having not skied much over the last few years I've hired skis and left my own skis - a ten plus year old pair of Volkls at home.
I'm off at half term with the family in Austria and attending the end of season bash in April and having just invested in a new pair of boots and clothing wasn't intending on purchasing any skis until next year.
However, if I see a good deal at the end of the season, I might take the plunge and purchase a pair of all mountain skis.
From the reviews I have read, the 2019 Volkl Mantras look like a good allrounder and wondered if anybody could advise me on size.
I also like the Kastle BMX105HP, though not sure if they are directly comparable with the Mantras
I'm 5' 8'' tall and currently around the 85kg weight though working hard to get that down to around 80kg.
Cheers..
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@ElDiablo, Stop right there.
If you are attending the EoSB, there will be a ski test somewhere around mid-week, and you can try all mountain skis out to your heart's content, on an actual proper mountain. Deals can often be had, too.
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?
Nice one - thank you.
I'll stop right there!!
If anybody has any experience of the skis I have mentioned though, I would appreciate any feedback available please.
@ElDiablo,
I suspect the 177 is the right answer unless you are a very strong skier.
Full disclosure : I havent skied the M5 although I've dabbled with a few earlier models. I do ski regularly with two mates about your size (although more like 75kg) who are strong skiers and have generally been on Mantras of various models either 170 or 177. I always felt the 177 worked better for them.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I ski the M5's in 184 and really like them (but I owned the Mk 3 Mantras before that for many years and really liked them too) - although of course it all depends upon what you are used to/ style of ski that you prefer. Definitely test the skis in both 177 & 184 if you get the chance in both piste & powder.
@jedster and oui4ski thanks for the advice.
If I'm able to, I'll definitely try out different sizes
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Scarlet wrote:
@ElDiablo, Stop right there.
If you are attending the EoSB, there will be a ski test somewhere around mid-week, and you can try all mountain skis out to your heart's content, on an actual proper mountain. Deals can often be had, too.
Also you're going at half term too, so walk around town looking to see what the different hire shops have/which look like plank shifters and which look a little more bespoke. Pick a shop based on that, go for the top price package and ask for a pair of (ski1 you want to try). After a couple of days go back and ask to swap to a pair of (ski2 you'd like to try). Repeat. Also useful to chat with the guys about what type of ski you're looking for when you go back mid-week. My experience is that at the less "Two boots, two planks, two poles, next!" stores the guys will be bored and enjoy getting some of the fun toys out from around the back.
NOTE: Does mean you pay more as you can't get a pre-booking discount, but then the fact you've spent more money with them tends to mean they are happier to spend more time on you.
After all it is free
After all it is free
I think any ski shop will let you test skis. They will mount some up for you if they haven't got some in the rental rack. You'll pay for the "hire" but they will knock it off the purchase price if you buy. I'm pretty sure they will let you try 2 or 3 pairs on that basis and knock all the trial costs off the purchase price. The downside is that you will have to pay full ski resort retail price for the skis but that is the cost of the excellent service.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@ElDiablo,
Mantra is All Mountain/Freeride, which to me means its more an offpiste orientated ski tailored very little toward piste especially what might be termed 'piste performance' , admittedly you haven't asked for that... So, as scarlet says, get some demo's in and trying in different lengths is vitally important to.
I reckon this is a fairly good review, especially the second guy.
The calculator above ask all sorts of pertinent questions and you may not have all the answers it asks but it's a good starting point.
In the end, ( i repeat), as scarlet says, get some demo's in and trying in different lengths is vitally important to.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@ElDiablo, were your 10 year old skis Mantras?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I agree, @jedster, mrs U (~57 kgs) is on and I (62kgs) was on 177s. 170 would be too short, IME. 183 might be unnecessary.
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.
oui4ski wrote:
@ElDiablo, were your 10 year old skis Mantras?
@oui4ski, I'm not sure how long Volkl have been producing Mantras, but suspect my skis were way before then.
Just gone into the garage to check what they are - they're Volkl 724Pro's, and having googled them I think they may be even older that 10 years old.
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
@THee, thanks for that.
I'll check out the review and the size calculator.
I intend to demo as many skis before I buy as I can.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@ElDiablo, the first Mantras were in 2006!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Resorts like St Anton, Chamonix, Tignes etc will have shops with good selection of All Mountain skis to trial. I have noticed that more intermediate piste orientated resorts do not offer such skis to trial.
Spyderjohn had a great selection to try at last years EOSB if you can wait.
I trialled some M5 Matras at the PSB in Tignes. Phenomenal skis. Like skiing on rails. Need to be a strong skier! - am 100kg, 50 weeks, 6ft 3”. Was recommended the 184cm.
Had a good deal with Sports Conrad. There were not that many available! Just been to St Anton and took my Rossi Super 7s at 116mm rather than the Mantras as there was such deep snow. However found the Arlberg guide skiing Mantras quite happily in the thigh deep powder. In fact I was the only member of my group on skis above 100 mm
Anyone want to buy some fat powder skis?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
ElDiablo wrote:
I'm 5' 8'' tall and currently around the 85kg weight though working hard to get that down to around 80kg.
I hate you already and if we meet onna bash I will flambé yer gonads in Calvados and serve them to dadmin with Mung beans and a twice fermented dry cider [/lecter_mode]
just saying like
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 19-01-19 22:34; edited 1 time in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@ElDiablo, Oh, and go to the eosb before deflowering yer wallet. The M5 are great but you may be a little light for them unless you are a powerful skier. Have more of a play before flashing the cash
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?
@ElDiablo Both skis are very different. The Mantra is a all 50/50 mountain ski the Kastle is a freeride ski. There is a lot of good skis in both categories... Maybe you can tell us about how you ski and what you like.
The Mantra is a pretty stiff ski, even in this new M5 version. I got a pair in 177 and would not advise to get longer unless you are a very heavy/athletic skier.
@ElDiablo, l confess l haven't tried either ski but from my research in the same neck of the woods, l think that the Kastle FX95 is the Mantras direct competitor being their off piste oriented all mountain ski, while the BMX is their freeride offering.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@proskilab,
Quote:
The Mantra is a all 50/50 mountain ski
Volkl refers to it as an 'All Mountain / Freeride'. Under that description, could that be described 50/50 or more like a 30/70 or even maybe a 20/80 ?
IMO, i'd prefer to call it a 30/70 meaning (30 % Piste / 70 % Off-Piste)..yes i'm being pedantic and yes, it may well carve long turns (gs type) real nice.
@ElDiablo, Oh, and go to the eosb before deflowering yer wallet. The M5 are great but you may be a little light for them unless you are a powerful skier. Have more of a play before flashing the cash
@Masque, yes I'm going to the EOSB, so intend to demo as many skis as I can before I part with any money.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Masque wrote:
@ElDiablo, Oh, and go to the eosb before deflowering yer wallet. The M5 are great but you may be a little light for them unless you are a powerful skier. Have more of a play before flashing the cash
@Masque, yes I'm going to the EOSB, so intend to demo as many skis as I can before I part with any money.
After all it is free
After all it is free
proskilab wrote:
@ElDiablo Both skis are very different. The Mantra is a all 50/50 mountain ski the Kastle is a freeride ski. There is a lot of good skis in both categories... Maybe you can tell us about how you ski and what you like.
@proskilab, I guess I'm a fairly aggressive skier.
In the dim and distant past, I've done a little slalom training and like to ski the fall line on piste (having used Kastle slalom skis for a number of years),but when the opportunity is available, I like to dabble in the deep stuff.
I've also done some off piste in the past, (in the time when skis were long, straight and skinny) but little recent experience and no experience of using any of the fatter pure off piste kit now available.
I try to avoid skiing bumps nowadays, as I like to look after my knees. I'm 60 years old now and having skiid on and off for 40 odd years, done a lot of road running and competed in triathlons for some years, I probably have the knees of a 70 year old!!
I'm still pretty fit though and hope that I have a few years left and would like to do some more powder skiing if the opportunity arises before I call it a day.
So really I need a 50/50 ski that's good on and off piste with reasonable performance on ice and hardpack, but will give me enough float in the deep stuff to enable me to improve my off piste technique.
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.
@ElDiablo,
Mantras are great skis but - on piste - more reward GS type turns (longer fast carves) than fall line skiing. Not to say you can't make tighter turns in the fall line but they are not ideal for this.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
jedster wrote:
@ElDiablo,
Mantras are great skis but - on piste - more reward GS type turns (longer fast carves) than fall line skiing. Not to say you can't make tighter turns in the fall line but they are not ideal for this.
That's not a problem, I realise that there's a degree of compromise required with this type of ski.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Penry wrote:
@ElDiablo, l confess l haven't tried either ski but from my research in the same neck of the woods, l think that the Kastle FX95 is the Mantras direct competitor being their off piste oriented all mountain ski, while the BMX is their freeride offering.
@Penry, thanks for confirming that as I thought that the BMX was a little more of a freeride ski, but wasn't entirely sure how they both compared.
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.
@ElDiablo
The Mantras would be my best choice (I have the third generation in my quiver, that I favor, but have demoed and tested many times the 5th generation). The new version has a shorter radius and are more agile than the previous ones. There are also less stable, ...but there are still very good skis, very capable on piste and hardpack.
You may also consider : Stormrider 95, Kastle FX 95 HP (that are going to be replaced by FX 96 next year, very good skis), Head Kore 93...
You may find some reviews for most of theses skis on Gearscore.co.uk.
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
Thanks @proskilab, I'll check out those reviews.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@T_Hee
North American and European countries have a very different ski culture. While France and the USA are freeride oriented, Germany, Austria, Italy are more into on piste skiing.
The segmentation of the market is therefore quite different.
The Mantra (with a 96 mm waist on this "M5" version) would be typically be categorized as a "50 piste /50 freeride" All mountain ski in France and a "All-mountain west" or"all-mountain back" in the USA, which is the same segment.
In the second set of countries, anything above 90mm at waist would be basically regarded as a "freeride ski"
That's too bad, because some of these skis are great on piste, the Mantra being a very good exemple.
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Poster: A snowHead
