 Poster: A snowHead
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It's different if you are flying with kids but otherwise, I tend to stick two pairs in my bag. One wider, one narrower. The narrower ski is either a 90mm ski mounted alpine or a lightweight touring ski.
If I am skiing off piste then I am probably touring as well. Reliably hiring wider skis with a touring binding can be difficult.
Regarding width, I tend to find wider skis better in moderate conditions. Almost anything is fun in 30cm of powder. My 112mm skis will float in about 10cm of fresh snow. My shorter 108mm skis will frequently bottom out. Either is fun to ski but the 112mm option is more fun if there is any amount of fresh.
Were I buying from scratch now, I would own something like a WD Ragnarok Carbonlite and a Nordica Enforcer 100, both mounted for touring.
Finally to note that BobinCH never made the Kuros look awkward at the time, even though they were clearly massively impractical.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| ... Depends if you can find a rental shop with them! Renting in the 115mm or so bracket is quite easy, but it's a lot harder to find genuinely dedicated powder skis (as in the OP) to rent.... |
 Not if you go where the powder is. This really isn't an issue in BC at least, and no one could run a cat/ heli business these days if rental gear wasn't easily available.
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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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I'm obviously a bit lazy about luggage. Even if I'm travelling in a pair I really prefer to have one double ski bag and one big roller holdall between us (plus rucsacs as carry on).
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| Quote: |
Reliably hiring wider skis with a touring binding can be difficult
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Again, as @philwig, notes, it depends where you go ...
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| philwig wrote: |
| clarky999 wrote: |
| ... Depends if you can find a rental shop with them! Renting in the 115mm or so bracket is quite easy, but it's a lot harder to find genuinely dedicated powder skis (as in the OP) to rent.... |
Not if you go where the powder is. This really isn't an issue in BC at least, and no one could run a cat/ heli business these days if rental gear wasn't easily available. |
Not always - I haven't skied in BC, but in much of Japan (especially the places that are still powder after lunchtime ) you will also struggle, and while things might have changed now there were no pure powder skis on offer when I was in Gulmarg. Equally I know of at least one BC heli operator who only had 116mm Elan Ripsticks for their guests. Good ski, good ski in powder, but not a proper powder ski.
Remember the OP here has asked about dedicated powder skis - ie 125mm+, loadsa rocker and reverse sidecut or extreme taper - not all-round freeride skis.
Plenty of valid points about how often you really need or want a pure powder ski, but that's not what the thread's about.
| extremerob wrote: |
| clarky999 wrote: |
| jedster wrote: |
Still don't think it makes sense really - outside the peak periods it'll be quicker to walk down to the hire shop and take a pair of big skis for a day than get your drivers and loctite out!
Before we bought our place I used to fly with skis a lot and I hardly ever bothered taking more than one pair. |
Depends if you can find a rental shop with them! Renting in the 115mm or so bracket is quite easy, but it's a lot harder to find genuinely dedicated powder skis (as in the OP) to rent.
2 pairs of skis, one pair of bindings and 1 pair boots in something like a Dakine Fall-Line Double ski bag is quite easy to fly with, at least for single travellers. |
I might be missing something here - I regularly fly with 2 pairs of skis to Europe, but those two pairs are a piste "dedicated" ski and a c.100 freeride ski. I have over the years probably said to myself on very few occasions that I wish I had something even fatter in Europe. |
Yes, you've missed what the OP asked
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I got the bent chetler 120 and love them. Very accessible, turn easily and light as you like. I use them as a daily driver in interior BC.
They may well have good rentals if you are Heli skiing - but most people aren't. Rentals in cheaper skiing destinations will be....... cheaper.
Personally I don't like thinking about things too long, modern skis are mostly great, get used to what you have 
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| Yes, you've missed what the OP asked |
He wants a dedicated powder ski
OP currently skis on a 108mm - who is to say that a dedicated powder ski is 130mm+
Mike Douglas the "godfather" uses a QST99 as his dedicated powder ski - it is a vary vary rare occurrence to see him on a 106mm
Surely the answer is a dedicated powder ski is the best powder ski for the OP which is a function of:
1) intended use location
Powder snow has varying density - is it for "champagne" or the cold smoke Japanese stuff or the wetter and heavier EU powder ( My Japow ski only ever goes to Japan)
2) ski style
As I said before slash/surf or be in the pow
3) height/weight
Important for flotation required
4) ability
This is a given
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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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This is his current ski. Sounds like it’s built to be stiff and straight, for ski touring and steep terrain. He will have way more fun in the powder with something wider, softer, more side cut and much more rockered. And IMO if he has the cash he should buy one and not mess around renting, although testing first is always sound advice if you have the chance. Otherwise use Blister and go for it.
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| extremerob wrote: |
| clarky999 wrote: |
| Yes, you've missed what the OP asked |
OP currently skis on a 108mm - who is to say that a dedicated powder ski is 130mm+ |
A dedicated powder ski is a ski designed purely to ski powder as well as possible, without the design compromises to make it ski better in the conditions we find ourselves in 99% of the time. If it's pure powder abilities are compromised to make it better in more conditions, then by definition it's not a powder dedicated design.
| extremerob wrote: |
Surely the answer is a dedicated powder ski is the best powder ski for the OP which is a function of:
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No - it might well be that the best ski for the OP to ski in powder isn't a dedicated powder ski, but that won't make that ski a dedicated powder ski.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| No - it might well be that the best ski for the OP to ski in powder isn't a dedicated powder ski, but that won't make that ski a dedicated powder ski. |
I think the difference here is what we infer from the question - I read dedicated powder ski as the "ski that is best for me to use on a powder day" it is my go to ski that I only use on powder days and therefore it is my dedicated powder ski
I completely though understand that it can be read as - a dedicated powder ski the "ski which was designed purely for powder" then we should be recommending things like:
ARMADA ARG II 20/21 - 133mm
Fat-ypus - 140mm
Why stop there:
Duret Monster Fat -177mm waist - its practically a snowboard for each foot!
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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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Thanks for the opinions/advice.
Without going to heavy into is it worth flying with multiple pairs of skis, for me personally it is and apart from one occasion in Zurich train station waiting for connecting train to arlberg when i wished i had no ski bag i have never felt it was a hassle.
I am looking at a ski that prob be used on average 1 day every 2 euro trips in ideal conditions probably 120mm+ waist.
Deal almost done on a one week 2nd hand pair, if they dont work (I honestly think they will superb) i can stick them on here/fleebay for similiar cash.
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| extremerob wrote: |
I think the difference here is what we infer from the question |
Either way it's far more interesting than another corona discussion 
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Mike Douglas the "godfather" uses a QST99 as his dedicated powder ski
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Mike Douglas is just over 10 stone. A lot of the pros are not big guys. He may have multiples of my talent and fitness level but I am both taller and fatter than him and therefore need more ski underfoot to float my desk jockey physique.
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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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| gorilla wrote: |
| Quote: |
Mike Douglas the "godfather" uses a QST99 as his dedicated powder ski
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Mike Douglas is just over 10 stone. A lot of the pros are not big guys. He may have multiples of my talent and fitness level but I am both taller and fatter than him and therefore need more ski underfoot to float my desk jockey physique. |
And he wasn’t really talking about powder based on his first reason. Although maybe good advice for those of us with creaking knees...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yehbut.
- If "Easier on the knees for hard snow conditions" is how you're picking a "dedicated powder ski",
then we may need to have a look at how you're defining "powder".
- If you're assuming sponsored people's press releases are truthful then we probably need to talk
about how sponsorship works too.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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I still like my 5 year old Bents for all round versatility with extremely good powder performance. I am 76kg and the 185cm is still quick and nimble for tree skiing in powder. Most of the reviews describe them as a powder ski but with a lot more capability. I've skied icy blacks on them and while far from perfect they manage to hold an edge ok. With the Atomic skins they tour pretty well too. I skied them a lot in Austria during that massive powder dump a couple of years ago in 1 to 2 metres deep dry snow and had no problems with performance.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Does anyone run really fat skis in minimal powder. Say 130mm+ in 5 cm. Do you get a similar float to 100mm in 15cm? Do super fat skis turn normal snow days into epic pow days?
I'm curious about this as I don't charge too hard and wonder if more float = less new snow required for bottomless pow feeling?
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| motdoc wrote: |
Does anyone run really fat skis in minimal powder. Say 130mm+ in 5 cm. Do you get a similar float to 100mm in 15cm? Do super fat skis turn normal snow days into epic pow days?
I'm curious about this as I don't charge too hard and wonder if more float = less new snow required for bottomless pow feeling? |
The bit I bolded is 100% the case, but not down to 5cm of fresh. It depends a bit what you're skiing over, and how light/dense the snow is. 20cm or so is enough to feel bottomless on my 135mm skis, maybe a bit less if the base is smooth. The biggest limitation with them is tracked out snow is much more of a chore than on more reasonable sized skis - there aren't that many places where I'd pick the 135mm's if I plan to ski more than a few hours (or swap skis I guess). Dropping to 125mm gives a lot more all day versatility in busy resorts.
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@motdoc, It depends on what is considered bottomless powder feeling. For me that is when I don't feel a solid surface under my skis, so probably 30cm minimum on my fat skis, but the more the better. I've skied in Japan on my 148mm Spoons for 10 days in a row all day, as for me the float/surf feeling in the deep snow far out ways any downsides on traverses or bumpy bits.
But that requires really good snow and low temperatures, once the off piste starts to consolidate its no fun.
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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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You can always rent carvers but on a real powder day you need to be in the line for the lift not the shop in my opinion!
I concur with Clarkys views on the Down 114 - too stiff for me , especially in “have to turn” terrain.
Pow skis I love : DPS Wailer 112 alchemist, Extrem Opinion 118 , volkl BMT 109 (reverse , surprisingly excellent on hard pack) - these three just turn through thought with so little effort, though the Volkl is not so “poppy” ; based on my experience on a head Kore 105 I recommended the Kore 117 to a mate who loves it ! Mates have really liked the Blizzard Rustler 11 as well ( also like Bob coming from DPS). Have tried the Atomic Backland offerings but a bit “meh” better now with the spoon style tips.
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@mishmash, if you love the Wailer it’s definitely worth trying to get on the A124 which is another level better in the pow/windblown. I’ve taken it into all sorts of conditions and it never lets you down. More fun and easier to ski in the wind blown stuff for several days after the last dump than the Rustler which is a straighter ski and requires a bit more active piloting (even if the stated radius says otherwise).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| BobinCH wrote: |
| @mishmash, if you love the Wailer it’s definitely worth trying to get on the A124 which is another level better in the pow/windblown. I’ve taken it into all sorts of conditions and it never lets you down. More fun and easier to ski in the wind blown stuff for several days after the last dump than the Rustler which is a straighter ski and requires a bit more active piloting (even if the stated radius says otherwise). |
I do have both a Lotus Hybrid 138 lurking at the back of the cave along with WD Redeemer carbonlite . I have only been out on it a couple of times as when its a massive powder day I don’t want to miss anything learning a new ski and so normally end up of either the 112 or the RPC. But I have tried it after lunch and in spring pm slush and it is a lot fun so I can see the attraction of the A124. I will look out for one ! ( also have an ex demo Volkl BMT 122 which needs putting through its paces as well.... )
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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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@mishmash,
That’s quite a selection - if really be suffering the tyranny of choice!
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| mishmash wrote: |
| BobinCH wrote: |
| @mishmash, if you love the Wailer it’s definitely worth trying to get on the A124 which is another level better in the pow/windblown. I’ve taken it into all sorts of conditions and it never lets you down. More fun and easier to ski in the wind blown stuff for several days after the last dump than the Rustler which is a straighter ski and requires a bit more active piloting (even if the stated radius says otherwise). |
I do have both a Lotus Hybrid 138 lurking at the back of the cave along with WD Redeemer carbonlite . I have only been out on it a couple of times as when its a massive powder day I don’t want to miss anything learning a new ski and so normally end up of either the 112 or the RPC. But I have tried it after lunch and in spring pm slush and it is a lot fun so I can see the attraction of the A124. I will look out for one ! ( also have an ex demo Volkl BMT 122 which needs putting through its paces as well.... ) |
Suspect the 124 is more like the Wailer 112 than 138. It’s certainly nothing like the Spoon (150) which is more like a water ski! The 124 is fine everywhere, much like the 112, but significantly better in 3D snow whilst being more of a handful on hard pack. Never seen one on test which is a shame...
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You know it makes sense.
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Here's what CMH stock https://www.cmhheli.com/about/equipment/
Wiegele has a wider variety but doesn't list it on line. All of these rentals are included in package costs.
As a snowboarder... their Fish will be fun for anyone, and a "day saver" for powder novices.
Experts will usually want more slash most of the time and more float if it's really big.
I've not ridden either Prior but they have two different designs there which look fairly extreme;
I'd try both but neither would be a natural choice for me.
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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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| jedster wrote: |
@mishmash,
That’s quite a selection - if really be suffering the tyranny of choice! |
At least I bought well . The problem with these skis is that in Europe I think they’re quite difficult to sell on (even just the logistics!!) so they tend to accumulate. At least I’m not into bikes !!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| philwig wrote: |
Here's what CMH stock https://www.cmhheli.com/about/equipment/
Wiegele has a wider variety but doesn't list it on line. All of these rentals are included in package costs.
As a snowboarder... their Fish will be fun for anyone, and a "day saver" for powder novices.
Experts will usually want more slash most of the time and more float if it's really big.
I've not ridden either Prior but they have two different designs there which look fairly extreme;
I'd try both but neither would be a natural choice for me. |
I’ve been a number of times and now always take my own . You will see many of the CMH guides skiing on older fleet Rossi rather than the Atomics.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| BobinCH wrote: |
| mishmash wrote: |
| BobinCH wrote: |
| @mishmash, if you love the Wailer it’s definitely worth trying to get on the A124 which is another level better in the pow/windblown. I’ve taken it into all sorts of conditions and it never lets you down. More fun and easier to ski in the wind blown stuff for several days after the last dump than the Rustler which is a straighter ski and requires a bit more active piloting (even if the stated radius says otherwise). |
I do have both a Lotus Hybrid 138 lurking at the back of the cave along with WD Redeemer carbonlite . I have only been out on it a couple of times as when its a massive powder day I don’t want to miss anything learning a new ski and so normally end up of either the 112 or the RPC. But I have tried it after lunch and in spring pm slush and it is a lot fun so I can see the attraction of the A124. I will look out for one ! ( also have an ex demo Volkl BMT 122 which needs putting through its paces as well.... ) |
Suspect the 124 is more like the Wailer 112 than 138. It’s certainly nothing like the Spoon (150) which is more like a water ski! The 124 is fine everywhere, much like the 112, but significantly better in 3D snow whilst being more of a handful on hard pack. Never seen one on test which is a shame... |
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It’s on my list !!! What I really want though is a 100-108 shorter (184-7) off piste touring ski.
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FAQ
