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Ski recommendations.

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Due to a change in circumstances I am going to be able to ski every other weekend.

I've always usually rented but want a set of my own to stare at on dark evenings and rub down whilst humming rocky theme tunes.

I'm 6"5 16.5 st ski 80% on but will venture off if there's some new powder.

Mainly will be skiing in Austria and the odd trip to Val.

So far I've demoed the Head Titans and RTm 84 Vokls.

Are there any others you would recommend?

Skill level I'd say strong intermediate.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
For mainly on-piste but with a bit of off-piste I'd go for 80-90mm under foot (sound like you are already looking in that range). You should definitely check out the Blizzard Brahmas. I'm told they ski very well on-piste, and at 88mm will be a joy in soft stuff. Also, if you really want to get the most from off-piste you could buy a fatter pair (say 108mm or more) next season and you'd have skis to cover most eventualities.

Rocky theme tunes are not what spring to mind when looking at new skis... Rocks and skis do not mix wink The music to listen to whilst pondering skis is Propaganda, Seal and Frankie Goes to Hollywood... but unless you watch 1980's ski videos that's probably an odd combination.
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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?
I did quickly look at the Brahmas but was concerned I may not compress them enough.

Ha. It's more of a fitness thing as I struggle on the longer runs.
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DanFuller wrote:
I did quickly look at the Brahmas but was concerned I may not compress them enough......

Shocked
At 6'5" & 16.5st I doubt there's a ski on the market you can't flex Toofy Grin. I'm a Brahma owner/fan but my concern with that ski was that the longest length is only 187cm. That length is gonna be fine if it's a regular cambered ski but you really want something in the 190's if it has tip rocker.

For a single ski solution your choice is whether to go for one of the many piste specific skis (at your stats I'd be looking for a cheater GS ski which most of the major brands do) but they'll really test you in the soft stuff. Alternatively there's the metal layered mid fats which really help in the soft stuff but are still v.good on piste - & for your stats you can't beat the 191cm Mantra.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Next year's Mantra @DanFuller, reverts to no rocker. I'm a relative lightweight at 62kgs but I believe a relatively strong skier and have Mantras as my daily driver.
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What is the issue with the 187 for you @spyderjon ? The flex?

Not looked at the Mantras or considered them. Will do now. Thanks
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@DanFuller, The Bramhas (like many other skis in the category) have a rocker profile, so a 187 has an effective edge length of quite a bit less than 187cm, which means it skis on-piste like a shorter ski, for someone of your height that may feel too short. I'd say it was worth testing, I tend to ski at about 180cm and I'm 6' / 13st and find the length OK. That said I don't really care about on-piste performance.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Skis don't know how tall you are...
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Ok I'll see if I can demo those then. My mates all use Volkls so I'll definitely look at the mantras.
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under a new name wrote:
Skis don't know how tall you are...


The laws of physics do.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Physics ie downward pressure?
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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.
I was being a tad facetious, apologies.

Heavier / taller people need longer skis both for floatation in soft snow and for more edge grip on piste. That said, on-piste skis tend to be shorter because you don't need the surface area. When all skis were skinny you really needed at least as 203 to have any hope of skiing powder, and if you were over 6" you'd maybe even go longer than that. These days I doubt anyone goes about 190 for an all mountain ski, and even tall and heavy slalom skiers have skis much shorter than their own height.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@sah, ignoring slightly different biomechanics and lever action due to longer limbs and a more distant CoM, height is immaterial to most skiers and only weight plays a factor.

In the latter years of when skis were all skinny (e.g. My experience only dates from 1971 or so) and I was an early teenager I happily skied powder on 175s (I would have been about 150cms at the time and have never been taller than 165cms but have been known to ski up to 223cms on occasion). My wife skied happily powder on 190s until shaped skis appeared. A pair of skinny 190s are rusting in the garage. Few people who weren't racing or quite good were on anything like 203s!

Floatation in powder on skinny skis is a bit like flying, more dependent on angle of attack and fine balance than surface area.

I had a lovely couple of pitches in super light powder on 203 SGs last January. snowHead
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
under a new name wrote:
@sah, ignoring slightly different biomechanics and lever action due to longer limbs and a more distant CoM, height is immaterial to most skiers and only weight plays a factor.


I'm sure you are right; weight, terrain, ability etc are all more important than height. Height is a factor but minor compared to the others, and with other issues like rocker, sidecut etc it's not feasible to suggest a ski length based on height or indeed height and weight.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I have a similar skiing profile (80% on 20% off, marked red ski routes the limit of my OP ability), and have just come back from Lech where I skied for the first time on Atomic Vantage 90's, 177cm. We had very mixed conditions from wind scraped hardpack to lovely knee high fresh on and off piste on the last day and lots inbetween. All I can say is WOW, I've been trying a few of these types of ski, rockered and all mountain frontside type 85-95 underfoot, including brahmas (very good too), rossi exp 88, salomon BBR, Volkl Kendo and the Atomics were simply amazing (for my limited ability!), they drove through crud, were the most responsive non pure piste ski I've used, were very stable on some ice we encountered, and in the last day powder fest I just couldn't wipe the smile off my face.... Toofy Grin Toofy Grin

So whilst I can't comment on your height and weight, in terms of skier profile, we sound similar, give them a go!!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Sorry I'm 5 ' 10" and 12.5 st
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Lechs lovely isn't it. I'll have a look at those too
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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?
DanFuller wrote:
What is the issue with the 187 for you @spyderjon ? The flex?

Not looked at the Mantras or considered them. Will do now. Thanks


I meant that my concern for the 187cm Brahma for you is that it'd be too short. I'm 5'9"/82kg & ski a 180cm Brahma as a hard snow ski & a 190cm WD Ragnorak CarbonLite as a soft snow ski.
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I am 6'3" , 15st and own a pair of Head Titans 177. I bought a pair of Brahmas 187 in Dec and have skied 15 days on them so far this year. Not used the Titans since and will keep them for thin snow.

I found the Brahmas much more stable at high speed on piste and a lot more fun off piste where the Titans are too short to float for me. Some useful advice on Blistergearreview about binding position. I ordered mine with adjustable marker schizo bindings and confirm for me their advice is spot on.

I bought mine from snow how.de for under €500 complete with bindings. Shipped to the UK in a few days.

For me the Brahmas have a much wider range of use and are a lot more fun at the same time. They are also noticably lighter than the Titans in use and carrying.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Cool, lot of praise for those. May even push the button them this week
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Here is the link and worth reading all the way through. I have tried binding position at +/- 2cm and settled on Blister suggested +1.5cm of centre.

http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/2014-2015-blizzard-brahma

Brahmas were slow edge to edge at Blizzard recommended line. I have used these at over 60mph at +1.5cm (according to my Garmin GPS) and totally stable. Titans need to be on edge to remain stable and feel jittery/concerning to me at much over 45mph. Probably the wide shovel and short length for my size.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Quote:

I have used these at over 60mph


WTF? Were you racing? On Brahmas? Insane.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
No, just hooning around with friends on empty runs. I have skied for nearly 28 years.

The Titan ownership was to reduce speeds from a previous pair of 190 GS skis I had before for piste use.
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Katoom wrote:
I have skied for nearly 28 years.


Good for you Very Happy

Sorry, I'm being a bit rude. On an empty piste, if you know what you're doing you are entitled to ski as fast as you like of course. Personally, I find the idea of 60mph on a regular piste quite terrifying. I once skied on the Val d'Isere world cup course when it was closed (with permission I hasten to add). That was on 203cm slaloms skis (well, punter slalom skis, not real race skis, but still very good skis). I guess that's the fastest I've ever skied, I had no GPS but maybe it was about 60mph and it was great fun, but there was full-on DH safety netting and the snow was groomed to sheer perfection and there was no one in front of me.

Nowadays my mantra is more laid back, it's more about the challenging terrain and the style than speed for me. It certainly sounds like the Brahmas are a speedy ski though, maybe I should demo a pair myself wink I knew they had a reputation for being a great ski for hard pack but the Blister review seems to suggest they ski like a solid GS ski.
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Katoom wrote:
Here is the link and worth reading all the way through. I have tried binding position at +/- 2cm and settled on Blister suggested +1.5cm of centre....Brahmas were slow edge to edge at Blizzard recommended line.

I played around for a while with demo Brahma's mounted with Griffon Demo bindings & found the line to be perfect for an all mountain set-up & definitely not slow edge to edge. Different strokes & all that.

Oh, and don't believe your GPS as they all over egg the speed on snow. Your 60 will be more like high 40's.
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