I’m looking for some advice on buying some new piste skis and hoping someone can help.
Age: 36
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 95 kg
Fit and strong. Athletic type skier.
Ski experience:
Skiing since 2 years old several times a year. Never raced but also very rarely find recreational skiers who are better than I am.
What I’m looking for:
Piste skis. I was attempting to go for a two ski setup a few years back but only ever got the first set and never the piste focused ones due to covid. I have some Rossignol Soul 7’s for days I want a wide, playful ski so I need something to compliment these. Had I bought the piste skis 5 years ago I would have been looking for the most focused de-tuned slalom skis possible. However I’m wondering if this is still the right choice for me. My daughter is 6 years old so I will be spending some time with her and therefore I’m wondering if it might be wise to avoid something too focused and go for something a bit more playful.
E.g. should I go for something from the Rossignol Hero range (or equivalent, I only use the Rossignol example because I’m slightly familiar with their range) or for their Forza 70. It would have been the Hero’s no question before but now I’m not so sure. I want them to have some playfulness when I’m not putting 100% effort in, or there are moguls, or a bit of slush. I quite like the look of the Kastle MX75 or MX83. Blizzard brahma 82? I can't figure out if something around 85 mm under foot will be too much of a compromise when compared to something more like 75 mm underfoot?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@DiscreteBarge, the most fun I’ve ever had on piste were FIS SLs. Which I liked so much I wore them out (edges sharpened out of existence).
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?
As you already have a fat ski that covers everything from deep powder, through spring slush, and general mixed conditions I would (and did) go to completely the opposite end of the spectrum and as @under a new name suggested go for an out-and-out slalom ski. I went for the Dynastar Speed OMG Master SL, which would correspond to something in the Rossignol Hero range. Basically go "SL"/"short turn" rather than "GS" and you'll have a ski that will hate powder/slush (but if it's like that you'd have grabbed the Souls in the morning) but show them a bit of hard pack/ice/firm mogals and you'll find yourself with a big grin, still turning on rails wondering why everyone else is still falling over.
I'd also go with SL skis to ski with a 6 year old. At the one end their short radius means you have fun getting lots of turn in while she's skiing slowly...knowing you can also flip to high speed skiing/skier slalom when no amount of shouting "Pizza!" mkaes her move her skis from the French Fries position as she accelerates down a slope
I quite like the look of the Kastle MX75 or MX83. Blizzard brahma 82? I can't figure out if something around 85 mm under foot will be too much of a compromise when compared to something more like 75 mm underfoot
I don't think you'd call any of those playful. They're all stiff, damp skis and very, very different from Soul 7s. From your description of your skiing, Id say they're well suited to you and would complement the Soul 7s very well. Not sure they're the ideal tool for skiing with a 6 year old - that would definitely be something shorter and narrower that you can easily do skiing demos and mess around on but you're going to have to compromise somewhere. Buy a ski that is suitable for skiing with kids and it won't be much fun if you're out on your own. I'd maybe buy a second hand short piste ski (or even a twin tip) for when you're out with your daughter.
For the difference between MX75 and MX83 I'd think you should take the MX83 in the longest length. It's my daily ski and I'm also a 95kg ish strong, technical skier. If you're in that price range you could consider Stockli Montero AX/AR also. The nice thing about Kastle MXs is that you don't need to be hard charging on them, they're more than capable of skiing docilely but if you want to charge, their top end is higher than yours.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@DiscreteBarge,Two possible different asks, a ski for pootling around with your daughter is going to be very different to a piste performance ski, and the Soul 7 probably fine for that.
for high piste performance I'd go 75mm give or take a few mm personally, and get a piste oriented ski vs an all mountain one. I've a Volkl Code SpeedWall L which I love on piste. Given you say you are fit and strong I reckon you need a stiff detuned GS ski. Taking a look at the Rossi range (I have no experience with these skis) something like the FORZA 70D+ MASTER R22.
If you want a shorter turn radius then FIS SLs skis as @under a new name suggests.
Quote:
very rarely find recreational skiers who are better than I am.
Have a look at the Head Supershape range and the Dynastar Speed 963 or Speed 763.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
FIS SL's are NOT playful and they don't appreciate you putting less than 100% in. They are super-damp and will happily wear you out before lunch. GS skis are fine but the longer turn radius limits their usefulness on pistes with other skiers in view. There are a number of skis which don't have FIS in the title which sit in the middle of these two extremes. Beloved of instructors and myself, the Head e.Speed would fit the bill perfectly.
It is a great choice and is fine in everything but more than 6" powder, especially if you have good technique. There's a reason why there are a lot of these skis around.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@DiscreteBarge, FYI my Soul 7s have been ideal for skiing with my daughters during Easters Holidays. Plow through slush, soft and playful, short turn radius. What's not to love?
If you are after a piste ski, get a charger unsuitable for family time and use the Souls for pottering.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@Klamm Franzer,
Quote:
FIS SL's are NOT playful and they don't appreciate you putting less than 100% in
I found the complete opposite. Very playful, totally chilled until you applied a bit of control.
YMMV.
I also found my SGs quite fun as a piste ski when it was quiet and very skiable.
Maybe it's just me?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@under a new name, I think it rather depends how you ski....I also like slalom skis and my daughter invariably chooses an FIS slalom ski al;l things being equal. And she certainly does not feel beat up after a day of piste skiing on them.
I would go for the middle ground though. The Stokli Laser SX is a great ski. Stiff enough to push, not so stiff that you always have to. I use it a lot for teaching. Radius is between a slalom and a GS, so good for recreational conditions. I would say it is almost perfect for most good recreational skiers as a piste focussed ski, especially if you like a bit of speed but also spend time skiing with the kids.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Nope, not just you @under a new name. Sure, grab them by the scruff of the neck and push them aggressively and they will reward you - but equally just roll them from edge to edge and you can carve blue piste's without any effort.
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.
@zikomo, never skied a bad Stöckli.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@under a new name, I really tried to find a bad one, went to one of their test centres and tried pretty much all of them! I did not get to test the DH FIS version, as obviously not available, but for that I am grateful....
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
DiscreteBarge wrote:
I have some Rossignol Soul 7’s for days I want a wide, playful ski so I need something to compliment these.
These are beautiful skis.
(Sorry. Sort of.)
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Over the past 12 months I've decided to go for something a bit easier, and I'm enjoying what I'm trying.
It started with Atomic X7
Then after taking out some Head Magnums yet again, I changed down to some Kastle DX73, they were so much fun.
Last time out I got a pair of Stokli CX, I wasnt sure about them at first.
But after a few hours I became very fond of them....
After a couple of days I wanted to take them home to meet my mum.
At the end of the week I wept as they I handed them back in the rental shop.
I had not put even one little scratch in the P-tex
A tad more relaxing to ski on than their full blown SL - can cruise happily all day but they are extremely reactive when you are in the mood.
Coped with hard pack , ice , moguls , soft snowy piles and , on a few days , 5 inches of fresh snow on a pistes base …really fun ski.
I am 182 cm , 80 kilos and the 165cm perfect for me .
@DiscreteBarge, the most fun I’ve ever had on piste were FIS SLs. Which I liked so much I wore them out (edges sharpened out of existence).
This. I bought some second hand ones that were quite old but lightly used (the owner - a snowhead - had a knee injury and concluded that he wouldn't go back to racing). I was skiing with my wife and nearly always on piste last week so did four days in a row on my FIS SLs. They are unbelievably fun and not at all difficult to ski. You tip them on edge and then can play around with exaggerated angulation to make all sorts of crazy turn shapes. They leave trenches even on very firm pistes when everyone else is skidding. And the rebound you can get if you carve hard to the edge of a roller the unweight and FLY is so much fun.
I wouldn't bother with detuned SLs if you can find some second hand or have the cash for the real thing.
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?
Actually one of the best things you can do is NOT buy any skis at the moment and use your next trip to do a bit of ski testing.
When you get to your resort ski your Souls on the Sunday then (assuming not Soul conditions all week) check out the different hire/sales shops in town and have a chat with a few of them about either demoing or just hiring skis - but be very clear about what you want, ideally to the point of asking for specific models. That will generally get you past the punter/hire skis and into the more specialist/retail skis. Try different skis on different days and make a note of what you've tried/what you thought. If there's something you loved check out prices online, taking into account if you've gone the demo route the store will often knock the demo hire cost off the price if you decide to buy. And if there's nothing that really tickled your pickle, do the same thing on your next ski trip - armed with the ability to say "I've tried A, B, and C and liked/disliked X, Y, and Z about them", which will help a good ski tech select something else to try.
Actually one of the best things you can do is NOT buy any skis at the moment and use your next trip to do a bit of ski testing.
As a general rule that's good advice but some of the skis he's considering and being recommended will be bloody hard to find to demo. It will depend very much what resort he's going to; Kastles, Stocklis and FIS slaloms retailers are few and far between.
A tad more relaxing to ski on than their full blown SL - can cruise happily all day but they are extremely reactive when you are in the mood.
Coped with hard pack , ice , moguls , soft snowy piles and , on a few days , 5 inches of fresh snow on a pistes base …really fun ski.
I am 182 cm , 80 kilos and the 165cm perfect for me .
they sound good but those stats are very similar to FIS SLs but I assume less stiff and damp. Honestly, I don't find it hard to "cruise all day" on the FIS SLs the radius just makes them very manageable. This time I even skied quite a lot of proper bumps and even that was fine.
Just to make it more tangible - they are way easier to ski on a firm piste than my Whitedot R108 (you might say - of course, they are built for firm snow - but my point is that because of that you don't need to be a super strong skier to really enjoy them)
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Je suis un Skieur, I think you would be surprised ... I've found Stokli & Kastle in more rental places than I'd expect.
I've been lucky enough to rent brand new Stocklis last month still with the labels on.
And two pairs of Kastle back in December also brand new with tags on.
The thing is though ... are these "super" premium skis so much better that they are worth the extra money?
I don't mind renting them as I'm on a ski holiday and I only live once (they tell me).
Plus I'm an exceptionally good skier and deserve the very best.
Of course I don't have to lug them to the airport or worry about servicing.
It could be different if I lived in Munchen.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@jedster, I foumd my FIS SLs to be a really nice all round ski, even in powder.
I think I need a new pair.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
under a new name wrote:
@jedster, I foumd my FIS SLs to be a really nice all round ski, even in powder.
I love these type of comments. Reminds me of when Didier Defago, World Downhill Champion at the time tried to ski the Bec des Rosses on GS skis
I love these type of comments. Reminds me of when Didier Defago, World Downhill Champion at the time tried to ski the Bec des Rosses on GS skis
I mean, he did bloody well, race skis on steep powder! You can visibly see the forces he's having to put into those skis! Bet he was knackered at the bottom.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@BobinCH, well, it's true!
I started to learn to try and ski powder on 207cm GS skis ...
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.
Thomasski wrote:
BobinCH wrote:
I love these type of comments. Reminds me of when Didier Defago, World Downhill Champion at the time tried to ski the Bec des Rosses on GS skis
I mean, he did bloody well, race skis on steep powder! You can visibly see the forces he's having to put into those skis! Bet he was knackered at the bottom.
And that’s a guy with Downhill Olympic Champion quads!!!
Look how difficult he finds it to turn the skis on the flatter wind blown part. When it’s steeper he just traverses and jump turns his way down.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Slalom cut with a playful flex and a bit of width for slush -> Mirus Cor
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
under a new name wrote:
@jedster, I foumd my FIS SLs to be a really nice all round ski, even in powder.
I think I need a new pair.
In fairness though you are a bit of a racing snake aren't you? Those of us who couid do with losing few pounds probably need a bit more surface area! I've skied them in boot top powder and obviously that's OK but I'd always be wishing I was on something else. Apart from the float I'd prefer something a bit easier to drift the tails on
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
BobinCH wrote:
under a new name wrote:
@jedster, I foumd my FIS SLs to be a really nice all round ski, even in powder.
I love these type of comments. Reminds me of when Didier Defago, World Downhill Champion at the time tried to ski the Bec des Rosses on GS skis
In fairness SLs are much easier to get round than GS skis. I've never tried a pair of FIS GS but I'd be a bit scared on an open piste never mind BdR TBH.
THat said, I remember you posting a vid of you carving on piste and for someone who is obviously a strong skier I remember thinking you could do with a few days on some SLs. All skis are a compromise and you get benefits from working with a very focused tool from time to time.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
jedster wrote:
THat said, I remember you posting a vid of you carving on piste and for someone who is obviously a strong skier I remember thinking you could do with a few days on some SLs.
I could have been more diplomatic at the time, but I thought some race training would help BobinCH too. Not skiing through gates, just the technique side, doing this on SL skis needs less space and will be at lower speeds than on anything with a larger sidecut radius.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
rjs wrote:
jedster wrote:
THat said, I remember you posting a vid of you carving on piste and for someone who is obviously a strong skier I remember thinking you could do with a few days on some SLs.
I could have been more diplomatic at the time, but I thought some race training would help BobinCH too. Not skiing through gates, just the technique side, doing this on SL skis needs less space and will be at lower speeds than on anything with a larger sidecut radius.
No doubt but you didn’t take into account that I was carving on 112mm touring skis on a steep icy piste
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?
BobinCH wrote:
rjs wrote:
jedster wrote:
THat said, I remember you posting a vid of you carving on piste and for someone who is obviously a strong skier I remember thinking you could do with a few days on some SLs.
I could have been more diplomatic at the time, but I thought some race training would help BobinCH too. Not skiing through gates, just the technique side, doing this on SL skis needs less space and will be at lower speeds than on anything with a larger sidecut radius.
No doubt but you didn’t take into account that I was carving on 112mm touring skis on a steep icy piste
I did.
Watching most FWT competitors, I can see that they have raced and are carrying over aspects of that technique to how they ski off piste. The biggest sign to me is them separating at the waist, not the hip joint, and trying to keep their pelvis more square to their skis. For me, this helps to not get thrown around as much if you hit an unexpected bump.
THat said, I remember you posting a vid of you carving on piste and for someone who is obviously a strong skier I remember thinking you could do with a few days on some SLs.
I could have been more diplomatic at the time, but I thought some race training would help BobinCH too. Not skiing through gates, just the technique side, doing this on SL skis needs less space and will be at lower speeds than on anything with a larger sidecut radius.
No doubt but you didn’t take into account that I was carving on 112mm touring skis on a steep icy piste
I did.
Watching most FWT competitors, I can see that they have raced and are carrying over aspects of that technique to how they ski off piste. The biggest sign to me is them separating at the waist, not the hip joint, and trying to keep their pelvis more square to their skis. For me, this helps to not get thrown around as much if you hit an unexpected bump.
Thanks for the tip!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Most days are not powder days....
Therefore, I reckon most folk would benefit from a piste ski in their quiver.
a) piste skis are good for technique.
b) skiing the right ski on piste / icy conditions is more fun.
Personally I would go for:
- 70->75mm-ish under foot. 80mm at a push
- medium turn radius 14m-18m (i.e cheater GS ski that can be used for shorts or longs)
- perhaps a little tip rocker
- not a super stiff race model with 3 sheets of metal
IMHO : SL skis are fun. But they only do one thing (short-turns) well.
For all mountain skiing other options are more versatile.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
BobinCH wrote:
Haggis_Trap wrote:
Most days are not powder days....
It’s been too long since you skied Verbier
Touche....
After all it is free
After all it is free
@DiscreteBarge, sounds to me like you want something like the classic ski instructor ski. Somewhere around 175 with around a 16m radius. Such as these (others will also exist):
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
probably need a bit more surface area! I've skied them in boot top powder and obviously that's OK but I'd always be wishing I was on something else. Apart from the float I'd prefer something a bit easier to drift the tails on
