You are not alone.

One of the most common questions we get over at TheSkiDiva.com has to do with which ski to buy.

It's a good question. The type of ski you select, in my mind, is as personal as the type of jeans you wear or the toothpaste you like. Everyone has different preferences. What I like to ski on, you might hate, and vice versa. Mix that up with different abilities, the types of conditions you ski, and the amount of money you have to spend, and you could end up jabbering to yourself in a corner.

But there are some things you can do to decide which ski you might want to choose, before you plunk down the big bucks:

1) Talk to people. Talk to people who you know ski the way you do under similar conditions, and see what they like. No, they're not experts, but it's a starting point.

2) Talk to the equipment experts in your ski shop. Don't lie about how you ski or what you're looking for. You won't do yourself any favors if you do.

3) Visit the websites and read the reviews. Okay, these are not exactly objective. But they will let you know if a ski is for beginners or experts and something about its technical specifications: construction, dimensions, etc. All this is valuable information.

And 4) If at all possible, demo. I can not stress how important it is to try before you buy. It may cost a few bucks, but some shops will subtract the cost of the demo from the purchase price, if you decide to make a purchase.

Of course, we always welcome conversation about selecting skis on TheSkiDiva.com, but this advice can go a long way in making your task a little easier.

One final thing: If you don't get the ski of your dreams, don't sweat it. Sell it and try again.

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