Carbon skis

A snowHead

Interested in thoughts /experiences with carbon skis. I have never skied them but was thinking that they may be lighter than normal skis or am I wrong with that thought? Is there a common trend with the performance of them or do they ski different from others because they are just a different ski and not just because they are carbon construction..
Just toying with the idea of new skis and not sure if I should rule the carbon in or out.

A snowHead

Yes they are lighter than standard fibreglass skis. They're popular for touring, where the lighter weight (on all the gear) makes for less energy spent climbing.

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@dp, thanks, although I should have said it would not be for touring. On/off piste skiing is what they will be used for and have been looking at mainly dps or whitedot and the blurb seem to say that they help with reducing fatigue.

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@MogulMonkey, Volkl have been doing the what they call V-Werks - i've been looking at the 'code' version. This years ( and past to) version apparently is very similar to a speedwall 'code' Slalom AND a GS ski combined in one ski. So, the Volkl marketing blurb promise is, 'very good at everything' a good Slalom and GS ski can give you but sadly with a respectively high price tag. Apparently, it's very easy to use. ski it very relaxed or really pushing hard - it does it all. This year Volkl has introduced 'pro' versions of the speedwall S and L, these are much more specific to Slalom and GS disciplines and slightly out perform the general (high end) all-purpose carbon V-Werks.

With the Code series, it has tip and tail rockers with a small camber - great at easy turning and carving etc but going straight at speed i was just slightly uncomfortable with, never wiggly tips but feeling, just a little light on the snow.

I suggest hiring a pair before buying as i would with all skis tbh.

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@MogulMonkey, The term carbon ski is a little misleading, as carbon is often used as a marketing buzz word. So a couple of strands of carbon stringers added to the construction, allows the manufacturer to use the term carbon, but it doesn't make a 'carbon' ski. Even skis which can genuinely be called carbon skis, won't have a very high percentage of carbon in the construction.

I'm a big fan of DPS skis who made their name with carbon skis, but over the years they have been adding damping and weight to many carbon models to remove the chatter that is common on stiff lightweight carbon skis.

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I wouldn't have thought about carbon skis for anything other than touring. If your legs are that fatigued with regular skiing, best to spend the extra money on some lessons

After all it is free

@Themasterpiece, to be fair to the OP, Whitedot do claim (with regards to the Preacher Carbonlite):

@dp, ah but you are comparing 2 different skis, 2 very different sidecuts. ......

At least that's what they'd say wink

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@dp,

I'm such a fool sorry.

In my head I was comparing my R108 carbons to my standard preachers and totally misread your post...

BRAIN FART 😂😂

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Well... I have a pair of BMT 122s which do not have JUST a stringer of two of carbon fibre. They are incredibly light for their length and width but retain rigidity. They are a total bag of dung on frozen surface as takes the technique of the gods to hold an edge. The ara also full camber so.... I have tested Whidedot Carbonlite and regular -several ski models- both in the dome and on the piste and looking back through my notes .... it depends. I like light as it turns without momentum. I like damped as it doesnt rattle on the firm stuff or bounce you off line. If you have the cash to buy carbon, take the brains to test them. Wait til EOSB when they will be on test for free from Spyderjon...plus you get to enjoy the EOSB of course (small print -EOSB is a cost extra supplied by admin.

Truth. Carbon skis are not as damp as trad skis so are a bit counter productive if you only ski pistes or have gruesome luck with off piste coral reef, windpolish or just plain battered.

The original DPS pure construction was rattley than a rattley thing in Euro 3 week drought conditions though the current Alchemist has done things a lot better.

Carbon doesn't necessarily mean better - while I love Director carbonlites because that's a fun flicky ski I prefer the Rag Trad for dampness and a bit of extra stiffness.

You know it makes sense.

@MogulMonkey, I ski Whitedot Ranger 108CL and also Rag CL. Wouldn’t want to swap for anything else. They bash through anything and are awesome in the pow - the flax within them is the key addition to carbon.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@MogulMonkey, +1 for whitedot r108 cl , best allrounder I've ever skied snowHead

A snowHead

I’ve just got on the new DPS Lotus 124 Alchemists and they’re certainly light for a big ski. That definitely makes a difference on the legs when you’re out off piste all day and for hiking.

A snowHead

@Dave of the Marmottes, to be fair, there is also the fact that the director is a reverse cambered ski and the rags have a slight positive camber. Which I do agree that for the typical resort off piste conditions that we casual skiers typically face... as opposed to the pure grain powder that we'd like to think we'll face... is generally better suited!

The important question is... do you ever get the feeling that if some nearly-new Trad Rags were to come up for sale for say, £100?, that you'd like... regret it if you didn't buy them? wink

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@dp, Funny you should say that there was some on eBay the other week for £150 wish I'd brought them but thought the 190 length was pushing the limits.

Back to the original question though, and from what you say your skiing is likely to be. I'd stick to traditional skis. Yes a few hundred grams on a pair of skis is going to make a massive difference when touring. I have Trad Whitedots R108 and on long days the CL 108s are better. But the snow is also different. I still notice chatter and sometimes a lack of edge hold on the Trad when skiing hard pack and its not a particularly rewarding or comfortable experience (you'll end up working harder than if you had a ski suited for those conditons). So if I was you I would look for a slightly narrow width ski - circa mid 80 - 100, that will be a similar weight to a carbon ski at 100+ width but will have the additionally stiffness and drive through crap snow.

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Okay, my 2p worth. I "have" a set of preacher Carbonlites and they really grip on a good piste and off course float like a butterfly in the deep/soft stuff.

Where I really struggled with them (granted partly me) is on really hard icy bits or on the sugary icy sections. I found the tip and tail were chattering and the sugar didn't allow me to get the whole edge down.

So I went back to my piste skis because it was so hard (e.g. at the EOSB in VT last year). However, I tested the ScottSlight 93 from @SpyderJon in 175 and found them to be a great all rounder. Nice off the edge and "really" good on piste. The conditions were too hard for testing on the deep stuff.

I may get a pair next month I thought they were that good.

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I have a pair of Director Carbonlites and a pair of “piste” skis with metal through them. I have tested lots of skis, carbon and not. I’m not particularly large and find that lighter skis mean I’m not working as hard, and I’ve not had any problems on the Directors in crud etc.

@GlasgowCyclops, I think your Preacher issues might be down to them being Preachers rather than the construction. I tested a pair of Preacher trads in similar conditions to those you described and had exactly the same issues (but probably with a bit less control as they’re too stiff and burly for me). They don’t need much soft snow to get a grip, but they do seem to need something, and on sugar-topped hardpack they were a liability.

On the EOSB last year, I was having a bad time on the Directors (left the others at home), and Jon lent me some Scott Superguide 95s. I’m not sure how they compare to the Slight as I haven’t had a go on them yet, but they were an excellent (stiff) ski on hardpack pistes and pretty good off piste. They are primarily a touring ski so very light weight, but shouldn’t be ruled out without testing as they are not what you would expect at all.

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Thanks for all the comments. I currently ski soul 7’s which I really enjoy but it has to be said the harder the piste the more considerate I need to be or find my edges not engaging as much or hard as I want them to, horses for courses and all that!.
I was hoping that the general feedback would be that carbon was the way to go but it seems more like I need to test some carbon skis and make a decision based on my personal experience which I prefer. I’ve spent a lot of time on slalom and all mountains and as much as I enjoyed them in my earlier years I have loved the last 3 or 4 years on the soles probably due to them being a softer ski and less demanding so it will be something along the same ‘type’ as the sole 7 that I will buy.
So outside touring it seems that carbon itself is not necessarily the way to go but testing is a must.

After all it is free

Hi guys, happy to answer and specifics anyone has on Whitedot here, from a skiers perspective. Been on the whole range in all constructions and sizes for a number of years now.
As for the question of fatiguing on the Carbonlite, it really comes down to the light weight which translates to reduced swing weight etc on the mountain.

When it comes to my own personal take on the two constructions we offer, I prefer the CL in our bigger skis which are fantastic and intuitive in softer snow and the reduced weight comes in handy when hiking or touring for lines.

For me, personally, the Trad construction really comes into its own when your riding the resort day to day and for me the 181 Director rocks for this.

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@dp, the other thing is the side cut on the short Preachers – I was chatting to @midgetbiker about it and he said that the dimensions weren’t really scaled up through the sizes, just moved along the ski, so the shorter ones I was using (169) turn tighter than your 189s, which can make them a bit trickier to handle too.

[edit] And if you consider the size/weight difference between someone like me or GlasgowCyclops and you, it’s more than the 10-20cm ratio difference in the skis.

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@Scarlet, that can make sense. I think potentially - as you alluded to - it is also just quite a burly ski and needs a fair bit of weight behind it to make it work. So I applaud you for the effort but I am not surprised that it was challenging since I find that I have to commit to them and I'm putting a fair bit more energy through them than you!! If you were getting them to turn tight enough that their shorter radius turn (through the even steeper sidecut) was having an effect, then all fair play to you

But yes I think it's just like a slightly weird sensation, normally when you have your skis right on the edges then your feet are somewhere near the snow. On the Preachers there's still a noticeable gap!

But as you also alluded to, and I have always loved... I think they're just wonderful when you have soft stuff on top of a solid piste. You really only need 1-2cm of snow to suffice. They're so much fun as long as there's a bit to get them stuck into.

@dp, that’s why I have the Directors instead wink

If you want to be really impressed, hunt down @Jude1 for a review – she’s not much bigger than me but was happily wielding a pair of 189 Preacher CLs in 2015!

You know it makes sense.

Yeah I assume as much... but with this being my last season with rail bindings on my Ragnaroks you really ought to have a go before it's too late wink

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Oh it wasn't a confession. I heard that a pair of nearly-new trad rags came up for sale for about £100, around April 2016, and you passed up on the offer wink

A snowHead

Not so much passed up more stolen under my nose by someone who was "definitely getting the Preachers"!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Oh I'm not mad - I just know they'll remain lightly used vs their potential;)

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When you say vs their potential... do you mean like the other demo pair which ended up a little bit not for demo or even for sale because you dragged them over a rock?

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I ski Rag CL 191 no complaints, to the contrary best ski I’ve had. For non powder then I’m on 108 CL Ranger but much prefer the Rags. No problems in any snow types. I don’t like icy crud anyway so if these have a dislike it’s that however I’m not in it anyway I prefer skiing piste on my 108’s if it’s heavy crud.

After all it is free

@Dave of the Marmottes, also to be fair I did get the Preachers too so it wasn't actually a lie Very Happy

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Carbon skis

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