the cost of owning & something I'm now considering.

There's only 1 airline that charges as much for ski carriage as it costs to rent, and we all know who they are.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:57:32 GMT

Hi Broosky

Obergurgly price outrageous. Try the Skiset website-had a look today for Obergurgl, one week in February with 'evolution package' for skis and boots at 139 euros. Good luck. Colpam

Re:Ski & boot hire

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:50:41 GMT

Thanks colpam but these skis are not advanced enough for me, the ones I need are over Euro 260 so dearer than Intersport.

I have been looking at sport Conrad after seeing Tony's post regarding their deals & this what I have come up with & any info from members would be greatly appreciated.

Volkl AC 30 wide ride with marker wide ride bindings. Euro699 reduced to Euro299.
Boots Salomon Creation, whole package Euro498 + Euro25 shipping to UK.
The other boots I like the look of is the Salomon Quest around Euro80 more, the creation boots only have 2 buckles & I'm not used to that but are said to be really comfortable.Another prob is buying boots online, my feet are pretty good as I don't have irregularities so is it worth a punt?

Re:Ski & boot hire

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:00:44 GMT

Brooksy - check out Snowbrainer :thumbup:

Re:Ski & boot hire

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:07:40 GMT

Salski wrote:Brooksy - check out Snowbrainer :thumbup:

Saski, is that for hire or buying?

Re:Ski & boot hire

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:35:22 GMT

Brooksy - I hire skis & always check out Snowbrainer, Skiset & Snowrental. For the last 2 years Snowbrainer have come out a lot cheaper. We've had excellent service from Sport 2000 & top of the range brand new skis. We do ski at Christmas, so all the higher range stuff is new for the season. It's much more expensive to go direct to the individual shop. It can take a few hours doing all the comparisons, but worth it for the savings you can make.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:37:51 GMT

Salski wrote:Brooksy - I hire skis & always check out Snowbrainer, Skiset & Snowrental. For the last 2 years Snowbrainer have come out a lot cheaper. We've had excellent service from Sport 2000 & top of the range brand new skis. We do ski at Christmas, so all the higher range stuff is new for the season. It's much more expensive to go direct to the individual shop. It can take a few hours doing all the comparisons, but worth it for the savings you can make.

Thanks I will check it out, although it seems like there are only a few hire shops in Obergurgl central.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:46:15 GMT

brooksy wrote: Another prob is buying boots online, my feet are pretty good as I don't have irregularities so is it worth a punt?

Brooksy, NO-OO-OO-OO!!!!!

Re:Ski & boot hire

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:58:42 GMT

Obergurgl is among the most expensive of all Austrian resorts - the prices there for everything were so much higher than at Solden last March. (Part of the reason I didn't care much for the place!)

Overall, though, Austria is still much cheaper than France or Swisserland. I'm hiring skis, boots and helmet for my novice partner in March for 70Euro for six days. Exceptional value!

Re:Ski & boot hire

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:00:26 GMT

I looked at snowbrainer & they were a bit cheaper at GBP178 or Euro206 at today's rate, that's for Black/Gold skis,boots & ins.Now I have started looking at buying ski gear I'm getting the bug back for having my own, 2 trips booked for this year & the J2 next year could almost pay for it all & I would be looking to get more trips in also.

Its the ski boots prob that's bugging me I know 27 is the ideal length & my feet are 11cms wide but boot retailers ect don't give width fittings just Med/Wide if you're lucky.As I don't live in the UK but keep my stuff there the boot fitting is out of the question & I think if I buy boots online I may be able to get them adjusted ect in the resort if I had probs with them.

I know the general consensus is not to buy online but many people must do or the option would not exist. If I were younger & living in the UK I would of course go to the shop & get it done right, in my case its not an option & no ski stuff on the rock to get locally.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:18:46 GMT

Why not buy your skis before you go and hire boots in Obergurgl? By mid-March the shops will be selling off gear. You could get sorted over there. Alternatively, play the robbing shysters at their own game. Get yourself measured up and fitted in the shop, then wait till you get home before buying exactly the same boots on-line. :twisted:

I'm not suggesting we should all start doing this. I would be more than happy to pay a premium for a good boot-fitter's time. It's just that your circumstances are a little bit different to most and the prices being quoted in that resort do smack of somebody trying to 'nail your cap on.' :)

Re:Ski & boot hire

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:28:29 GMT

Thanks for your input Gaz & I think the ski buying is a goer & I will check to see if you can hire boots only & how much, as another way round the matter.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:32:39 GMT

Just looked & boots only is GBP50 on snowbrainer which is a fair portion of the new boot price.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:06:36 GMT

brooksy wrote: Its the ski boots prob that's bugging me I know 27 is the ideal length & my feet are 11cms wide but boot retailers ect don't give width fittings just Med/Wide if you're lucky.

The manufacturers usually give last widths on their websites, normally but not always the width given is for a size 26/26.5 boot. The width generally increases or decreases by 2mm per size. I think the widest boots available from the major manufacturers are nominally 106mm. Much more important than forefoot width is the fit around the ankle. If a boot is too tight across the forefoot it can easily be made bigger, but if it's too loose around the ankle there's not a lot that can be done.

The Salomon SPK Kreation is a very light (cheap plastic?) 90 flex (soft) 104mm freestyle boot.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:18:23 GMT

brooksy wrote:I looked at snowbrainer & they were a bit cheaper at GBP178 or Euro206 at today's rate, that's for Black/Gold skis,boots & ins.

:shock: That very same package in France with Snowbrainer would be GBP86.35, so you're right - Obergurgl is very expensive!

(In Italy it would be GBP144.23 & Switzerland GBP139.02).

On balance I don't blame you for looking at buying your own kit.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:39:45 GMT

Salski wrote:

brooksy wrote:I looked at snowbrainer & they were a bit cheaper at GBP178 or Euro206 at today's rate, that's for Black/Gold skis,boots & ins.

:shock: That very same package in France with Snowbrainer would be GBP86.35, so you're right - Obergurgl is very expensive!

(In Italy it would be GBP144.23 & Switzerland GBP139.02).

On balance I don't blame you for looking at buying your own kit.

Right I'll scrub Austria off my ski list :D

Re:Ski & boot hire

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:00:49 GMT

If you do the beer calculation - does this effect the outcome?
Rumour has it that a beer is quite a bit less in Austria than France ???

So ...... (for example)
If beer is 2 euros less in Austria how many beers would one need to consume to negate the extra cost of ski hire??

If ski and boot hire is 100E more in Austria and beer is 2 E less then drinking 50 beers covers the difference!!

Simples .....
:mrgreen:

Re:Ski & boot hire

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:06:08 GMT

OldAndy wrote:If you do the beer calculation - does this effect the outcome?
Rumour has it that a beer is quite a bit less in Austria than France ???

So ...... (for example)
If beer is 2 euros less in Austria how many beers would one need to consume to negate the extra cost of ski hire??

If ski and boot hire is 100E more in Austria and beer is 2 E less then drinking 50 beers covers the difference!!

Simples .....
:mrgreen:

Now there is a man after my own heart :thumbup:

Re:Ski & boot hire

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:40:39 GMT

OldAndy wrote:If you do the beer calculation - does this effect the outcome?
Rumour has it that a beer is quite a bit less in Austria than France ???

So ...... (for example)
If beer is 2 euros less in Austria how many beers would one need to consume to negate the extra cost of ski hire??

If ski and boot hire is 100E more in Austria and beer is 2 E less then drinking 50 beers covers the difference!!

Simples .....
:mrgreen:

Hmmmm, interesting this.
I think it's much more variable than France v austria for beer prices.
St Anton was 6-7 eu for a beer, whereas it was 3.5 in mayrhofen and probably cheaper in other places as well.

I'd normally pay 4-5 euros in serre che or adh but have also paid 6 in adh and I do know of people paying 7-8 on average in many mega resorts like less arcs, val despair, meribel etc.
But I'm sure you can find a cheap beer and an overpriced beer in most resorts.

It's definitely not as simple of France or austria though.

Maybe we should start a beer thread, where everyone who goes away posts the lowest and highest price they paid in their selected resort. I think I'll kick it off.......

Re:Ski & boot hire

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:44:13 GMT

So if I'm reading this right I will have to become an alcoholic to balance my hire costs,Hmmmmm :D

I have decided after getting helpful advice from a friend to order skis & bindings from Conrad & I have 1 day in the UK before leaving to ski. S&R are about 5 miles away from where I'm based & have 6 types of boot in my price range GBP240 so I should be able to get something that fits there & if not perhaps the last resort is the resort itself.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:23:20 GMT

Don't forget poles and a bag !!
-)

Re:Ski & boot hire

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:40:44 GMT

OldAndy wrote:Don't forget poles and a bag !!
-)

Have bag & poles in good condition with my old stuff, the boots are going in the bin & my fischer carvers may well suit my eldest grandson for the Chamonix Christmas trip. -)

Re:Ski & boot hire

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:16:23 GMT

So glad you're not going the on-line route :-) . Make sure you do Swingbeep's shell test with each pair you try and be prepared to leave the shop without buying if you are not 100% happy with the fit. Spending GBP50 to hire a pair in resort is a better result than being lumbered with a badly fitting pair. :thumbup:

Re:Ski & boot hire

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:36:57 GMT

Gaz C wrote: So glad you're not going the on-line route :-) . Make sure you do Swingbeep's shell test with each pair you try and be prepared to leave the shop without buying if you are not 100% happy with the fit. Spending GBP50 to hire a pair in resort is a better result than being lumbered with a badly fitting pair. :thumbup:

Thanks Gaz, all advice gratefully received & noted & thanks to all contributors 8)

Re:Ski & boot hire

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 14:46:23 GMT

I have just tried to order skis & fitted bindings from Sport Conrad & they say they need the heel to toe
measurement of my boots to mount the bindings, I have had 2 sets of skis mounted without giving any info on the boots & thought the bindings adjusted to a few sizes. I plan to get the boots from S&R in the uk so have no idea yet what boots & their dimensions are, has anyone any ideas on how to get round this problem?
Thanks

Re:Ski & boot hire

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 14:48:57 GMT

brooksy wrote:I have just tried to order skis & fitted bindings from Sport Conrad & they say they need the heel to toe
measurement of my boots to mount the bindings, I have had 2 sets of skis mounted without giving any info on the boots & thought the bindings adjusted to a few sizes. I plan to get the boots from S&R in the uk so have no idea yet what boots & their dimensions are, has anyone any ideas on how to get round this problem?
Thanks

your boots will have the exact length moulded onto the sole somewhere. That's what sport Conrad need. I had to do this with mrs h's skis and have since changed her boots without the need for binding adjustment so don't worry too much.

Re:Ski & boot hire

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 15:18:15 GMT

Thanks Tony but I need to order the skis from here to arrive in the UK before the 8th of March & that is the only day I will have to get to S&R to get the boots selected & bought.I would have thought a 27 boot size would be in the adjustment range of any make of boot & the bindings mounted centrally.

Does this mean that hire shops have to have the same skis in different boot lengths?

Re:Ski & boot hire

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 15:28:08 GMT

Just had another reply from Sport Conrad saying they know what I mean & have suggested that I put in 315mm so that it can be adjusted by a ski shop to my actual size.This means they were trying to adjust it to my exact boot which wouldn't need any further alteration to use.

Problem solved :-)

Re:Ski & boot hire

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 15:45:09 GMT

brooksy wrote:Just had another reply from Sport Conrad saying they know what I mean & have suggested that I put in 315mm so that it can be adjusted by a ski shop to my actual size.This means they were trying to adjust it to my exact boot which wouldn't need any further alteration to use.

Problem solved :-)

Perfect