Poster: A snowHead
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I demoed a few skis which S&R had on free demo at Hemel recently. So for anyoe interested here's some thoughts. Me - not light, not precision technician. Snow conditions - quite cut up, soft piled up bumps, quite heavy.
Blizzard Bonafide 173 - Really nice ski, just schooching to the lift line felt like they were light and chuckable. Very, very agile for a 98mm ski and lots of fun fall line in the cut up stuff and easy to rail for wider radius turns. A very versatile ski I suspect. Tried them first and again last and they were still the best I tried. Would be very happy if I didn't already have a ginormous quiver and santa slipped these (in the longest length) in my stocking.
K2 Sidestash 18? - a big bigger and longer but still pretty easy to chuck around. Felt like they'd go like a rocket ship if let loose. No real tail kick so a lot of running length. Could still fall line pivot them then swing them wider. Would be good for skiing open terrain off pisteI suspect.
K2 Kung Fujas 18? - Supposedly similar to the Sidestash (per demo guy) but with a twin tip. They were OK but felt a bit dead so would not be keen on these. Possibly they were given a more jib monkey mount which I don't really get on with.
Salomon Rocker2 90 168ish - Not bad but definitely too short for me so hard to make a fair judgement. Probably not as good as the Shogun I tried a couple of years ago but then I like wider skis. Certainly a better effort from Salomon than the BBRs that they seem to have splurged bigger on.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Round2
Courtesy of inside out session and livetoski/snowshepherd's excellent demo fleet tried a few more things this evening.
Movement Buzz - 99ish tip rocker, pretty tidy ski, nice to bump down erm bumps, easy enough to flick over onto edge. Seemslike there's a lot of good skis in this width bracket now. Maybe personally not as fun as the Bonafide but a worthy contender I'd think if you're after a ski this size.
Movement Trust - The Buzz's big brother, 108 ish?, Nice grizzly bear mauling graphic. Truck and flicks and rails if you want, can't think of a lot else you'd want in a ski. I think probably would come out on top of the Sidestash for me in a ski this size and shape.
Movement Flyswatter - So while most skis are sat at the front of the class studying how to do proper turns and being all serious about torsion and edge hold and stuff, this ski has probably nicked some helium from the science lab and hotwired teacher's Corsa and is off doing donuts in the playground. There's only one word for this ski and it's FUN. It looks daft, got a microscopic effective edge but you can do what you want on it- tip it and dip it to do crazy tight turns, twist like a weathervane in a tornado. One turn actually made me laugh out loud - if you've got an inner 5 year old this this ski you want.
Whitedot Director - I've been waiting to try this for a while and love the big bro Redeemers. Competent enough in all areas without blowing me away which ended up being a bit of a disappointment for me. Maybe it was the skinny tips compared to everything else I tried which weren't trucking as well through the chop. I'd want to give them another crack before saying no though as I don't feel I got the best out of them.
Movement Superturbo - Do you wrestle bears for a light workout? Are your favourite pistes called things like Lhotse and Denali? Do you laugh in the face of anyone who suggest you might drink a Mojito or a Diet Coke? Are you called Per and have 80s rock god hair, a Bjorn Borg headband and bitchin Norrona kecks? If so this ski could be for you. Favourite direction - straight, Favourite speed probably balls out (didn't even get close). Actually pretty fun once you get used to it not being like the other Movements but I 'd want to make sure I'd taken my MTFU pills before going out for a tootle on this.
Thanks again to livetoski for his supply of good gear.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 21-10-12 0:36; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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fatbob, well all I can say man is LOVE YOU LONG TIME
great little write up, can not fault you, the Movement Trust is my go to ski for everything at the moment.
Movement Super Turbo, well you were riding the little brother its only 192, the 202 cm is MTFU and more but a great ski.
The Directors got a lots of praise especially from people who had never ridden a rocker ski, especially after riding the WD Preachers
But my big apology for the afternoon and evening has to go to Helen, put her on a pairs of 168 Movement skis first, then saw her ski and put her on the the 182 Buzz, I have never seen anyone smile so much coming down the Hemel Slope
Nice turns Helen, but not sure about the comment about the Trusts, in that they have a spilt personality.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Did you still come out in favour of the Bonafides ? I think there's the usual trend, going one way (longer this time) and I'm thinking fat and wide got dismissed too quickly. 173 and enough to get by off-piste ? After all, you've got to try, who wants off-piste to feel like on-piste.
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Nickski, If you're asking me, for me, the Bonafides would be way too short in a 173 for outside - I'd be looking for a length nearer 190. Indoors length isn't such a penalty and they were very good indeed. I wouldn't say they are really an off piste ski, just a versatile all-mountain. I'd go at least for a Cochise though for me if I was buying Blizzard.
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fatbob, I can't ever see me needing skis that big, but I did enjoy reading your descriptions esp. the flyswatters!!
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