 Poster: A snowHead
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cheers for that marc-it's a good thing someone knows what they're doing! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Chris_5000, when you find out who they are please let me know. 
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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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I'd really say you need to demo them, I know people who have tried B2s and 1080s and think the 1080 a much better all round ski.
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MountainGator,
I'm with you. My Rossi 9XOs are the most fun I've had in a long time - all conditions. They're wide enough to ski powder (and next year's are wider) and short enough to ski bumps.
Tried various other things this year in search of their successor but nothing else has worked out. Must admit I haven't been very systematic however... but it looks like I'll be acquiring the updated 9x model for next year.
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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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I ski on Rossi Bandit B1's and truely believe they are the best allround ski on the market for most of the people most of the time. Yes, there are definately better ski's for powder and blasting the hardpack, and yes, they are suitable for early intermediates. However, the B1 is also suitable right up to instructor level and WILL take you anywhere on the mountain you choose, if you up for it.
I've read many comments on this forum describing the B1 as a beginners ski and an on-piste only ski. These people need to get there heads out of the snow and actually think about what most skiers actually do on holiday and how they ski. Yes the Metron B5, Apache Recon, Stockl XL, Fischer RX7 etc may all be great skis and very good at what they do, but are they really that good for most people ... I'd say no.
I used 2002 Salomon Crossmax 10's for years until what some would call "downgrading" to the Rossi B1's. The Crossmax 10 that year was heralded the go anywhere King of Skis, but my Rossi B1's do all the Crossmax's ever did and more, with a grin on your face all day long.
Any comments ... especially from those who've actually tried the B1's, rather than just read the marketing blurb! Daily Mail Ski and Snowboard Magazine reviewed the B1's last year as clear winners in both on and off-piste skiing for intermediate freeride. They actually said that they couldn't understand why Rossignol were underplaying the clear off-piste ability of the B1's - and that maybe it was to try and sell more of there apparently more off-piste suitable B2's. The B1 is stiffer and livelier than the relatively damp B2, and although narrower waisted, has enough spring in it's step to allow you to bounce around in the powder with an all day long grin ... 
Let me know what you think.
Nog.
Rossi B1 170cm, Rossi Bandit Elite Boots, in Vald'Isere, Aprica, and Trois Valleys this season.
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nog,
Not skied it myself, but I have skied the B2 and XL this year. A good ski buddy who is a very good skier demo'd the B1 and rated it excellent in powder, he also raved about the Recon. But he bought Xcreams ....again..!!
I hire skis a lot for various reasons so get to try a few and I think that a pretty good skier can handle virtually Race type skis which would not have been true in the past IMO. So I think that although a ski is marketed at the 'advanced' or 'expert' skier this is just a flattering marketing stategy. To be fair to the review-type comments on here most people do distinctly recommend the skier tries the skis they rate. One man's meat etc, and a lot of people would decry my buddies choice of Xcreams, to that I say try and follow him
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nog, interesting thoughts. The Rossis that I have skied (the B1 not among them!) are skis suitable for a wide range of skills and skiers. However, I have always found them to be lacking in the "energy and excitement" department. Of course, I feel the same way about Solomons, so there ya go... I prefer the feel of the more lively skis (like the Metron and the Fischer, surprise, surprise).
I think, in general, many skis like the B series from Rossi are great all-around skis. However, the Metron honestly takes skis to a new level and a much broader range of conditions than I have ever seen. Specifically, the b5s are wider than a B1, so are able to handle more and deeper snow. They are also more effective in very hard snow due to their strong edge grip. Before now, that has not been possible from ski designs.
Until you try the b5, you just can't believe it. In fact, it took me a few months skiing them to actually believe that they were skiing all of the conditions I found as well as they were (for example, while at the ESA at the end of January, I skied the Fischers every day but one. If I were to go today, I'd ski the b5 every day).
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I've had my opion taken out of any disscusion by the the chance that i won my new ski in a competition(stormrider xl's).which takes out the fun of trying all the other stuff.....BooHoo
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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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mistermouse, everything I've heard says that the StormRider is a great ski! Enjoy!
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| gregh wrote: |
| I'd really say you need to demo them, I know people who have tried B2s and 1080s and think the 1080 a much better all round ski. |
I know people who think drinking Liebfraumilch is the height of good taste and that the Daily Mail is a good read, people are like that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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.
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| ise wrote: |
| gregh wrote: |
| I'd really say you need to demo them, I know people who have tried B2s and 1080s and think the 1080 a much better all round ski. |
I know people who think drinking Liebfraumilch is the height of good taste and that the Daily Mail is a good read, people are like that. |
How appalling. Everyone with taste knows that Lambrini and the Daily Express are far better.
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Kramer, actually I lied. I don't know anyone like that, not personally. I meant to say "I know of people" of course.
I'm not really part of the fondue and chips set I'm afraid.
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You know it makes sense.
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Who are the "fondue and chips set"?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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mistermouse,
You don't need to be chasing many other skis to try now, the XL was my find of the season,
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Poster: A snowHead
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JT, Tyey are fantastic arnt they , ski shop even managed to sell me some red bindings to put on them (marker comp14) .... very spanky
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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What's the XL?
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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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Chris_5000, It's the Stockli Stormrider XL
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mistermouse,
I think so, to such a degree that I will be giong back to the resorts thats hires them. Not as barmy as it sounds as the resort I am thinking of holds its own very well for the type of skiing I want to do...But I would still try the b5 to see how it stacks up. But what ever the conditions I might find I would use the XL for the whole mountain and then try a Laser slalom type ski if confined to the piste, not that the XL is any sort of compromise there IMO, its just that race type skis are great fun for fast cruising, I think.
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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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This thread is making me regret buying my B2s. Perhaps I shall have to buy some Metrons as well.
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Kramer,
Why..? I thought you loved your B2's..!!
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JT, I do. But any excuse to buy some new skis! My B2s won't get jealous, I'm enough of a man to satisfy two sets of skis.
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Kramer,
Best of luck but I can see you paying too much attention to the XL's and the B2's will leave you
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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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ssh,
Which ever Kramer buys the B2's are doomed, IMO.
But we should wait and see what the verdict is if they can be demo'ed....
I can't see the B2 surviving this but it depends on the skier's preferences etc
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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All the reviews earlier this year stated extremely confidently that the K2 Apache Recon was the best all mountain expert level ski. Tried them back to back with the B2s, and much preferred the B2s. Perhaps I don't ski well enough to get the best out of a truly advanced ski. Either way, I guess that barring a tragic accident or a lottery win, I'll be sticking with the B2s.
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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.
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Kramer, the Recon is OK, but not as much ski (in any direction!) as the b5. The one to try next year will be the Nordica Hot Rod Top Fuel, from all I'm hearing.
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Its funny, a good friend of mine tried the Recon and raved about it and then went out and bought another pair of Excreams...!!!
I've tried the B2 and preferred the XL. But I would only recommend, other than that I would respect the skiers own choice and if he
is happy on his skis then thats that as far as I am concerned. After a while we are all trying to do the same sort of things but methods differ, bodies differ etc and so should skis to suit this. The only thing you can do is try as many skis until you find what you are looking for.
For me, whatever else is out there for next season I will bench mark against the XL
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You know it makes sense.
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ssh, are the Metron B5s anything like the betacarve from 3 years ago? I tried those and quite liked them. I only tested the two different types of skis before buying the B2s, mainly because I had been skiing on them on previous holidays and knew that they suited me. I think that it can get a bit confusing if you try too many different skis back to back.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Kramer, you did absolutely what I recommend: buy the ones that you feel really suit you. However, it's also fun to look at ski evolution and try the new ones when you can...
That said, the Metron is a natural evolution of the BetaCarve, but is a substantially different ski. In my opinion, it carves better, skis softer snow better, has a tighter turn radius, and is more stable. However, if you liked the BetaCarve, you'll likely feel the ancestry in the Metron series.
Have I mentioned I think that they are absolutely astoundingly great skis?  
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Masque, You managed to get B5s for £250 , do tell us where if only to make some others of us sick. They were £360 in S&R --- and I think ssh, was single-handedly responsible for them all going to s!
Incidentally point taken about the number in the French Alps , I couldn't find any for sale let alone hire and eventually got to try a 'loan' pair.
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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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Newbie50, Bought in Germany but did get the last pair (162) in the sale, tot. with all charges and currency cost, 305£ (think I used the wrong $/£ rate for my conversion  )
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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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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Wear The Fox Hat, I didn't ask you!
...and I wasn't wearing the b5s that day! I was wearing the Fischers! 
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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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Hey guys, don't shoot the messenger . . . If the Austrian retail outlets 10 miles down the road from the factory couldn't get them (and I didn't see any on the hill), then you can guess that output was directed to the market that would bear the greatest mark-up. And lets face it our home country does have a reputation for being filled with people who believe they can buy their way to greatness 
Combine that with the certainty that for 95% of them it won’t make s**t’s worth of difference to their ability. Sort of like ‘ribbed’ condoms . . . what are you doing wrong to need to use one?
I know it’s tempting to buy the best tool for the job, especially if the job centres (spelling!!! . . . I’ve been over here too long) around the tool, but it’s very rare that there’s a quantum leap in design that make hanging on for a season till the price comes down to what it should have been in the first place, the wrong tactic.
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ssh,
Don't take to heart the idea that the US market wil bear a huge mark-up. The UK is not known as treasure Island by car manufacturers for nothing. In the UK we are expecrted to pay silly prices....and generally do... Look at the price of our cars, you would laugh your socks off and any other kit is not much different. And as for stuff that comes from the US we can easily pay an exchange rate of $1.00 to the £1.00.
We have only just learnt to haggle as a nation, I think. The internet is closing this gap slightly but we are taken for mugs by our own government so why should other countries not do the same.... In fact the French frequently do...!!
Pay-back for giving them a kicking for about 1000 years or so.
I couldn't find the b5 for hire in Europe this year either, I found a pair but they were already out so I went for XL's instead which was a smart move. I will still try the b5 if I can find it and anything else you reckon is worth trying. Maybe this new Nordica...!!!
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FAQ
