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CNN Saturday Morning News
Money Saving Tips on Ski Equipment
Aired December 28, 2002 - 08:28 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This ski season, do you plan on hitting the bunny trails or the expert slopes? Well, if you're new to skiing or just want some new equipment, it can be a costly sport.
And CNN's Susan Lisovicz has some tips.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Despite some great deals this winter to some of the nation's hottest resorts, skiing can still be an expensive sport. And it begins with the equipment. Should you rent or buy? It all depends on how many times you plan to go this year.
JOE CUTTS, SENIOR EDITOR, "SKI" MAGAZINE: The thinking is that the cut off is right around a half dozen times, somewhere in there. If you go more than that, then you probably want to do some research and buy your own stuff. Our Web site at "Ski" magazine, skimag.com, has test results going back four years. So if you're looking at a particular model and you want to find out more about it, you can go to skimag.com and do some research.
If you go less than that, then it probably makes more sense economically to demo or rent every time you go.
LISOVICZ: But you may want the feeling of having your own stuff. So there's another option.
CUTTS: Shops have figured out that parents can't afford to buy every year and so they've come up with these seasonal lease programs, which are very economical. For $100 or even $150, you can get stuff for the season. You can get an entire package -- skis, boots, poles, bindings. You visit the shop, you pick it out, you come back a couple of weeks later and pick it up. It's been mounted and sized to your feet and so forth. And then at the end of the season you bring it back in and drop it off.
There's also adult packages that start at around $150 and go up to around $250, depending on whether it's new or used equipment.
LISOVICZ (on camera): Often the best way to know what you're doing is through comparison shopping. Cutt says local ski shops like this Paragon Sports store in New York City are often well stocked and competitively priced. Also, don't forget that bargains are typically plentiful in the spring.
(voice-over): Then there are the resort shops, like this one at Killington, one of New England's largest ski areas.
CUTTS: You're probably going to pay a little more at a resort shop. You're also probably going to find resort salespeople who know a little more about the sport and are more passionate about the sport and might be able to guide you in your choice a little better than some of the people in the bigger city shops.
LISOVICZ: Notice one place we didn't mention? The Internet. Cutt says there aren't a lot of deals to be found there. Manufacturers just aren't going down that trail yet.
Susan Lisovicz, CNN Financial News, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 28, 2002 - 08:28 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JACQUI JERAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This ski season, do you plan on hitting the bunny trails or the expert slopes? Well, if you're new to skiing or just want some new equipment, it can be a costly sport.
And CNN's Susan Lisovicz has some tips.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Despite some great deals this winter to some of the nation's hottest resorts, skiing can still be an expensive sport. And it begins with the equipment. Should you rent or buy? It all depends on how many times you plan to go this year.
JOE CUTTS, SENIOR EDITOR, "SKI" MAGAZINE: The thinking is that the cut off is right around a half dozen times, somewhere in there. If you go more than that, then you probably want to do some research and buy your own stuff. Our Web site at "Ski" magazine, skimag.com, has test results going back four years. So if you're looking at a particular model and you want to find out more about it, you can go to skimag.com and do some research.
If you go less than that, then it probably makes more sense economically to demo or rent every time you go.
LISOVICZ: But you may want the feeling of having your own stuff. So there's another option.
CUTTS: Shops have figured out that parents can't afford to buy every year and so they've come up with these seasonal lease programs, which are very economical. For $100 or even $150, you can get stuff for the season. You can get an entire package -- skis, boots, poles, bindings. You visit the shop, you pick it out, you come back a couple of weeks later and pick it up. It's been mounted and sized to your feet and so forth. And then at the end of the season you bring it back in and drop it off.
There's also adult packages that start at around $150 and go up to around $250, depending on whether it's new or used equipment.
LISOVICZ (on camera): Often the best way to know what you're doing is through comparison shopping. Cutt says local ski shops like this Paragon Sports store in New York City are often well stocked and competitively priced. Also, don't forget that bargains are typically plentiful in the spring.
(voice-over): Then there are the resort shops, like this one at Killington, one of New England's largest ski areas.
CUTTS: You're probably going to pay a little more at a resort shop. You're also probably going to find resort salespeople who know a little more about the sport and are more passionate about the sport and might be able to guide you in your choice a little better than some of the people in the bigger city shops.
LISOVICZ: Notice one place we didn't mention? The Internet. Cutt says there aren't a lot of deals to be found there. Manufacturers just aren't going down that trail yet.
Susan Lisovicz, CNN Financial News, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
