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Recommend me a ski please

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've got 2 pairs of K2 Burnin' Luvs thanks to a recommendation from spyderjon. Both are pretty old now, 2006 and 2009 but still got life in them. Having said that I had to get rentals for a day this week as the skis didn't arrive with the luggage. I was pleasantly surprised. ..Salomon basic rental. Nice and stable, responsive and I hardly knew I had them on my feet.

I am 100% piste skier happiest on cruisey blues and reds but don't mind the odd black. I really want something stable that will give confidence on frozen ruts and corduroy, cut through crud, slush and lumpy pistes at the end of the day and be lighter than the K2s which have really heavy marker bindings.

I'm female, 55, about 150lb and prefer 152 - 156 length

Thanks in advance
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@holidayloverxx, I got my first skis this year, had skied on Rossignol attraxions and liked them, but was advised Rossignol Temptation 77 would be better, I have had 2 weeks on them and they are great, really easy to turn, kept my confidence on icy patches, easy through fresh powder, no achy legs!! The review is intermediate, Ive had over 20 weeks skiing so not a beginner but am not aggressive, I will ski anything, not too keen on blacks and they really suit me. Hope this helps.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@holidayloverxx, something like my skis would probably suit you. Mine are Atomic Cloud D2 73, essentially a piste ski but with a small amount of rocker so they cope better with soft snow and slush, which my old skis (Rossignol Attraxion) did not. However they are not quite as good at edge hold on the icy stuff.

Another ski that I demoed in the past and really liked was Fischer Koa 78.
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Just the one? Seems a bit pointless ..... Better make it a wide one then: Whitedot
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@holidayloverxx,


Or better still this is a great reason to make sure you make the EoSB and the ski demo's to try as many skis as possible wink
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@holidayloverxx,
I am very loath to recommend equipment as I am not that sensitive to it myself but Mrs T Bar absolutely raves about her Kastle LX 83's, which are light and perform well in exactly the conditions you describe.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks all, something to ponder.

@speed098, can't do the EoSB this year, I'll have have had 4 weeks this season by Easter...no hols left. Hopefully there will be ski tests in the autumn
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Mrs MP had burnin luvs and moved on to kneissl blackstars. They are massively confidence inspiring, reasonably light, and hold great edge on icier pistes.

I've not found a piste that doesn't suit them, only thing they don't do is float in powder.
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Blizzard Black Pearl's. I just recently got them and they are amazeballs. They aren't specifically piste ski's is the only thing so aren't as easy to carve but what I found with them is that they handled all conditions really really well. My other ski's (Atomic Affinity Pure) are 154cm, my Black Pearl's are 166cm and I didn't notice the difference in length (I'm 165cm myself). They are very light, easy to turn and very very forgiving on pretty much anything. I attempted a lot more on them than I would have before and am now determined to learn powder skiing. That's how much confidence they gave me in a week.
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@suzysparkle, I guess the differece in length is because the BPs are rockers. hadn;t considered rockers

@Mistress Panda, ta
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@holidayloverxx, Mrs irie is the same age and same type of skier as you. She has Head Super Joys which she absolutely loves in a 158 and says they have loads of grip on ice.

And boy, are those things light!
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@holidayloverxx, Salomon W Kart, a female specific piste orientated ski that Mrs Skimastaaah has. Precise and stable cruisey style ski, fairly predictable in most conditions, at the same time gives good feedback and responsiveness. Her choice of the 2013/14 ladies skis that she tested two seasons ago for SCGB Retailer demo-skis.
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@holidayloverxx, look at the Dynastar Active Pro. It does everything on your list really well. It's light, really easy to turn, good edge hold, really, really good in variable conditions. The only thing it doesn't do brilliantly for me now is speed and I've been trying various Head and Elan men's skis trying to find that (and feel comfortable on them!) and I keep going back to the Dynastars! I think I just really like the way they are mounted too, I stand exactly where I need to be on a ski on them. I'll probably get the next model up as I like them so much but just want a bit more from them now.

Pam w got them too so she might give you her opinion.

I'd also look at the new Head womens Joy range, made with grapheme and apparently really light and lots of people like them.

Also I'd like to try the Salomon w-24, saw it the other day and didn't know it existed. It's the salomon 24 hours women's version.

Have fun choosing snowHead
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I like my Active Pro skis, which were v cheap from Glisshop (excellent service). I didn't contribute to this thread before because I don't think I'm at all discerning about skis but I endorse what sarah has said. I haven't asked anything very demanding of my skis - I bought them because I wanted shorter skis (mine are 158, previous skis were longer) to keep everything easy, and particularly because my knee needs cossetting.

I have no doubt that sarah is a more advanced skier than I - and also pushing herself to improve, taking on challenges, because of her BASI progress. I am going in the opposite direction - my ambition is to enjoy, for many years to come, piste cruising and cope competetently, if not with any great style or flair (let alone speed) with stuff like difficult snow, ice, moguls which inevitably crop up, though I don't seek it out. I am not one of those skiers who campaign to stop the brutal grooming. wink

As for speed, I'm not a particularly fast skier but I'm not particularly slow either - faster than average round my way but then I ski in a famously "family" ski area.

And they're very pretty - much prettier than any of my old skis. Little Angel
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Mrs irie had Dynastars (Exclusive Active Xpress) but they were starting to flap around a bit as she improved and gave them more wellie.. The Head Super Joys really are a step up in performance - surprisingly she stepped onto them and after a couple of hours I could see that she was really skiing much better and with much more confidence. She had obviously outgrown her Dynastars which were now holding her back.

The Super Joys really are very very light - I weighed them at 4.45kg the pair complete (158, radius 11.7). I only paid £330 for them in February but I have seen them for about £290 now the euro is even weaker.

I don't think Head are unique, I've heard and read good things about most recent women's ski manufacturers.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I don't think you can compare brands too easily - Dynastar, like Head, Volkl, etc, make skis for different levels of skier. The Exclusive Active Xpress is for "intermediate" skiers and the Active Pro for (IIRC) advanced/expert. Not that I'd claim to be an expert! Just making the point that the Active Pro is a more advanced ski.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Agreed, but what is classified as what by whom is often as much marketing as fact.

I'm not comparing brands, just diplomatically pointing out that sticking to what you know because it's familiar can in fact hold one back. Not that you girls would ever do that, eh? Wink
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
nobody could ever accuse me of "sticking to what I know" in skis, @irie. I'm rather sheepish about the number I've bought, with a big range of brands. But within a particular manufacturers range you can probably rely on the skis marketed for the top end of skiers being different from those marketed as "intermediate" .

Yes, there's a lot of marketing twaddle but @sarah is a strong skier who likes the Active Pro for everything except top speed.

I'd like to think my skis were holding me back but alas, I'm under no illusion on that score.
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pam w wrote:
the Active Pro [is] for (IIRC) advanced/expert.


Edge & Wax wrote:
The 2015 Active Pro is a versatile, lightweight women's on-piste ski for advanced to intermediate skiers


?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Mine are certainly not 2015. Probably 2013; I think I bought them in February 2014 at a reduced price from Glisshop, probably because they weren't exactly up to date.

This review, one I read at the time, says Advanced/Expert and one of their top women's piste skis for 2013 but whatever, I find them very good. http://www.snowmagazine.com/ski-gear/955-skis/dynastar-active-pro
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@irie, you're comparing apples with pears in your first post about your wife's skis Smile

Wife's new skis - Head Super Joy - top of range womens advanced piste performance ski
Wife's old skis - Dynastar Exclusive Active Express - mid range womens intermediate piste ski

The skis @pam w and I have are the Active Pro (level above your wife's), which are a decent advanced ski. Because I now want a bit more, but still really love the feel and the way Dynastar are set up, I am likely to get one of Elite range which is their top end ski.

As for sticking to what I know, this was the first Dynastar ski I've ever had and I was very anti Dynastar before I bought it. The ski won me over. I've skied Volkl, Atomic, Salomon, Elan, Head. So I've not stuck to what I know.
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Just got some Scott The ski, fitted with marker griffons bindings, reports say they are better than my x wing 10's ..
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
sarah wrote:
you're comparing apples with pears in your first post about your wife's skis


My first post was:

irie wrote:
Mrs irie is the same age and same type of skier as you. She has Head Super Joys which she absolutely loves in a 158 and says they have loads of grip on ice.


As you can see I did not compare anything with anything else. I merely reported my wife's opinion of the new skis.

Don't know what you're miffed about to be honest unless it's the fact that I said she was the same type of skier as you whereas you appear to consider yourself to ski at a more advanced level? If that's the case then I apologise for having offended you.
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Quote:

Mrs irie had Dynastars (Exclusive Active Xpress) but they were starting to flap around a bit as she improved and gave them more wellie.. The Head Super Joys really are a step up in performance -

@irie, I think that was the post that @sarah referred to - actually your second, not the first. That was the apples and pears bit.
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@pam w,

Ah, OK, I understand. Thanks.

Well, the Head Super Joys certainly are a step up in performance. Puzzled
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Quote:

the Head Super Joys certainly are a step up in performance

yes, of course they are, because generally an advanced ski is going to be a step up from an intermediate ski. Puzzled
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@pam w So saying that the Heads are a step in performance is "comparing apples with pears"? Puzzled

I should hope they are, wouldn't be a smart move to do the opposite would it? Blush

Edit: My wife's old skis are in fact "Exclusive Active Light" with Xpress bindings but I don't know what skill level they're targeted at. Not that it now matters.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Oh lordy....I knew what I meant anyway Laughing
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
irie, you said that your wife was the same kind of skier as the OP, not sarah who is (unlike either holidayloverxx or me) working through the BASI grades. So I'm sure she's not in the least miffed about that. Possibly both she and I both reacted a bit to your "diplomatically" suggesting people might be sticking to what they know.

Given that holidayloverxx is specifically looking for something new, both sarah and I have had lots of different brands of ski (I have Rossignols, Dynastars and Elans in my ski locker right now) and Mrs P moved from K2 to Kneissls it's a bit of a mystery who that remark was aimed at. Everybody in this thread seems to have been more than ready to try something new.

The Exclusive Active Light seems to be a beginnerish ski http://www.skis.com/Dynastar-Exclusive-Active-Light-Womens-Skis-with-XPress10-Bindings-2013/279073P,default,pd.html

So no wonder your wife was out-skiing it!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@pam w, Funnily enough your link actually says Skill range: "adv int" to "adv" but hey, I'm sure you're right. Happy

As for the "apples and pears" comparison by @sarah I'm sure she's right too. Happy

Ciao


Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Fri 20-03-15 22:58; edited 3 times in total
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
My head hurts....
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@holidayloverxx, Here, have a glass of wine*

* works with my wife x wink


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 21-03-15 12:23; 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?
@holidayloverxx, mine too Laughing Just enjoy choosing and remember a girl can never have too many skis! Now is a good time to buy and you can always sell them on if you get it wrong!

@irie, only 'miffed' and not even that really, that you were not comparing like with like Smile And I have made no claims about my skiing ability, others may have done but I have not Laughing
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I match holidaylovers, except that I don't do blacks and this time I want something a little bit longer. I currently ski some old Salomon Topazes in 150cm that were the first skis I bought. Didn't realise at the time that they were way too advanced for the beginner I was then, but I do like them.

I also bought some very old Dynastar Active Exclusive on ebay at Christmas so I didn't have to ski rocks on decent skis. Didn't like them at all - way too flappy, and I don't even ski fast.

I'm off to test 'skis d'occasion' this morning, definitely piste skis only as I also have some Cham 87s (which I love). The guy in the shop will sort out everything he has that he thinks suitable and we'll go from there........ Will report back later.
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What makes a ski and advanced or beginner ski? Sorry for the thread drift but it is something I have always wondered.
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@NickyJ, I think one thing is that beginner skis are softer and therefore easier to turn. I have some Elan Wave Magics which are too short for me (long story....) but just right for my daughter, who is shorter and lighter. I lent them to my daughter in law who is taller and heavier than I am, but a near-beginner, when she was taking a private lesson. The instructor said they were too stiff for her and advised her to hire softer ones.
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@pam w, thanks.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@pam w, what about the inverse? That is somebody using a beginner ski which is too soft for them, what are the symptoms? Speed was alluded to above? Anything else?
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@NickyJ, after my discussions in various ski shops this week, I am even more confused about what skis are for who than I was before!! Every (apparently credible) person I've spoken to has told me different things about what I might need/want. And I am sure that in some cases they told me what suited the stock they had available.....

My understanding now is that stiff skis are usually for more advanced skiers, but no-one told me that when I first skied on my Topazes, so stiffer became my normal. And I am guessing that since they weren't very long, I just coped with the extra effort I had to put in, without even knowing it was extra effort.

The converse was that the Dynastar Active Exclusives I bought were apparently for beginners. They were fine at very low speed, and carved beautifully, but the moment I got up any speed at all they literally vibrated to the point where they felt 'flappy'. They just felt too flexible generally when on anything icy, and I felt that whatever I did needed doing more 'softly' than I would usually or I would not be able to control them. Really difficult to explain, as I don't understand the ski technology at all.

Back in a bit to report on what I tried today.
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@sj1608, I sympathize with your confusion. As I said above, I don't think I'm at all discerning about skis - I have skied a big range, including rentals, and just generally get on them and ski without being able to analyse the good or weaker points of them!

The only time I've felt that vibration was skiing on snowblades - horrendous if they were flat, but the cure for that is to put them on their edges. Indeed, that was on a ski course with a top instructor and he put us on blades for the morning precisely to get on our edges and making fast snappy turns. And not leaning back (or you fall over, as blades have no backs!).
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