One of Europe’s largest international sporting goods retailers and ski rental networks Intersport, is recommending skiers and boarders not only rent their hardware in resort but also their clothing.
Intersport say that doing so will not only save money, cut CO2 emissions and have the added bonus that you end up travelling light and skiing in new gear.
Their argument is that you’ll save a lot by not buying equipment then paying extra to have it carried on the plane, and you’ll also help the environment by making shared use of skis or snowboards and boots rather than everyone having their own equipment made just for them to use a week each year.
As well as renting skis and poles, snowboards, boots and helmets, you can also now also rent hats, gloves, goggles, ski pants and jackets, with prices starting at €8/£6.90 per day for a beginner ski package of skis, boots, poles and helmet.
“Generally, when you look at skiers going on holiday, they seem to have a lot of luggage. This is regardless of where they are going, how long they are going for, and some even take their own skis which are an expensive investment in the first place,” an Intersport spokesperson said, adding, “With more ways to reduce your carbon footprint than ever before – some countries, such as Japan, are even toying with banning certain types of luggage outright – carrying skis and buying kit may soon be a thing of the past. After all, by packing less, we create fewer carbon emissions, reduce our travel footprint, and become more caring of nature.”
As well as emphasising “reducing and reusing” Intersport, which has has more than 700 ski hire shops across the Alps in Austria, Italy, Switzerland and France, note that ski/snowboard carriage costs can be as much as £94 return with easyJet; British Airways from £130 return; and Ryanair from £90 return. Whereas average rental with Intersport is from €8 / £6.90 per day including skis, helmet, poles and boots.
In a final benefit for renters, Intersport note that skiers can also swap and change their skis and equipment as conditions demand (for example, take some powder skis out on a snowy day, or swap for a snowboard for one day, or rent some touring skis and see the resorts backcountry) and every rental has the opportunity to get their feet accurately measured with the Boot Doctor scanning machine, which guarantees comfort and an anatomically correct boot fitting.
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