 Poster: A snowHead
|
New season coming .. new skis to be purchased. You would think by now that I knew what I was doing but I need help again.
I spent most of last season improving my short turns and got to rather enjoy hard pack/icy conditions and short turns in particular. . My Fischer RX8s served me very well but by the end of the season I was beginning to feel that they turned a little too easily ( if such a thing really exists) .. even that they might have been a little sloppy. I wont sell them as they are great for bumbling around on piste, and there isnt that much life left in the edges anyways.
However I would like a slightly stiffer ski to use for short turning piste work when I'm trying hard but am very confused by the blurb and lack of availability, and really need to refine a short test list.
I first looked at the Atomic SL12, but by all accounts they will be too much for me.
The obvious candidates are something a little stiffer than the RX8 from the Fischer range but when I have read reviews from the RC4 range ( and there seem to be a lot of them in that range many with the same/similar side cuts etc. ), I got really get confused additionally shops only seem to hold one model. The other candidates seem to be something from the Tigershark/Racetiger ranges from Volkl, but again the range of choice is doing my head in.
Can anyone help me identify some pure slalom piste skis a little stiffer than the RX8 ... it needs to be model specific so that I can descend on some poor shop . Many of you have seen me ski ( well, if you have rearward vision you have) so all advice appreciated ( apart from joining the darkside).
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Rossignol 9S Oversize might be one to try. A pure piste ski, 12m radius, fairly stiff torsionally but less stiff longitudinally (much softer than a race ski though, so hopefully not too much to get used to).
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
dynastar slalom skis have a reputation for being at the softer end of that spectrum (never skied them myself tho) - particularly if you go for the omeglass rather than the full race-room version
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Arno, rob@rar, Thanks very much. Always worth asking here as those are both skis that I hadn't/wouldnt have even considered as noone had reccomended them ... and your narratives seem to be much more appropriate than some of the 'Race skis' that I have been looking at. I do want something stiffer than the RX8s but not something I cant get 'rebound' out of.
|
|
|
|
|
|
brian
brian
Guest
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Agenterre, head supershape magnums perhaps... I have a pair of race stock RC4 SL's and they are very very stiff. But the RC4 SC is much easier to bend and may be a candidate.
a friend in Oz who skis a lot of different skis is raving over the Head XRC's
|
|
|
|
|
|
brian
brian
Guest
|
Agenterre, I only promised to pause at 6000 
The SL is the "proper" slalom ski but the SC is still a bit of a step up from the RX8. Worth a try though, a great piste ski.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Agenterre, like yourself, I started skiing later in life and it became an obsession too. This coming season will be my seventh and I definitely haven't stopped improving or got bored yet.
BTW try some Rossignol Z5's for pure piste performance.
Good luck with your choice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dynamics are a little softer than the Atomics. Mrs Ski likes 3Vs - although she says they are too soft - I reckon they are just more versatile. If you want to cut the mountain to shreds, Rossi (9s oversize) are the ones to go for.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
rob@rar, Arno, brian, skimottaret, chris, ski,
Thanks very much indeed. A couple of hours on here and you've put together a test list that would have taken me weeks and I still would have missed loads out.
The list looks like:-
Rossi Radical 9s oversize
Dynastar Omniglass
Stoeckli Laser SC
Head Supershape Magnums ( cant find much out about them other than marketing though)
Fischer RC4 SC
Rosignol Z5s ( but may be a bit soft??)
ski, I'm afraid I have a Salomon aversion ... I skied a rental pair of Equipe SC in the 1st year I skied ( 4/5 weeks in) and they were the softest skis Ive ever skied ( susbstantiated by my instructor) ... maybe they were just 'tired' but these memories last !
Thanks again all .. I reckon any chance to ski 3 of those on the same trip and Ill make a decision. being 1.80m and (hopefully) down to 80 kg by then again I can try <1.70m skis and make a decision.
Thanks very much again.
Oh and sorry about being unfashionable and asking about piste 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.
|
|
Agenterre, Are you looking for old stock or new ones ? Several of the ones on your list have been replaced by something else.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
rjs, I hadnt realised that as I just 'looked up ' each ski via reviews. Dont give a jot as to which year they were introduced, as long as they help me improve and hit my 'wants list'.
However if there are better replacements then delighted to hear about them. .. and availability is obviously an important element !!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Agenterre, Rossi Z5's soft? I don't understand! They seemed pretty good to me. For piste use, I blatt around (quite fast) on a pair of 12 year old Head Space Xt something or others!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
chris,  I've just spent 10 minutes looking for the review that said Beginner-Advanced and 'forgiving' ( that means super-noodle to me !) and TOTALLY failed to find it ... still going to stay on my list though !
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
I would try the 2 fischer slalom sc's
so rc4 race sc (bit like your rx8's, but i find them having a higher speed limit and a bit stiffer  )
and fischer rc4 worldcup sc , (the ones with the flowflex plate, fantastic, but made my dodgy bump skiing even worse, and my legs were well vanished at the end of the day so i went race sc)
try the reviews here
http://www.citizenski.com/ski-reviews/fischer/page/3
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Agenterre, the Head Magnums make a good all mountain, but if you want detuned slalom how about the normal Supershape?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Rossi Z5s are soft.
I had a pair in 154s for one season (2005-2006 ski). I had wanted the Z9s but couldn't get them. The previous ski I had was a Rossi 9S (2003-2004 ski). Don't get me wrong, the Z5s were wonderful and easy, but I killed them in a season.
I got a pair of Z9s after that (2006-2007 ski) which were much more stiffer. They are a good ski but not the ski for short turns if that is really what you want to do as suggested by your first post. It was the one thing I really missed being able to do wth the Z9s. So much so that I am replacing them this season with a pair of Rossi Radical Mutix skis that I got from E-Bay for £290 brand new. They're a bit of an experiment, but at that price I decided it was worth it!
My background in that I'm an aggressive girlie skier, 9.5 stone in weight. I also teach so when I buy a ski I tend to think of what it'll be like to teach on the dry slope with. I used to always buy slalom skis but after the 9S I decided to see what else was out there for a change as a lot of the time I'm doing plough work, plough parallels etc. so felt I didn't want a high end ski anymore.
Hope this helps a bit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
slikedges, You're right. Having checked again .. its the 'Supershape' that should be on my list .. looking at reviews from different years I think.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
FenlandSkier, ... oh you suggesting I need something a bit more demanding ? 
.... well they go straight OK !
snowaddict, well you're obviously a much better skier than I but, yes, I am looking for a pure piste slalom short-turning ski. I have another pair ( Volkl) which cover wider turns and my ocasional off piste snowdrift excursions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Agenterre, You might want to replace the Stoeckli Laser SC on your list with the Laser SL. The SL is a detuned slalom rather than an allround ski.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| brian wrote: |
| Agenterre, Stoeckli Laser SC .... |
Yes - what he said... or maybe Head SuperShapes?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Agenterre,
| Quote: |
when you put " SKI XXXXXXXXX review" into Google and the page one returns heavily feature posts in this thread
|
I found exactly the same - quotes from all over the forum! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Agenterre, What About the Atomic SL10, used them for one day last year, very nice, great edge grip and not too stiff.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Agenterre, I like the look of your list up there. I've never really liked the Head Supershapes myself; but others rave about them.
Where are you at the moment?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oh yeah, stick the Elan slaloms on the "to do" list, they tend to be a blast.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Like the Elan Slalons... not sure of the model number but 2-3 years ago they were making very nice skis...SLX's, I think.
Agenterre, Stockli Laser SC will do all you want....
I tried some RaceTigers as well which were a blast but we need to be careful not to get a ski that wil be tiring all day, ie, you have to drive/ski it ..which is fun, but a bit much if you were on it all week.
That is relative somewhat, to the way you ski, IMV
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Thanks everyone .. I think the test list looks like this : -
Rossi Radical 9s oversize
Dynastar Omniglass
Stoeckli Laser SC ( Ill try the SL as well if I can find it)
Head Supershape
Fischer RC4 race SC ( worldcup definitely too much for me I suspect)
Atomic SL10
Elan SLX
That's a long test list and Id be very be lucky to find all in one place but with my RX8s as a reference point that shouldnt be a problem for multiple tests and comparitives...
Mosha Marc, In France at the moment. Not going to Swizzerland until December - and not sure for how long this year.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Wed 3-09-08 10:35; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Agenterre, You will be able to find the Rossi R9S, Dynastar Omeglass and maybe the Atomics in Tignes but I don't think you will find the others.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Agenterre, try the Elan Magfire 10. Would suit you down to a tee i reckon
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
K2 Appache Crossfire? Got them last year and best skis Ive ever owned - 06/07 model. They got one of the best reviews ever in Daily Mail Ski mag, hence the reason I bought them. They are great for fast carving if that's your thing. The new model is a bit wider - 2 cm I think and they are quite heavy skis, but by the sounds of it, this is not a problem?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Elan magfires are pants, try the speedwaves which would be much closer to the SLX's
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Agenterre, I think you should try a 160cm ski in the range you are looking at. Fischer last year had a ski called Hot Fire if you can find a pair there worth trying. Have a look at this site for reviews click on my ski. www.skipressworld.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
if that gives you an idea of what they're like 
Hope admin is well paid for that ! 
Actually thought it would a good use of my 'winter fuel' allowance as I could always burn them later. 