 Poster: A snowHead
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So after 9 season (okay missed last year) it's time to replace my trusty 2013 Volkl Gotamas mounted with Fritschi Freeride Pro bindings. Both served me very well as a single ski quiver, I do have sl and gs but years since I bothered on those. Skiing mainly treeline off-piste, some ski touring, would like to do more, plus some piste skiing. Starting on piste, they ski surprisingly well for a 107, 186cm ski with 29m radius, can carve long and steady and with some effort even shorter turns, They also slide sideways very well, which I quite enjoy. Great in the powder, can drive the shovels with confidence but also chuck 'em sideways a bit. Do a lot of tree skiing (pretty tight tree skiing when I get lost), find them easy to pivot. Through crud I'm happy to speed up and charge some bug turns, do get a bit flappy but I'm okay with that to a degree. I don't do freestyle or big jumps but do like to pop smaller ones.
I'm not too techie on latest ski designs & behaviours and a bit limited for comparison since I've been on same planks so long. My main driver is I fancy some shift bindings in the hope it makes ascending a bit easier and comfortable, but since skis are slowly falling apart my as well upgrade those too. I'm booted with Fischer Free Ranger 130s, taken a mammoth amount of return trips to boot fitter & some swearing to get them more comfy to wear, I think I've sticky out bony bit on top of feet that was causing issues. They always skied really well, just a comfort thing after an hour or two, as in my toes were numbing.
So gotamas no longer made, replaced with 100eight, now also gone and seemingly replaced with the Blaze. I like what I've read about the Blaze & love the 2022 blue topsheet, maybe the colour should be my deciding factor? I'd be looking at 106mm, 186cm. Reviews suggest they are light but seem to ski reasonable damp, I guess with the shift would make a good uphill ski.
Other skis I've currently shortlisted include elan ripstick 106 (in honour of mr plake), the salomon qst 106 (watch too many Cody 50 videos), line sick day 104. I think they all fall in the 50/50 freeride bracket and at the lighter weight end.
Part of Austria I ski in it's not easy to test out freeride skis. I'm sure I'd be pretty happy on any of these. Anyone got more recommendations or feedback on the skis I've so far shortlisted.
Ta
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 1-04-22 15:18; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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@waynos, Whitedot Altums?
(Of course the correct answer is all of the above (and a new house to store them in  )
Clearly an excuse for a ski trip somewhere you can try a bunch of skis (EOSB ski testing? Or UK and octobertest)
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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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Whitedot Altum 104
Dynastar M-Pro
Blizzard Rustler
K2 Mindbender
All stuff that will slide sideways plus the Lines
Surpised @BobinCH hasn't recommended anything from Dentist Pow Skis though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
Whitedot Altum 104
Dynastar M-Pro
Blizzard Rustler
K2 Mindbender
All stuff that will slide sideways plus the Lines
Surpised @BobinCH hasn't recommended anything from Dentist Pow Skis though. |
I actually have some 180cm Blizzard Rustler 11’s with Shifts collecting dust since getting the Pagoda Tour 112’s…
Of course the new Lotus 117 is the way to go but not everyone has the style to pull it off 
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Funnily enough, I bought some Völkl Revolt 104s this season and put Shifts on them for basically exactly that sort of do everything ski - I think they're are the more natural successor of the Gotama too (twin tip).
They can be summed up with one word: FUN! Everywhere.
They are not the best 104mm ski on piste due to the very long rocker lines, but they grip and carve just fine, and better than your Goats. The only thing they lack is you don't get a huge pop out of the carve, but 0 issue carving mid/long radius turns and they're very responsive at shorts.
I've only toured on them once so far, but 800 vert was no problem as they light for the size. Slight trade-off for the weight is they're not the absolute most stable crud buster if you just wanna rage through it, but if you prefer to pop and pivot and play with the terrain they still work very well in crud.
The deepest powder I've had them in was around 40cm at night. For a 104 ski (and they are probably one of the most progressively shaped 104mm skis around) they ski deep snow very well. But of course they don't ski it like a 120mm+ ski.
Soft pistes, slush, tracked and chopped up fresh snow, moguls, etc, just a dream and super fun. Fast, stable, pivot and slarve on a dime. The sort of ski you can take out on any day any condition and have a good time. Would be perfect for a seasonnaire.
The graphics are also gorgeous, and even more so in person.
One slight niggle is the sizing. At 175cm and ~68kg I am on the 188. The 180 would definitely be too short with the twin and deep rocker, and in an ideal world I'd prefer something slightly in between at around 184/185cm for that type of all mountain ski. But the extra 3cm makes little difference the majority of the time and I'm fine with it. Mounted -4cm behind recommended, which for me is bang on; I think recommended is too far forwards for anyone not skiing switch a lot.
If I was to update the design, I might make the tip a touch wider and reduce the running length of the rocker a touch for just a bit more lively carving, given a 104mm ski will see plenty of pistes too. But I think Völkl did a really good job with them.
Also I picked them up at Intersport just after Christmas already at -40% Assuming you are buying in Schladming, Blue Tomato still have some but not quite as cheap as Intersport did (still annoys me that Intersport don't have an ecom site): https://www.blue-tomato.com/de-AT/product/Voelkl-Revolt+104mm+Flat+188+2022+Ski-629770/
I also considered the Blizzard Rustler (never skied), Nordica Enforcer 104 Free (I love the normal Enforcer but have never tried the Free version) and Salomon QST 106 (I really enjoyed the QST99 a few years back). I didn't demo any of them, but chose the Völkl in the end because the slightly more playful design was just calling to me (I really value being able to slash the tail out and/or drift at will, both for fun and to scrub speed), and I've never owned a Völkl before so thought it was worth a try. And because they a bloody beautiful haha.
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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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| clarky999 wrote: |
Funnily enough, I bought some Völkl Revolt 104s this season and put Shifts on them for basically exactly that sort of do everything ski - I think they're are the more natural successor of the Gotama too (twin tip).
They can be summed up with one word: FUN! Everywhere. |
Although not on the snow much, there were a few in Olympic big air comp today.
Volkl always have impressive composite layup and finished construction, look like very good production control and execution on anything I've seen.
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I went from Goats to Black Crows Atris with a Barron ... via Blizzard Cochise until I lost one !
Cracked edge on the Atris and now have Fisher Ranger 102s with Shifts which I will be skiing for the first time in Gressoney.
Your thought process sounds very similar to mine ... not sure you'll go far wrong with any of those.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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thanks for the responses, lots more ideas there, so much choice in the market. Looks like I'll be on blisterreview.com this evening.
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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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the volkl revolt sound interesting, I'd not really consider a freestyle / freeride ski but seems high on the fun factor.
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| waynos wrote: |
| the volkl revolt sound interesting, I'd not really consider a freestyle / freeride ski but seems high on the fun factor. |
The Revolt 104 is definitely on the 'all mountain freestyle' end of that spectrum; it's the 94 that's the park ski of the series (the 121 obviously powder).
But the Gotama is also an 'allountain freestyley-freeride' ski, since the first first iteration in 2006 (?) at 105mm underfoot and twin tip. That's why I reckon the Revolt is the more natural successor than the Blaze, if you wanted to replace it with the current equivalent.
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You know it makes sense.
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So I ended up buying Elan Ripstick 106 @ 188cms and shift bindings. In short very pleased with them. Done about 12 or says since mid Feb. More on piste than I'd like but they really are a great piste ski. Quick edge to edge, great for short turns, give some kickback. Also fine when opening up the turns. I was concerned that they are quite a lightweight ski (1900g) so would not be very damp or hold an edge that well but wow awesome edge hold and no flappines. Easy and forgiving, though to get carving takes a bit of input, not just case of rolling edges over. Being light the skis easy to pop, which is great on spring afternoon bumped out piste. Oh and they run flat smoothly which I've not had a ski that does that since I can remember.
So off-piste. Only one fresh powder session (about 15 - 20cms). Plenty of float, quick to turn in the trees, playful. Most the other off piste has been very variable spring snow. From thin breakable, hard park, soft, too soft, wet snow. Skis coped with all of it really well. Again being light and poppy makes for easy short turns when required but felt stable at speed and never felt too soft.
Only one short ski tour, more a chance to try out the shift bindings, which take a little getting used to. Far lighter and easier walking action than previous setup. Need to do more uphill but as a 50/50 setup ticks the boxes.
Overall very pleased with the ripsticks, far exceeded expectations on piste, handled all off piste without issue. easy fun poppy stable skis. Struggling to think of a downside at the moment.
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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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@waynos, interesting, I briefly tried the Ripstick 96 (I think) a few years back as a Mantra replacement, that ski at that time was very flappy, would have been nice in powder I guess but not great on hardpack.
But a few years ago and obvs a different ski.
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