So where do you find gear info?

There's a lot of ski equipment out there, most of it expensive. So before you plop down your hard-earned cash, do yourself a favor and do some research.

Here are some places to get some good gear info:

Internet Ski Discussion Forums such as TheSkiDiva.com or EpicSki.com. You can pick the brains (yech) of people who might already have the equipment you're interested in. Plus there are a lot of gear heads on these sites, so you're sure to get a lot of opinions.

Review web sites. RealSkiers.com is a good one; just note that this is a paid subscription service. However, it's a small investment to pay for getting the info you need to choose the right equipment. You might also try Ski-Review.com,

Ski magazines such as Ski and Skiing publish gear reviews each year, so check them out, too.

Of course, before you buy anything, the best thing you can do is demo, demo, demo to make sure the skis you choose are right for you. Because no matter how many gear reviews you read, no matter how many people you talk to, what it all comes down to is how it works for you.

Be sure to visit TheSkiDiva.com, a new internet forum especially for women skiers, where women skiers can connect with one another to talk about everything and anything ski-related.