The ski season is upon us! If you're looking around for some killer last-minute deals on gear, there are still a few 2009 items still on closeout, but if you're like me, hounding for a 2010 Never Summer, then we're just going to have to fork over the cash and enjoy pimping it out on the mountain. And if you're new board (or skis) cost you five+ bengie's, you should probably tote it to the mountain in style.
Yakima and Thule both have a great selection of ski and snowboard racks. They definitely make something that will fit your needs, you just need to figure out what you need before you make a decision.
There are two big manufacturers; Thule and Yakima Racks. Both are very large companies and very well respected among outdoor enthusiasts. But you're going to have to make a decision to purchase from one of them, and due to the differences in crossbar design, Yakima accessories don't fit Thule Racks, and vice-versa. In short, Yakima bars are round and Thule bars are square. So I would suggest you take an inventory of sports you're currently active in, and think about ones that might interest you in the future. For example, if you love to snowboard, you'll need a snowboard rack. If you think you might also like kayaking, then consider that when making your purchase. At some point, the rack will have to do double-duty and you're only going to make this investment once, so choose wisely. Thule and Yakima have very similar product lines; they each make ski racks, kayak racks, surfboard racks, etc., but they way their products work, lock and secure your gear can be vastly different.
I personally own a Thule ski rack and it's been great. It looks nice and works well, but it doesn't have a height adjustment like some Yakima racks do. One year, my friend put her snowboard in the Thule rack upside down and her bindings scratched the hell out of my roof due to clearance issues. I didn't see this until I got home, but I instantly knew what had happened. Newer Thule racks may have a height adjustment feature, but I know the older Yakima racks do. In hind sight, I would have saved my paint if I'd known about this feature, so take a close look at Yakima ski racks.
You also need to know how many sets of skis and snowboards you need to haul. Some racks are wider than others; you can generally get 4 sets of skis in any rack, but fitting 4 snowboards can be a bigger challenge, especially if you own a deep powder board. Both Thule and Yakima make racks that fit 6 sets of skis, and these ski racks are generally large enough to hold 4 of any sized snowboards and maybe a set of skis. The easy rule of thumb is to figure out how many heads can fit in your car, and decide whether most of your buds ski or snowboard. If they ski and you can fit 4 people, any rack will do. But if they snowboard, look at some of the bigger options.
There's also another brand you can check out, by the name Inno Racks. Their racks have universal mounts, meaning they'll fit Inno branded roof racks, as well as both Yakima and Thule crossbars. I own an Inno surf rack and it is by far the best surf rack on the market. I don't know much about their ski racks, but they are worth taking a look at.
