 Poster: A snowHead
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I am looking at both, and wondered if anyone had tried them both out and could give a quick summary of pros vs cons.
(Arv I know you love the latter, have you been on the Hazmat too? - how do they compare?)
Anyone else feel free to add your tuppence worth; I have done the usual background reading on each ski's construction, radius, sales pitch etc, but most of the useful reviews are based on USA/Canadian snow, not European.
Cheers!
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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 can't give you a Hazmat comparison. The ARV has been beefed up a little since the 07/08s that I have as well.
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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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Did the ARV suffer in the 07/08 model then? - (did it need the beefing up in your opinion - I'm curious as you seem to really enjoy skiing them in almost all conditions?)
I know the Hazmat, (like all the standard Liberty models), have a partial bamboo construction - some think this means they get softer over time, others dont and just think it gives them a responsive 'pop'.
I used to like stiffer skis, but am learning to appreciate softer, (more accurately just slightly less stiff!) skis now, as long as they dont suffer too much in choppy snow conditions.
I'm just getting a bit lazy I suppose, and looking for something which is somewhere between soft and stiff which are simply fun when doing more than just mach schnell downhill.
Cheers!
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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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fr0sty, I don't weigh very much and I am light on my kit so no.
Mine are definitely 'soft', if you are looking for something slightly less stiff then ARVs may not fit the bill (no idea on the newer ones).
They are good fun everywhere, I have skied them in all conditions from the lightest knee deep powder ever to rank crud in Scotland and they cope well, they are just the perfect shape for what I wanted from the ski.
If you are in Scotland you are more than welcome to try 'em.
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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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arv, thanks for the information.
You said you're not very heavy - what length do you ski, and where do you mount them?
I looked at the 09 models, (the 'beefed up' ARV), and they have a 175 which would be about right for me I think, but they also have a 185 too.
Normally the 185 would be a little long for me at 5'8"and 80 kilos - but I was thinking about either a centre mount so I can play around with them switch, or maybe at least a pretty forward mount to offset some of the length.
The Hazmat runs in a 171 - and is available from some outlets now for under £150 (unmounted). However, I have always liked the look of the ARV and when I finally tried it I didn't want to give it back!
I have a bigger (fatter) ski in a 176 for other runs.
Cheers!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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arv,
Ha-Ha! Cheers for all of the effort!
Thanks for all the feedback, I think I would really prefer the 175 ARV rather than the 171 Liberty Hazmat. The Hazmat looks a good ski, but I just really liked the ARV - a lot! 
Just need to find somewhere that will sell me the 09 ARV in a 175 for less than a massive price! - anyone know of a place? (I found some older ARVs online for less, but might wait for the 09 if they're available. Hopefully when the new season stock comes in!)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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arv,
Big props - I have looked at Conrad several times and never seen them! - many thanks, I must be blind...
Credit Card is now in my hand - and crying in pain as I also need bindings ha-ha!
Cheers!
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fr0sty, the hazmat is a nice ski, if you're planning on centre mounting it for park then go for it. It's quite stiff (twin tips are bit deceptive for this) and doesn't lose the pop because of the wood core. Pretty well made and durable ski too.
I'm similar size and weight and I think the 171cm would probably still ski too short for you for an all mountain ski. I'd be tempted to get the 181. Never skied the ARV to compare unfortunately.
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