Don't j/s with skis. Its more of a pain in the butt than it is worth. I speak from personal experience. Rent you self a nice demo pair and maybe you'll find a really good set.
After many years of commuting, I finally learned the less you carry the better off you are.
J/S in and out of Denver is problematic during ski season. AA has a lot of guys that live in the greater Denver area and work in DFW or ORD.
If your traveling alone or don't have set plans such as non-refundable hotel reservation then I would j/s. Otherwise I would buy a dirt cheap ticket.