 Poster: A snowHead
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after over 8 years on my K2 Apache Recons I have, somewhat reluctantly, decided that it is time to change them. The problem is that ski tech has changed enormously in that time and while it is easy enough to read up on how a rocker tip is good for certain types of snow, I have no idea how they actually ski and what length/setup I should be looking at.
About me I'm 165cm tall and about 60kg; my Apache Recons are 167cm and at ~3.5kg (inc bindings) seem pretty heavy compared to current skis. They have served me very well in almost all conditions except for tight turns through trees (I generally don't) and steep mogul fields (I always wish I didn't).
How I want to ski
First lift up and carving through a couple of reds to warm up, then spending the day honing my jumps in the park/finding some untouched snow in the back country depending on conditions.
Realistically how I will ski
Stagger up at 10am with a hangover and bombing down a quick red to clear my head. Spend my time looking for easy jumps off the side of blues and finding some off-piste from the sides of the pistes when I'm lucky enough to see it snow.
So after much research I have put together a long list of skis that I would like to try out, they are all ~100mm in the waist which seems to be the sweet spot for a One ski quiver but are around 20mm fatter than my current skis and mostly longer too which makes more wary of just buying a pair.
Anyway, here's my long list any advice on cutting it down to a more manageable 2/3 skis would be welcome:
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Reading how you ski/how you'd like to ski and having skied 6 of the 7 mentioned myself, I would personally cut it down to the Bacon, Peacemaker, or Rocker2 - they're much more applicable to the park/jumps that you mention. I have a pair of Bacons and they're often my day-to-day ski for when i'm skiing pretty much as you describe. Peacemaker feels a tad stiffer i find, and i've not spent a great deal of time on the Rocker2, but i would be looking at those three - hope this helps!
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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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In this list, the Salomon and the Soul 7 seem out of place. All other skis are quite heavy, metal-loaded chargers. And as MarkFinSoup pointed out, not all of them are that good at the playful thing you want them to be doing well.
I would like to add the Nordica Soulrider to the list. All-mountain twin-tip ski, no metal, but very stable at speed and in all kinds of terrain. A real charger too (I own the Hell & Back, its non-twintip, falt-tailed brother). Also have a look at the Atomic Ritual. I simply love that ski and it does all you seem to want them to do. Same goes for the Atomic Alibi. Both may look quite long in their shortest length (174 and 173 respectively), but since you are used to ski your (non-rockered) Apache Recons at body length, these twintipped, rockered skis can be skied long. I am 1.82 and 85 kg and I skied the Rituals at 190. THe just did fine, never felt too long.
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I like the LINE SFB, it sounds like it would be suitably playful for your requirements.
I was worried about the additional weight and length when I started moving up, but in hindsight I just found it main eveything easier. If you are concerned about weight of the ski, perhaps do a few more pre-season squats..
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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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Thanks all, that's been really helpful.
Feast - I'm less worried about the weight of my ski than the airline is 
I'll see if I can try out the Peacemaker, SFB; I might still take a look at the Rocker2 just because it is so different. I'll take a look at the Atomic Alibi too if I can find a pair. MarkFinSoup, I am kind of curious which one of these you haven't skied?
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If you liked the K2's I would have a look at the newer versions. I bought some Recons about 8 years ago, then moved through Xplorers, Aftershocks and just got a pair of Rictor 90Xti's and I love them.
They are 10cm longer than the Aftershocks but turn easily on piste (they have a decent rocker) and the performance in thigh deep powder this week has been fantastic, even managing to float my lardy frame ! I was originally concerned that the 90mm waist was a little narrow, especially with my weight, but I havent felt I needed a wider ski at all this week.
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Funnily enough, last year I replaced the exact same ski for Lady Flash, who had skiied it for the past 8 years - she is a very strong skier and skiied that men's ski. But they are very hard work in powder compared to modern designs.
She prefers moguls and piste to heavy powder. She now uses a Line Celebrity 90, which is basically a Line Prophet 90, and she loves it. the Line SFB is a great ski (I only bought my WD Preachers over the SFB due to finding them for 250GBP new, which I just could not pass up!); but in my humble opinion the SFB (and Preacher for that matter) are too wide and imprecise for the piste work you will actually be doing. Others in their range would suit you better - the Sick Day especially is a great ski and rather more playful and easy to jump/do tricks on than the SFB, and great in light powder to the side of the piste...
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I'm slightly taller and heavier than you at 170cm/70kg and have been through the same issues you are weighing up. IMO you don't need a 100+mm ski for Europe, with your stats, if your off piste is essentially mucking about off the side of the piste. You'll get about the same float 95-100mm that someone 180cm/85kg will get from a 105-110mm ski. You'll also still want a ski that's half decent on piste so I'd go for something like the Line Sick Day, Volkl Bridge or Atomic Theory plus maybe the Nordica Soulrider but I haven't skied it. All are 95mm twin tips, light as no metal, and great for mucking about on. I used to have a pair of SFB's but I found them too much for all round use at my height and weight. They were great in deep powder but these days are very rare if you are a holiday skier. Get a ski for the conditions you will actually be skiing in most of the time rather than what you hope to ski in.
(I will be selling my 168 Theorys shortly. PM me if you are interested.)
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