 Poster: A snowHead
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I had a lot of help in this thread http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=127519
so I thought I'd come back with a little update, hoping someone is still hanging around despite the lack of snow! Fresh thread due to photo content.
I'm an 'all mountain' skier trapped in an old dry slope racers body - good technique with a tendency to twiddle loads of turns everywhere but reinvented my skiing to open up. Enjoy wide open speed as well as steep and tight.
I'm no expert reviewer so take these comments as you find them but feel free to ask.
183cm, 80kg - I went for the 186cm ski, 97mm underfoot.
Summary - happy. Very happy. Not a revelation underfoot, but growing on me as a learn to explore their capabilities.
First trip to Chamonix was perfect timing - blue sky right after a dump. Some fresh but a bit thin. Mixed group doing a little 'off piste' under the lifts and off the edges with me exploring a bit more. Very quiet, so got a chance to open them up a bit and explore the 'these skis have no speed limit' claims.
Perfect bluebird weather to try a black crow..
Edge hold was really good for a fat ski. They felt a bit slower edge to edge than my Line Prophet 90 but grip was there.
Bumps were great - I think the subtle nose rocker helped the tips find their way around the troughs, even skiing the steep Charles Bonzon bumps in flat light. No problem with the length.
Length - I went for the 186. Good choice, absolutely no worries ripping turns on them. Twin tip and rocker makes them ski shorter.
Speed - wow. I found a completely empty piste at lunch time and went for it. It's true, they have no speed limit. Absolutely stable, no flap or skitter maxed out.
So far good - fast, stable, large radius carvers, also decent pop:
Gutted to do this on day 3! I've never damaged a ski this badly. It was a slow speed catch, felt the rock clip them but carried on. Flipped them over at the bottom and was horrified! Weak bases or bad luck? The 40 Euro overnight repair is near invisible and holding...
Next, Val Thoren, arrived in a massive storm that lasted 2 days before breaking.
Skiing white out on piste I was able to start opening them up on the fresh and was impressed with the float.
Nothing steep and narrow was really on the cards due to conditions but some fresh boot deep turns down Mont du Vallon were blissful.
Hired a guide, turned out to be an ex Olympic Super G racer. Was pretty awesome trying to hang on to his tails. I was pretty chuffed, even if he was only going 50%. He said "Hey, you carve really well!"
That's my big open turns in the middle 
Mine on the left, nicely matched group.
Here is the guide dropping into the first run of the morning. Tired legs slowed me down, not the skis.
Float was good! First go at pond skimming and managed not to get wet! It was about 2 foot deep and 25 feet across. Great fun!
They were also great on the greens with my little lad, who enjoyed whizzing along between my legs. Result.
Overall, I'm happy, want to push them some more but they seem an ideal single ski - only possibly lacking in really deep pow, which I've skied about twice in over 250 days skiing.
Thanks for reading! Hope it's interesting.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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That's quite a core shot on the base! Glad they could repair them.
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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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@gravity-slave, was that €40 for the repair only or did that include an edge'n'wax?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@gravity-slave, a mere scratch and far enough away from an edge not to be an issue as long as you keep the gouge filled 
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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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Jon, pretty sure it was a grind (or possibly belt), edge and wax. I just asked for a repair and to be honest didn't query it - was on a 4 day trip and this happened on Sat, so shop was rammed with people hiring, every minute counted so just chucked them in, ran to dinner and grabbed them on the bus past!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@gravity-slave
It's been a bad year for this sort of damage in Chamonix.
I've had several, and was beginning to wonder if my bases were a little thin given that the skis were a pair that failed QC for a bubbled base and @spyderjon ground out the defects for me.
I think though both your damage and mine are just symptomatic of the coverage this season.
Tools not toys, afterall.
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| Quote: |
Tools not toys, afterall.
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I agree with that - try and generally succeed in not getting emotional about damage - but have to say it is easier in your position!
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As a tight yorkshireman owning a ski company was the only way he could justify the frivolous expense of skiing (by getting the taxman to pay for part of it) 
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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.
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| Quote: |
As a tight yorkshireman owning a ski company was the only way he could justify the frivolous expense of skiing (by getting the taxman to pay for part of it)
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