 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all!
Have been reading these boards for some time, and finally joined in the hope that I can get some opinions on some skis I'm considering buying.
A little background. I'm 5'9" (175cm) and weigh approx 150lbs (68kg).
I split my time between skiing on-piste and ski-touring off-piste. I would classify myself as an advanced skier, but by no means an expert. I can get down all blacks without problems and some double blacks too (but not always in perfect style). I'd say from a power standpoint, I'd be a moderate output skier (not lazy, but not a power skier either). I like a ski that carves well on-piste, but is snappy enough for glade and tree skiing too.
Basically, I'm looking for a ski that I can use both at the resort and for touring. Looking for something that can be driven by a lighter skier like me, that performs well in powder but still carves quite well on hardpack and through crud (this is important as we don't get a tonne of powder days here in Switzerland), and turns nicely too (the so-called "one quiver ski"). I'll be looking to pair them with the Marker Tour F10 bindings (or perhaps the new Fritschi Vipecs)
I've done some reading, and am considering the following skis:
1. ATOMIC Theory (130/95/119) Radius: 19m Rocker: 10/75/15 *NOTE: I can get these skis quite cheap*
2. ATOMIC Alibi (133-98-119) Radius: 19m Rocker: 15/65/20 *NOTE: I can get these skis quite cheap too*
3. Armarda ARVti (135-99-125) Radius: 20.5m Rocker: YES (tip rocker)
4. Blizzard Brahma (125-88-110) Radius: 18m Rocker: Rocker Tip & Tail, Slight Camber Underfoot
5. Line Sick Day 95 (130-95-115) Radius: 18m Rocker: Tip Early Rise-Camber-Tail Early Rise
Any advice from those who have used these skis (or any other recommendations to consider) would be great! Thanks in advance!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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K2 Wayback
Völkl Amaruq
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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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| DB wrote: |
K2 Wayback
Völkl Amaruq |
I actually have used the Waybacks with Dynafit bindings approx 10x. As a light, touring only set-up, I think they'd be great. However, since I spend my time 50% at the resort/sidecountry, I'm looking for a more versatile set-up. The Waybacks just don't cut it on hardpack/in the crud for me. As a powder ski and pure touring ski, I really like them, but not for much else.
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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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cpac54, I'm a 173 cm halfling who weighs 67 kg and love my 173 cm Scott Powdairs (98 mm underfoot) with Dynafits for day touring, off piste forays and piste bashing too.
P.S. If it helps (and you you sound like you're from the USA), you may not get a tonne of powder days in Switzerland relative to where you're from but we get a lot less powder days here than you will there. 
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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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Have a look at kastle fx94 , great all rounder , good at going up and across , excellent coming down , and hold a good edge on hard pack
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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cpac54, I'm similar weight and size (5'9" and 70kg) and swear by my 179 Whitedot Preachers, in a good way! They are a spot on 50/50 ski which you might find had tobelivev given that they're 112 in the waist but with their camber theyre seriously good on and off piste. You can rip reds and take seriuos blacks on them. Ive just added touring bindings for day trips and they might be a touch heavy compared to normal touring skis. If you prefer rocker skis then the Whitedot Directors would also fit your bill.
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| cpac54 wrote: |
| DB wrote: |
K2 Wayback
Völkl Amaruq |
I actually have used the Waybacks with Dynafit bindings approx 10x. As a light, touring only set-up, I think they'd be great. However, since I spend my time 50% at the resort/sidecountry, I'm looking for a more versatile set-up. The Waybacks just don't cut it on hardpack/in the crud for me. As a powder ski and pure touring ski, I really like them, but not for much else. |
I'm around your height and weight. Had a similar problem in that I only wanted a pair of skis to do it all (Piste, offpiste, skitouring). Love to ski powder but this isn't Japan (it's Eastern Austria) so often have to put up with heavy snow, crud etc. Couldn't find one pair of skis to do it all so ended up with two pairs of skis.
1. Kästle TX87, a lighter touring version of the FX 94. Great for powder and medium to longer radius turns but gets knocked about in chopped up crud.
2. Atomic Blackeye Ti - All mountain piste ski with metal in it but not too heavy (circa 3kg /pair@167).
Both pairs have a set of dynafit radicals on them. To keep the weight down I'm using Dynafit TLT6 Performance @ just over 2 kg per pair. A friend has the Völkl Amaruq as his touring ski and the blackeye as his piste ski. He says the Völkl performs surprisingly well on piste ofr a touring ski.
If you can get Atomic skis cheap you might want to consider the Atomic crimson (wider Version of the Blackeye) although not sure if you can get these flat (without integrated binding) anymore.
Heard good things about the K2 Sideshow too.
Read that the theory is not so stable as the Alibi at speed.
http://www.freeskiers.net/community/showthread.php?18418-Atomic-Theory-oder-Alibi
If your touring and piste days are totaly exclusive you would get better performance out of a pair of waybacks and a piste ski. Mount both with binding inserts so you can swap over the bindings.
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| DB wrote: |
I'm around your height and weight. Had a similar problem in that I only wanted a pair of skis to do it all (Piste, offpiste, skitouring). Love to ski powder but this isn't Japan (it's Eastern Austria) so often have to put up with heavy snow, crud etc. Couldn't find one pair of skis to do it all so ended up with two pairs of skis.
1. Kästle TX87, a lighter touring version of the FX 94. Great for powder and medium to longer radius turns but gets knocked about in chopped up crud.
2. Atomic Blackeye Ti - All mountain piste ski with metal in it but not too heavy (circa 3kg /pair@167).
Both pairs have a set of dynafit radicals on them. To keep the weight down I'm using Dynafit TLT6 Performance @ just over 2 kg per pair. A friend has the Völkl Amaruq as his touring ski and the blackeye as his piste ski. He says the Völkl performs surprisingly well on piste ofr a touring ski.
If you can get Atomic skis cheap you might want to consider the Atomic crimson (wider Version of the Blackeye) although not sure if you can get these flat (without integrated binding) anymore.
Heard good things about the K2 Sideshow too.
Read that the theory is not so stable as the Alibi at speed.
http://www.freeskiers.net/community/showthread.php?18418-Atomic-Theory-oder-Alibi
If your touring and piste days are totaly exclusive you would get better performance out of a pair of waybacks and a piste ski. Mount both with binding inserts so you can swap over the bindings. |
Thanks for the link comparing the Alibi and the Theory (Gott sei Dank, dass ich ein bisschen Deutsch verstehe!) Good to read about the problems people have with the Theory vibrating - probably eliminates that as an option now.
I admit, I hadn't heard about "binding inserts" as an option before. Where can one find these/get them installed, and (to your knowledge) do they affect the integrity of the ski at all vs. normal installation of bindings?
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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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| cpac54 wrote: |
| I admit, I hadn't heard about "binding inserts" as an option before. Where can one find these/get them installed, and (to your knowledge) do they affect the integrity of the ski at all vs. normal installation of bindings? |
So I thought you were from the USA when actually, you're from another planet. Cool.
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| cpac54 wrote: |
Thanks for the link comparing the Alibi and the Theory (Gott sei Dank, dass ich ein bisschen Deutsch verstehe!) Good to read about the problems people have with the Theory vibrating - probably eliminates that as an option now.
I admit, I hadn't heard about "binding inserts" as an option before. Where can one find these/get them installed, and (to your knowledge) do they affect the integrity of the ski at all vs. normal installation of bindings? |
Apparently you can do it yourself - I'm thinking about doing mine after a ski tech screwed up mounting binding inserts on the Blackeye's. I've had real trouble finding someone willing to do it here in Eastern Austria.
A poster named spyderjon here can sell you a kit.
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=87204&highlight=binding+inserts
Many people use binding inserts without problems, I doubt they affect the ski too much.
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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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| DB wrote: |
| In the USA and UK binding inserts are well known and used. Not so here in Austria |
That's really quite surprising considering Austria's heritage in ski and binding manufacturing. 
Although my skis have QK binding inserts, I mostly keep the Dynafits on them simply because it's just too much faff taking them off between fully lift-served or fully touring day trips. The screw threading (part base plate and part insert) and their positions (heel piece needs winding forward to expose screws) mean the process of swapping them over to Marker Barons is usually a 30 minute trip one way i.e it needs to be done again for another 30 minutes to put the Dynafits back on. It's worth the effort for Alpine holiday lift served weeks but not for the mixed skiing in Scotland throughout the season so because Dynafits work well enough on the mixed piste days too, it makes no sense to bother.
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You know it makes sense.
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The binding inserts look to be a no-brainer imo; really like the idea of being able to run two sets of bindings on the same ski. I could also potentially buy all sorts of skis too without having to buy new bindings (to the chagrin of my better half, lol).
Now I just need to decide on a ski to buy!
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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rossi soul 7s carve on piste far better than any 106mm ski should be expected to. and they are designed for touring too. Rossi sell them as 80% off, 20% on. But, after skiing on them for a week on hard piste before Christmas, I would describe them as 50/50, as some US reviewers have. They are light, responsive and easy to turn. You should add them to your short list and test a pair.
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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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cpac54, my gf recently bought some DPS W99 Hybrids to be her 'one ski for everything apart from powder.' She's only skied them with Dynafit Radicals so far (though they'll be quiver killered soon), and only touring in crappy snow and ice, and on piste, but she absolutely loves them (thankfully, as I told her they were what she wanted!). Comments along the lines of "I've never been so in tune with my skis before," "I get sooo much rebound from my turns," "they carve better than my slalom skis" etc. Well worth a look I think.
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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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FWIW, the Alibi's are ace. I've got a pair and they float in powder but carve really nicely too.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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cpac54, why not try a few and buy the ones you like? I know lots and lots of people who like skis that I loathe. So their opinions would be useless to me on an anonymous forum.
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the inserts are pretty easy to do DIY, if you can drill a straight hole and measure correctly go for it
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FAQ
