 Poster: A snowHead
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Just starting to pack for a week’s family ski trip and deciding on which skis to take with me. I do have a preliminary thought myself but just curious about how would everyone else do it?
Can carry two pairs. The conditions seem to be nice mild sub-zero temps the whole week, possibly warming to a couple of degrees plus during the daytime during the end of the week but sub-zero at night. They had a fresh snowfall today but no new snow in sight, pistes will be in immaculate condition as are side pistes in the beginning of the week.
Will be skiing 90 % on piste and possibly some light side-piste when the snow is still fresh in the beginning of the week. If it’s anything like our previous trips I’ll spend about 60 % of the time with kids going slower and 40 % on my own at my own pace, doing drills etc. Can change skis at lunch time if I want.
Personally I’d like some variety here, meaning something that’s a bit easier to drive and something with which I’ll really get a workout if I want, something quicker-turning and something longer, and something that tackles the occasional soft stuff and something that slices corduroy.
In this case the candidates are, in order from shortest to longest turn radius:
- a FIS SL ski (Rossi Hero)
- a short radius frontside-oriented all-mountain ski with 88mm waist (Black Crows Mirus)
- frontside carver, 78 mm waist (K2 Disruption 78 ti)
- all-mountain ski, 93 mm waist (Head Kore 93)
- FIS U16 GS ski (Head WC Rebels 186)
No need to get hung up to specific makes or models here but more about the general classifications: for an example would you rather pick a true SL for the quick stuff and drills and a soft flexing all mountain ski for cruising? Or the relatively quick turning but easy to drive Mirus with its 13 m turn radius combined with a hard-charging GS ski (25 m)? Or the “do it all” carver from the middle paired with something, what?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Ravensburger, I’d just take the SLs.
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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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Take the SLs, hire some Telemark skis for variety 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Take the Mirus as it’s the most fun when skiing in a slower group. And then take the GS too if you’re going somewhere that’s going to have magically empty pistes at this time of the year.
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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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SLs in the morning. Mirus with the kids in the afternoon.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Naw just man up on the SLs
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Just take the FIS SLs.
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you just need the Mirus, over the next week.
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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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Before I got to your roster I thought "he needs a frontside oriented AM" and you have one, take it.
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Okay, this is what’s going into the roof box: Mirus was my first pick that I already had in mind and I’ve been on the fence whether it’d be the SLs or the GSs that get to fill the other spot. SLs it’ll be.
Having said that, I’ll do my very utmost to try to squeeze in the GSs as well. Unlikely that they’ll fit, as there’ll be wife’s & kids’ alpine gear, XC skis, gliding snow shoes etc in the box as well. It’ll be a shame not to take them though as it’s quite seldom I have to opportunity to ski them…
Actually now that I think about it, I’m not going to have any use for the 78 mm K2s anymore - they’d be my last pick of the bunch, haven’t skied them all season and really can’t see an application where I’d pick them over race skis (hard piste) or all mountain (lots of fresh snow / off piste / leisurely cruising). Might as well sell them…
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I bring two pairs nearly always, but I have Marker touring bindings I can change out, but two pairs with wife's skis make one heavy ski bag. I don't know all those skis but my preference would be an all mountain ski. Personally not bothered with narrow short skis as not planning on racing.
Much prefer something that will get me over any terrain and I have a definite off-piste preference. I bought a pair of Salomon Stance two years ago to give me a stiffer on-piste ski for firmer days. My other preferred ski is a Candide Thovex Powder ski, not bad on piste (unless it's really firm) but wonderful in softer snow, not too wide 100mm underfoot.
The Stance good fun on piste and hold an edge really well and can handle light powder days, maybe 10 to 20 cm. Anything deeper not wide or soft enough.
Really it's your preference on what you like skiing most.
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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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My quiver is;
Stockli AR (83mm underfoot)
Head Kore 99 (99mm underfoot - unsurprisingly)
So both ‘All Rounders’ but one pair 75/25 piste/off-piste and the other 25/75. Seem to cover all possible conditions; although not skied the Heads much this season.
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I always take two pairs(on a generic, piste-oruentated week, anyway). A 165cm long SL ski that sees the mornings off, and afternoons too, if still cold. Current pair are Atomic S9s.
My old and abused 114mm wide Whitedot Preachers, for any fresh/off piste or (more likely) making the most of afternoon slush, which fat skis turn inro a playground of joy.
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You know it makes sense.
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I always bring a 164cm 76mm Allrounder and a pair of 183cm QST99. And sometimes a touring ski. If hard, SL could be better. Imho, GS only makes sense late in the saison when pistes are empty.
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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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If I could only pack one pair it would be the SL's no contest! Then the K2's for 11:30 onwards. Deffo leave the 186's pistes too busy at this time of year - even first thing. Also with the pistes melting during the day (even quite high up) and refreezing hard overnight, when they bash it they can't get it smooth as they are basically moving sugar around and in the morning you get the occasional hair-raising frozen step mid-piste, cranked fully over on 186's is deffo brown trouser stuff!!
I run Atomic S9 FIS 157 in the morning and swap out to a pair of Salomon QST for when it gets soft (last week that happened too soon tbh in the PDS). Talking of hair-raising, I lost my outside ski on a fast red run at speed on Friday around 09:30, ski popped off the left foot, managed to ski one-footed but fortunately for me I'm right-side dominant and was able to put it into a controlled slide/stop/fast sit down and all ended very well. DIN was 9 and I'm 78 kg, 173 cms - not sure if I should go to 10 as its the second time its happened....... 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'm around the same height and weight as you, and I ski the S9 (non FIS) in 165cm. My DINs are set to 7 and I have never had a problem, even when popping them off the ground, and in slush.
I did double eject from my 90mm wide all-mountain skis last week, but I was being an idiot, and jumped into some fresh snow off piste and landed sideways, attempting (and catastrophically failing) a rotation, with my DINs set at 7. The resulting reverse superman was entertaining for all concerned, myself included. And my trusty old Look pivot bindings on those skis probably saved me from injury. I'd say "lesson learned" but, well, is it ever?
10 sounds very aggressive for piste skiing...but I may be a little paranoid, having had a knee reconstruction.
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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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it helps if you can remove the bindings as it make packing much easier, I've previously taken 2 pairs on a ski trip by plane, if I have a roofbaox then yes of course more than one pair when available
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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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Update on this: I did manage to fit in three pairs: SLs, GSs and the Mirus. Or is it Miruses?
First day was all SLs, yesterday was split 50 % GS and Mirus. Yesterday we found an almost empty, short red run in the morning that was in great condition, not too steep (a milder red if you will) that I lapped with my 8 year old several times - was carveable for me in the GSs all the way through and just the right difficulty for the daughter to keep skiing parallel - steeper than that and she tends to switch to plowing her turns. She got so excited about the speed and the progress she’s making that she asked me about joining a kids’ racing club. Which was nice - I’d love that but haven’t pushed her towards it.
Just woke up and now my legs are killing me - doing those short turns and driving the GSs has been hard work! Luckily we planned to have this day off from the slopes anyway.
What I’ve learned: variety is nice, but could do with just one pair - and it would be the SLs for this type of skiing. The second pick would be Mirus.
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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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Nice update! I can't wait for the day I can ski with my girls (3 and 5, and gently learning).
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