 Poster: A snowHead
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When you've all sobered up, and can vaguely remember what you were skiing on, you can all post your reviews here.
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Actually - would you please put your reviews here
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/skireview.php
Admin
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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'll be first then!!!
Skis tested K2 Burnin' Luv 152 6/10
Nordica Olympia Fox ? 5/10
K2 Miss Demeanour 154 8/10
Head Fast Thang 8/10
Elan WaveMagic 160 9/10
K2 Lotta Luv 160 7/10
As i need a ski less than 160, all the skis I tested were women specific, as they didn't really have anything else. I've listed them in order of testing, and apart from the Nordica's which were a bit boring, I liked them all, but I loved the Missdemeanors and the Magic waves (although they would have been better shorter) . I grabbed the Burnin; Luvs early in the day, and I liked them, but the rest were better. I tried some Salomons too, but they were so dull and boring, I took them back after one run. I'll reserve judgement on the Lotta Luvs though because I thought they were a bit long, but good all the same. But those Elan's were great.  . EDIT-I forgot the Head Fast Thang, which were also really good. I've now given them marks out of 10.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Mon 7-08-06 9:42; edited 4 times in total
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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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I tested:
Temptress
Miss Demeanour
K2 Burnin Luvs
Saloman Scramblers
Nordica Fox
Head Hot Thang
Bandits
Volkls
and those park skis with the green patterns on
Temptress - Loved these!!! Carved really well and they were really short and quite light, great park skis, enjoyed jumping on them. Bit confusing as one is purple and one is pink!! Really good though!
Miss Demeanour - Again, obviously great in the park, turned ok, could have done with them a bit shorter though, think they'll be this years big thing.
K2 Burnin Luvs - ok I guess, did nothing for me, too soft I think.
Saloman Scramblers <rave rave rave> Man I still love these - but got to try the female version this time and I just love them. They carve perfectly and feel great, so responsive and full of spirit. </rave>
Nordica Fox - they were ok for speedy skis, not much spirit really but turned ok.
Head Hot Thang - 3rd fave after scramblers and temtress - they felt soft and giving but turned nicely at the same time, nice for cruising
Bandits - they were boring, no 'go go' in them.
Volkls - pretty much the same
The park skis with the green squiggles - I liked these, nice and light, went over the jump well and turned ok.
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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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K2 Apache Recon. Would like to test on a mountain - but at Castleford nice, sure, steady ski.
Scott Aztec Pro - at Castleford, much the same feel as the Recon.
Scott Santiago Mission. I think I am falling in love. Certainly A fat ski which seems to grip well on firm snow - and had obvious powder potential.
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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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Nick Zotov, damn ur a lincs snowHead and I never met you, or at least never knew it was you if I did meet you!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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crazy_skier_jules, You did - I asked about your exams! 
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Helen Beaumont, I *think* that admin is planning to put up some sort of review form, so we all have certain standardised answers.
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Nick Zotov, oooooooooh yeah!! *cr@p memory*
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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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So many Snowheads so many faces ... some that will take considerable effort to forget however the relationships twix face and names will take a bottle or two of plonk to cement into place  First a huge thank you to Admin for succeeding in herding cats again . . a grand job.
Anyway the skis and for the first time some boards, which managed to get there just a wee bit late to do justice or to badger a few plankers into wiggling their tootsies into a pair of board boots 
Elan, El Grande 160cm?: First, for its size which is truly 'barge' like, it's extraordinary light with a lovely soft 'pop' It didn't feel floppy just well damped and once you've managed to roll it on to an edge it carved quite nicely. One thing that did catch me out is the leverage it puts into your ankles when washing out to stop, if an edge catches it will snap the board flat down on the snow . . . and your backside soon after, you'll get used to it but until you do be prepared for a few embarrasements. This will be a very sweet powder tool and responded to back-foot steering pressure in the crud on the side of the Cas slope very nicely indeed. I wouldn't want it for a one board quiver but in anything deeper than 6 inches of powder it'd be one of the first I'd grab but on hard crud it gets knocked about all over the place, a penalty for the light weight and big soft footprint.
The dedicated bindings were . . . well bindings, well made, stiff and easily adjustable. The foot-base was flat and I didn't see any inbuilt way to add toe or heel wedges to increase foot leverages
Dumb question . . . Why make a powder tool the same colour as snow? If you have to unclip in the deep and it gets off your leash you'll never find t'booger again.
Elan, Prodigy 153cm+? It were pond scum green and again very light as were the matching bindings. They had the same apparent good build quality as the others but seemed to be finished in a sort of lederhosen lodenfelt green lining material . . . those of you who know about leather pants will recognise the stuff and I've no idea how it will stand up to hard wear.
Back to the board, narrow, edgy, very fast and very very flexible. It caught me out on the first run as I pushed back to kick out of the carve and it just bent in two and spat out from under me. The side cut seems a bit shallow too and it didn't carve as tight a line as the fat Grande. It needs a much lighter bod than mine to rip it. Nice board but I need something that's much stiffer for my style of riding. It's one for the sub 75kg band.
Skis: I'm definitely coming to the conclusion that different manufacturers do make their kit to suit different riding styles, 'cos my prejudices were definitely reinforced. The following must be taken with a shovel of salt due to my lack of ski experience, I can only describe what I feel and these are taken in the sequence I rode them
Volkl 5*s (supersport?) Unresponsive barrel staves that had to be continuously driven through the nose to initiate a turn and if you stay over the middle that's where you'll go . . . straight down the midle of the slope. very very tiring and worse, once you've got a nice carve and you put some energy into the tails you have to go so far onto the tails that you end up looking up God's nose and still they don't give you much of a kick. Fine if you're supper fit and you crave big body movement . . and you want to spend all day monstering the hill. They were an experience, but not one I'd want to have to spend that much energy getting for such little reward, wooden and dead to me.
Atomic SX12 SuperCross: I've the 10s from two seasons ago and it's obvious that Atomic have done little to change the general dynamic, stiff with a progressive flex, dead easy roll onto their edges and stay there in carve with a very controllable kick out. At the same time they'll happily wash out their tails in complete confidence. They do nothing but flatter a tight carve or a gentle schuss. All this needs very moderate body english it's very progressive and linear, the more you put in the more you get out. A lovely ski that tolerate everything you throw at it. I said my 10's were perfect learning skis that you didn't need to change when you got better, these are just the same, a touch stiffer and a more pronounced rebound.
Atomic SL11 (165) Me want 'em. Just like Atomic, easy to handle, progressive, linear . . . just distilled down into a really snappy blisteringly quick turning hoot that'll flick you off the deck out of what feels (and looks) like a two metre radius carve. Huge huge fun and massive grip on the scrapped clear spots at Cas and if I was going to spend all my time on short steep narrow pistes I want them . . . hell I want them anyway just for those days when I feel like being a loon.
Volkl AC3: Oh how do I hate thee thou foul inert plodding zombie. To get them to do anything was such an effort and so dead feeling under foot. If it was these or never ski again guess what my choice would be? I thought it was just 'cos I was getting a bit fragged but then I clipped into . . .
Atomic M11 B5 (163?) He He He He. It has to be that Atomic make skis that suit my way of riding. I like to be able to pootle along in complete stability without breaking a sweat but when I press on they can handle my big weight and a boarder's tendency to move my mass over a wide area of ski.
The M11 is a great ski that apart from that big shovel that caught me out once and hooked up in the crud at the bottom and crossed a tip once and made me realise that there were big forces to be aware of. Again it slid around like a punter's learning ski yet easily roll them over onto edges and it's almost as quick turning as the SL11s, you can feel the extra bulk and they don't have the massive punch out that the slalom skis do but so relaxing to go fast with massive stability they went through everything around the edges of Cas without a twitch. The difference between these and the AC3s is unexplainable other than personal technique . . . I need to spend a week or two with easyski.
I will be opening the piggy-bank for the M11s and not just to learn to slide off-piste, they really are easy and fun on the harder stuff.
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Masque, where did you hide SL11's? I only saw the ST12's 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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marc gledhill, I felt guilty for keeping them for 20 mins and I was truly tempted to walk straight out the door with them and put them in the car  I wanted to ride them again but they were always out. I can't remember the names of the SH's I saw on them but they were all grinning like idiots. When you get the chance, try them you really get back so much from them.
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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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Masque, ever ridden a K2 Trucker?
PS white is uh, slimming.
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| comprex wrote: |
| Masque, ever ridden a K2 Trucker? |
Was he the bloke who delivered them?
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You know it makes sense.
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My first post to this forum (or any other so I hope I don't mess it up).
I should warn you that my opinions are going to be slanted towards Atomic as I have always loved their skis. I am 90% piste beast so the ski's I tested were aimed at that end of the market.
Skis tested were
Atomic ; ST12(160), SX B5(166), Izor 7:5(168), SX12(170)
Volkl ; AC3 Unlimited(163), Supersport 5 star (168)
Salomon ; Streetracer 10(156)
K2 ; Crossfire(168)
Elan; Speedmagic(160)
Head ; World Cup GS (183)
Ok, I started my day on the ST12 and didn't want to give it back. If money wasn't an option I would have gone back to tha atomic rep given him a cheque and kept them. The performed (as previously reviewed) like a dream snappy, amazing grip once the edge was set. The Sx12 wasn't for me, maybe if they had brought a shorter version I might have gotten on with it better. The SX B5 was an all round superb ski, rounded enough that you could cruise if you want but also thrived on a bit of agression that turned it into a sharp carver that again felt like it carved on rails. I tried the Izor just as a comparison for further down the range offered but although its a very light weight ski, it is also a very soft ski; I don't neccesarily thinks this may be fair on the Izor but I had just got off the SX B5 so they felt like noodles in comparison.
I had previously never ski'd Volkls and was more than pleasantly surprised. The 5 Stars gripped well and carved nicely when the slope started to get a bit bare, and the AC3 performed as well if not better, as long as you put the effort in. So maybe the AC3 is not a ski for all day but it was great fun.
I had a predjudice against Salomon before turning up to the test but the Rep talked me into trying the Streetracer 10. I have to say that I was pleased I did. The were a very tight puchy little carver that once the edge was set would probably do pirhouettes if you didn't turn the other way. That said, I still wouldn't buy them as they still have that reputation for snapping!
K2 Crossfires were allright but They were a bit "all mountain" for what I was looking for however they were very stable at what speed you can get up on such a small slope and if you like a little back country action they should perform Ok.
If I never pick up an Elan ski again I will be happy. The speed magic felt dead and unstable, I thick there would have been more life in a pair of 2x4s.
I only took the Head GS Ski out for a laugh at the end of the day as I couldn't get my hands on the ST12's again but they were fun. The only problem was the slope at Castleford is about 3 miles too short to get the best out of the but they seemed to be the mostable speed ski I have ever had my hands on.
Just in Case I wasn't clear earlier - The Atomic ST12 was absolutely superb and the thought of being able to play them all day would kepp a smile on my face for weeks - I just have to save up the £500 for a pair now!
A Great event and good company; it was nice to meet you all and I will try to get to some of the other events
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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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Masque, interesting, the worst experience I have ever had on skis by a very long way was on 5*s. Also tested an AC3 last winter and it left me cold. I shan't be bothering with Völkls again.
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Poster: A snowHead
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pauls248, Nice post and welcome to SnowHeads. At last a fellow smoggy. I'll post my reviews tommorrow.
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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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Atomic M11b5, 164cm
Being an Atomic Metron b5 owner I wanted to try the new M11b5 & thought the 164 (16m) that was available to test was a great ski. The social side apart, this ski was the reason I went to the ski test day. I skied it about four times during the afternoon & it just got better each time. It felt exactly like is was designed to be, namely stiffer than the M11 it replaces but not as turney & stiff as the b5. Although the b5 is still made I think it will be hard to find in the UK this coming season as the M11b5 is probably the better marketing choice for retailers as I think that the original super short Metron concept was lost on many of them. I'd want to ski the M11b5 in 170 compared to my 162 b5's, or even the 176 at my weight.
Initially I thought the tune on the demo ski was a bit off with sod all base edge angle as it wouldn't braquage well, until I realised that the demo bindings were really set too far back but once I'd adjusted them forward a couple of cm the ski responded very well to aggressive & subtle inputs alike. This ski seemed a great on-piste mid/long radius carver & is very quick edge to edge for 76mm underfoot. I recon that it's also easier to soft edge & skid than the 11m radius b5's. Like any of the top end Atomic's it's not a ski for back seat drivers. I'd expect it to be better in deep powder than the b5 for lesser mortals like me due to it having less sidecut.
This ski is going to be a winner in the All Mountain market & will be going head to head with the Nordica Hot Rod Top Fuel/Nitrous & the Volkl AC3/Allstars etc. Having skied those skis before the M11b5 would be my choice over them. However I'll be staying with my original b5's.
Atomic SXb5, 166cm
I'd never skied this Atomic before so it was good to get the opportunity. A real powerhouse even in a 166 & it would have been nice to have another few hundered metres to open it up on. I'd like to try it longer. I've marked this ski in a 174 for the PSB test on the glacier.
Atomic ST12, 160cm
A cracking slalom ski for mortals. Had a couple of outings on it throughout the test session & thought that the 160 was too short for me. The Atomic rep is sorting out a 165 for me to try in a few weeks at MK.
Non Atomics: just to be sociable 
Fischer RX8, 160cm
Not sure if this was the 06/07 ski but it felt just like last year's excellent, fun & turney groomer ski did. Was great fun in the cut up snow down the sides of the slope. Didn't realise till late in the day that the RX9 was there & was disappointed not to try it. I like the fact that Fischer give you a lot of lengths to choose from. Would like to try the 170.
Head WC Slalom, 160cm
Not sure of the model no but it was the white one. I believe that this is there top punter race ski & it was awesome down the smoothed out centre of the slope. Certainly stiffer than the Atomic ST12 but that's not surprising as the SL would be it's true competitor not the ST. I'd prefer the superb Supershape if a wanted a Head groomer ski for skiing all day on.
K2 Recon, 174cm & Outlaw, 181cm?
Compared to my b5's & M:EX's they just had that K2 damp & unresponsive to input feel. Others will love them for the same reason & they'll sell in the thousands. In fact I even recommended the Recon to my mate who's bought 'em & loves 'em  .
Volkl 5*, 168cm
My old skis & I thought I'd give them a spin. As Masque I was disappointed which I couldn't believe as I used to really like them. Hopefully I've got better & I'm certainly heavier () but I think that the main reason for this is that ski construction has moved on in the last couple of years & skis like my Metrons, the Fischer RX8's & the Head Supershape's have moved the game on.
Conclusion
I just like that kick in the pants Atomic feel
Edited to add lengths.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 7-08-06 9:22; edited 3 times in total
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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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Now you tell me
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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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length tried on RX8?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Admin, I tried to last night and got an error!!!
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Helen Beaumont, it was messed up last night for about 10-15 mins while I was adding something to it - it's OK now isn't it?
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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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Rossignol B2
I finally got round to trying a pair of these and I can see why they are so popular. They are very easy to ski turned well and very controllable. I like a bit more edge to my ski’s and found these a little tame.
Fischer RX8
Had a similar fee to the B2’s easy to ski. Easy to ski & controllable I would rate them better than the B2’s but I still feel they were not giving me a reason to smile.
K2 Crossfire
These were to be my next buy so I got them out first and I was disappointed, I don’t know if it was because it was my first skis of the day and I needed to warm up or that this pair were over used but I did not get the response out of them. I’m sure they felt better at the fall line test in April. So I’m still undecided.
K2 outlaw
The last skis I skied on, I have never skied any fat skis (as I got the feeling that I would not like it) so I gave these a go, Welcome back to skid turns, and lack of positive control on piste, I know these are built for powder and as I’m a piste skier mostly It was not a fair test.
K2 Recon
After the crossfire’s I gave these a go, they felt much more responsive and I did enjoy the ride. Turning was sharper with some spring.
Atomic skicross (green)
Sorry to get technical but these were the green ones. If someone can let me know the model number I Would be grateful. These were an edgy ski, I liked them a lot but they took contestant control, I would think after a day on these you would be dumped on the snow a few times as the concentration slipped.
Atomic skicross (orange)
And these were the Orange ones. The ski of the day for me, I not really thought much of Atomic before now, but this responded like a charm, had an edge that dug in and turned at just the right spot. I did not feel the lack of control as I did on the other Atomics. Yep I liked these a lot.
Hotrod Eliminator
These came in at runner up spot for me with good speed with a good solid turn and some spring back out of the turn.
Volkl Supersport
As my own skis are volkl I felt at home straight away and only gave them a quick go as I wanted to try other skis. They were positive and nippy in the turns.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 7-08-06 9:48; edited 2 times in total
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Admin, just posted the reviews, it's working fine now.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Excuse the thicko question, but the link takes me to a page asking me to submit a review. Where can I read the actual reviews?
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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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skibomb, not a thicko question, I think we just have the ability to upload now, but hopefully viewing will come soon...
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| Wear The Fox Hat wrote: |
| skibomb, not a thicko question, I think we just have the ability to upload now, but hopefully viewing will come soon... |
Thank god for that It would certainly be an interesting facility - hope it'll be online soon.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Nick_C, do you find that ski tests repeat on you?
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Poster: A snowHead
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bug!!! why is the edit and quote button next to each another
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nick_C, oh yeah! Make my poste look silly whydontcha
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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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| spyderjon wrote: |
Atomic M11b5, 164cm
... I skied it about four times during the afternoon ...
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That's why I couldn't get to try them and compare them to good skis - you were hogging them!
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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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Wear The Fox Hat, you looked so happy on your girlie skis I didn't want to disturb you. Them Burnin' Luv's perfectly matched your boots as well
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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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There seemed to be rather a lot of orange boots around on Saturday!!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ok my (very limited ability ) findings:
Nordica Hot Rod Eliminators 170 The very set of ski's I won at the Eosb, so I made sure I was 1st to try them. Easy to get into the carve and held an edge well. Felt stable and easy to ski, and lively. Was seriously thinking about keeping the set I won. ****1/2
K2 Apache Crossfire Think these were 170's as well. Didn't like these at all. Felt slow and mushy, would not hold an edge at all. Unresponsive underfoot, whether they'd be better for a lighter skier, I dunno, but Nick_C wasn't overly impressed by them either. *
K2 Apache Recon 174 The longest ski's I've ever been on and surprisingly they were ok. Quite easy to get onto the edge, and stayed there. Would be nice in deep stuff I reckon ***1/2
Elan Magfire 08 168 The best ski's I was on all day by a country mile. Done one turn, and just felt right. Very lively edge to edge. At home on longer carved turns, or short pole plant turns straight down the slope. Was so impressed, I asked Admin if he could source me a pair from his contact at Elan! *****
Atomic Metron B5M11 162 The widest ski I have ever seen or skiied. Was not impressed. Could not get on it's edges. Every turn felt skiddy, and semi-uncontrolled. Everything felt like an effort. *
Fischer RX8 165 The exact ski I own and ski all winter, thought it would be a good idea to try something I was used to, to help judge the others. Apparently the spec has changed this year, not just the graphics. Still held an edge well, and was easy and responsive to ski. Didn't feel quite as "right" as the earlier versions tho. ****
Rossi B2 174 All round ski, that seemed to do everything ok, but as someone else mentioned, not particularly excel at anything in particular. Seemed easy to ski, something that you could stay on 1st lift till last. ***
Nordica Hot Rod Afterburner XBS 170 The Nordica which is 4 models up from the Eliminator. 84mm underfoot, this was one bloody big ski. Like the Eliminator's, was really easy to carve and hold on the edge. Felt nice and stable. Would have really liked to have tried these in some deeper stuff. Looks like Nordica have got some winners this season
Oh yeh, and I had orange boots on
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Smokin Joe, erm, we had some (lots!) Will that do?
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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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| Wear The Fox Hat wrote: |
| spyderjon wrote: |
Atomic M11b5, 164cm
... I skied it about four times during the afternoon ...
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That's why I couldn't get to try them and compare them to good skis - you were hogging them! |
I was hoping to get a good comparison of the M11B5 to he K2 Luvs.
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Charlatanefc, tell me more about that 'Elan contact' , I want those WaveMagics!!!
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FAQ
