 Poster: A snowHead
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Duplicated from my thread on EpicSki for my snowHeads friends...
These skis are listed in the order that I skied them at Loveland on November 19th at the Colorado Ski & Golf/Boulder Ski Deals Demo day, my fifth day this season.
Volkl Allstar (168): Ever since watching Weems make beautiful arced carves on these skis last year I have wanted to try a pair, so I grabbed them for my first pair of the day. Not knowing for sure what to expect, we dropped down Spillway (groomed and a bit hard) and then down Richard's Run (a bit softer). These skis are beefy. They hold an edge like crazy, but they are difficult for me to decamber a lot to really get them working under me. As a result, my turn shape was limited to medium- and long-radius without resorting to a lot of steering.
That said, as it seems the updated Volkls are, these are beefy, powerful skis that hold a tenacious edge and yet allow for a broad range of skiing input. These would be best suited to bigger more powerful skiers who spend a fair amount of their time skiing fast on the front side.
Atomic Metron 11:B5 (170): I was also eager to get on these, having spent the past two seasons on the Metron:B5, and having been consistently dissed by Philpug for sticking with the B5s when he thinks these are so much better. I really enjoyed this ski, but I wouldn't call it "better." This is the GS ski of the Metron line to the B5's SL. With a shallower sidecut and narrower tip and tail, the ski is comfortable with a wider set of turn shapes, especially at the longer end. You can lay it down and snap out short turns, but doing so actually takes more power than on the B5s due to the sidecut. This is an Atomic thoroughbred, even though it's a less demanding ski overall than the B5. It still takes a strong skier giving it direction and power, but it gives back very well.
These skis would be enjoyed by a wide range of skier from a solid advancing skier with good modern technique through an expert looking for an all-mountain ski.
Atomic Snoop Daddy (174): While not the type of conditions in which the Snoop is designed to really shine, it's high on-piste reviews gave me some confidence to try it. This is the ski that replaced the venerable M:ex in the Atomic line, but it is a completely new ski. It is a light and lively ski, but the beta design still does its magic, allowing the ski to lock onto edge even in hardpack.
This ski arcs long turns on the groomers, as you'd likely expect from a ski with this kind of sidecut and as a ski designed more for the back side. That said, it performed very well in the hardpack, and motored through the chunks and junk that I could find. It is very stable, and yet is not particularly demanding of the skier. For those looking for a backside ski that can still handle the groomed or those days when it doesn't dump like it's supposed to do, this ski is definitely worth a look.
Salomon X-Wing Tornado (170): I had not been on Salomon skis in a number of years, and since I know that there are Salomon skiers both here on EpicSki and also among my guests at the OHG, I decided I needed to find out a bit more about them. The Tornado is the groomer carver in their line, and has a wood core with metal to beef it up. The first thing I noticed about this ski was its liveliness. It really gave me energy back as it snapped off turns from the very first arc on Spillway. It had a lot of energy and reminded me of favorite skis like the Rischer RX-8. It was not particularly demanding, yet responded very well to all the pressure and demand I made on it.
The only detraction to this ski that I found was at speed. Unfortunately, the tip just couldn't stay quiet as speeds got into the upper 30s and 40s. It began to get a little too lively at that point, and felt a little unstable as a result. Given this characteristic, I think this is a solid ski for a technically skilled skier who tends to keep the speeds a bit typical instead of letting them get into the higher ranges for resort skiing. It is a snappy, fun ski, and held very well in all conditions. I will note that the rep was surprised by my comment about the stability (and see the Fury review, below).
K2 Apache Recon (174): It had been a couple of years since I had been on a Recon, so I felt it was time to see how they had changed, especially since the skis that I had on my list weren't available! Unfortunately, though, I did not enjoy my time on them. Perhaps they would be better for me in a shorter length, but at this length, the tips were very heavy and felt "dead". They did not pull me into the turn but rather refused to initiate at all. They seemed to hold, but they felt more like an old-school ski than all of these other skis that I had been on today. Perhaps this is one reason why many of the guys I know who have not had coaching on carving skis tend to like these? I'm not sure, but they were my least favorite of the day.
Volkl Unlimited AC4 (170): After all the superlatives from Faisasy and Noodler last weekend, I had to get on these. After prying them from Faisasy's feet, I was able to do just that. Having been on these last year and not really liking them, I was looking forward to the ways that the changes in construction effected them--again especially after hearing these two gush about them. I think we were all a bit nervous about what I would think!
Right away, I found that they were very lively skis, held like crazy on the hardpack (quite a contrast from last year), and were very energetic. All of the issues that I had expressed about them last year are gone for me in this year's incarnation. The edges felt very much like the early Atomic Betas did to me: you move from edge to edge, and there is very little time spent with any sense that you are not locked up on an edge. The edge is very positive, very strong, and clean. The ski arcs very well and you can really trust it. I find, however, that they are perhaps a little too eager to be on edge. This is a nit, but may make it more difficult for some to adjust the ski on snow, to feather turns, to make other types of turns besides pure carved arcs.
Again, though, these thoughts are very small in the grand scheme of things, and these skis will make a great all-around ski for those who experience a broad range of conditions, especially I think frontside/backside balance and love to arc it up as well as drop in.
Elan Speedwave 14 (168): Those of you who have read Noodler's reviews know that he's a bit of an Elan booster. He enjoys their skis for their great mix of energy and dampening to create solid skis that can rip without getting kicked around. The 14 is their top-of-the-line carver, and it lives up to that. This was a very fun ski, moving quickly from edge to edge, arcing very well in all conditions, and giving back a lot of energy from turn to turn. As a narrower ski, it still was able to motor through the clumps and chunks without knocking me around, and produced confidence in the driver that it would be there when I really pushed on it. And I did. I skied it fast and I ripped off pretty tight turns. Excellent ski!
This is one of those skis that I think you have to try if you're a mostly frontside skier (or if you ski in parts of the country where your opportunity for deep fresh snow is limited). It gives back more than you put into it, and is steady fun top to bottom.
Volkl Unlimited AC3 (170): I hadn't been on this ski in a while, either, but it's ancestors were those that got me back into skiing, so it was time to ride them, again. Interestingly (as Noodler and Faisasy had noted), this ski is definitely stiffer and more demanding than the AC4 and actually skis very much like the Allstar. It was difficult for me to push it into tight turns, but it was not the least bit afraid of speed, and blasted through everything without a thought. I could feel that it was narrower than the AC4, but I couldn't arc it as tight as I could the AC4.
This is the GS barn-burner of the Unlimited line, and would be well-suited for a western skier who skis the frontside a lot, but may drop into mixed terrain on occation. And one who prefers a lot of speed and not a lot of turning.
Salomon X-Wing Fury (172): After I mentioned to the rep my issue with the Tornado, he suggested I take a ride on the wider and therefore beefier Fury, so I did. Not exactly the conditions for such a ski today, but I really wanted to have a bit more knowledge about the Salomon line. I'm glad I did. This was another fun ski, arcing pretty tight turns for a ski so wide, and it didn't have the tip nervousness that I experienced in the Tornado. For those who are in the west, enjoy the lively feel of these Solomons, and would spend a fair amount of their time in softer snow wanting to float, these are definitely worth a look.
Nordica Hot Rod Afterburner (170): In chatting with the Nordica rep, he suggested these skis for Faisasy given his passion for the AC4s and his experience on the Jet Fuels, since these are livelier and snappier. So, after Faisasy, I grabbed them for my last runs of the day.
Whoo-hooo! These were fun! By replacing the metal of the Jet Fuel with carbon fiber, these skis are very light and lively, snap off very nice turns of a broad range of radius, and also allow a lot of subtle edge use that is more difficult in some of the other designs. I found that I could arc from edge to edge, mix arcs and feathering, or snap off some tigher turns using both high edge angles and other techniques. I even took these through some of the bumps off chair 2 at the end of the day and found the skis exceptional there, as well. I was very impressed. This ski gets my vote for the sleeper ski, since it sits one step below the popular Jet Fuel. However, this ski was a ton of fun in all these conditions, especially for a ski this wide.
I think this ski is suited to a wide range of skiers, and allows for a very broad range of technique to give superb results. There was nothing that it did not do very well. This was my ski of the day.
Details of the day and the skier:
Conditions: Excellent early season snow at Loveland, ranging from bumps to softer snow, especially at trail edges and near the base. EveryIn general, we ran the skis typically up lift 1, down Spillway and then to lift 6, down the groomers to Home Run.
My specs: 6’, 170lbs. male, 36th season skiing, PSIA level II cert. Ski reasonably fast, love to turn, enjoy the “arc and spark”, and powder. Gearhead.
My own equipment: new Nordica Aggressor 150 boots, 162cm Atomic Metron m:b5 skis, Leki AERO Viper Trigger poles, Marker helmet and goggles.
This review consists of my thoughts and impressions of these skis. As all should know, ski impressions are driven by personal preference, technique, preferred sensations, and so on. Some have said that we prefer skis that mask our technique issues. Probably true. We also probably prefer those that our technique can really use. So, this is not doctrine. Simply what I think about what I felt.
Skiing style/technique: I have asked some ski instructors and race coaches to describe my skiing to give you an idea of my technical ability. Here's what they had to say: "dynamic, smooth, efficient. Good turn completion. Occasional tendency not to move down the hill on initiation that is easily corrected when you think about it." "...skiing looked generally quite good. You seem to ski a pretty aggressive line and generally in balance. Your turns are generally carved, even on the pitches. The thing I did notice that I would comment on if I were coaching you was a stance that seemed a bit narrow, and a turn initiation that seemed a bit steery." "...you are a technically strong, aggressive skier with a bias toward power rather than finesse. Smooth and fast!!" All that said, I felt pretty out of my element in the gates today, so do not take these insights as coming from a hard-charging gate-basher...
Preference in skis: If you consider the skis that I prefer, you'll see that I like 'em light and lively. I like a lot of snow feel and energy in the ski. I prefer a slalom racing ski feel for my personal skis, and I love the carve.[/url]
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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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Sharkymark, definitely. All three of us who skied the AC3 and AC4 felt the same about the two. Keep in mind that the 07 skis are different from the 06s, even though they have the same names. The construction has changed, and thus the character of the skis has changed, too.
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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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ssh, I was on the 07 AC3s; I've not skied the 06 models. Definitely one to try then 
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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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Sharkymark, jump on the 07 AC4. And, if you can, onto a Nordica Afterburner. The latter just gives more options for the skier IMO. Both are excellent skis, mind 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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ssh, What? No luvs? I thought you'd at least try a set of phat luvs or lotta luvs. WTFH did 
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SnowHot, nope. I let Terry do that... I'm not as versatile as Foxy. 
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You're an instructor, 6' and 170 lbs and then you go testing skis around 170cm in length, is that still cool in the U.S of Disney? 
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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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SMALLZOOKEEPER, ummm... yep? I guess I'm missing something. Are you guys still skiing 205s?
It took me a number of years to drop down, but I'm enjoying my 162s and my 170s. Interesting the differences. Perhaps it reflects a difference in ski tactics?
Sorry if these aren't useful... 
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ssh, great reviews. I love the term 'Gearhead'! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I skied the Mach 3 Powers all day yesterday in 10" of cut-up powder at Copper. I'll do an extensive review later, but suffice to say that they are a real "Wow!" ski. Highly recommended. More on the Afterburner when I get out on my new pair for the first time... they should be here any day...
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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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ssh, We have found the 'Short Ski' thing is over, yes, people are skiing shorter skis still, but not dropping 15-20cm as before, certainly not in the 'All -mountain' category.
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I kind of agree... A good skier should be skiing around their own height - maybe more - for All-mountain over here.
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You know it makes sense.
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JT, Yep, i measure 176cm, 74kg and ski, 190cm off piste, 181cm GS and 172cm in Freestyle/Hybrid.
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FAQ
