 Poster: A snowHead
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I've been to MK a couple of times recently and took the opportunity to try out a few demo skis to provide a bit of interest. I tried Scott Missions and Movement Jams. So what did I learn?
1/ Artificial snow is pants
2/ Both these skis are really quite good at low speed on a flat slope with dubious snow
3/ No real idea how good they would be on a mountain, but I suspect I would enjoy both 
If I had to pick a winner, it would be the Movement Jams. They felt lighter and a little more responsive and lively than the Missions. But there wasn't much in it. Both were more than happy carving medium radius turns at max fridge speed and neither exhibited any obvious flaws. Although the Missions did a feel a touch grabby with such a short turn radius.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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uktrailmonster, just out of interest what time of week did you go? For instance, conditions would be quite different on a weekday am than on a weekend pm. Though I'm not sure you could glean that much more about the skis than you have already. All I usually do is to see how well they steer turns and pivot then try to rail them then try medium radius carving then short radius carving. About 8 runs or so snow and crowd dependent.
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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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Thursday morning, so no crowds and 'decent' conditions. I did pretty much what you describe. Short and medium radius carving, pivots etc. I spent 2 hours on each pair (on consecutive Thursdays) so probably something like 20-25 runs on each. Enough to get a basic feel.
Interestingly I'd just come back from a month's solid skiing in BC and it took me at least 5 runs to get my head around the artificial snow. First run just felt weird, almost like skiing on plastic i.e. mega slow with little grip. But after a few more runs I seemed to find the grip okay (this was on the Missions). The next week on the Jams wasn't a problem. Just a run or two to get up to speed.
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uktrailmonster,
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Artificial snow is pants
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This might start a new thread but try them at Hemel! big difference in feeel.... and sometimes moguls! if you go late!!! 
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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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gatecrasher, Tried Hemel once when it first opened. Preferred the overall setup there but I don't recall the snow being significantly better, still had that strange artificial feel - although it was very busy at the time so probably not a fair comparison. Anyway Hemel is a bit far to travel for me.
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uktrailmonster,
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I don't recall the snow being significantly better
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Could be just me then, my experience late at MK have been, most of the top layer ends up at the bottom or sides, no bumps produced by skiers as it does'nt seem to pack like the real stuff, it does at times feel a lot more stop and go even with loads a Zardos lol!
last time late at Hemel was all moguled up, it seems to pack nicely with reasonably consistent speed and grip and no slow sugary feel.
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gatecrasher, it does sound better for sure. Bear in mind I've just come back from a month in BC powder and so fridge snow is not really doing it for me right now 
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uktrailmonster,
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I've just come back from a month in BC powder
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I can only dream!! just off for a bit of "grass" skiing in the french alps!
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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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Back in the MK fridge again this morning. Tried a pair of Head Magnums to remind me what proper high end piste skis are like. They cornered on rails compared to the 'all mountain' skis and were certainly more fun indoors. I could really do with a pair of these for when it hasn't snowed for a few days. Really liked them
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uktrailmonster, off to flaine tomorrow,taking lords for all mountain, spanking new set of sal 3vs both of which I probably won't use as the fridges currently have more snow bugg#r! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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uktrailmonster, was there much furniture arranged on the slope today?
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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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Yep, one side was completely fenced off for no apparent reason and the other side was littered with various 'features'. Usable slope width was only a few metres at some points. Not great at all but better than nothing.
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gatecrasher, better take some rock bashers then. Still should be better than a week at work though hey.
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You know it makes sense.
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| uktrailmonster wrote: |
| gatecrasher, better take some rock bashers then. Still should be better than a week at work though hey. |
Yep definitely better than work, we went to Mk once, booked in advance, travelled up from Southampton with the whole family, so not cheap, we got there early so it looked nice and quiet, they had a rail halfway down on the first slope which had a fence round it, so we used the second slope, I did a couple of runs and as it was quiet I thought this was going to be great. As I was going up for my third run they started fencing off the run we were on just below halfway up! This left us the only choice to ski back on the first slope through the narrow section in the middle, turned out they wanted it for a few kids on sledges!! Why the hell they couldn't have used the first slope below the fenced off rail is beyond me!! Come to think of it not been back there since!!
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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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| uktrailmonster wrote: |
| Back in the MK fridge again this morning. Tried a pair of Head Magnums to remind me what proper high end piste skis are like. |
A week on Magnums in spring slush two weeks ago, nearly killed me. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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uktrailmonster, I'm planning on being there first thing tomorrow am - expecting it to be pretty well clear but bottom of left-most slope gets fenced off for tobogganing at 1000 or even earlier sometimes.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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gatecrasher, I agree, MK is rubbish - they don't give a toss about people wanting to actually go there to ski. I only tolerate it occasionally because it's convenient for me.
slikedges, What time did you leave on Saturday? We were there from around 12 ish, I didn't go on the slope but my wife was trying out a few skis in the afternoon. It wasn't very busy, but fenced off for tobogganing as usual.
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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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| Mollerski wrote: |
A week on Magnums in spring slush two weeks ago, nearly killed me. |
I can imagine. Be better off with something much fatter for that.
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uktrailmonster, off the slope by 1000. Bottom of one side fenced off about 0915! Had both my S3s and my SLs out for comparison, snow was quite good and grippy. Dunno if you've bought yet but if you'd like to try the S3s let me know.
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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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slikedges, Thanks for the offer, the S3 is certainly on my shortlist for next season. Let me know when you're next over at MK or Hemel.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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uktrailmonster, may be at one or t'other coming Sat am v.early but will PM to confirm, after that should be in Orlando for a coupla weeks 
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Tried another pair of piste skis at MK on Thursday - Fischer Viron 8.8 C-Line
Didn't get on with these really. They had bags of grip on the icy patches, but everything else was hard work. They dug into the soft snow and nearly pitched me off a couple of times. I can't see how I'd enjoy these on anything other than icy hard pack, where I imagine they would probably shine. I found the Head Magnums far more versatile and much easier to handle. It probably didn't help that the demo skis were only 165 cm long. A step too short for me, even indoors, where they even felt unstable at fridge speeds. I'm going to try something fatter again next week - probably my own Head Monster 82s to see how they cope indoors.
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So I did try my old Head Monster 82s in MK last week. Stability and edge hold were excellent, but I just couldn't get them up to speed indoors. I managed about 3 or 4 turns before running out of road. These skis are built like tanks and nothing deflects them off line. But they simply don't do short carved turns at low speed. That's were the Magnums were in their element and both the Missions and Movement Jams were more versatile. Also highlights the limitations of testing bigger skis in the snowdome. These are great skis out on the mountain, but based on their performance indoors I'd be put off buying 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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slikedges, I went on a Wednesday morning and surprisingly there was no "furniture" on the slope and only the bottom third was fenced off on one side. Not sure if this was just luck or if Wednesday morning is a good time to go every week.
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uktrailmonster, PM sent
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
These are great skis out on the mountain, but based on their performance indoors I'd be put off buying them.
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....i'm sorry.. have I really read that correctly... really??....
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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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flangesax, What's the big deal? I wouldn't have thought I'd enjoy my powder skis there either.
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| flangesax wrote: |
| Quote: |
These are great skis out on the mountain, but based on their performance indoors I'd be put off buying them.
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....i'm sorry.. have I really read that correctly... really??.... |
I'm guessing not - I think he means if he'd only have tested them indoors (so without his pre-knowledge), he wouldn't have bought them.
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You know it makes sense.
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ahhh... 'I would have been put off buying them'
still a bit dopey though.
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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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| flangesax wrote: |
still a bit dopey though. |
yes you are.
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