 Poster: A snowHead
|
@spyderjon, Cheers, I'll drop you a note 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Ok, thanks all.
I think I've made the call, and the Scott Black Majics look like the ski for me, all of the reviews of the Blizzard talk of it suiting heavier hard charging skiers, which isn't me!
And there is some old 2015/2016 stock of the Scotts around for about half price - and it seems they've only changed the graphics.
But....
177 or 184? My scoops are 180, so I'd naturally go slightly shorter for a piste ski, but should I go longer with the rocker on the Scotts? My LTEs (twin) were 176 and I was quite happy with them most of the time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@zammo, I've demo'd a few Kneissl and loved all of them. Great skis 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@flaming, I have the same highly-evolved physique as yourself and the same preference for not a lot of groomed stuff. FWIW, the best piste skis I tried were a pair of head supershape magnums several years ago. Heavy yes and reasonably stiff but they skied very well and given your experience (which is a little more than mine) you'd have no probs with something similar to those 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Since you say you've got a healthy off-piste quiver already, there's no point at all IMV of looking at anything over 80 under foot and frankly, if you're looking to get the most fun out of piste skiing, go sub 70mm!
Getting on a pair of SL's re-invigorated my interest in skiing on piste. Actually, more than re-invigorated: re-animated! There was even a day in the Dolomites, when I chose to ski the pistes of the Sela Ronda rather than ski powder  (I know, it seems unfathomable doesn't it?)
A race profile ski, is designed for ultimate uncompromised piste performance and so, skied right, they are the best fun in that environment but IMV a GS needs to be going too fast to work properly to be safe on most public pistes. Hence my choice of SL's.
SL's tend to be very high performance, typically rather unforgiving. So if you're looking for something a little less extreme, most ranges include a slightly lighter, softer version of the SL, usually referred t as an SC. Typically the same profile as the SL, they're more playful and less challenging.
It's a shame you're asking this now as in October, the OktoberTest is a great opportunity to try these things out and find what suits you best, personally. We should have a bunch of stuff to test at the EoSB too but I expect you'll want to be sorted long before then?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@SwissTim, kindly let me try some Kneissl on the PSB . The red star slalom ski was too short a radius and too stiff for me to bow, however the black star was perfect for me as you could relax and make turns without expending energy but if you put in energy you got the reward. Go for the white star , a full on race GS ski, if you are man enough, they will put a grin on your face or
try to kill you if you are not on it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well Santa brought me a pair of Scott Black Majic today! Hoping they will do the trick. I'm told the cheeky man managed to find a 2015 pair for about half of a 2017 pair, and less than I could see a decent looking pair of slalom skis on eBay. He loves a bargain does Santa!
Hoping that this will make the current St Anton conditions more enjoyable next week!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just to wrap this up, thanks all who contributed, and especially to @RichClark for being the first to suggest the Scott Black Majic. I got back from St Anton yesterday, and of the 5 days we skied, 3 were definitely piste days and my shiny new Black Majics were simply superb. I found it to be exactly what I was looking for, a piste ski that feels more like a narrow freeride ski than a racing ski. They were really good when it cut up, that nice soft nose felt really reassuring in the bumbs, but they still had plenty of grip on the hard stuff and were not overly flappy at any speed I was prepared to ski them at.
And with just enough of a tail rise to enable me to indulge in my hobby of going backwards on flatter pistes. So all in, a worthy addition to the quiver!
I think a good skier that was much heavier than me would overpower them though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
@flaming, Phew, glad you liked them. I'm always slight cautious when recommending skis 'cause we all ski slightly differently and have different requirements.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@flaming, good to hear your positive experience. What length did Santa get you in the end?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
He bought me the 177s. I think that was right, I certainly didn't find myself wishing for a longer ski.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Few years ago I chopped in an old pair of Bonafides with a touring setup with my local shop as they do rent out a lot of good quality touring gear (which they fitted into) in exchange for some 74mm all round piste skis - I sometimes think, especially in Italy when seeing people carve like feck on slalom kit should I have gone more down that route but if I want I can use some gratis should I feel the need.
I have demoed both The Ski and Black Magic and enjoyed them, but pistes were in fabarou condition.
Like has already been said, if you have an all mountain ski / wider than 90 then go narrow - mind you I now have some 88 /178 Scott Guides and they are pretty narrow - and work well on piste and yesterday I was in really gnarlsville terrain coming back down from a refuge on a seriously steep path where you could not really turn, snowplough was just about an option though a sort of snowboarding falling leaf on skis worked quite well - and I would have hated to be on my fat / long skis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| admin wrote: |
A race profile ski, is designed for ultimate uncompromised piste performance and so, skied right, they are the best fun in that environment but IMV a GS needs to be going too fast to work properly to be safe on most public pistes. Hence my choice of SL's.
SL's tend to be very high performance, typically rather unforgiving. So if you're looking for something a little less extreme, most ranges include a slightly lighter, softer version of the SL, usually referred t as an SC. Typically the same profile as the SL, they're more playful and less challenging.
|
Just seen this - I had a couple of days on my WC SLs over New Year. Day 1 wahey - these are brilliant they grip like a gorilla dipped in cyanoacrylate, Day 2 - still fun but by the pm I'd like to try those bumps or that chunder and these are just so brutal.
So as a horse for a course - none better. But a bit of a one trick pony - it's just a very good trick (notwithstanding ski gods like UANN who will pop up to say they love their SLs on 2 foot powder days) etc)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Lots of people flying about on Volkl Racetiger SL's last week in Austria . . .very, very tempted
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
That would be your finely honed sense of irony then?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
