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piste skis for off-piste skiing

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
How good are piste specific skis for off-piste skiing?

I've recently decided to start off-piste skiing when the season starts as a addition to skiing on pistes (usually with a pair of GS skis). Having limited experience of off-piste skiing (did some challenging terrain in my teenage years), but have forgotten most of what I knew. So I thought I'd ask some of the experts on this board for advice.

I've got a pair of streetracer10s 160 that I use for general skiing & training purposes, and would like to use these for off-piste skiing as they are soft flexing with wide tips & tails, and don't want to purchase another pair of skis this season. Would these skis withstand some rock hopping? and would the narrow middle cause me to sink?
I would assume that you can ski most terrain on almost any ski, but that some skis it is much easier for certain conditions?

When I was younger I skied off-piste on smaller skis than this 140 to 150, but I was a bit lighter than I am now, although I am only about 3" taller. So have some experience of skiing off-piste on small skis, but ski technology has moved on since I last went off-piste, so am not sure if this is still the case?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
davidb, You can ski off-piste on most any ski. Key issue is really how wide (or not) your skis are underfoot - basically the wider the better. A narrow ski will tend to sink, but your wide tips and tails, and softness will help.

Why not hire a pair of fatties for a day and then you'll see/feel the difference. Laughing
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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?
Depends on the ski and the off piste. Sometimes it's hardpack and it's just like skiing on piste.
My inclination would be to use something a bit longer than 160cm - as an indication, my piste skis are 170cm and my off-piste ones are 186. The narrow waist on the streetracers isn't ideal either IMO - you don't need (want?) lots of sidecut in soft snow.
I'd say give the Streetracers a go and see how you get on with them. Then maybe hire a pair of more dedicated off piste skis and decide whether you want to buy some yourself. Since you have dedicated piste skis, I'd repeat my advice to go for a dedicated off-piste ski rather than a half an half thing thing.
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Quote:

The narrow waist on the streetracers isn't ideal either IMO - you don't need (want?) lots of sidecut in soft snow.


But I thought Metron B5's had a lot of sidecut and everyone raves about them equally for on and off piste??
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
conor, haven't skied them so maybe one day I'll change my mind (and this is just my opinion) but I like to feel that the flex of the ski is turning me in soft snow and not the edge
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My first lessons off piste were on a pair of K2 Extremes, the all mountain ski of the day.

I saw a pair in a local shop the other week and laughed out loud - they looked like cross country skis. Everything is relative, if you skiied off piste years ago, then those Sallies will be better that whatever you were on then. But modern fatter skis will be even easier.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
the metron b5 are truely raved about. With a 76mm waist I think. Which incidently is the same waist as the Rossignol B2 bandit. They do have a staggeringly short radius of around 11m though. Id like to get some Volkl ac4 unlimited for lift served off-piste as it has an 82mm waist which is not extreme but sufficiant for my limited (no pun intended) needs.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
davidb,

If you're a good skier you'll have no trouble with the Streetracers off-piste. You will notice it's easier with a softer / fatter ski though. For years my Rossi 9X were my only ski and I used these off-piste in all snow conditions. When I got new Crossmax 10s they were noticeabaly easier!
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beanie1, I haven't skied off-piste for 12 years and skis have changed a lot in that time, and I wasn't sure if the streetracers would be as versatile as the old style skis that would be used for all types of recreational skiing.
I'll give them a go off-piste, but I'll get some off-piste lessons as well to learn the correct technique.
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davidb,

If you mean straight skis then I think the streetracers will be more versatile than old style straight skis, as they are wider.
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beanie1, I learnt to ski on straight skis, and the are certainly harder to ski on than modern carving skis. You rarely got idiots with a few days experience flying down the slopes out of control, which you can find plenty off in the last few years at most resorts on the easier slopes. That is why I try to stay on the more advanced slopes to avoid getting wiped out, which happened to friend last year at St Anton. When someone with a few days skiing crashed into him from behind luckily no one was injured. The skier (if that's what you call her) couldn't have had more than a few hours of lessons, as she had no control of speed or direction, very scary!
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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.
This is why I like Stormriders, they are so good everywhere. By that I mean they will cope very well on ice and you can jump them about on steeps. And if it is a perfect powder day then almost any ski will work, albeit some are a better than others. You can even snowplough it it if it is that fresh...!!
But off-piste is often crud or wind blown and this is what sorts most people out. This is where you need a fat or a very solid technique....!!!!

I've raved about these skis enough and I will buy a pair. They are do it alls for me...
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
This is why I like the b5's, they are so good everywhere. By that I mean they will cope very well on ice and you can jump them about on steeps. And if it is a perfect powder day then almost any ski will work, albeit some are a better than others. You can even snowplough it it if it is that fresh...!!
But off-piste is often crud or wind blown and this is what sorts most people out. This is where the b5's also score!!!!

I raved about these skis enough I actually did buy a pair. They are do it alls for me... Laughing wink Laughing
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Just to be different, I really do like my Rossi 9xOversize. Difficult to overpower on piste, short enough for bumps and wide enough off piste. Quite fancy trying the Stormrider DPs though just for fun days...
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Don't be worried about having some extra width underfoot. I have adapted the way I ski so that my 94mm waist (ski :Wink brings SO much pleasure in the bumps I could never go skinny again.

Awesome GS turns in piste, more float than Nottinghill in the pow and very rewarding, once mastered, in the bumps. I have touring bindings, and use them. I have a pair of 1080s for the very rare days in the park, they just feel flimsy so I prefer to use my Volkls for everything.

My wife bought Phat Luvs last winter, they're something like 96mm. It took her a few days to get used to the width after skiing narrow waisted carving skis. She now rips mogul lines like a pro. And she can finally keep up, sort of Wink, on powder days.

Go fat... you'll never go back...
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
This is why I like Stormriders, they are so good everywhere. By that I mean they will cope very well on ice and you can jump them about on steeps. And if it is a perfect powder day then almost any ski will work, albeit some are a better than others. You can even snowplough it it if it is that fresh...!!
But off-piste is often crud or wind blown and this is what sorts most people out. This is where you need a fat or a very solid technique....!!!!

I've raved about these skis enough and I won a pair in a competition a pair Very Happy . They are do it alls for me...

I also like to plagiarize
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
This is why I like Stormriders, they are so good everywhere. By that I mean they will cope very well on ice and you can jump them about on steeps. And if it is a perfect powder day then almost any ski will work, albeit some are a better than others. You can even snowplough it it if it is that fresh...!!
But off-piste is often crud or wind blown and this is what sorts most people out. This is where you need a fat or a very solid technique....!!!!

I've raved about these skis enough and I won a pair in a competition a pair Very Happy . They are do it alls for me...

I also like to plagiarize
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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?
Do I have copyright here..?

'cos every little helps these days with so many places to ski...!!
or I will put it towards my new Stormriders...


This is why I like Stormriders, they are so good everywhere........ blah

I've raved about these skis enough and I bought them with the proceeds from .......blah blah
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Do phats help in bumps?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
No, they really don't help on bumps. Once you master the slight change in technique though skiing bumps in fat skis is great.

Having said that, if we all skied fat skis the bumps would virtually disappear - they're already changing shape. I'm not sure I want them to go all together though.

Ski fat, it's where it's at...
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parlor, No, didn't think so... wink
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
parlor,
Quote:

they're already changing shape


How so? Can't say I've noticed...
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
If you are really good you can ski anything on anything, the rest of us need help.
Wouldn't like the profile of the 160 streetracers and you should hire the Dynastar 8000's.
As these come in at an 80mm waist these will help you get into deep snow after a break.

Older skis that should not be expensive to hire would be Intuitive 74's of the last 3-4 years or some old-ish Stocklis. Even Bandit XX's
These would be all-terrain skis of the day.

And all of these skis work well around the mountain but will have been superceded by better skis of 2004/5
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JT, I'll give the streetracers a go off-piste then see what happens, and try a pair of hire skis if I am struggling.
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IMO moguls are becoming longer and wider. Obviously in steep sections they're still forming mini-"hump-cliffs", but it appears that as people are learning to carve their skis and not just skid them moguls appear to be mirroring this change in technique...

Could just be the altitude... Wink

davidb,

At the end of the day it depends what you want from the experience. If you don't mind working a little harder then your Streetracers will be fine. If you want to rip lines like a powder junkie, dropping cliffs and thinking about moving to Alaska then get the right tools for the job.
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