"For the average skier who regularly repairs his skis and treats them well, they should last hundreds of ski days," Scott said.

The average skier spends about $75 a day, Ms. Martin said.

The average skier or boarder will spend most of a day doing the circuit.

It may still be a trick question for the average skier.

But for average skiers, the overriding difference is one of perception.

But his ability to carve his turns, a skill the average skier can spend many vacations trying to master, quickly set him apart.

Robin Sells, marketing director for Ski-Free, said the fiberglass craft would pull an average skier at 28 to 30 miles an hour.

"I hope that I will represent that category of other average skiers, so they can say, 'Yes, one of us is there.' "

The differences matter, Thoren asserted, because most skis are designed and most bindings mounted to reflect the dimensions of the average male skier.

"As a result, your average skier is attempting new feats and slopes that were considered formidable just a few years ago."