Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

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Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

Postby JerryS » Sat Feb 24, 2018 11:28 am

Trying to sort out an upgrade for my red and white, KERS Supershapes, I believe them to be about 5 years old now. 163 121/66/106 with 11.4 TR.

I'm not an aggressive, but more technical, green PMTS completed, small hill skier - most of my skiing is local in SE Michigan on 250 foot hills, so small TR preferred. I got back into skiing ten years ago and believe I have a fairly proficient intermediate level skill set. I also have a pair of this year's Titans in the 163 for sloppier days or if we get some real snow.

I'm 5'-8" and 155 pounds, 60 y.o., down from 180 when I last purchased. My considerations are:

>Supershape i.Speed in the 163, which I can still probably get in the demo

>Bumping up to the Rebel i.SL maybe going down to the 155, given my weight loss and small hills.

So ... are their any other skis in the Head line I should consider? Is the Rebel i.SL the logical next ski up from the Supershape?

And has the performance changed much between my current SS and the i.Speed? Can't say I absolutely need new skis, but some of this is prompted by this year's demo i.Speed SS at $600.

Thanks for your input.

Jerry
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Re: Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

Postby JerryS » Sat Feb 24, 2018 8:55 pm

Never mind, mute point. My local shop had a pair of the Supershape i.Speed to demo, and going to go with those. Quite a different ski than my old Supershapes.
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Re: Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

Postby jbotti » Sun Feb 25, 2018 1:58 pm

Good choice.
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Re: Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

Postby JerryS » Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:43 pm

Thanks. I was surprised how much easier they initiated turns, and how much smoother they were through crud. Easier to ski than 5 year old Supershapes.
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Re: Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

Postby Marek » Thu Mar 29, 2018 6:13 am

JerryS wrote:Thanks. I was surprised how much easier they initiated turns, and how much smoother they were through crud. Easier to ski than 5 year old Supershapes.

Rocker rules, then :D ? I have to find something to replace my old Stockli TT 72 and these SS i.Speed's ( 163 cm, also ) are looking interesting. Have you skied ice and moguls on them? From SS genre I skied only i.Magnums 15/16 and they are pretty good mogul skis IMO, but new SS incarnations are build with much stiffer tips, so I am asking.
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Re: Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

Postby noobSkier » Thu Mar 29, 2018 7:37 am

I'm thinking of buying a pair of i.sl RD. I can't quite put my hip to the the snow "at will" but I'm getting pretty close and on steeper terrain I can do it somewhat consistently. I know this ski is too stiff for brushing, so I'm not trying to replace my SS kers...but what kind of performance gains can I expect for edge-locked carving?
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Re: Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

Postby krazzy legs » Thu Mar 29, 2018 3:18 pm

noobSkier wrote:I'm thinking of buying a pair of i.sl RD. I can't quite put my hip to the the snow "at will" but I'm getting pretty close and on steeper terrain I can do it somewhat consistently. I know this ski is too stiff for brushing, so I'm not trying to replace my SS kers...but what kind of performance gains can I expect for edge-locked carving?


Im skiing Head isl non RD & fisher sl RC4 which are not the same skis. The head isl is softer torsional & along length of ski plus more side cut then the fisher if the snow is not icy the ISL will turn a tighter arc then the fisher for locked on carving as I can bend it more. If the snow is icy the extra torsional stiffness of the fisher fis ski will hold better on ice & I can arc a tighter radius turn then with the ISL. My bet the same principals apply to head isl RD you will probably get a better locked on edge on icy snow though if snow is not icy my bet your old SS would allow for tighter arcs. As for brush carving I find the fishers quicker edge to edge plus the rebound energy is higher making it easier to get float between turns. When I used to have my trampoline when I bounced in cold weather I would get more height as the springs would be stiffer even though the length of travel the springs stretch was less in the colder weather. Though it is important to be able to bend a ski if a ski is to stiff for you to bend then it is not good. Brush carving does tighten the radius of a turn which does help to bend the ski.
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Re: Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

Postby noobSkier » Sat Mar 31, 2018 9:09 am

krazzy legs wrote: Im skiing Head isl non RD & fisher sl RC4 which are not the same skis. The head isl is softer torsional & along length of ski plus more side cut then the fisher if the snow is not icy the ISL will turn a tighter arc then the fisher for locked on carving as I can bend it more. If the snow is icy the extra torsional stiffness of the fisher fis ski will hold better on ice & I can arc a tighter radius turn then with the ISL. My bet the same principals apply to head isl RD you will probably get a better locked on edge on icy snow though if snow is not icy my bet your old SS would allow for tighter arcs. As for brush carving I find the fishers quicker edge to edge plus the rebound energy is higher making it easier to get float between turns. When I used to have my trampoline when I bounced in cold weather I would get more height as the springs would be stiffer even though the length of travel the springs stretch was less in the colder weather. Though it is important to be able to bend a ski if a ski is to stiff for you to bend then it is not good. Brush carving does tighten the radius of a turn which does help to bend the ski.


I got to demo the Head i.sl RD yesterday, and I have to say it holds a locked edge like nothing else...even in spring mush. I started skiing them right from my first run of the day, and I wasn't especially impressed until I hopped back on the SS. In comparison, the RD is WAY more glued to the snow and you don't feel any vibration even when carving through heavy crud. All of this comes at a cost though because the ski was super unfriendly to any kind of brushing. For brushing, I was having a very difficult time staying forward and controlling the rebound. For higher angles, the rebound from this ski is just frightening...not leisurely skiing to say the least.

Overall, I think ill pass on it. I can get the same edge-hold and angles out of my SS...its just takes more work.

EDIT: I also tried the newest i.Rally. I found it way too fat and un-responsive. Definitely a smoother ride for brushing through crud, but you have to tip like no tomorrow and it was underwhelming for edge-locked carving. The SS kers is better in every way.
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Re: Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

Postby Darren » Sat Mar 31, 2018 10:52 am

Now & then I will go on a locked on edge carving binge for a change up. Though I always come back to brush carving & bullet proof short turns for the bulk of my skiing I just find those types of turns open up the whole mountain as my speed control is solid & I find the turns more fun to do. The locked on carving is something different though I tire of it fast. Brush carving I never really tire of where locked on edge carving I do tire of & conditions must be right including how crowded the hill is. I do not think a skier can go wrong with a ski that they find easier to do short turns even if they do not like it as much for locked on edge carving. I could be wrong though my bet is that on certain types of snow your SS will carve a tighter radius the the ISl RDs
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Re: Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

Postby jbotti » Sat Mar 31, 2018 1:24 pm

noobSkier wrote:I got to demo the Head i.sl RD yesterday, and I have to say it holds a locked edge like nothing else...even in spring mush. I started skiing them right from my first run of the day, and I wasn't especially impressed until I hopped back on the SS. In comparison, the RD is WAY more glued to the snow and you don't feel any vibration even when carving through heavy crud. All of this comes at a cost though because the ski was super unfriendly to any kind of brushing. For brushing, I was having a very difficult time staying forward and controlling the rebound. For higher angles, the rebound from this ski is just frightening...not leisurely skiing to say the least.



I am not trying to change your mind on the ISL Rd (as I don't think it's a great ski even for a WC slalom ski) but I have a pair and they will brush. Its about the tune. Those skis often come with .5 base bevel but some good percentage of them come with no base bevel (90 degrees). Depending on where you are skiing, with .75 or a 1 degree base they will brush fine.
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Re: Replacement for Supershape KERS 165

Postby Darren » Sat Mar 31, 2018 8:11 pm

Corbetts has the best price I have seen on the 2017 head isl rd $508 Canadian only 1 left I think it was 156 cm Canadian dollar is something like .77 to the US they will ship to the US

2018 Dynastar sl ski $580 Canadian sizes left 157 & 165 I think it is the model that is used in the world cup. Maybe this is a better ski then the head.
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