seeking ski course in AZ

ryanneod

hi all-- i am a shortline skiier looking for a course to ski on in the Phoenix area. I have a 1993 stars and stripes and used to belong to firebird, but I worry about saltwater on the boat. Any recommendations? TIA!!

dbaconaz

hey! I'm also looking and have been for some time! I'm in north Phoenix and hit Pleasant and saguaro. I try and make it out a few times a week. Always looking for a new ski partner. The only option I have found is at lakeside and doing a lease for about 8000/year.

bananaron

Contact @SusanT She is a realtor and lives at lakeside. I think there are about 5 lakes in and around Phoenix and on her website she has a nice video of each lake.

Dacon62

Susan T site

http://waterskiarizona.com/

SusanT

Thanks for the shoutout @bananaron and @Dacon62 .@ryanneod , the only place to buy membership skiing is at Firebird. Crystal, Santan, Lakeside, and Buchli all require that you be a homeowner or guest of a homeowner. Spring Mountain allows for owners to lease out their lot for a minimum of 6 months. Currently, the only ski properties for sale are a large home at Crystal for $2M, and a "unique" lot at Buchli". There is a home at Santan that will be coming on the market soon for a cool $3.25M. Wish I had better news for you, but like the housing market in general in Arizona, inventory is extremely low and getting more expensive.

kurtis500

Maybe look at that buoy system that shoots paintballs as buoys. Not sure if it’s ready for retail sale but it would be way cheaper and seems like a great substitute. Firebird is rough on any equipment you stick in that water but close to metro Phoenix.

Ali

what is the Arizona ski season like? Can you ski all year round?

kurtis500

Yes, but from December to early March the water is chilly and a shorty wetsuit makes it way better. I’ve skied every month of the year without a suit. Unless your talking northern Arizona

UWSkier

from early Jan to March, in a cold winter like we had last year, the water temps are around 55F. The other thing is that the air is extremely dry so 70F air absent sunshine feels pretty cold.

That said, I moved here from Wisconsin nearly 3 years ago and have skied every month since then.