 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi.
Thinking of investing in a new pair. Currently use 4 or 5 year old Head Supershape i-rallys which were billed as all mountain but go much better on pisted, hard or icy conditions than on powder on which they don't float very well and bog down. I'm quite heavy so that doesn't help.
What I fancy is something a bit wider underfoot and suited better to powder but not those great big flappy deep powder things that you can't steer on the piste (not one for deep power anyway)
Would like something that overlaps a bit with the i-rallys which I would keep for icy & hard packed conditions.
The i-rallys are great fun for fast hard-snow carving but I ain't getting any younger so maybe ready for something a little more sedate?
Age 55, 193cm (6'4) 107kg (16.5 stone). Boots are 6 year old Head Vectors with Intuition liners (should change those too really but I luvs em).
Suggestions gratefully received.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 5-02-23 14:07; 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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@Tiredoldskibum, anything in the mould of Volkl Mantra, Blizzard Bonafide (actually, next year's Blizz Rustler 9 is being raved about by Bro in law who tested them in Austria a few weeks ago) ... kind of thing?
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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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I think the i-rallys are around 77 wide at the waist, which is more like a slightly wider Piste ski, than an AM ski.
How wide were you thinking? - as AM has quite a big range of widths and biases.
It sounds like you are looking for a "Daily Driver", unless hard an icy.....so what percentage of your time do you see yourself skiing Off Piste.....and is that messing around between the Pistes and Lift Accessed Off Piste...ot getting a Guide and going further afield?
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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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Feel you shoukd add Kastlè FX 96 HP into the consideration.
Mantra, Blizzard and Kastlè all seem to derive their potency from layer (or multi of) "Titanal" really a high strength aluminium alloy bonded to give flex, load torsional characteristics. Thats fairly typical of conventional ski structures and similar from one to another their.
One that stands out in this respect is Rlan Ripstick 96 which aims for the same with carbon stringers in contrast to aluminium. That's interesting for the operating range you're considering and load you can enact upon them. They should, if designed and tested thoroughly, be able to offer possibly a better hold on having them pushed further into their ultimate performance range that speed and weight will take them to.
I think that would be interesting to try, and maybe move those Elan to primary suspect to fulfill remit.
These may actually match the existing ski you have for hard piste performance, thats most of them, but with the Elan possibly having advantage at most demanding end of use.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Old Fartbag wrote: |
I think the i-rallys are around 77 wide at the waist, which is more like a slightly wider Piste ski, than an AM ski.
How wide were you thinking? - as AM has quite a big range of widths and biases. |
77 sounds right. Dunno how wide, I'm no expert. The Mantras mentioned above are 96mm. Would that seem appropriate for a big fat person?
| Old Fartbag wrote: |
| It sounds like you are looking for a "Daily Driver", unless hard an icy.....so what percentage of your time do you see yourself skiing Off Piste.....and is that messing around between the Pistes and Lift Accessed Off Piste...ot getting a Guide and going further afield? |
Yes, exactly that, daily driver but better suited to fresh and soft snow than hard. Currently I venture off piste a lot less than I used to but would like to do more, lift accessed only, I'm not about to start hiking up mountains in search of powder!
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| ski3 wrote: |
Feel you shoukd add Kastlè FX 96 HP into the consideration.
Mantra, Blizzard and Kastlè all seem to derive their potency from layer (or multi of) "Titanal" really a high strength aluminium alloy bonded to give flex, load torsional characteristics. Thats fairly typical of conventional ski structures and similar from one to another their.
One that stands out in this respect is Rlan Ripstick 96 which aims for the same with carbon stringers in contrast to aluminium. That's interesting for the operating range you're considering and load you can enact upon them. They should, if designed and tested thoroughly, be able to offer possibly a better hold on having them pushed further into their ultimate performance range that speed and weight will take them to.
I think that would be interesting to try, and maybe move those Elan to primary suspect to fulfill remit.
These may actually match the existing ski you have for hard piste performance, thats most of them, but with the Elan possibly having advantage at most demanding end of use. |
Thanks also.
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You certainly need a robust ski - so totally agree with Kastle , Blizzard and Volkl....and possibly Rossignol/Dynastar.
Given you already have a widish Piste Ski - I think something in the 95-100 range would work well. I have no personal experience of wide damp skis, as I am very light, ski once a year, so look for something on the more playful end of the spectrum.
If finances are not a problem - Kastle and Stockli stand out.
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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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@Tiredoldskibum, ymmv but I use Bonafides and Mrs uses Mantras as daily drivers. She's also now got Movement GO 98s for softer / easier days.
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| Old Fartbag wrote: |
You certainly need a robust ski - so totally agree with Kastle , Blizzard and Volkl....and possibly Rossignol/Dynastar.
Given you already have a widish Piste Ski - I think something in the 95-100 would work well. I have no personal experience of wide damp skis, as I am very light, ski once a year, so look for something on the more playful end of the spectrum.
If finances are not a problem - Kastle and Stockli stand out. |
Thanks again.
I'm back on the snow next week. I think I'll see what's available for hire and try out some different pairs.
Quite taken with the reviews of the Volkl Mantras.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Tiredoldskibum wrote: |
Quite taken with the reviews of the Volkl Mantras. |
I think they would make a great benchmark.
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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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White Dot Altum 94 quite versatile.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Sun 5-02-23 21:44; edited 1 time in total
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All of these ski are seriously good, doubt if anything would particularly disappoint.
This is an interesting view
https://www.facebook.com/bikesheddevon/videos/santa-cruz-carbon-fibre-vs-aluminium-test/1463084653782854/
Specifically of aluminium property vs carbon dominant under different load conditions.
OK, not the same as a ski but representation of the comparative performance in side by side stress.
For me, the aluminium ultimately tapers in it's affect under heavy duress, eventually to gently yeald outside the normal performance envelope.
In comparison, the carbon structure has a much more extended plane of performance right out past the metal yeald into much faster failure mode...... eventually!
The ski design in adding more metal is a very predictable and known method to bring genuine performance into the ski under increased load, but still tapered at far reaches. This should make it feel softer for the OP in demanding use.
The carbon base I'd view as essentially the opposite, in that the ultimate performance of that structure has to be scaled back to avoid it moving to the far extreme. But that's useful with high stats of OP in the performance not falling away.
Elan seem to be mitigating that far performance extreme with the asymetry of edges etc to produce a ski that both sustains far end performance but equally doesn't scare the skeleton out the skier if less demand is placed on it.
I've not tried the Elan, but will definitely look at that when available to me.
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