 Poster: A snowHead
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I daresay lots of people wrote about their new kit in separate threads, but I just wondered if it would be useful to collect the info into one thread.
Lots of us had new planks, boards and other kit for the season just finishing.
What was it?
Why did you get it in the first place - tested previously, recommended, present etc.
How did you get on with it?
Did you like it?
Did it live up to expectations?
Are you likely to use it again next year?
Would you recommend it and why?
I was going to limit this to the things we choose to slide on, but thought why not include other gear as well. Might be an interesting thread for the summer and bring back memories of some good trips. If you agree please feel free to pick some/all of the above questions and answer away.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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07/08 Dynastar Big Troubles (with marker barons)
Had the same the season before, but they got stolen (although no barons on that pair)
Awesomely
Love them
Yep - although the weight of the barons is noticeable, took a little time to get used to even downhill skiing with them
Definitely - will be my every day planks
Great allround twins, 92mm underfoot so enough float for reasonable pow, yet thin enough that they're fine on everything apart form real hardpark. Stiff enough to smash the crud, yet enough flex to be playful. 21m radius is great for fast GS type turns, lovely in soft spring snow. Barons are proper bombproof too.
and
Dynastar Sultan 85s
Free warranty replacement for last season's L8ks
Brilliant all around ski, but only really come out for teaching and when the pistes are too hardpacked for my BTs
Yes
Yes - big improvement over the L8ks (which I loved), better shape for carving the pistes, whilst the improvement in pow is much bigger than you'd expect from only a 5mm waist increase
Yes, but as I build up my quiver they'll probably only be used for teaching - wish I'd gone one size bigger
Yes - probably the highest performing genuinely all mountain ski IMO, stiff and grippy onpiste with a decent mid size turn radius, very agile and nimble, nice and stable in variable snow, better in pow than you'd expect
Next season I'll be adding a pow monster, season after somehting GS stylee.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 22-05-10 17:38; edited 3 times in total
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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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Another vote for Dynastar:
1 Exclusive Legend 08/09 season, bought late 09.
2 Tested previously and recommended (very detailed and well-argued recommendation from comprex, which I found immensely helpful). Always used to be brand loyal to Dynastar, but last skis were Heads - not female-specific and a bit too heavy and stiff for me.
3 Very well.
4 Yes(though I'm not sure what the difference is between 'getting on with it' and 'liking it'?)
5 Again, yes.
6 Yes - all mountain ski, I'd expect them to last me a while.
7 Female-specific ski and quite light - I am not a big person and only an intermediate skier - maybe too light for some tastes (slightly noodly on schusses) but has coped with every kind of condition: hard and/or icy piste, powder, heavy slush/crud, lumpy Hemel snow, anything and everything that's been thrown at them, really. I love them. And the graphics are understated, which suits me just 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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1)Dynastar LPs, Whitedot One's, Whitedot Redeemer's.
2)Bought blind.
3)They are great.
4)Yes.
5)Yes.
6)Yes.
7)Yes (see point 3)
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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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1) K2 HELLBENT's mountain with marker griffons
2) bought because they look the sh*t and seen people use them and say they are amazing, I didn't have a proper full pow ski before
3) a m a z i n g so much fun, cannot describe how much fun, all that rocker+some pillows and fresh powder equals some of the best skiing i've ever had, or some of the most fun
4) of course
5)I was a bit bothered about the topsheet after hearing all the reports on K2's crappy durability, but seriously it held up really nicely, no problem.
6) I'll be using them until I snap them or gain a foot in height, although for bigger lines and big mountain skiing the 2011 obsethed looks interesting, still 118mm underfoot, same powder frontal rocker but with terrain rocker in the rear, adding up to a more stable platform for stomping.
7) if your energetic and you want fun in the deep powder, go for these skis, they've given me so many memory's over such a short amount of time, if your wanting to do back country freestyle, these are the tools to use. Bought them from freezeproshop where the owner did a great deal with bindings, I'll be shopping there again when I can afford 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Oh, forgot about my boots:-
1 Salomon Idol 8, with ZipFits to replace the standard liners (and my existing footbeds, made by Profeet and given CEM's seal of approval).
2 CEM said they were the boots for me. Enough said.
3 Very good.
4 Very good. For the first time ever, I can actually feel what my feet are doing.
5 Did CEM's sales and fitting service live up to expectation? Is the Pope Catholic?
6 Yes, I hope to be using them for a good few years, particularly now they've been 'balanced' (or whatever the right term is) by Andi McCann.
7 Can I recommend CEM's choice of boot? See 2 and 5.
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Boots;
1. Head Raptor Ltd
2. Recommended by CEM as it seems I have Head shaped feet 
3. Very well, I never liked that toenail anyway
4. Yes, I can feel where my weight is on my feet now.
5. Yep, good fit and no fitting issues at all after I left the shop.
6. Oh yesh
7. If it's a good fit for your feet, yes
Planks;
1. High Society Freeride Wide
2. Already skied and liked the standard HSFR, and was looking for a bit more timber underfoot
3. It took about two runs to get to know them, then I was really comfortable on them
4. Very much, standard construction so they work on firmer snow too.
5. Yep, great fun in the deeper stuff and eats up crud
6. I hope so, it would mean it was dumping 
7. Yep, even at 120 underfoot it's still a pretty good allrounder.
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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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Boots
1. Atomic Hawkz 100
2. Chosen for me by the EB staff at Tamworth as the best fit for my feet of the boots they stocked
3.Good comfy boots that solved the problem of my charity shop finds being too big and too soft as I moved on from total ski newbie to sort of ok skier
4. Yep, feel lots more in contro of the skis.
5. Yep, and great afterservice from EB when the fit needed tweaking a bit as liners bedded in
6. Certainly hope they will last many years
7.Find a good fitter and let them pick the boots that suit you
Planks;
1. Elan Speedwave 11s (or maybe last years Speedwave 12s rebadged for intersport!)
2.Liked the Elans I had on hire on holiday with the kids then spotted these at a bargain price on ebay
3.WOW liked them inside the first 50m on them!
4. Fast, responsive and while forgiving enough for a low hours skier like me will last a season or two as I hopefully get better.
5. Yes, the speedwaves are mainly a fast piste ski according to Elan and these certainly do that well!
6. Yup, even picked up some skiboards to play in the snowdome on so I can keep these for the real stuff!
7. If you want a ski that will love hard packed icy stuff but still cope with afternoon slush take a look at the speedwaves.
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Volkl Bridge with Jester Schizos
was skiing my boyfriends Karmas, he decided he wanted them back  Didn't have chance or money to demo huge no's of skis and got a decent deal on ebay.de
good
yes
yes, better on soft snow than the Karmas but not as nice on piste so less of an all mountain ski than I wanted but probably better in fresh snow.
yes
yes - easy intro to off-piste skis, felt stable at speeds on piste but not so stiff they were difficult to turn off-piste. I am not a great skier and I found these easy to handle. I didn't specifically want the schizos but I am really glad I got them as after playing about with the bindings I definitely prefer them a little back from the recommended line. I did not get on with forward mounting at all, may be why I generally don't "love" a lot of women's skis.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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1. Scott Missions with Tyrolia Peak 12
2. Won them (was considering a purchase anyway, just got very lucky)
3. Like a dream
4. Yes
5. Exceeded (felt like carvers on the piste and improved off-piste/moguls/crud exponentially)
6. Obviously
7. See 5
3 season old Surefoot boots still going strong. TNF Rockerfella pants and Salamon jacket also purchased new this season, both excellent in conditions ranging from soaking rain, -20 blizzards and +10 heatwaves, and my new hip flask also contributed significantly.
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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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My old RX8's and Nordica Speedmachine 8s as fitted by the little fishy one.
Top sheet peeling off so badly that I have cut most of it away. That said they ski superbly, coupled with the brilliant boots they have seen me reach new heights this year 
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| Megamum wrote: |
What was it?
Why did you get it in the first place - tested previously, recommended, present etc.
How did you get on with it?
Did you like it?
Did it live up to expectations?
Are you likely to use it again next year?
Would you recommend it and why? |
1. skis - 188cm DPS Wailer 105 (pure construction); with dynafit TLT bindings
2. wanted some everyday/touring skis. had one set of DPS skis in the past which I knew to be light (good for touring) while offering great skiing performance
3. took a couple of runs to get used to them. they are very torsionally stiff so they felt a little grabby on piste to begin with
4. very pleased now. nice and light for the uphill; great downhill performance especially in any sort of soft snow
5. certainly; these will do me for most conditions although I have ordered some Wailer 112RPs for days without too much skinning
6. yes to its target audience - ie skiers with decent technique who want to tour with no compromises for the downhill
1. boots - Garmont Shogun TLT edition
2. was looking for some burlier dynafit compatible boots than my Scarpa Spirit 4s. was all set to get Dynafit Titans but the SMALL one recommended these
3. i'm very glad he did. once i got rid of the poxy liner, these were almost good enought to use with all of my skis (not quite but NBD) while having a decent walk mode, being dynafit compatible and passing the "are these OK for mountaineering moves?" test
4. very much so
5. yes - i'll stick with these for a while i think. seems like I get on well with Garmont boots
6. usual caveats apply when it comes to boots but these are definitely worth looking at if you can find them. they are also considerably cheaper than many boots in the category which makes up for the fact that you will need to get a decent liner for them
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
What was it?
Why did you get it in the first place - tested previously, recommended, present etc.
How did you get on with it?
Did you like it?
Did it live up to expectations?
Are you likely to use it again next year?
Would you recommend it and why?
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WhiteDot Redeemer
erm, part of the development team
Sickkkkkkkkkkkkk! Best ski ever, everything I could ever want in a rockered fat ski (the last evolution anyway  )
er see above!
Pretty much, I knew the shape/flex and rocker were all money from the first run on the final protos.
Can't wait to use it next year, mounted with Schizo's...bring on the switch pow!
Would I recomend it!? Are you serious! Would recomend it to anyone who is looking for a fun shaped ski, its outrageously versatile considering it's dims and shape (my current ski of choice for the summer in Hemel!) and skis switch perfectly!
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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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Head Peak 78
Recommended it, last minute purchase before the season started really.
Brilliant skis for carving, short turns, bumps and powder with good technique, nice and stiff. Not park at all though.
Loved it.
Yes.
Yes, but have also invested in some park skis and am looking for powder ones.
Definitely would recommend it as an all mountain freeride ski. If you can only take one ski, take this one.
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FAQ
sarah. I was extremely fortunate to find some secondhand affordable skis, only a year old and in pristine condition, that were the same model as skis I demoed and enjoyed at the inaugural Hemel bash.
