 Poster: A snowHead
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First time poster here. I have owned skis in the past but have rented for the last few years as cost of transporting skis by air has gone up. Now looking to buy a pair again.
I’m a 55 year old male - 175cm and 80 kg and pretty fit. I can ski any piste reasonably well and also like skiing unpisted runs - ski routes, naturides etc and playing in any powder on the side of the piste. Not the fastest these days.
I have been looking at all mountain options and have a shortlist of Blizzard Brahma 88, Volkl Kendo 88 or Nordica Enforcer 88 (or maybe 94).
Would welcome any thoughts on these options or any good alternatives.
Some reviews mention need to ski faster to flex these skis. While I don’t ski that fast, I think my technique is sound enough to ski on these but any experiences gratefully recived.
Thanks
Rob
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi @Robin49,
I think you'll find that these perform very differently despite being the same width. If it was me, I'd choose the Brahma because it is the most agile and playful on-piste which is where I spend almost all my time.
The Kendo, I haven't tried, but Volkl tend to be much damper, less playful. The Enforcer is the baby brother of a proper off-piste family which has more in common with the Blizzard Rustler series and I was impressed with the wider versions.
In conclusion, you need to try before you buy to see what's right for you, and OkctoberTests may be coming up, but Brahma for me.
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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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That ^
Love my Brahma88.
K2 Mindbender could be an alternative. I've got the 99ti and really like those too, so the 90 might be worth considering.
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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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@Riccardo, odd, I've only skied one day on Kendos, and that was some years past but the (like the Mantras) were a bit more nimble than the Blizzards. But I preferred 2016 Bonafides vs Mantras.
I think you need to try them.
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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.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Robin49, another vote for Kendo! I use them as my go-anywhere ski, probably 60% off 40% on piste. I disagree about agility... though I would not be using then to ski a slalom!
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@Robin49, I have a pair of Brahma 88mm 180cm long available for £70 + post if you are interested? About 6 years old, used for about 3 weeks. I am selling them for a friend who has more money than sense who toured on them a little then moved quickly on to something more appropriate. They currently reside in Chamonix but could be brought back.
I cannot report on their marvellousness as they never interested me.
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Use whatever you read here & elsewhere as a guide, not gospel. There is such a huge variation in how people like to ski, terrain, how they turn, etc etc.
"Try before you buy" good luck with that one, I found it near impossible to find anywhere that could/would demo the skis I wss interested in. I ended up just using evolution of knowledge from previous skis to choose my last skis based on technical specifications only.
I had narrowed it down to the Nordica enforcer110s based on the following thought process.
I wanted more offpiste float than my previous 95s, so 110 seemed like a good size to be noticeably more float than 95 without being ridiculously wide.
I love carving turns & was trying to find a holy grail of offpiste float and on piste carving so I was looking for sub 16m turn radius.
I wanted a ski that could be bossed around, flicked from edge to edge instantly through the bumps and was happy to sacrifice some high speed stability for this so I went one or two sizes shorter than recommended, this also reduces the turn radius.
I'm totally in love with the Enforcer 110s, obviously very good offpiste, but surprisingly good on piste too, actually one of the fastest skis that I have put through slalom gates!
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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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@Robin49, I've skied the Brahma and currently have the Kendo's in my (rather small) quiver. The Brahma is a great ski and has really set the standard for sub-90mm piste orientated "poly-valent" multi-use go-to ski. However, I really like the Kendo which is (IMHO) more responsive, has better feel/feedback, without the "loose" feel that the Brahma can sometimes give. Both skis are class-setting, and now having evolved in their own ways, deliver great performance that puts a smile on your face.
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| tangowaggon wrote: |
Use whatever you read here & elsewhere as a guide, not gospel. There is such a huge variation in how people like to ski, terrain, how they turn, etc etc.
"Try before you buy" good luck with that one, I found it near impossible to find anywhere that could/would demo the skis I wss interested in. I ended up just using evolution of knowledge from previous skis to choose my last skis based on technical specifications only.
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My approach to this was rent and then go back and swap out.... I had a pair of Elan Slalom skis which I won but was looking for more float. I came back to skiing in January before lockdown, after a boarding from 16 years old. So I've skied a lot of different rentals since then including Stockli SRs (lots of different widths), Ripsticks, Stockli Laser AR's (which I LOVED).
I was due to rent the AR's again but I had an off piste lesson first day of the week and ended up with the Bent 100s (what they delivered for me, not specified by me). Well, I tried to go back to the ARs after that for the rest of the week but couldn't. The Bent 100s were just SO much fun. I know they are a totally different ski to the ARs, and for totally different things, but I realised there and then that I was forcing a square peg into a round hole. I equated it to the difference between a road bike, a gravel bike and a mountain bike. I can do each style but I prefer the mountain bike. So I skied the rest of the week on the Bent's and promptly ordered a pair straight after the trip. Still waiting for their first outing in December.
Long story short. If you want to test then rent from specific shops and order in advance. I even had ski shop owners suggest that I was renting the wrong ski for the current conditions but I patiently explained if I was buying a pair then I'd likely be skiing them in those conditions in the future.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Tested a pair of Maverick 95 at the Sii Bartlett test day earlier in the year. A really nimble ski, on the hard pack, particularly given that I'm 1.65m, 75kg, and was skiing 180cm test ski. I'm assuming that off-piste and in crud it's at least as good as my current vantage 90mm so they are definitely my next purchase for the season.
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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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@afterski, that was a bit like me & the enforcers, even on piste, I like them better than my 67 & 76mm piste skis, they actually hold edge better, this year, on the birthday bash, offpiste was like broken bricks, & the pistes were quite hard, I was told the 110s were inappropriate for the conditions by my ski buddy on his Stokli slalom skis, I then proceeded to beat him through the slalom gates & he's an instructor level skier.
The only time there is a problem is on steep, hard pistes where the width and my lack of technique causes the 110s to chatter badly when I'm trying to carve the edge round, better to just let them sideslip.
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@HammondR, PM sent
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You know it makes sense.
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@BergenBergen, currently twixt Annecy and Halifax without data.
Will be back in business tomorrow evening.
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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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@HammondR, if @BergenBergen doesn't have them then I will please 
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FAQ
I ski Kendos and love em, Deffinitely nimble, edge to edge and in trees where we spend plenty of time. Quick on groomed stuff too. Short or long turns
