Well on the SS for different speeds...personally, I have skied them ski slow along the trail edge where it's cruded up and steep, and medium speed when skiing with the younger slow crowd and flying flat out when skiing with Michael and Ron.
All seriousness, this ski is the complete ski....the "bomb" as Randy Jackson from American Idol states. This is not a stiff "got to hammer it to make it turn" ski. It is very complianat, loves to help bring you into a turn and will let you sneak out of a turn if you don't won't to stay in a hard charging turn. But if you get over the ski and use good edgeing and weight distribution....wow ...this ski is rock solid at all speed.....slow teach your buddy to ski to eyeballs back in the socket speed!
You've got some great resorts near by and they're getting more snow as we speak...awesome!
Email me so I can get your email address and I'll send you some photo's if you're interested.
Boots...oh yeah...glad to hear you talking that way. They are the magic in skiing. Green Mountain Boys are pretty knowledgeable. Just be sure the shell fits your foot correctly before the liner goes in, whatever boot you try on. But again...stick with the upper end high performance boots. Ron's guy in PA may be close enough for you to visit. He's a boot wizard according to Ron.
Best,
Gary