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Ski test
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead

Tried some skis today in a ski test at Saas Fee. I guess due to conditions and the fact that it was on a glacier the choice was mainly piste oriented skis.

Volkl Mantra (177cm) - great edge hold and very turny for a wide ski. Very impressive on piste. Unfortunately didn't get to try it in powder but wonder if those piste attributes would work against it? If they don't it would be a great alround ski. Would have liked to try the longer one (184?) but they didn't have it.

Scott Mission (183cm) - very smooth, felt straighter than Mantra despite narrower waist, less grippy so skid turns quite nicely without gripping. Carves fine on oiste with a wider arc. Felt like it would be really nice off piste in crud or powder.

Atomic Nomad Blackeye (179cm) - the guy presented it as an all mountain ski. Wouldn't like to carry it up a mountain. It weighed a ton! Stiff and grippy, very happy carving, not happy doing anything else. Took it in 15cm of powder and it was harder work than the next 2. Felt more piste orientated than all mountain to me. Least favorite.

Fischer Watea 84 (176cm?) - really easy ski, slipped nicely through the small moguls, effortless in the 15cm of powder, carves nicely on piste without the edge hold of the Atomic, so also easy to skid. I really liked it for an allround ski. May have a speed limit. Would have liked to try the 184 but again they didn't have it.

Rossignol SC80 (180cm) - another one presented as an all mountain. Nice sold feel without the excessive weight of the atomic. Likes to carve and very stable. Relatively stiff and picks up speed on the steeps. I was struggling a bit to keep it on the edge over the bumpy steeper bits. Didn't feel great off piste. Another one I'd say is much more piste oriented than all mountain.

Stockli were doing a private ski test next door (so unfortunately I couldn't test them). I'm a bit partial to Stocklis having bought an Asteroid (early wide ski) 10 years ago which I've only just let go. I also skied the yellow and blue Rotor a few times and loved that. Anyway, the guy there did an impressive sell job of the new Rotor 72. Said it is better than the old Rotor 76 and despite the narrow waist works beautifully both on and off piste. Sounds fantastic....
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ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

I've never understood Mantra's. Volkl just created a fat GS ski which consequently sucks in powder/soft snow, why buy a ski that wide for it to tip dive all over the place?


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 25-10-09 10:24; edited 1 time in total
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snow conditions
 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, Mantra is a great ski... I liked the older 94mm a lot but the newer version is good. I'd use it all over, for sure.
I wouldn't call it stiff and I wouldn't call it heavy and I'd suggest the Mission is lot more turn orientated which I don't like in deeper snow.

I hear very good things about the Watea and the 94 sounds worth a look.

As with many skis, some models can be just the wrong lenghts for some people and thems the breaks, This can also make the ski a different
beast, IMV.
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The women's version of the Watea is getting rave reviews too.
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