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Do I want new skis?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Well yes, of course I do, who doesn't. But there's always the considerations of 'need' and 'budget'.

I currently have Atomic Cloud D2 73 circa 2012 vintage. Bought ex-demo in 2013 for £150. A few of my skiing buddies have commented that they are a bit 'beneath' me in terms of ability. I guess I should be flattered at this but online reviews do bill them as a 'progressive intermediate' ski.

I'm pretty much a do it all piste skier. Don't care what colour piste, not especially fazed by steep or bumps but not very good at chopped up slush. Wouldn't say I'm especially fast, I have my moments, but on the whole I'm fairly steady, there are always a couple of people on piste much faster than me, but probably more are slower than faster if that makes sense. I have dabbled in deep stuff at the side of pistes, which is great fun but I wouldn't say I have any huge ambitions for off piste, I'm happy to just cruise about the pistes.

I like skis that are stable at speed, turn easily and hold a good edge. I don't like skis that wobble or chatter at speed or feel like a barge to turn.

I really enjoy the opportunity to test new skis and over the years there have been plenty that I've loved, albeit for 10 minutes in a fridge. Last weekend there was an Atomic ladies test event at Zauchensee so I had a chance to try a pair that I had previously tried in a fridge back-to-back with my own skis. They were Atomic Affinity Storm, same length 167 (I'm 5ft8 and heavy). I could immediately feel that they were more stable than my skis, but very similar to turn despite being wider. I could quite happily have bought them there and then, but for the considerations mentioned above.

I know the gear whores will gladly tell me to buy new skis, I've never actually owned brand new skis before. But I have perfectly good skis. And a limited budget for something that doesn't get used that often.

I'm also tempted to look out for a budget secondhand touring set-up to use at home when it snows sufficiently.

Given that this all has to come from the 'holidays and frivolous purchases' budget, I'm starting to see the error of even attending ski tests.

Do you all suffer from this deliberation and indecision?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@queen bodecia, I have last year's Affinity Storm (just a different colour) and I love them! They might be 84 underfoot, but after using them I can't see myself needing anything narrower. They were great on piste and I used them for 10.5 of 13 days on the birthday bash, only trading them in for my Directors when it snowed halfway through the second week. TBH they likely would've been fine in the fresh snow too, but the Directors needed an outing and we were off piste a fair bit too.

If you've tested them and you like them, just buy them. I got mine in July for about £280 from EB, so the price may yet come down, but bear in mind that not many places sell them so stock is limited.
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@Scarlet, I've definitely notice limited stock, especially in my length. Nice to hear from someone else who has them.
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@Scarlet, I went through exactly the same.

I've only been skiing a relatively short time and had some secondhand piste skis that I felt were a little too short, I also had some ex demo Cham 87s that I love. I kept feeling that because the ex demo Chams were great, I should look for some ex demo piste skis. After testing loads of skis, I landed up buying new from Edge and Wax at the end of last season. My lovely brand new skis still put a huge smile on my face each time I ski with them, there's just something about your first brand new skis, I think. Happy
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@queen bodecia I'm a fair bit smaller than you so mine are 159, but I notice those have already gone from Brigham's website this year.

I've tested the Cham 97 women's, but only indoors, and I seem to remember them being softer than the Atomics. The Storms certainly hold an edge well. I tested loads, including the Storms, at the EoSB last year, and the only others that were comparable (for me) were the Volkl range (Allura/Chiara) but they are only about 75ish underfoot and about £200 more!
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@Scarlet, that's spooky, the other skis I really liked in the indoor test were also Volkls.
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queen bodecia wrote:
1) Well yes, of course I do.....................

.............2) I know the gear whores will gladly tell me to buy new skis, ...........

...........3) Do you all suffer from this deliberation and indecision?


1) You've answered your own question. You would benefit from a stiffer ski.

2) Buy new skis

3) Only because of all the lovely, shiny new options out there

Toofy Grin
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Would you enjoy your skiing ore on newer/better skis? If the answer is yes......
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Yes.

Sport Conrad has stock, apparently. Unfortunately (and confusingly, given that it was very white last week) the end of season sale voucher codes just expired 3 days ago. 34% discount, but no extra €20 off.

I've been avoiding that shop because that'd make me do a N=N+2 too (again). But I can now window shop, and wait until the summer sale when it'll be probably be free UPS shipping (across entire Europe) for skis/boards, again.
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@andy, Sport Conrad is not a particularly convenient location for me... Very Happy

@Timberwolf, I knew you'd help... Toofy Grin
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I confess I have a bit of a ski purchasing habit (nothing new this season though). It does sound like you "need" an upgrade. wink . Don't dismiss "men's" skis in your hunt. Sometimes I think women's skis don't take into account women who are taller than about 5ft 4, so they tend to make them in short lengths only. I am 5ft 5 and my current piste orientated ski is a Blizzard Latigo in 170- very light, easy to turn ski, though only 78mm underfoot. If I had the real need of mid sized all mountain skis, I'd go for the Blizzard Brahmas-tried them and thought they were awesome. Everyone raves about them and I don't see why women should feel they are only for blokes!
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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.
Would you consider K2?

Lady Fartbag and Miss Fartbaglett really rate the Burnin Luv....this has been replaced by the Luv Machine 74 Ti, which SCGB rated as a "Top Performer" in the 2016 tests.

They said it was smooth and versatile, giving great all round performance at both slower speed and at full tilt...they found it very hard to fault.


Very expensive new, but maybe worth keeping an eye out for in the sales etc.


Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Fri 18-03-16 19:41; edited 1 time in total
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i bought a pair of Affinity Storms back in 2013 and love them. Im about 5ft9 and very much on the heavier side of things. I ski mostly on piste and have found them to be quick and stable with no chatter.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Perty, on this test days they never give me mens skis to try, despite my being the size of an average man. I know Samerberg Sue has 'mens' Atomics and loves them. I certainly wouldn't discount mens skis, but I'd have to try them. Other that pretty colours/graphics I don't really know what the difference is.

@Old Fartbag, I've never had a chance to try K2s. This could complicate matters yet further... Very Happy

@hethbum, thanks. I haven't read any negative reviews.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
The good Lady Fartbag says that complicating stuff is a particular speciality of mine! Madeye-Smiley
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
My missus is a 5'8" tall not exactly small built lass and skis on Volkl Kenjas - all mountain carvers that'll hold an edge on the hardpacked stuff but float on everything else. These are women's skis and match her outfit too. Worth a look.
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@wadgebeast, pretty sure the Volkls I tried at Oktobertest were Kenjas, I liked them very much.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Revisiting an old thread. I have saved up and I'm going to buy NEW SKIS!! My first ever pair of shiny new just for me.

Typically the ones I really liked last season are no more, Atomic have replaced them with Vantage X80W. Which might be the right skis for me but I haven't tried them. I'm not sure if they are *exactly* the same as the Affinity Storm with a new name/graphics.

So this year I'm going to Oktobertest with my 'find the right skis' head on. I guess my dilemma is one that many share. I'm advised to go 'wider' and 'stiffer' (no sniggering Boris), but I don't want to sacrifice on piste performance for the occasional dabble at the side of the piste. The piste is where I spend most of my time, but of course conditions vary from hard crust to soft new to wet and heavy. I want good skis that do all of that. I'm really not sure about the width thing, should I be concentrating on something around 80? Does it really make that much difference? I understand the 'rocker' thing, it's not a fat man in his 50s with an equally old leather jacket and a tattooed head.

I guess what I am asking is for suggestions as to what I should try, in order to make the most of my time at the test. At previous tests I have tried literally anything, including those mahoosive off piste skis which feel like a canoe strapped to each foot. Fun but I feel I should stay a bit more focused this year.
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P.S. Anyone wanna buy my Clouds? Toofy Grin
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@queen bodecia, explain what you want to spyderjon and to the Dynastar representative - hope he's going to be there! - and you will be given the appropriate skis to try.

FWIW, I think you and I ski fairly similarly, though you are faster (or were, when we last skied together, anyway) and I too do more on piste than off, but also appreciate a slighter wider ski when there is slush around. I have always been taken with Dynastar's all-mountain offerings. My understanding is that the men's skis are excellent: I have bought women's skis in recent years but you're a lot taller than me, so you may not want to. All that said, I have abandoned my long-standing brand loyalty this season (Dynastar's fault, they should have come to the EoSB) and bought some Scotts, which were introduced to me by spyderjon. They are Scott Lunas, a woman's all-mountain ski, but it might be worth noting that fixx - who is an excellent skier and more like you in build than like me - calls it her 'go-to' ski.

So sorry not to see you at Hemel - unfortunately I've got a choir three line whip that day.
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@Hurtle, thanks for the advice. I think I'm only slightly faster than you by dint of size/weight. You're extremely fast for such a petite lady. I'm sure I tried some nice Scotts years ago so definitely worth considering.

I'll be at the Manchester Oktobertest anyway, it's nearer than the Hemel one and a better day for me. Hopefully we will catch up at some point.
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@queen bodecia, Atomic's website seems to say that they've "improved" the Vantage over last year's Storms, we shall see. They do go fatter than that too, but I think those are listed in a different category. I might try a pair myself to see what the difference is - I'll be at Manchester so you're welcome to chat about them if there's anything you want to know.

If Kneissl are there, the Black Stars are lovely skis, and the Volkl piste/all mountain range has been very good recently, though like Atomin they've had an update this year.

Now all I have to do is make sure I leave my wallet behind Toofy Grin
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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!
@Scarlet, yes I'll gladly buy you a coffee and pick your brains... Very Happy
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@queen bodecia, Very Happy would be good to finally meet you. If you're not sure who I am, ask around, I'm usually easy to spot Toofy Grin
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I'm easy to spot. Tallish, fattish, longish reddish hair. Fast approaching 50. Purpley-pink ski jacket.
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http://forum.pugski.com/threads/pugski-coms-2017-steals-deals.2689/

Trish likes the Vantage and she's no mug. She'll more than happily discuss them with you.

Otherwise just trust Jon to pick you the right ski and get you the right price.
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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.
Perty - I'm with you on your "best for you, whether mens' or ladies' skis" attitude. I bought my last pair in Canada a couple of years ago, can't remember the size or make (hey, I've slept since then!) but they're sort of "small man" sized (I'm 5' 6" and about 10st).

The best of the ladies' pairs (very girly, white with pink decals) had a slightly tighter turning-circle than the man-skis I then tried, but the man-skis (a gorgeous metallic copper), which were slightly heavier, made me feel a bit more grounded and therefore more in control - so don't be put off by "the other gender" skis!

Have sno-fun this season, SnowHeads...
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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
@queen bodecia, When you are out later in the year try a pair of Kookys Atomic Access skis, you can also see what you think of my old Nordica Enforcers if you fancy. Can't recall if you ever had a go on any of them.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Well this is confusing. Loved the Blizzard Black Pearl and Scott skis yesterday. Even liked the Whitedot Directors which are really way fatter than I would ever need. I found that I didn't like the smaller skis so much, they just didn't seem as stable. Maybe just my weight.

So clearly I need to go a bit longer, a bit fatter and a bit stiffer, teehee...

But I don't want to end up with something that's a bit of a handful on a hardcrust piste.

There's another test at Tamworth next month. I hope to cure myself of indecisiveness after that.
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@queen bodecia, Were there any Volkl skis to try? and have you tried Stockli piste skis? I found them stiff and fast.

Scarpa's idea about the Atomics might work out.
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 Poster: A snowHead
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From memory a few snowheads were raving about Scott Lunas recently, they sound like they might fit the bill. Not sure if they are available to test, but might be worth adding to the potential list?
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@Digger the dinosaur, I believe the Scotts I tried yesterday (Reverse) were the new version of Lunas? Loved them.

@blahblahblah, I have tried Volkl before but didn't get to them yesterday. I think the ones I liked previously were Kenya or something?

I do like Atomics, my current skis are Atomic and have served me well. But since the Affinity Storm have been discontinued I'm not sure what the equivalent is now, or whether I might prefer something slightly fatter. I haven't tried Kooky's, as I recall they are mahoosive! There weren't many Atomics there yesterday, I only spotted pure piste skis Cloud 9 and 11.
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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?
@queen bodecia, the new version of the Affinity Storm is the Vantage X80, although it's a bit narrower (the Storm is 84 wide). I didn't see any from the range to test yesterday, and those Cloud piste skis were tiny!

I did test the new Volkl Flair 81, (the previous range was pretty similar to Atomic's) but I have to say I wasn't that impressed. As an all mountain ski I much preferred the Scott The Ski, but also liked the very pretty Nordica Santa Ana which they market as "freeride", and not only because it matched my jacket!

Good luck with your search!

Edited to fix links which preview correctly Confused
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@queen bodecia, having seen you ski close on my heels I would definitely say that you would get more stability and performance out of a stiffer and perhaps longer ski; the width issue really does depend on how much you want to dabble off piste. Then again, you could always err on the fatter side, get a great off piste ski and then pick up a cheap 2nd hand club race level SL or GS ski for when the slopes are hardpacked Toofy Grin
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queen bodecia wrote:
@Digger the dinosaur, I believe the Scotts I tried yesterday (Reverse) were the new version of Lunas? Loved them.

@blahblahblah, I have tried Volkl before but didn't get to them yesterday. I think the ones I liked previously were Kenya or something?

I do like Atomics, my current skis are Atomic and have served me well. But since the Affinity Storm have been discontinued I'm not sure what the equivalent is now, or whether I might prefer something slightly fatter. I haven't tried Kooky's, as I recall they are mahoosive! There weren't many Atomics there yesterday, I only spotted pure piste skis Cloud 9 and 11.


Just spotted this thread - I was also at the ski test yesterday and I tested the men's version of the Atomic Vantage 90's - they were 176cm and 90cm wide underfoot as opposed to 167cm and 82cm underfoot on the Atomic Nomad Blackeye's I have skied on for the past 2 years (I'm predominately a piste skier too) - I was really surprised how good they were on piste considering the longer length and extra width, really responsive on both short and long turns and definitely my favourite ski on the day - i'm hoping to test them out again on a proper mountain at the EOSB if any are available to test - so something for you to consider too maybe?
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queen bodecia wrote:
@Digger the dinosaur, I believe the Scotts I tried yesterday (Reverse) were the new version of Lunas? Loved them.



Isn't that your answer then? Loving skis in a dome means they should be fine on a mountain IMHO, assuming dome has the usual solid ice in the middle of the piste and softer stuff to the sides??
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Mainly, but also nice to ski them at speed though to see how stable they are. But if you have gone up in length a bit and they still work fine in a dome there should be no problem Toofy Grin
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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!
I was surprised how much more stable the bigger skis (by which I mean both longer and fatter) felt even in a fridge. And I was careful to try long and short turns, plus the scraped snow in the middle and the chopped up snow at the side. But of course a fridge is not steep or bumpy or slushy.

I'm definitely going to try a couple more at the Tamworth test before I make a decision. But I am also aware that my size often sells out early in the season, so I don't want to dither.
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@queen bodecia, my better half swears by Blizzard Black Pearls, but if you want something a bit stiffer, my faves are the Brahma - so perhaps one of the shorter versions of those (looks like they come in 166)?

Also, t'interweb is telling me they have some new fangled carbon stuff in the tips this year making them easier / lighter to turn despite the double layered titanium underfoot Puzzled
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@queen bodecia, I've got the new Scott Lunas, which are called Lunas! Fixx, who has a similar build to you, loves this ski, so it isn't just for pixies. Come to think of it, I believe she was at the ski test yesterday, so maybe you met up?
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