About this time each ski season, a few of next year’s skis start turning up in ski shops. There won’t be a lot of them, but some of what are pegged to be the most popular models for the coming season will be around.

If you’re thinking of new skis next year, there are a few things to consider doing, and one is trying out a few models.

If you check with your regular ski shop, you might be able to test some of next year’s skis. You might also learn which models are not going to change, and if a ski is going to be the same, why not grab a pair at a discount now?

In a couple of weeks I will be skiing some of next year’s models. I do this so I can pass along some of the better choices for next year. That means checking out skis that I would probably never use myself. My personal choices are always race models, mostly GS. This dates back to my ski patrol days when the best skis were always race skis. Recreational models were limited to what were basically softer models of race skis. Things were simpler.

One example was K2. One year, the primary models were the 810, 710 and 610. The 810 was a GS, the 710 a slalom and the 610 was the recreational model. There were a few other models, but these were the top of the line.

I skied the 810, but the interesting part was that most instructors I knew who were on K2s selected the 610.

It didn’t take long to figure out why. The 610s were softer versions of the other two models. They didn’t have the aggressive edge hold of the race models or the pop off the tail coming out of the turn.

Think about how the instructor uses his skis. Except for advanced lessons, most of the turns are at slower speeds. The teacher is looking for a ski that is easy into the turn to demonstrate technique.

Contrast this with ski patrol. Our primary concern was edge hold, something the race models delivered. Today’s GS skis are considerably easier into the turn than those old K2 810s, but still have superior edge hold. Of course, today, my GS skis are 175 and 180 centimeters. I believe those 810s were 204s and my skis ranged from 204 to 210.

The difference is the materials and construction techniques of today’s skis. If you have watched any Alpine ski racing in the Olympics, especially shots of Mikaela Shiffrin racing slalom, it’s obvious how short the skis are. The reigning World Cup champion and the top U.S. slalom skier ever is on 155-centimeter skis. For men, the minimum for slalom is 165 and GS it’s 180. Technology has made today’s shorter skis as stable as the old longer skis. And today’s race skis are easier to ski than ever.

In fact, all skis are easier to ski than ever. But there are also a lot more choices.

In recent seasons, wider skis have been the rage. Shaped skis have been with us for decades and for a number of years “Rockers” have been the way to go. Whether you go for wider or rockered models depends on where you ski. As I ski groomed runs almost all of the time, I prefer more narrow and full-camber skis rather than wide or rockers. Race skis fit this description and that’s what you’ll see me on.

Where do you ski? Do you stick to the groomers or venture off-piste into ungroomed snow?

Only if you get off the groomed runs do you need a wider or rockered model. It is true that rockered skis are easier into the turn and it helps in powder. Most recreational skiers have only a single pair of skis, rather than the quiver of the professional skier, so how do you pick the one ski that will answer all your needs?

Start with a visit to your ski shop. If you have a close relationship with a shop, they should know what kind of ski you prefer and where you ski. They should also know your ability level. Discuss what you’re skiing on now and what you would like to achieve with a new ski. Get a few recommendations and arrange to try them out in different lengths.

When you get out on the hill, head for an easy run near the base. Feel the ski out with slow turns, exaggerating to experience the edge hold. Increase speed and see how the ski carves. Is it easy into the turn while holding a solid carve through the turn? As one veteran ski rep once told us on Boardwalk at Sugarloaf, “If it doesn’t work for you down here, it won’t work up there,” pointing to the upper face.

Work your way through several pairs on the novice slopes until you find what you believe is your ski in the proper length. Once you identify the likely new ski, head up the mountain and ski it the way you normally ski. If you have properly run the ski through its paces, it should work fine up on the mountain.

Now for the good news: Today’s skis are the best ever, and thanks to technology moving down from the top-of-the-line models, you can buy a lot more ski for the money than ever. I have found some very high-performance ski and binding packages selling for as little as $400-500. I expect to be able to list some for next year by the end of the season. Now get out there and test drive a few.

See you on the slopes.

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