 Poster: A snowHead
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This is quite lengthy, there's a summary at the bottom if you prefer.
A little background first, I picked up some ex-rental Salomon Pocket Rockets 9 seasons ago. (176cm, 90mm waist) Been averaging around 40-50 days per season, so the pockets done an awful lot of skiing and get serviced only when they scream at me. A few years ago I added some Fritschi Freeride+ touring bindings. I ski off piste when conditions allow, so most days, but enjoy a good piste blast. I've also SL and GS skis but they don't come out to play often. I tried to retire the pockets a few years back with some Scott Punishers but they just weren't playful enough off piste, had issue with binding position, better edge control on piste, but never gone with these.
I've loved the pockets, why else keep riding them for 9 seasons. They are super quick to turn, super playful, lots of feedback. Where I ski around Schladming is a lot of tree line skiing, so quick turning is certainly useful. On piste the pockets perform well enough, even better the odd time I've had the edges serviced. They actually carve really well, probably due to being a soft ski, can get a real nice kick out of the turns. Bumps - not too bad, soft, quick to turn, easy to side slip.
The only issue I've really had with the pocket is a lack of float in powder. They are fantastic for short, bouncy powder turns, but with my weight (90kg) are hard to open up and perform more carve orientated turns. Maybe at 176cm not long enough. So a ski that's a decade old, ski tech has moved on with much wider skis and of course various rocker profiles.
Anyway I saw a pair of Volkl Gotamas 187cm 107mm 12/13 model locally at a good price, So got these and had the Fritchi Freeride+ bindings transferred from the pockets. Been skiing on the Goats for 3 days now, in a good mix of spring conditions. General impression is great off piste, unexciting on piste. Off piste I've skied soft untracked snow, genuine powder up on the Dachstein glacier (see http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=92584&start=440#2274316), breakable crust of various thickness, cut of crud, afternoon slush, soft bumps, iced bumps, fairly hard packed piste, had on the backpack for some climbing and walking to access the off piste. In the powder they really excelled and delivered just what I wanted, the ability to open the turns up and carve the turns rather than short, bouncy falline turns. Wow super fun, just add some speed, roll the skis and ride the turns. In crust and crud they also perform well, the tips always felt like they were staying on top of things, giving me the confidence to keep my weight forward. I had a few moments here and there but it will take time to fully tune in to the skis. In the bumps they are surprisingly quick and easy, certainly in soft spring afternoon bumps.
Where they have been underwhelming is on piste. Now the pockets are not known as a great on piste ski, but after 9 seasons I'm pretty at one with them and can have a great deal of fun on piste. I like fast snappy turns, whether small radius or large GS style rail riding turns. As long as the snow was a just a little soft the pockets performed very well and are lively on the end of the turns. On hard pack / ice a certain amount of sideways skiing was the order of the day but hey even that can be fun.
The Gotamas are stable and solid to edge, can knock out pretty short fast turns, medium and larger turns. However they feel pretty dull, no real kick out of the turns. When trying some fast carving turns I really had to keep the pressure on the shovels or else they started judder out of the turns, maybe my technique rather than the ski? The faster and bigger the turn I really had to roll the skis over to keep them on the rails, even then the ride feels stable but lacks excitement.
Well I guess the new skis and 17mm wider under foot and 10cm longer, so they are going to feel a little slower to initiate and more stable, maybe too stable. I am wondering if the Fritschi Freeride+ bindings are good enough for this ski. Standing still and rolling the ankles there's an awful lot of play in the binding along the whole length before the skis start rolling over. Never noticed this on the pockets, but maybe I wasn't looking. I'm wondering if the Freeride+ are suitable for 107mm ski? Anyone experience with the Marker F12, Baron etc or the Freeride Pro on a wider ski?
In summary:
Pros:
-super floaty in powder allowing for big fast carve like turns - love it.
-generally great in all off piste conditions I've tried
-okay in bumps
-can fly over cut up, choppy slushy piste
-not too heavy buy heavier than pockets
Cons:
-on piste performance solid but dull
-not sure if Fritschi Freeride+ bindings working well, lots of play
-will need new skins 
Other views welcomed, particularly with binding choice.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've only skied Fritschis a few times on rental skis and hate them for downhill. You're way off the ski and they slop like hell unless you're a real lightweight. You see why the likes of Markers and Lo-tech seem to be on the way to killing them off - they're neither one thing or t'other.
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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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I guess the piste performance is because of the full-lenght rocker - less 'snap back to cambered'/rebound out the turn.
I've been skiing barons pretty much exclusively (on 92mm, 97mm, 110mm 118mm skis) for the last couple of seasons, and very happy with them. Downhill, just like alpine bindings. I don't have any experience with other touring bindings, but the Barons are heavy on the up, though ok for 2-3 hours if you're fit. I definitely want to get something lighter and more touring-focussed (Dynafit) for next season, but if you're doing short skins with the main focus to be to get to good descents, the Markers do a great job.
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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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I had Fritschis for a very, very short while and had hated them, swapped for a pair of Marker M10s which ski just like alpine bindings to me, Barons same but heavier but I didn't feel I needed anything more than the M10s, boyfriend has Barons but he is much more aggressive skier then I am.
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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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waynos,
IMO there's too much flex in the Fritschi's for good piste skiing. I put a pair of dynafits on my wider touring skis and then went back to Fritschi on narrow touring skis, it was a nightmare. If you are doing long tours go dynafit/plum, if you are doing short tours go Marker Tour or something similar.
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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 for the feedback. Seems to be a general view the marker bindings are more like regular bindings than the fritschis. I had the Fritchis on my pockets and was very happy with them, nevr noticed being higher up or worried about any play, but maybe being a narrower ski (90mm waist) it wasn't such an issue. Not sure I even have a binding issue now, would be ideal to try a side by side comparison with a different binding setup. I would consider a Dynafit setup (friend has this on gotamas) but my touring boots are dynafit compatible. anyone used the lighter marker F12? I also see there's a new Fristchi Freeride Pro, supposedly a wider mounting plate to help with wider skis. Not sure, I may get a more specific tour setup as well for next season and so add barons to the Goats and suffer the weight for short tours.
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lynseyf, I think you mean F10's (with a touring function) rather than the M10's which are an older Marker model with the shitty biometric toe piece.
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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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waynos,
I found Pocket Rockets flappy but very easy to learn powder skiing on . Sounds like you need two skiis in your quiver, if you like a soft ski for powder I hired a pair of Scott Crusade a few years ago and found them quite soft but probably wouldn't have liked them on piste.
I had a pair of Mantras with fritschis, lost a ski and replaced them with same ski but with Marker Dukes. I noticed a big improvement in how well the ski engaged. Def wouldn't get Dukes again as they are very heavy. But would consider Barons which just seem to be a lighter version of the Duke.
I wonder how a Dynafit setup skiis compared to something like a Baron.
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I'm getting interested in the Dynafits as my boots are compatible and they seem pretty strong and light.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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spyderjon, yes i do 
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