Good FIS ski?

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Good FIS ski?

Postby noobSkier » Fri Apr 12, 2019 7:37 am

Want to try a full on FIS slalom ski for next season. Any good ones out there?
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby HeluvaSkier » Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:02 am

My two favorites are Fischer and Atomic. They both have really nice flex patterns and are offered in flexes that are on the softer end of the spectrum. I've also heard that some variants of the white Head I.SL RD are nice, however, they tend to run quite stiff compared with those mentioned above (and if the newer skis are anything like the old black I.SL, stay FAR away... that ski is tied with Rossi for the WORST FIS SL I have ever skied on). Also, Nordica and Blizzard also tend to be on the stiff side, so only go this route if you're a bigger skier and the deal is good. I've heard good things about the Volkl product in terms of performance, especially for lighter skiers and girls (much softer than it was a decade ago), but they seem to have durability issues and wear out very quickly (e.g. one season or less and they are toast).

I'd stay away from Rossgnol and Dynastar (despite their popularity in Canada) as the flex pattern, mounting point and taper angle (tip vs. tail width) simply don't work well with PMTS. The Elans that I have are older, but they are brutally stiff (stiffest ski I own)... I can't imagine anyone having fun on that ski... plus I think they have that amphibio nonsense on the race stock ski now, which is a non-starter for PMTS skiers.
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby noobSkier » Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:15 am

I'm normally around 170lbs, does that qualify as heavy?
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby HeluvaSkier » Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:26 am

noobSkier wrote:I'm normally around 170lbs, does that qualify as heavy?


No
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby noobSkier » Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:27 am

Ok, thanks helluva!
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby Max_501 » Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:38 am

noobSkier wrote:Want to try a full on FIS slalom ski for next season. Any good ones out there?


RD? IMO, unless you can put your hip on the snow at will AND maintain nearly perfect fore/aft balance playing around with RD race skis is a waste of time.
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby noobSkier » Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:58 am

Max_501 wrote:RD? IMO, unless you can put your hip on the snow at will AND maintain nearly perfect fore/aft balance playing around with RD race skis is a waste of time.


Getting closer! Im also 6"2 so I'm not sure if i'll ever get down there the way heluva does. Obviously if the FIS skis turn my skiing into junk, I'll abandon them.
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby Max_501 » Fri Apr 12, 2019 9:06 am

The issue is that each of the Essentials needs to be dialed to make an RD come to life. Plus they are significantly more work.
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby HeluvaSkier » Fri Apr 12, 2019 10:18 am

FIS skis are a whole different animal compared to anything you'll find in the consumer line-up. It isn't only that they are stiffer... they grip better, they turn tighter, they are less predictable and as a result are less versatile. Anyone skiing anything other than a slalom turn on a FIS slalom ski, is not tapping into the skis capability or true performance envelope. This is where we often see skiers grinding on the side cut (park and ride) or pushing the skis sideways... Even for brushing, there are FAR better skis out there.

For example, I have a medium flex 165cm Fischer FIS SL ski, which is actually softer than my 165cm Head I.SL (non-FIS) ski. The Head is FAR more versatile everywhere on the mountain, and the only place it won't keep up is when making high-speed SL turns on steep, icy blue and black pitches, and of course... the race course. On that type of terrain and snow, the Head will blow out of the arc mid-turn because it doesn't have the grip to handle the pressure build. Conversely, the FIS skis often have too much grip... to a point where I find myself doing everything I can to reduce the grip in order to keep the ski slicing clean through the bottom of the arc. I never find myself looking for grip on a FIS ski.
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby noobSkier » Fri Apr 12, 2019 2:10 pm

What is it about FIS skis that makes them different construction wise? More steel?
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby jbotti » Fri Apr 12, 2019 3:56 pm

I think it is telling that Harald chooses not ski on RD slalom skis. He has all the essentials dialed all the time, he can bend any ski yet he much prefers high quality slalom carvers (non race room).

I own 3 pairs of RD slalom carvers. I haven’t been on one in a few years.

The real question is what do you think the RD skis will give you that you aren’t getting from non RD skis?
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby noobSkier » Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:47 pm

jbotti,

Im very satisfied with my elan SLX, just curious what a FIS ski could offer and whether or not I could make them work. Definitely not thinking of using a FIS ski as a daily driver if there was any doubt there!
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby Max_501 » Fri Apr 12, 2019 5:33 pm

noobSkier wrote:Im very satisfied with my elan SLX, just curious what a FIS ski could offer and whether or not I could make them work. Definitely not thinking of using a FIS ski as a daily driver if there was any doubt there!


The SLX is already on the stiffer side. An RD isn't going to give you anything extra until you ski like Heluvaskier and find the SLX losing the edge because you need more torsional rigidity. To give that some context, my SLX has never let me down and I can pull pretty big angles when I'm willing to take the additional risk of putting my hip close to the snow.
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby noobSkier » Fri Apr 12, 2019 6:18 pm

Great points Max_501, the SLX has been a great ski for me as well. I know that I can bend the heck out of it though, and it would be fun to test myself on a less forgiving ski. Thanks for everyones input!
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Re: Good FIS ski?

Postby Max_501 » Fri Apr 12, 2019 6:27 pm

noobSkier wrote:I know that I can bend the heck out of it though...


Got video?
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