 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello all, have read a lot of good reviews on Down Skis on here.
My favourite skis of recent years are my 191cm Volkl Katana, love them and use them for lift served off piste and everything else for that matter.
However skinning back up with them is a bit of an effort, as they are so heavy which is what makes them good.
Down skis look like a good option but I am confused by their product line - am looking for a lighter weight touring ski but don't want a noodle, my thoughts on various skis to give you a flavour of what I like/don't like before you give suggestions:
1. Katana - Fav ski does everything well
2. Rossi Squad 7 (wood version not airtip rubbish) Good powder ski, not so good in chop - I own a pair
3. Rossi Soul 7 - one of the worst skis I have ever tested, noodles.
4. DPS RPC 112 - equal with Soul 7 - noodles
5. Moment Governors - good ski but Katana is a bit easier going, came close to buying
6. Rossi Super 7 195cm - good ski but a bit flappy so sold them
I have bought a pair of 2015 Gotamas cheap from Germany as a back up to my Katanas for harder days and skiing/touring in Scotland but ideally want a lighter weight tour set up. I like the look of Down skis, so what would people who have skied Down Skis recommend?
I have considered the V werks Katana, but having looked at how thin they are, and the price they are off the list at the moment.
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Most manufacturers these days have a 1.5kg 100mm ski in their line up which would be ideal for touring.
Though as ever there is a downhill performance compromise with lighter kit (vs a heavy ski like Katana) - especially in variable snow.
Movement Shift or Faction Agent look like lovely light touring skis and would be on my shopping list.
(Though for now I am sticking with slightly heavier K2 hardside + dyanfits!)
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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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@interpaul, sounds like we have a similar taste in skis (stiff and big turn radius). Other skis I like include 193 4FRNT EHP, OG 190 Moment Bibby Pro, Down CD1. Found the Black Crows Nocta too short, soft and turny.
I've been using Down skis for a while, and really like - I should also admit some bias as I'm kindof on the team now going into this season.
What sort of ski are you looking for though? If you really want a lighter Katana, then last year's SD115 in carbon (http://www.downskis.com/14-15-skis/showdown-115) should definitely be on your radar (it's not a real lightweight, but light for the size and flex).
I haven't skied mine yet, but they're mounted with Kingpins and I really think they'll the 'modernised and lighter EHP' I was looking for for touring.
If you want a narrower touring specific ski, then the YW8's (old CD4/CD102 if you want to search TGR for reviews) are also supposed to be pretty stiff and charge for the weight/size, but I've never tried them.
The CD107 would sit somewhere in between the two.
Overall great skis for excellent prices.
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@clarky999 thanks for the reply and yes it does sound like we have similar taste in skis 
Am looking for a narrower ski, was thinking around 100-110 waist so this ski looks good http://www.downskis.com/shop/countdown-107-2015 but its only available in a 183 which seems a bit short.
@Haggis_Trap the Agent does look nice, I suppose I want a slightly lighter ski than the Kats, not sure if a super light ski will be a lot of fun on the way down though, its a hard call - uphill ease versus downhill compromise.
I have Gotama's arriving soon, which are 107 underfoot, I could put KingPins on them instead of Guardians which would reduce weight as I have Scarpa Freedoms, pin bindings concern me though!
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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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^ the way I see it is that you have a big charger ski for lifts / resorts / side country.
therefore there is little merit in buying another ski that overlaps too much ?
though it depends what kind of touring you want to do....
as you say the most efficient way to save weight is pin bindings (no longer lifting weight of the binding every stride - it is a game changer). integrated over a 600m-1000m climb that is equivalent to several tonnes of weight.
gotama (or mantra) + dynafits isn't a outrageously heavy set up and would be much more efficient than katana + guardians.
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I really like the Down 102 for touring or resort if you are really going to avoid the pistes. It is definitely on the stiffer side which seems to align well with your preferences. The shaping works well in any funky snow and it floats well for such a narrow ski, but the lack of sidecut makes life a little uninteresting on pistes, so it is not a do everything ski. I'd think that the 107 as it might be just a touch more versatile as an all round resort / tourer but I've not skied it.
By way of background, I have Praxis GPOs and Freerides for resort and occasional uphill, and Lotus 120s and Down 102 for tours. I prefer something a bit stiffer in the tip and typically more traditional in feel (DPS Wailers / Black Crows Atris / Soul 7 all to soft). The GPOs are new to me this year and I'm hoping that they feel a bit more sturdy than the usual 'fun shapes'.
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Thanks all, Doug (haggis_trap) think I will try a set of KingPins on the Gotamas, they are the only tech binding I would consider as they have a normal heelpiece. That will half the weight of the bindings and make the walk up easier, plus as you say no frame will make the action easier. I got the Gotamas for £250 from Germany so will shop around Euroland for a set of Kingpins , I see Ekosport have them for £270 which is a lot less thank Snow&Rock, who are selling at £390.
Happy Christmas
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You should not discount the V-werks. I've owned the DPS 112 ver1 and Pure2's, Pm Lhasa and skied the Rossi Soul 7s extensively. While I've liked all these skis, I LOVE the V-werks and are probably the best (and most surprising) ski I have ever owned. They are NOT fragile despite being very light and thin. Yes, they are expensive but I bought them on sale and where cheaper than the DPS. I kinda wish Volkl had not put the hole in them for skins as most people looking at them think they are designed for touring, which is really not the case.
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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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| clarky999 wrote: |
@interpaul
What sort of ski are you looking for though? If you really want a lighter Katana, then last year's SD115 in carbon (http://www.downskis.com/14-15-skis/showdown-115) should definitely be on your radar (it's not a real lightweight, but light for the size and flex).
I haven't skied mine yet, but they're mounted with Kingpins and I really think they'll the 'modernised and lighter EHP' I was looking for for touring.
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I see the SD115 look like they are still available, have you skied yours yet, what do you think?
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| interpaul wrote: |
| clarky999 wrote: |
@interpaul
What sort of ski are you looking for though? If you really want a lighter Katana, then last year's SD115 in carbon (http://www.downskis.com/14-15-skis/showdown-115) should definitely be on your radar (it's not a real lightweight, but light for the size and flex).
I haven't skied mine yet, but they're mounted with Kingpins and I really think they'll the 'modernised and lighter EHP' I was looking for for touring.
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I see the SD115 look like they are still available, have you skied yours yet, what do you think? |
I've still only had two days touring (and about 30 mins groomer skiing) on them, but love them so far! They're exactly what I was looking for. A lot like the EHP, just as stable at speed, but lighter (carbon), even more nimble (subtle full rocker), and seemed slightly better on the groomers - obviously with the caveat that they still average over a 40m turn radius, but seem to initiate turns a little better than the EHP (presumably due to the variable sidecut with 29m radius at the tip). Noticeably lighter on the skin track than the EHPs too.
I haven't skied any bad snow on them yet, but I imagine they'll ski like the EHPs there too: stay in the fall line and give it some gas and they'll knife through anything, go slow and sideways and you'll get bucked around. Little less damp than the EHPs, but way damper than other carbon skis I've used.
Basically if you want a powerful ski to ski fast GS turns in fresh or smooth snow, that's also nimble and able to pivot on a dime, slash out the tail and drift, but light enough to tour with, they're pretty unbeatable right now. The frictionless feeling in pow is really addictive, and something you only get with straight skis and long/low rocker IME.
If you want something that'll help you initiate and complete turns, then they're not it. And they don't really give much reward skiing onpiste (but perfectly fine to get around).
Again noting that I have last year's carbon not the current season's metal version (still available though http://www.downskis.com/14-15-skis/showdown-115)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| interpaul wrote: |
| clarky999 wrote: |
@interpaul
What sort of ski are you looking for though? If you really want a lighter Katana, then last year's SD115 in carbon (http://www.downskis.com/14-15-skis/showdown-115) should definitely be on your radar (it's not a real lightweight, but light for the size and flex).
I haven't skied mine yet, but they're mounted with Kingpins and I really think they'll the 'modernised and lighter EHP' I was looking for for touring.
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I see the SD115 look like they are still available, have you skied yours yet, what do you think? |
I've still only had two days touring (and about 30 mins groomer skiing) on them, but love them so far! They're exactly what I was looking for. A lot like the EHP, just as stable at speed, but lighter (carbon), even more nimble (subtle full rocker), and seemed slightly better on the groomers - obviously with the caveat that they still average over a 40m turn radius, but seem to initiate turns a little better than the EHP (presumably due to the variable sidecut with 29m radius at the tip). Noticeably lighter on the skin track than the EHPs too.
I haven't skied any bad snow on them yet, but I imagine they'll ski like the EHPs there too: stay in the fall line and give it some gas and they'll knife through anything, go slow and sideways and you'll get bucked around. Little less damp than the EHPs, but way damper than other carbon skis I've used.
Basically if you want a powerful ski to ski fast GS turns in fresh or smooth snow, that's also nimble and able to pivot on a dime, slash out the tail and drift, but light enough to tour with, they're pretty unbeatable right now. The frictionless feeling in pow is really addictive, and something you only get with straight skis and long/low rocker IME.
If you want something that'll help you initiate and complete turns, then they're not it. And they don't really give much reward skiing onpiste (but perfectly fine to get around).
Again noting that I have last year's carbon not the current season's metal version (still available though http://www.downskis.com/14-15-skis/showdown-115) |
Cheers for that, they are sold out of the Showdown now. Will wait and see what comes up for next season - the 114M also looks a good option.
I am a total fan of long straight skis with low rocker - they make skiing easy
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