 Poster: A snowHead
|
I am looking for new skis. I do not change very often and my current ones will probably be good for a few years - I look after them, but I thought I might want to change for next year.
I have Völkl Racetiger GS Racing 180 cm carving skis which are 9 years old and they do everything I want ... on piste, off piste, blacks, bumps ... I started looking at what is available and am a little confused by changing classifications / types. As my ones are Racetigers that is what I looked at again but then noticed the Allmountain skis with a wider base. Are they any good compared to race / slalom carvers?
Skis also seem to be getting lighter with titanium mentioned a lot. Do I need steel and titanium over a wood core??
Some advice please.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Massive can of worms opened.
No titanium in skis - many use a matrix of an aluminium alloy called Titanal particularly around the binding mount area. Wood cores are still the best.
As for what type of skis you need that's really where the can of worms comes in. If you really ski off piste and bumps on a punter GS ski well either you are a very good skier who doesn't really need advice or being a bit over simplistic about your abilities. Where do you ski? How many days a year? What sort of mileage per day? Describe your ideal or typical ski day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
[quote="Gazdok" am a little confused by changing classifications / types... noticed the Allmountain skis with a wider base. Are they any good compared to race / slalom carvers? Skis also seem to be getting lighter with titanium mentioned a lot. Do I need steel and titanium over a wood core?.[/quote]
Welcome to the confusing world of ski buying! 
You need to decide what "good" means and what you want out of a ski. If what you have now suits you, why do you want to change ( except if they're worn)? What about it do you want to change?
Research and then testing (e.g. hire) is best, and you need to try and find what in current ski terms best suits you (not always easy!) or you can happily adapt to.
Metal in skis generally adds weight and also stiffness; a lot of modern skis are going for carbon, for instance, for lightness. Do you want a stiff ski or not? A light ski or not? A real race ski or a more recreational?
And a wider waist, possibly with rocker, all mountain ski will be quite different from a piste carver, never mind slalom ski. They're designed to do different things in different conditions; you may or may not find that an AM suits you - but there's many different makes and models and sizes to choose from.
And then there's the other dimensions, or sidecut, and the radius (again, GS is rather longer than slalom).
What are the dimensions and radius and construction of your current skis?
As said, it's potentially a complex can of worms...
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
I think Grizzler has pretty much covered it. It boils down to how good you are, where you are going to ski (on/off piste) and what ski characteristics you are looking for.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Fri 5-05-17 22:17; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
I have been skiing for pretty much 40 years. I bought my Racetiger because my sister (skiing instructor) told me off for skiing on my then 205 racing skis in the "carving" area. And I went down everything with the 205ers. I know my GS has a radius of 18m but I still like the short turns and I will be out in bad weather when it is chucking it down and looking back up at my line.
I did some research and that was the reason for this thread. I thought Titanal was related to Titanium....
I would like a stiff and stable ski that finds the edge in hard and icy conditions. If it is light that is a bonus. Turning does not really seem a criterium as all current skis are always described as "very forgiving" and "easy to initiate the turn". I am not focused on material but have been looking at the expert end.
I have read about Völkl RTMs, Völkl Code UVO, Salomon X-Drives and the Atomic Nomads and the successor, Head Supershapes and also other slalom and race carvers. I was hoping some people here might have used a e.g. race carver versus a wider AM....
Skiing wise I go once a year as a family wnter holiday usually for 2 weeks and ski down top to bottom nonstop when I am not waiting for my wife.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I'm not really the person to advise as the only piste ski I have is an old WC SL and I'm definitely not fastest down the piste. You'll find plenty of stiff piste performance skis the only question is how much width to add in. I'd say mid 80s width is probably the sweet spot for a piste biased skiers with a bit of ability to handle more variable conditions but still not too much of a handful in bumps.
Carbon gives you light and stiff but can be pretty teeth rattling if it is very hard. Metal gives you damp and stiff.
The real answer is demo - how far from a snowdome are you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Gazdok wrote: |
I have been skiing for pretty much 40 years. I bought my Racetiger because my sister (skiing instructor) told me off for skiing on my then 205 racing skis in the "carving" area. And I went down everything with the 205ers. I know my GS has a radius of 18m but I still like the short turns and I will be out in bad weather when it is chucking it down and looking back up at my line.
I did some research and that was the reason for this thread. I thought Titanal was related to Titanium....
I would like a stiff and stable ski that finds the edge in hard and icy conditions. If it is light that is a bonus. Turning does not really seem a criterium as all current skis are always described as "very forgiving" and "easy to initiate the turn". I am not focused on material but have been looking at the expert end.
I have read about Völkl RTMs, Völkl Code UVO, Salomon X-Drives and the Atomic Nomads and the successor, Head Supershapes and also other slalom and race carvers. I was hoping some people here might have used a e.g. race carver versus a wider AM....
Skiing wise I go once a year as a family wnter holiday usually for 2 weeks and ski down top to bottom nonstop when I am not waiting for my wife. |
Some possible suggestions, which you've mostly listed:
Dynastar Speed Zone 12 Ti
Völkl Code Speedwall S UVO
Head Supershape i.Magnum or Titan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Modern skis @Gazdok, are so much more capable than skis ummm, 15 years ago.
From your profile, and provided you are prepared to update your technique likewise, something like the Blizzard Bonafide might be interesting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
I recently updated my Volkl Racetiger race carvers for Volkl Code Speedwall UVO L and found them to be mindblowingly fabulous! Grip and high speed performance, along with low speed versatility in non-ideal conditions are all excellent. I have also tried the UVO S version and they are probably a fraction more versatile / less mad than the L version. For me, it's not hard to see why these two skis have been winners in the past two year's SCGB piste performance ski tests. My experience and preferences in skis have been oriented towards Volkl GS type skis since the days of the P9, so I admit a degree of bias!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Skeet wrote: |
| My experience and preferences in skis have been oriented towards Volkl GS type skis since the days of the P9, so I admit a degree of bias! |
I go back to the Volkl Renntiger from the very early 80s....great ski. They were a little known brand back then, compared to the big players like Rossignol, Dynastar, Dynamic and Atomic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@Old Fartbag, were they little known? Pretty well known in DACH I think and the O.H. has been on them since 1976.
That said, we do have an old pair of Lamborghini skis in the garage...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@Old Fartbag, were they little known? Pretty well known in DACH I think and the O.H. has been on them since 1976.
That said, we do have an old pair of Lamborghini skis in the garage...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Got some Renntigers from about 1988 at my Dad's house, probably about 20 days of skiing on them total. Might get them out and have a play in a fridge with them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| under a new name wrote: |
@Old Fartbag, were they little known? Pretty well known in DACH I think and the O.H. has been on them since 1976.
That said, we do have an old pair of Lamborghini skis in the garage... |
I should have said little known in UK. It was a SCGB test that put them on the map for me...and they mentioned that they were a hidden treasure, that deserved to be better known. IIRC also in that test was K2 5500, Dynastar Omesoft, Lange SLS and Rossignol Open (not sure which model).
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Sun 7-05-17 18:12; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| endoman wrote: |
| Got some Renntigers from about 1988 at my Dad's house, probably about 20 days of skiing on them total. Might get them out and have a play in a fridge with them. |
I felt the design with the Double Torsion Box and wood core made them stable and lively. I also got some VP 19 SLX in a bomb damage sale in Belfast, some years later.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Gazdok wrote: |
I would like a stiff and stable ski that finds the edge in hard and icy conditions.
I was hoping some people here might have used a e.g. race carver versus a wider AM.... |
You have probably IMHO answered your own question in that first above sentence. Go for a piste performance carver ski. Probably not a true "race" ski though.
As to the 2nd sentence, (and I am not a super skier at all!) I have 10 year old 11m radius, 70mm waist piste carvers and love them for all on piste conditions, but they are limited when it gets soft or deep, side of piste etc and they're not easy to pivot turn, not easy in moguls etc. I have some modern 14m radius, 85mm waist AMs and they are good and fast and great for medium + turns and great for playing on softer and deeper stuff, off the sides and in deeper fresh powder, pivot easily, etc - but I don't like them when it's icy or hardpack unless I'm prepared to go pretty fast, and I can'ski and edge them as aggressively as I am used to on the others (they just need a slightly different technique). I have some 67mm waist 11m radius race slalom skis, and they're great for very stiff race slalom... and not a lot else.
Others will give their own opinion and have a lot more experience than me, but personally I don't believe that there is a perfect AM ski if you're wanting to cover everything from ice to deeper, wetter or powder stuff. You need to decide where you do and don't ski or you buy 2+ pairs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
