 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, as the title says im looking to get a pair of slalom race skis for dry slope racing with uni. I'm 6'0 and weigh about 75kgs.
ive been asking some people at the club and theyre saying something by salomon or atomic would be a good buy. I'm also not sure what length to get as people say that you should buy skis for dry slope slightly shorter than usual.
I know this is probably the wrong time to be asking as the mountains will soon be gushing snow but i'd really appreciate any help and advice you guys have.
Thanks,
Ollie
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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BiG_tYrOnE, Welcome to snowHeads 
165cm is the legal length for men. snowHead GrahamN is a good person to contact for recommendations as to which slalom ski lasts best on plastic. Hopefully he'll spot this thread, if not PM him.
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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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Most of the course sets on dry slopes/fridges are very tight so many people go for shorter skis, I've heard even down to 155 is common for guys unless there are regs. You are unlikely to be disappointed by anything by fischer, volkl, atomic or the new blizzards and it really comes down to the feel you like or the deal you can get.
Just remember whatever you buy will be 'dry slope only' since it is very hard on the bases and edges. If you don't do a lot of dry slope you may want to pick up some used race skis off ebay or skizog since they will be much cheaper. I know the P60 was a popular ski for plastic, but not sure what people like now.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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thanks for the advice
would it be worth looking at ex-rental skis as i'll be out skiing in april
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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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BiG_tYrOnE, I've got a set of Dynastar Omeglass 157cm with Look P14, only had about 10 days use on snow. Good condition. £100 if you're interested. My other half is going down to Devon on Monday too.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks Spyderman thats a very interesting offer. i'll do some research on them and ask a couple of people at the ski club tomorrow just to get some more opinions. I can let you know sunday morning if i want them and will be able to paypal you the money on the same day.
Also have you got any pics of them and some specs as im a bit clueless as to what i should be looking for
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Spyderman, well it seems people have a lot of great things to say about this ski. I'm currently in Southampton if that would make getting them to me any easier. What condition are the edges in and would it be possible for you to give them a quick sharpen if i was to buy them.
like i said earlier, i'll ask around the race team for opinions tomorrow and get back to you on Sunday. Don't get me wrong, i am VERY interested for that price
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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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BiG_tYrOnE, Even easier, my wife will be in Pompey from Sunday morning till Monday lunchtime, when she moves on to Devon. Edges and bases are good, but I'll give them the once over.
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BiG_tYrOnE, at your weight I'd recommend sticking to 155cm. Nearly everyone is on 155s, or even shorter (the top rated skier a couple of years ago skis on 148s). I'm knocking on 6' and I've been on 155s for the last few years and they are fine. I am a bit heavier (15-20kg) than you though, and I think my next ones may be 161s as that gives me a slightly smoother run. Do not go any longer at all, and if you're only starting out 155 should be about right.
For manufacturers, there are loads of Atomics in use, slightly fewer Salomons, an increasing number of Heads, quite a few Fischers, and a few Dynastars, Dynamics Volkls and the odd Stockli. I used Dynamics about two years ago and got pretty good results on them: they were soft enough to bend quite easily and very short radius (10.5m), but as I got better I had troubles holding grip on wider offset courses, really needing something a bit stiffer. For the last two seasons I've been on Heads, originally SL CP13s (10.7m radius) and this year on semi-RD SL WCs (12.5m radius). The CP13s were a disappointment and I never really got them to work. The 12.5m skis have been great, but I've found them not particularly resilient - I've gone through two pairs this summer  , the edges were quite soft, and the bases near the edges have not stood up well. I just tried some Stockli's last week and they felt very good, although quite stiff. I've yet to take them through a tight course, so can't really comment on them in detail at present.
There's a fine balance to be struck on stiffness. You need something stiff enough to give you decent grip, as that's very much at a premium, but you need to be able to bend them enough to get through the course. The Head CP13s were just wrong - stiff enough that they required effort to bend, but not enough to give enough grip to allow that bend to happen. Radius is not the be-all in the equation, in that I can turn the 12.5m Heads through tighter turns that the 10.7m ones as the grip is so much better. So the most important factor is how the ski suits you and your skiing style - not much help I'm afraid, but trying them out is the only way you'll work it out.
Which club is your local? If it's Christchurch Darren is the main man, and he's got a sponsorship arrangement with Salomon, so he's probably going to push you that way. I tried some 3Vs, non-Lab but with race plate. Without the plate they were awful, but the plate made a huge difference and they felt very versatile, although I felt I could overpower them with a bit of effort. They'd probably be ideal for you. If you're a very powerful skier though the Lab may be more sensible (one of our coaches is one of the fastest adults around and he completely overpowered the non-Lab skis).
From what I've heard of the Dynstars, they best suit the lighter more technical skier - but I've not skied them myself so I can't comment from personal experience. The two best kids at our club do ski on them, which must say something. Sounds like they could also be a great ski at your weight. If you're meeting kitty in the So'ton area how about an hour at the slope there to give them a try out?
And finally - don't get too attached to whatever you get, as you'll be getting through them pretty quickly. OK, I use them an awful lot (train about twice a weeks, and do about 25-30 races a year), but I 'm lucky if a pair lasts longer than about 6 months before either the edge is gone, or there are great holes in the bases.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Spyderman, just been talking to a mate from the club and he told me to snap those up. Are they easy to set up for my boots (i.e. the screw adjustment on the back of the binding)
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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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GrahamN, my local slope is the one at southampton sports centre. I'm in the 3rd team but we're pretty strong this year and are on course to get into King's finals this summer. I'm definately not as good as people in the 1st and 2nd teams but i am improving and can give them a run for their money.
I am pretty skint atm and for £100 those Dynastars seem like a steal
soz for the double post
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Definitely - go for it!
(And I take it you know that your - I assume - top girl's father is another regular here, gsb)
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You know it makes sense.
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you mean gemma? she hasn't raced at all this year
Thanks for the advice though, really appreciate it
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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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Hi Graham and BiG_tYrOnE, I wish she was but Gemma shows Kat a clean pair of heels by some margin.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| BiG_tYrOnE wrote: |
| Spyderman, just been talking to a mate from the club and he told me to snap those up. Are they easy to set up for my boots (i.e. the screw adjustment on the back of the binding) |
They've got Look P14 Demo Bindings, so they're easy to set for any boot in seconds.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Spyderman, my boots are a 27.5, are yours a similar size? It's just that I dont want to end up having to get the bindings re-drilled if my feet are much bigger/smaller than yours.
Sorry for all the questions, I just want to make sure that I get the right ski 
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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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BiG_tYrOnE, demo bindings can be adjusted for any boot size, they will be fine
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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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| arv wrote: |
| BiG_tYrOnE, demo bindings can be adjusted for any boot size, they will be fine |
awesome!! Looks like you have a sale 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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BiG_tYrOnE, I've sent you an email
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just a word of warning on the Dynastars - don't expect them to be very durable. One of the guys in our club has been through three pairs this year, and other have had trouble too: they seem unable to handle the heat as well as other brands and either delaminate or the edge parts company from the rest of the ski.
But for £100 it's worth risking.
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RobW, any of your guys on Stocklis - any views on them?
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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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No, no-one here on Stocklis. Fischer RC4 is by far the most popular. Quite a lot of Atomics too - esp. for the smaller skiers.
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| GrahamN wrote: |
| RobW, any of your guys on Stocklis - any views on them? |
You would have to be pretty rich to sacrifice a pair of Stocklis to the dry slope
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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FAQ
