 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, just wondering if anyone had any advice please. I'm looking at buying some skis and can't decide which to buy. I have narrowed it down to the Dynastar Exclusive Idyll and the Salomon X wing 6. The thing is both are geared at different experienced groups. I'm an intermediate skier or I ski red runs with no problems but am working on my technique and style. I'm not the fastest but will let them go when I feel comfortable and I want to improve. I'm ambitious I suppose but not got the style yet to be a classy skier. I don't lack enthusiam. I've tried a couple of short blacks but it was an effort to make it down, conditions were tough and I did struggle a bit but kept trying. I made it down the final time with a bit more tact but still nothing to boast about.
The X Wing from the reviews I've read and the charts on sites say its geared toward the beginner/intermediate market, which I've probably been using similar but I have improved a bit and my dilemma is do I get something I might outgrow very shortly or get something like the dynastar Idyll that's more Intermediate/advanced intermediate rated?
I'm a little worried that I'll punch above my weight and end up not being able to control them? Maybe I wouldn't even notice and fretting over nothing but I'm hoping someone will be able to advise me if a better ski will bring my skiing on too or maybe have the opposite effect?
So should I stay with the floppy beginner style ski or go for something a grade up with the hope I'll improve and need them anyway?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to SH's.
I cant give you advice over the Dynastar but i have been using the X wing 6 for quite a few years.
I have skied for many many years, now done 22 weeks and i am pretty good on any piste and moguls. Happy to go flat out and carve.
More than happy with them but i paid very little for them.
Had them on the EOSB last week and would be happy to stick with them, however.........
Spent a few hours on Kneissel Red Stars Race Carvers courtesy of Swiss Tim (many thanks). They were twice the weight of my Salomons but were much better in the heavy slush and on steeper reds due to the stiffness. That said i am quite an aggressive skier.
So thumbs up for the X wing 6.
What length are you looking at? I might be persuaded to part with them and then buy Swiss Tims ex demo Kneissels.
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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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Thanks for the great response! I'm looking at 151cm as I'm only 5'5 and slight. Don't think I'm experience enough for longer than 155cm maybe. I've only had shorties up to now so worried it might be more of a struggle to turn longer ones for now.
Last time I tried a little off piste and really loved it. (My brain doesn't quite realise how bad my body is at skiing yet.)
So looking for something that's a good all rounder really, I just want to be struggling on something that's too sensitive, if that's even a thing!?!
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@mafra, neither of those skis are current models as far as I can tell, so are you buying second hand? Also, are you female, and roughly what do you weigh? I think the skis might be a little short unless you are particularly light.
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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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No problem, my pleasure. Sorry i cant be any help with the Dynastars.
Well i am 5'9 and mine are 165s but i intentionally went short and light due to dodgy knees.
I am surprised you can get hold of the X wing 6 as they are quite an old model now.
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Hi scarlet, thanks for replying. Yes female, 125lbs.
I've got friends who have these and I can buy them. I've been given shorter from the rental shops, not sure why, guy took a pair I thought were perfect size last time and he took them back and gave me smaller ones. I'm not experienced enough to know the difference in feel as the snow is always a bit different so I think I tend to blame that for any change first.
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Thanks Ian, they're not new ones. They've been used a bit but still look great. It's just to leave at my families place so I don't have to rent each time I go.
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@mafra, in that case go with them. Great all rounder.
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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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I had the Idylls, brilliant skis. Very easy to turn and cope very well with all conditions except deep snow (ie more than knee deep). They don't like to go super-fast - but it sounds like you won't be doing that anyway.
You won't regret buying them.
I'm 5'7 and had the 158s, don't go too short!
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@mafra, if this was my choice I would go with the Dynastars, primarily for the slightly wider waist (you said you want to take them off piste). They are probably of similar stiffness, but it looks like the Dynastars are a better ski. I reckon you want the 152cm.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks for all the help guys!
Scarlet thanks for the input and just checked the pic of them and they are 152cm. Happy days!
I'm in a bit of a flap just because I'm on the cusp of improving and just really starting to feel at home on the snow, taking on some trickier and sportier stuff even though pretty tentatively. I just don't want to get something I can't handle but sounds like the Idylls aren't super stiff which is probably the biggest difference I'd need to watch out for?
The Idylls had fantastic reviews, (lots on YouTube)so they would have been my overall choice if I was a better skier but sounds like you guys think it's not going to be a I've issue to handle them.
They say they're made specifically for women, encourage a more forward stance etc. Did you find that helpful Honeybunny or was there a difference at all?
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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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@mafra, I don't think they'll be super stiff. I hired a version of the Legends in 2011, though I can't find a picture of the exact model (probably a memory failure). That was week 4 for me, and I remember enjoying them so much that I looked into buying, though didn't in the end.
I do set the bindings on my Atomics (similar all mountain ski to the Dynastars, I suppose) to slightly forward of the centre on the recommendation of @Spyderjon. If the binding is on a rail then it is easy to move, but if they are fixed then you may be stuck unless you re-drill.
If you're struggling, consider having a few lessons to increase your confidence.
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Great thanks Scarlet, when I say struggling I suppose I mean I'm frustrated that I don't look like a swan, more like a duck trying to run when things gets tricky 
I get there, I just need more miles on the tricky stuff.
I had a few lessons last month and my instructor told me off that I should be asking for better skis. I just didn't want to sound like a jerk at the counter asking for intermediate skis when I have no clue as to what I was even talking about. I'm sure there's an epidemic of people who talk the talk.
I'll have a go, I'm not nervous but I'd just like to be more fluid. Hopefully that'll come with experience. My instructor started me carving but I thought my basics weren't stylish enough to start that to be really honest. I have a little go every now and then but I'm under no illusions. (I've heard my friends talk about carving but it's not even carving in reality.)
I did find it tough getting down a few short blacks in terrible conditions. As in lots of plotting my next move instead of just flowing along.
Patience and practice I suppose.
I think the bindings are on a rail, I'll check. Interested to hear more about that!!
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You know it makes sense.
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I wouldn't get too hung up about using "advanced" skis at your level. When my wife was at the stage you sound like you are I bought her a pair of decent "advanced/expert" level all mountain skis (Movement Spicy as linked below) and she had no problem moving from her previous "beginner" skis straight to those. They actually helped her to make progress and made it much easier for her to cope with skiing in deeper or chopped up snow. She later passed these Spicy's down to a friend who was a pretty timid intermediate at the time and she got on fine with them too and still has them today. I'm afraid I don't have any experience of the skis you mentioned.
https://citizenski.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/movement-spicy-skis-2009/
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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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@uktrailmonster, thanks for that! Probably just what I need to hear.
If I was handed them as rentals I wouldn't think too much about it as I'd consider they know about it than I do.
I just don't trust myself to choose a pair as I wouldn't know the difference and what the impact would be. I'm going to go with the Idylls as the reviews have been great on them, so hopefully they'll help rather than hinder me. I just want a pair I can leave where I'll be skiing most and not have rent each time.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@mafra, renting can be a total crapshoot – not all the shops will know better than you, but you'll only learn this with experience. Just getting on the same pair of skis each time and knowing how they feel will probably help you in the long run, and I agree that you may as well have your own if you're going out regularly and have somewhere to store them.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@mafra, I have a pair of Dynastar Legends and, although they are not my current ski (I find them a bit too light and bendy now and get better performance from a slightly stiffer/heavier ski which I have to work harder) I am keeping them in case my already dodgy knees get even dodgier. A fantastic ski, can do anything anywhere, and I'm sure they'd be fine for your level of skiing. If it's any help, I weigh about the same as you, though am 3ins shorter, and mine are 152s.
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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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Yes Scarlet, my instructor said the exact same thing. He said they will give you any old thing because you won't know the difference. (Which is true as I wouldn't) He said it was fine for the first few attempts when you're not really doing anything but snow plough and trying to keep standing upright, which I guess makes sense. I can parallel and am getting more and more adventurous.
I do have to say the last few times, as I can now keep up more with family and friends, I was totally getting left behind when just letting go near the end of a run. They all just passed me out and left me for dead which was annoying as I was trying to and happy to go at speed but my little skis just seemed to be like sandpaper and I was getting stuck in quicksand. They were on the same snow and all let go from same point so I presume that was my skis. They just didn't want to go, despite me frantically stabbing the snow like a psychopath! I don't want to get too big for boots either though and be run away with..
My family lives in Switzerland so it'll be great to have skis there. Renting adds up and even more annoying if you're paying for something that's not exactly great to begin with, even if I don't really know it yet.
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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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Yes Honey Bunny, it's the first ones not sure what year it was to be honest.
What was the difference if you don't mind me picking your brain please? More front rocker? Or no tail?
Thanks!!
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Mine are the lower (earlier) pair. I like them!
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Mrs Sangers ski's the Legends Idyll's above (2012) and loves them. She bought them when she was skiing parallel and just starting to carve if thats of any help. She still ski's them today, they are a really solid ski, very well constructed.
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Don't undersell yourself on the length either. I would say that 151 cm could well be too short for you, especially on a rockered ski. My wife is also 5'5" and 57kg and her shortest skis (pure piste carvers, no rocker) are 158 cm and her all mountain rockered skis are 166 cm. She is an advanced skier these days, but she's skied on this kind of length since her intermediate days. As those Dynastars are rockered they will ski a bit shorter than a non-rockered ski - typically a 151 cm will feel more like a 145 cm on piste! If you are skiing slow and like to do very short turns then you may find a shorter ski just fine, but it's when you start going faster and making larger radius carving turns that you will appreciate the stability of a longer ski.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Thanks @Hurtle, Just noticed pretty much all of the YouTube reviews are of the 2011 model which basically each person who trialled them have 5/5. Not sure what the difference is between 2011/2012 model.
Thought I had a very minute understanding of rocker and camber, turns out after some research, I'm more confused
And thank you @uktrailmonster and @coddlesangers what length would you suggest I should be looking at, given I've started on shorties?
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@mafra, I think everyone starts on shorties, the 140s I was given as my first hire pair would feel like snowblades now! If it helps, I'm 5'4" and 61kg. My ski that is closest to these (all mountain rocker) is a 159cm, but I am not a cautious skier.
The longer length will give you more stability at speed but you may find them harder to turn. As far as I can see, your options are 152 or 158. I would take the 158 for myself, but as above, I'm a bit heavier and probably more aggressive, so get whichever you feel most comfortable with.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks Scarlet, that's a great help. I'm not so aggressive as still learning to cope with tricky conditions on steeper stuff so control and turning would be a consideration for me. I'm not at the stage yet where I can launch off the top of challenging one and pick my spot as I go. It still takes a bit of route planning when the snow is anything but straight forward. I'm pretty comfy on reds but I wouldn't be ripping them up.
Would be apprehensive about long skis and would worry it be like trying to do a u turn in a stretch hummer! I should probably try a slightly longer pair and see how I cope..
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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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If this is the ski we are talking about:-
http://skicanadamag.com/ski-tests/ski-test-2012/dynastar-exclusive-legend-idyll-2012
It was made in lengths of 146, 152, 158, 164 and 170. On that basis, with your height and build I'd be looking at 158 cm. I believe it's a slightly rockered ski, so it will tend to feel a bit shorter in turns than it is. This ski also has a pretty short radius sidecut (14 m) so it should be pretty easy to turn. I honestly don't think you would have any trouble skiing this in a 158 but I'd put money on it that you would quickly outgrow the 152. An expert skier of your size would almost certainly take the 164 in this ski.
If you're worried about it being too long, it would be better to think of the 158 as being the normal length for your height/build and the 164 as being "long". The 152 is definitely a "short" ski in this case. Whenever I look at skis I always look at the range of lengths they come in and that gives you an idea where you are likely to fit in. The 146 is clearly aimed at beginners and very short, lightweight women and the 170 is for the tallest, heaviest women. At 5'5" slight build, progressing intermediate you should be somewhere in the middle, hence 158.
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@uktrailmonster, agreed, I would certainly go for a 158 on that ski (my old 152s are, as noted above, not rockered) and I'm shorter than the op.
By the way, brilliant of HoneyBunny to realise that we were discussing two different skis! 
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You know it makes sense.
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Great explanation uktrailmonster! Makes sense.
Thanks for that.
So is rockered or non rockered the way to go?
Don't think I've tried a rockered one as my skis always sat to together nicely with the usual camber from what I'd noticed.
Are there pros and cons for my level of ability? Did you like the non rockered one better Hurtle?
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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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The rocker makes the ski easier to turn, so it should be a help rather a hindrance.
| uktrailmonster wrote: |
| An expert skier of your size would almost certainly take the 164 in this ski. |
I'm not sure that an "expert" would select this ski...
@Hurtle, what size are you getting in the Lunas? I also took them out last week, but at 154 and twin tip I found them way too short, and I know that your usual Dynastars are pretty much the same length as my Atomics. What happened to will power? I managed not to buy anything for myself, but have snapped up a pair of R108 out of the back of the truck for N!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| mafra wrote: |
So is rockered or non rockered the way to go?
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Don't worry about it. Most skis these days have rockered tips and maybe tails to some extent. It makes them more forgiving and easier to initiate turns. They also tend to ski a bit shorter than their indicated length, because some of the edge is not always in contact with the snow. Don't confuse yourself with fully rockered powder skis, the sort of skis we're talking about here will have plenty of traditional camber in the middle and will just have early rise tips and maybe tails as well.
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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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| Scarlet wrote: |
I'm not sure that an "expert" would select this ski...
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Why not? It seemed to get good reviews from experts in the review I posted above. It might not be a hardcore "expert only" ski, but it seems like a perfectly reasonable choice for an expert looking for a general everyday ski. My point was only that an expert would almost certainly choose a longer length.
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@Scarlet, the Lunas come in 156 and 166, and I think it was the 156 we both tested. I suspect my ideal length is somewhere between the two, but I need to talk to Spyderjon about this. I know you ski faster than I do and you're taller than me as well, but was wondering in what manner the skis demonstrated being "way too short" for you?
I take it your question about will power was rhetorical.
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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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@Hurtle, yeah, must be 156 then. They just felt a bit less stable at speed than my Atomics, which I attribute to the smaller length and twin tip making them effectively 10+cm shorter. You'd probably be fine with the longer ones for the same reason, though they will tower over you 
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Jon says 156. He's the boss. Bought. (Sorry for thread drift, I just got a bit excited about my shiny new skis.  )
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@UKTrailmonster Ok duly noted, I won't overthink that bit and just go with it. I'm sure I won't know the difference anyway..
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| mafra wrote: |
Yes Honey Bunny, it's the first ones not sure what year it was to be honest.
What was the difference if you don't mind me picking your brain please? More front rocker? Or no tail?
Thanks!! |
Well.
I liked the 2011 versions on hardpack, they were a bit of a revelation compared to my noodly old Head carvers. However, I struggled badly on them in boot deep fresh snow, they just couldn't cope with it, and were a real handful when it bumped up later in the day.
Not so the 2012s. They cope with everything on piste, even deep slush (they're actually super fun in slush and made me enjoy skiing it!). They carve, are happy with long and short turns and hold a very good edge. The difference the rocker makes is that the tips ride over the snow much better, and turns initiate far more easily. It's only slight rocker but it does help.
Anything much more than knee deep and they're not the skis you want.
| Hurtle wrote: |
@uktrailmonster, agreed, I would certainly go for a 158 on that ski (my old 152s are, as noted above, not rockered) and I'm shorter than the op.
By the way, brilliant of HoneyBunny to realise that we were discussing two different skis! |
Aw you are too kind xxx
Congrats on the new planks!
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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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@HoneyBunny,
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| Quote: |
I liked the 2011 versions on hardpack, they were a bit of a revelation compared to my noodly old Head carvers. However, I struggled badly on them in boot deep fresh snow, they just couldn't cope with it, and were a real handful when it bumped up later in the day.
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Interesting. How did they behave when they were a handful? Sorry to be so quizzical!!
I don't think I'll be going in snow quite that deep yet anyway.
Most places I've been to so far have been far from ideal conditions, icy in the morning, hard packed, slushy in the afternoon and quite ploughed up looking like a mogul field by evening. So I would like something to cope and provide some help with poor piste conditions I suppose primarily. 
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