Start with the one ski quiver and fill in from there.  Find a ski that will work for most conditions and when you feel it lacks in certain conditions find a ski that will work better for that condition.  So if you have a great all mountain ski but find that on deep powder days you have trouble staying afloat find yourself a powder ski.  There are now a plethora of them available.  If you ski in an area that does not regularly receive large snowfall consider adding a carving ski to your quiver.  Laying trenches when it has not snowed for three weeks while your friends are complaining about grip is a blast.  In my opinion there is no such thing as too many skis.  But make sure your ski rack is big enough to bring two pair of skis with you to the hill.  A carving ski on a powder day is not a lot of fun.  One other piece of advice is beware of duplicating skis in your quiver as one pair will likely see little use and no ski should go unused before its time.

Buy a midfat ski and ski it hard for at least 30 days. Becoming a stronger skier is vital to being able to effectively ski different widths and understanding the difference between them.

One word: DEMO.  If you decide to build a quiver you are going to choose different skis for different conditions.  Thus demo for those conditions.  Most skiers find that three pairs of skis will cover all the bases.  Demo carving skis on hard snow days to find that carving option.  Demo your all-mtn. ski 4 or 5 days after a good snow fall.  This will ensure that you experience a wide variety of snow conditions.  And finally demo fat skis on deep snow days.  Just remember to get into the shop early with a plan of what you want to try.  Assembling a quiver takes time.  Don’t rush into it.

First, determine what style of skiing/boarding you like to do most often:  quick fast turns and bumps (narrow waisted shorter length ski/board), wide sweeping turns, and faster speeds (wider waist, longerlength).  Buy a ski/board for that particular use.  From there, select equipment that will enhance your experience in different kinds of snow conditions, and varied terrain.  Use a Demo Test center to  help make your selection.

The Best way to start a quiver of skis is to start with your first ski.  Begin with an all mountain ski – own which you can use every day (how long until you buy the others?).  From there, if you ski often and are fortunate to catch some storms, then a fatter powder ski may be the next one to purchase.  If you like the hard, fast groomers, then maybe an all mountain carver is what you are looking for.

Get a park board with park bindings. Then a general freeride board and a big POW-POW board and swap the bindings between these two.

Start with what a good all mountain board and build it up from there.  Whether you want to go more park specific or more powder/big mountain specific!