Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Ski buying advice and recommendations

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hey. I am looking to take the plunge and buy skis for the first time and would appreciate any advice or recommendations.

About me:
Height: 188cm
Weight: 86kg
Age: 27
Boots: Salomon s/max 120
Skiing style / ability: I spend most of my time on piste. Style wise I tend to prefer carving with a mid length turn shape but like short turns on steeper sections of black runs or where runs have become heavily moguled. I do also need to be able to ski at a more relaxed pace when with certain people.
Last rental ski: rossignol hero elite multiturn carbon in a 175cm. Overall I enjoyed this ski but there were times it felt a little soft.
What I want: a ski that suits the above style and that has some headroom to allow me to progress further.

Thanks in advance for the help!
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
175 seems very short for your height carving. 180+ I’d think.
ski holidays
 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?
If you like the Hero Elite Multiturn then look no further than the Hero Elite + Ti. I had the Allturns but they felt a little soft on occasion, got a stunning deal on a second hand +Ti and love it, sold my allturns.
The +Ti's are stunning, hold a lovely edge, do fast short turns beautifully and also open up into longer smoother turns easily. They were also great for just fooling around on the nursery slopes with my grandchildren.
latest report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
I would look at the Dynastar Speed Zone 12Ti.

I also think, for your stats, you should try a 180.
latest report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I'd second the SpeedZones. I've got the SpeedZone 14, which are the same as the 12 except they've got a raceplate instead of a rail binding system. I'm about the same weight as you and I ski the 174 length. They feel much stiffer and more responsive than the Head Titans they replaced.

I got mine from Sport Conrad last season and their service was excellent. It looks like they've still got excellent deals on the current season ski - https://www.sport-conrad.com/en/products/dynastar/speed-zone-12-ti-spx-12-dual-sc.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAnL7yBRD3ARIsAJp_oLbAVykhm-0SiA1Um0g_21kYqqfEmqhMSifs8pwpRoY3fxl_9Sx9IzgaAuIHEALw_wcB&hc_fcv=XlAzTRHLTXxed8BN~LZ-nHOc39BW74kCLzzzzzzzz~LZ-nHNs39BW73kCJzzzzzzzz
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Thanks for the suggestions. I had been looking at the hero elite plus ti online in the 181cm and also the head supershape i rally in the 177cm length also. Anyone had experience on both skis able to provide any insights as to the differences/similarities?

Also, I had slight concern about how easy it is to ski a more performance oriented ski like these slowly when I need to or how easy it is to simply edge and slide on icy steeps where you get caught in poor snow conditions. Is this something I should worry about with these skis?
snow report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Johnkiely5 wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions. I had been looking at the hero elite plus ti online in the 181cm and also the head supershape i rally in the 177cm length also. Anyone had experience on both skis able to provide any insights as to the differences/similarities?

Also, I had slight concern about how easy it is to ski a more performance oriented ski like these slowly when I need to or how easy it is to simply edge and slide on icy steeps where you get caught in poor snow conditions. Is this something I should worry about with these skis?

IMO. The Heads will be a bit more forgiving and the Hero Elite have more "Slalom Like" performance.

I have skied on the Magnums, which I believe will have a similar feel to the iRally....I haven't skied on the Rossignols, so I'm working from the feedback I've read....but both should be great fun.
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Old Fartbag wrote:
Johnkiely5 wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions. I had been looking at the hero elite plus ti online in the 181cm and also the head supershape i rally in the 177cm length also. Anyone had experience on both skis able to provide any insights as to the differences/similarities?

Also, I had slight concern about how easy it is to ski a more performance oriented ski like these slowly when I need to or how easy it is to simply edge and slide on icy steeps where you get caught in poor snow conditions. Is this something I should worry about with these skis?

IMO. The Heads will be a bit more forgiving and the Hero Elite have more "Slalom Like" performance.

I have skied on the Magnums, which I believe will have a similar feel to the iRally....I haven't skied on the Rossignols, so I'm working from the feedback I've read....but both should be great fun.


Thanks Old Fartbag. From your experience on the magnum what were they like when just cruising? Or are these a ski I'll have to be constantly tipping on edge and skiing aggressively?
ski holidays
 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.
Johnkiely5 wrote:
Old Fartbag wrote:
Johnkiely5 wrote:
Thanks for the suggestions. I had been looking at the hero elite plus ti online in the 181cm and also the head supershape i rally in the 177cm length also. Anyone had experience on both skis able to provide any insights as to the differences/similarities?

Also, I had slight concern about how easy it is to ski a more performance oriented ski like these slowly when I need to or how easy it is to simply edge and slide on icy steeps where you get caught in poor snow conditions. Is this something I should worry about with these skis?

IMO. The Heads will be a bit more forgiving and the Hero Elite have more "Slalom Like" performance.

I have skied on the Magnums, which I believe will have a similar feel to the iRally....I haven't skied on the Rossignols, so I'm working from the feedback I've read....but both should be great fun.


Thanks Old Fartbag. From your experience on the magnum what were they like when just cruising? Or are these a ski I'll have to be constantly tipping on edge and skiing aggressively?

I found they had a lot of "headroom" and could be cruised or blasted.

I'm light, at 10 Stone (5'10")- so don't get on with very damp, stiff skis, as I have to be going fast all the time to bend them....which is why I got on with the Magnums and didn't really like some Blizzard Quattros, which felt too planky. For reference, I skied the Magnums in a 170.

The Heads are very shaped, so prefer being on edge - but are versatile enough to be skidded.

If you can, try and test before buying, as you are taller and heavier than me and thus might prefer something with the stiffness of the Speed Zone 12s (which is why I suggested them).
ski holidays
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Johnkiely5, Hi, I'm 178cm and 100kg and ski my Hero Elite + Ti in a 167cm which has a nominal turn radius of 13mts. I first skied these at the Octobertest just after I had bought them and had they been in the test they would have got a 10. At the Octobertest I gave the Dynastar Speedzone 12 an 8, the 14 wasn't available to test. I've not skied the Head so can't comment on them.
I've had 20 days on these skis in all sorts of conditions and with all sorts of people. They will blast when you want them to, do delicate little slow turns when you want to ski slowly with the grandchildren. You can probably guess by now that I love them and (heretical thought here for a snowhead) I've stopped looking for new skis Embarassed Embarassed

The Hero Elite + in a 181cm length has a nominal radius of 15mtrs so will want to carve bigger turns than my 167s, I was specifically looking for a tighter turning ski and went for the 167 rather than the longer lengths which would have been recommended here.

Do test the skis if you can although either should do well for you.
Quote:

Also, I had slight concern about how easy it is to ski a more performance oriented ski like these slowly when I need to or how easy it is to simply edge and slide on icy steeps where you get caught in poor snow conditions. Is this something I should worry about with these skis?

No need to worry the Rossis will "edge an slide" should you need to and I'm sure the Heads will as well.
ski holidays
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Perfect. Thanks guys. Based on this they both sound like great options but one common piece of advise is to try before I buy.

Think I'll wait until I'm back in resort and try a few pairs over the course of a few days and buy my favourites. Will probably be more expensive but at least I'll have a pair I love. Thanks for the advice.
snow conditions
 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.
Hi all
I share the same stats and style as the OP with one exception. I am 178 rather than 188. Would the 167 be the right lenght?
snow report
 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
@GarryC, There is no definitive correct answer that anyone can give you. It all depends on a whole host of factors of which height and weight are just two. For me (178cm &100kg) the Hero Elite + in the 167cm length matches exactly the type of skiing that I want to do , on hard to firm pistes. For the days when there is some loose fluffy snow around I have a second pair of skis which are both wider(88cm) and longer(180cm) because those suit how I want to ski on those days. There are plenty of on-line charts which give recommendations for combinations of ski type, skiing style and ability which are a good place to start. There is one here at Glisshop which is as good a place as any to start. https://www.glisshop.co.uk/tutorial/choose-length-alpine-ski/
snow report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
GarryC wrote:
Hi all
I share the same stats and style as the OP with one exception. I am 178 rather than 188. Would the 167 be the right lenght?

Weight plays a much bigger role than height.....and the construction of the ski, along with preference, will determine how short/long you can go.....so the fact you are 10 cm shorter will not be that significant (everything else being similar).
ski holidays



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy