Wide Assortment of All-Mountain Skis

Even if the snow is warm, chunky or a combination of different textures, there is an assortment of all-mountain skis available to maximize the fun. Some of the Rocky Mountain resorts have so much acreage facing so many different directions that each facet is suited to a different ski or board.

"Rental shop staff are really good at assessing your ability and making recommendations on the best ski or snowboard to fit your ability and the conditions," says Paula Worthington, marketing coordinator for Resorts of the Canadian Rockies.

The organization owns both Lake Louise Mountain Resort in Banff National Park and Ski Nakiska in Kananaskis Country and relies on Head and Rossignol for its fleet of mid-range and high-performance equipment. While there is a difference between what mid-range and high-performance gear will handle in terms of speed and stability, all of it is very responsive to the skier, adds Worthington. What's more, RCR has built Internet convenience into its rental fleet.

Gear Just a Call Away

"If you call our reservation department at RCR you can book tickets, lessons and rentals and you can do it all online," says Neil Jackson, director of purchasing for the company. "This gives guaranteed availability of what the client is looking for and front-of-the-line treatment."

For those skiers and riders coming to Banff National Park, purchasing and renting recently became a whole lot easier. The Ski Hub is a one-stop shop for all equipment needs and it's located right in the heart of the town of Banff. It's called The Hub because it's the hub of Ski Norquay,Sunshine Village and Lake Louise Mountain Resort – the three ski areas located in Banff National Park.

In addition to goggles, gloves, jackets and all other manner of under and outer wear, The Hub sells lift passes and ski lessons to all three resorts and rents gear from its fleet of new skis and snowboards. If you like the demo skis so much that you want to buy them, the price of the rental will be discounted from the purchase price.

Try the Latest Technology

"You check into your hotel and then come down to The Ski Hub and get everything you need in a central location," says Sarah Leavens, director of operations for Ski Banff, Lake Louise Sunshine. "The stuff here is the latest technology and appropriate to the ski areas here and it's well-maintained gear."

Gear that's suited to the ski areas is particularly important in Banff. The park's three separate ski areas have radically different personalities and what might work well for one mountain is unlikely to meet a skier's needs on another.

Ski Norquay, while sometimes prone to big powder dumps, is better known for its incredible groomers. Steep and fast, this is the domain of ski racers who come from far and wide to train on Norquay's slopes.

Nearby, Sunshine Village is famous for Delirium Dive, Wild West and Silver City. Each new area is known for its incredibly technical skiing and big mountain, Alaska-style riding. Not only are the perfect skis crucial in this terrain, but Sunshine also offers avalanche beacons and guides for hire to help initiate those that are new to the area.

It's All in the Village or at the Castle

"It's all right there in the village," says Mike Moynihan, sales and media manager for Sunshine Village. "On a whim clients can try all skis and any length. It's the ultimate convenience and ultimate fun. At the end of the day they can leave the skis in the village and not worry about carrying them back to the hotel."

Down at Castle Mountain, located near the U.S. border, having access to a variety of skis has never made more sense. The resort just opened a host of new intermediate and groomer runs on Mount Haig to complement its selection of steep and deep runs on neighboring Castle Mountain. In addition to the new runs, the resort upgraded to an all-new ski rental fleet and this year it added brand new entry-level snowboards.

"The new side was very well received," says Andrew Rusynyk, director of marketing and sales at the resort. "Mt. Haig was more popular than we anticipated. It's got great cruisers and rollers and is a lot of fun. But carving skis designed for man-made snow won't work as well up here as an all-mountain ski or powder fats. So the demo fleet, the performance skis, are best for Castle."

Click here to read more about skiing in the Canadian Rockies.