 Poster: A snowHead
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I’m getting mellow in my skiing, as I get older I am no longer testing myself off piste or searching for the Holy Grail of Powder, I just want to get home in one piece to fight another day.
I’ll be renting skis and I’m going to be looking for something that gives me an easy ride rather than a bucking bronco FIS pretender.
So it's just going to be narrow skis but, there seems to be a trend for piste skis to be getting wider.
An example would be Atomic Redster X7, this got a new version the X7 WB (wide bodied)
And this year there is the Q7 and the Q7.8 going from 75mm to 85mm.
The excuse or reason is you need an extra 10mm to get home as the snow gets softer in the afternoon.
Does that mean “best thing since sliced bread” or “Marketing BS”?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@DrLawn, I think it's probably pretty sensible. Having been a real skinny skis guy for a long time, being brought up on them, but having skied e.g. Mantras since about I have no idea (2008?) - I reckon 80mm would be the minimum I'd want on a pure piste ski (that I wasn't racing on).
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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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@DrLawn, I wouldn't be without my all mountain skis recommended to me by spyderjon. Maybe talk to him - he's seen you ski, hasn't he? I can get mine on to a very decent edge on piste when I'm trying, they grip fine when the snow is hard and they are a godsend in soft snow. I guess the dimensions of mine are a bit irrelevant, since you and I couldn't be more different physically, but FWIW they're 84 underfoot, with a radius of 12. Scott Lunas, woman-specific, no longer made, so that's not very helpful information for you either. Anyway, I think you'd love some sort of equivalent to mine.
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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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The skis ability in soft conditions may depend on whether it's a wide Piste Ski, or a narrow AM ski.
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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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@Old Fartbag, oh. Every day's a school day. I think mine are all mountain - I was still doing a bit of off-piste when I bought them.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for the very +ve views in the fat side from @under a new name, and @Hurtle, I don't think SpyderJon has ever seen me ski, he's usually too busy handing me boards to try out, but I thank him for that.
It looks like I'm going to be renting a bit wider this season then.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| @Old Fartbag, oh. Every day's a school day. I think mine are all mountain - I was still doing a bit of off-piste when I bought them. |
The AM design eg Longer Front Rocker, often a Tail Rocker and maybe a different Taper, where the widest part of the Tip or Tail is moved a bit further away from being very close to the ends. This will all help make life easier (in softer conditions) than a similarly wide Piste Ski, which will have a full length Camber and the widest parts of the ski very close to the Tip and Tail.
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@Old Fartbag, thanks. AM.
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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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Sorry, shouldn't have entered a technical thread. 
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@DrLawn, the other reason to have those extra mm is that they make 2-3" new over corduroy fun instead of tedious. You can just bounce through it instead of over-rotating when they hook up. And hell yeah the PM cut-up is more manageable. I marvel at how nearly everyone in the Alps seems to be on near-race piste skis, often slaloms.....I think this is why so many folks complain about snow in the afternoon...they're no longer on the right ski. I love all-mtn skis, and my leaning-toward-piste Mantras (96 underfoot) are fab. Plenty good in new snow as long as big floatation isn't required, and on piste there is only one person in my circle that I can't keep up with on them, and she has a couple WC points. So, much closer to sliced bread than BS in my view. You sound like you're on the right track to me.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Elan Wingman 86 CTi, love them, probably the best AM ski I have tried.
I also own and regularly ski with 68mm waist Salomons, they are great to carve lovely turns when the pon fresh pistes. I often switch to the Elan in the afternoon, and in spring I am only on the Wingman
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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 wider piste skis are much more fun. I have Stöckli Stormrider 88s and they're great for just about everything. Always used 'punter' GS skis in the past, but the wider ones are so much easier to ski, especially in mixed conditions.
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Anything up to about 84mm can be considered a piste ski these days. Obviously you won't get the razor sharp reaction with wider widths but they pay back when it gets choppier or softer.
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm loving my Line Blades, with 95mm waist!
Only downside is it's a lot more difficult to put them together in the cable car ski carrier...
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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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Cheers @Scooter in Seattle,
i've never complained about the snow in the afternoons even in April, but I'm always up for something new to grizzle about.
Is your blue motor car still doing the business?
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Poster: A snowHead
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@DrLawn, same to you and yes sir, just cracked 40,000 mi yesterday.
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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 done Scooter, Mines done 56k now, I treated it to 1l of Mobil yesterday, so that the third litre of top ups it has asked for, I made the all season tyres last to 46k. Strange thing is that the manufacturer instists on a "P" designation on the tyres but we can't get those all season tyres with the three peaks symbol with that P on them. 
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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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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
| @DrLawn, the other reason to have those extra mm is that they make 2-3" new over corduroy fun instead of tedious. You can just bounce through it instead of over-rotating when they hook up. And hell yeah the PM cut-up is more manageable. I marvel at how nearly everyone in the Alps seems to be on near-race piste skis, often slaloms.....I think this is why so many folks complain about snow in the afternoon...they're no longer on the right ski. I love all-mtn skis, and my leaning-toward-piste Mantras (96 underfoot) are fab. Plenty good in new snow as long as big floatation isn't required, and on piste there is only one person in my circle that I can't keep up with on them, and she has a couple WC points. So, much closer to sliced bread than BS in my view. You sound like you're on the right track to me. |
I don't really understand this - carving up slush on skinny SL skis is fun.
For the record I have skis from 68mm to 125mm waist so I'm not some skinny ski extremist.
And in the original question I don't think 80 or 85mm gives up much real world carving performance vs 70-75mm unless the piste is very firm and you are trying to link short carved cross under turns which I feel is a bit unlikely for someone who is taking a more relaxed approach to their skiing these days!
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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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Cheers Jedster,
Yes driving the carvers through the slush is still fun, I agree.
Your email prompted me to nip out to the garage and see how fat my fatest skis were:
I could not get them out as I have so much crap in the garage, they look like they are about 90mm under foot.
I just looked them up Volkl SnowRanger circa 1995
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/volkl-snow-ranger-fat-powder-skis-219310549
RARE powder fat VOLKL Snow RANGER skis Length - 190cm Sidecut - 105mm/80mm/98mm
Not that fat really. 
I demoed them for a week before I bought them, and I loved them.
The shop let me try some Head X13 skis they said were this new things called pairofbollox skis.
But nah! they just wanted to turn all the time.
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