 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Im looking to buy my first pair of skis, having been on rentals for a very long time. I'm 20, 6' 1" and 80kg, i like to skis fast and hard but enjoy playing around on off piste features. I'm looking for a twin tip all mountain ski that will will stand up to being pushed hard whilst remaining playful enough to be able to have fun doing a few 180's and 360's. Because there isnt much powder in europe i'm skeptical about going to wide becuase although im off-piste as much as I can there isn't always enough snow and as i dont get many days skiing each year I want to have fun on those days too. I hardly ever go in the park so im not really worried about how the ski performs there.
My shortlist is:
Black Crows Navis
Armarda TST
Salomon S3 - worried about them being too soft
Moment PB&J
Line Blends
K2 Kung Fujas
Salomon shogun
I know some of these skis aren't being reintroduced next year so if anyone knows what they are being replaced i'd love to know.
Any advice is welcomed on which skis would be good and in regards to what you think a good waist width would be for me.
Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I tested the Navis, found it brilliant in trees, bumps, piste and powder. The only ski I liked slightly better was the twin tipped Nordica Enforcer. Very similar, a touch lighter but 98mm underfoot so I ended up buying that I was in Cham testing skis when I was in the market for them, there is an old thread on it somewhere. Although something like slalom skis are more fun on a hard piste unless it's really icy underfoot I found no problems with fatter skis apart from limiting rapid short turns. For a one ski quiver something around 100mm seems perfect.
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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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There ya go...
Black Crow Navis – 175.7cm, 20m radius, sidecut 133-103-124
This ski simply blew me away. For a fairly fat ski it handled moguls well and didn’t seem to require any extra effort to get it over onto the edge. Actually, it could turn on a sixpence and rapid changes of direction off piste were a doddle. At speed on the groomed piste it held it’s line well, yet it cut though frozen crud and boiler plate as if it wasn’t there. The ski does require commitment and you need to keep the aggression levels up a touch to get the best from it. The only downside to me was it’s weight (just over 5kg a pair). This meant that by the end of the day when I was feeling tired I had to concentrate on my lines quite a bit… this ski likes some forceful input. A more accomplished skier than myself who likes gnarly couloirs would find this ski perfect.
Nordica Enforcer - 177cm, 19m radius, sidecut 135-98-125
What can I say? To sum it up… delightful!!! I hadn’t put this one down on my list to try but this was the one ski which seemed to cope with every condition and then leave you with a wide ear to ear grin at the bottom of a run. I managed to get in a whole series of moguls in a nice straight line, then carve at speed down hard groomers, then take on bumpy tight steeps through trees and with every turn the ski seemed to be lending a helping hand. The twin tip tail brought the ski around a turn with minimal effort and absorbed jump landings perfectly. It was a little more forgiving than the Navis which meant that when you were tired you could relax a touch and it wouldn’t catch you out. I actually managed to make several consecutive turns skiing backwards on this model… it also flicks round with minimal effort when you want to change back.
Volkl Mantra - 177cm, 20.3m radius, sidecut 133-96-116
I can’t really say anything bad about this ski but I just didn’t enjoy skiing it at all. OK… fast carved turns were fantastic but the stiffer flex didn’t work for me in tight spaces, and on the moguls and steeps the semi straight tail seemed to catch and hold the turn for too long thus preventing me from making sudden direction changes. Not having a proper twin tipped configuration also caused a slight problem in a steep section of bumps and trees. I had attempted to reverse a bit to make room for a turn after taking a look at a possible line, and one tail jammed into a mound of soft snow and neatly tipped me over. Probably it needed a heavier or more aggressive skier than myself to get the most out of it... for me though it just didn’t work.
So what did I choose? The Enforcer twin. It just hits every nail I have right on the head. Some may prefer a longer radius for stability in powder, but in my opinion that would limit the ski for use in bumps and for messing about in the park. How a 98mm waisted ski can be so quick and playful on the groomed piste is simply beyond me. A true one quiver ski.
A very close second (such a difficult choice it was too) was the Navis. Maybe in a few years when I can get the most out of them I may get a pair. I’d be happy to ski on these any day though.
Two other skis I have enjoyed on previous demo's were the Head Mojo 90 and the Liberty Hazmat in 94mm waist.
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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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Add to that the Salomon Q105; Rossi Soul 7, both 105mm in the waist but very accessible all round skis.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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How do you think the Salomons Q105 and the Rossi Soul 7 will compare to the other skis like the black crows, the enforcers and the TST's?
They look to be a similar shape to the the TST's, looking at pictures I cant really tell what their tails are like. What do you think they will be like for landing backwards?
Cheers
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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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loudyboy, test test test
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Salomon shoguns are a great ski in spring conditions, a bit cumbersome on icy midwinter pistes, nice and solid on the steeps and predictable on the off piste. In powder they make me grin but I also have a pair of line mr pollard opus which usually get first dibs on the fresh stuff. Less than regular skiers might want something with a bit of tail rocker to help with manoeuvrability in the bumps. But if you like skiing soft snow of all types the shogun will give you some fun. It certainly has for 4 seasons now. As another suggestion try out the line sir Francis bacon, don't be scared by the width, I'm seriously thinking if getting rid of my salomon shoguns and Scott crusades to just have those as my non powder day skis!!!
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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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| Idris wrote: |
| Lynx form Idris Skis - sorry for the self promotion but this ski really does tick all your boxes |
I've not skied these but I have seen them, I think with Idris on board, they are a very nice looking ski indeed.
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what are the best way to test skis? i've never seen the skis im looking to buy in rental shops.
Is there any way to do it in england on a snow dome (obviously not great for an all mountain ski)? when im next skiing how can I try them out?
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You know it makes sense.
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loudyboy, Easiest - when a snowdome is running a demo day, you can learn a lot about skis in the very variable conditions you get indoors
Best - In resort specific demo event or demo centres.
Most practical outdoors - find a decent freeride focused shop that will let you demo a number of skis with credit off the purchase price.
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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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Check out the K2 Coomback - (105 underfoot). I have skied on them for two seasons now and they are brilliant in powder - but also are fine on the pistes as well. I would definitely prefer these to the K2 Kung Fugas - which are more of a freestyle ski
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Poster: A snowHead
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| AJQ wrote: |
12.5 m radius of turn or tighter if you crank up the Angle though  great in G/S turns |
Curious how that works?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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AJQ, not totally unbiased though 
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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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The highly rated Snoworks' most shameful moment - corporate shilling at it's most obvious
Of the shortlist I'd probably say Navis
I might also add Bonafide/Cochise (dubious on whether qualify as sufficiently twinned)
Really didn't rate the Fujas when I tried them but a lot can be wrong with the set up of demo skis.
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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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Having spent the last few weeks on them can I suggest the dynastar cham 97, I'm about an inch taller than you and 15kg heavier, they float great and feel super solid on piste.
Nick
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FAQ
