 Poster: A snowHead
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What are they like?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jbob, moffatross has a pair
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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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Alans deep bath, sorry I missed you on Saturday ... got up too late. 
jbob, as Alans deep bath said, I do have some (173 cm) Powdairs but I've only used them for a few days so far in feather light, deep Verbier powder and on neve and hardpack at Glencoe. They are a conventional camber ski (as is the Crusair) that are really nice in powder but they are not so assured or noodly on firm surfaces as the Crusairs are, which have been my touring, Scottish and Alpine resort go-to ski. I'm 174 cm and weigh about 12 stone with a loaded pack so the Crusairs have proved plenty floaty in normal conditions, i.e. provided there's enough gradient. Both sets are quiver killered and share Dynafits.
I paid about £250 (including shipping & import duties) for the Powdairs IIRC via Quigley's EBAY store in the USA. I think that the 2011/2012 model can also be had for about that in the UK now. I've not used them since, simply because I have been beating the hell out of my Crusairs instead. The Crusairs now have a core shot and chewed up bases to be repaired after a mix of 60-70 days touring and resort skiing so will be putting them on touring only duties and switch to the Powdair as my go to ski. I hope to be putting the Powdairs in action again in Scottish freshies this weekend and will let you know how it goes.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 21-03-13 0:35; edited 1 time in total
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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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moffatross, thanks, I might have a look at the crusairs. I have had expensive experiences buying things from the US, the carriers seem to charge you what they like.
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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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jbob, I've since skied another 8 days on the Powdairs but with much stiffer AT boots than I had when I last used them and my opinion of them now is that they are at least as enjoyable as the Crusairs and have lots more pros than cons in nice conditions. They've turned out to be not just a better powder ski but a brilliant afternoon sun surfer too which made really light and enjoyable work of rolled turns through the slush puppy berms that had other folk sweating and falling. On smooth, level powder, they turned out to be a much faster and easier point-and-shoot ski and in soft snow in gullys and trees, just as turnable whilst steeps felt more stable on longer, wider bases. Their only downside was their skier scraped and wind scoured snow feel where I found myself continually seeking out any remaining strips of softer or textured stuff whereas the Crusairs are noticeably more noodly, edgy and surefooted on the firm stuff.
So it's big thumbs up for them now with the only caveats that a stiff touring boot is required to use them and their wider turn radius and 100 mm underfoot (versus the 90 mm of the Crusair) make hardpack skiing less like fun. Except for the self-mended coreshot, the Crusairs are actually still in pretty reasonable condition considering their (ab)use and as the Powdairs look to be of similar construction so I'd expect them to be equally durable.
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