Good ski for Me? Off piste and moguls

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Good ski for Me? Off piste and moguls

Postby srmd2 » Tue Dec 13, 2005 8:15 pm

I have been browsing the realskier site trying to get a handle on what characteristics I should look for in a new ski. I am 173 lbs, 5'10" and I have been skiing for 20 years, on and off. My level is probably what they call sport skier, maybe verging on expert. I can slam down bumps pretty well, but I lose control about 25% of the time and ski off to the side. I can ski any groomed hardpack down the fall line, regardless of steepness. I do get sloppy and intimidated in really steep chutes and really tough double blacks with bumps crud and trees, but I can usually get a decent stretch in before I either chicken out or lose it.

Having said all that, my favorite conditions are tough, steep mogul runs and deep powder and crud-- non-groomed stuff, but not back country.

I demo'd a bunch of skies at steamboat last week, mostly in knee-deep powder. They include the volkl 5 star, the salomon 1080 gun and salomon x-scream scrambler, all new skies, some brand new models. They all worked fine and felt totally different. I still want to try the rossi b2 and b3, and the head im 72 and 88. I loved the 1080 guns, and thought they were ok in the bumps, great in the pow. The thing is, from what I gather here, what is good in the bumps in terms of ski shape, is no good in pow. Eg, the head 88 would be good in pow, the 72 in bumps. Same for Rossi B3 vs B2, or salomon Guns vs Xscreams. Ultimately I prefer bumps to crud, but frequently I find 'em both together anyway. Hence, I was leaning toward something like the guns, or pocket rockets (discontinued?), or the head im 88s. Am I off base here? Should I look at something thinner, with more sidecut. Also, an afterthought, the Atomic metron B5, as something with aftercut and carving ability ( which supposedly corresponds with good mogul skis).

Thanks for any insights.
Last edited by srmd2 on Tue Dec 13, 2005 9:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Max_501 » Tue Dec 13, 2005 8:49 pm

Add the Head IM77 to your list. I'd say just keep demoing until you find the ski that really matches your style of skiing.
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Postby DVLocal » Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:54 am

I am real impressed with the iM72s. I wanted a ski for harder surfaces and bumps, while able to ski loose snow.

I purchased a pair of iM75 late last season from a rental pool and the tops were chewed up and the price was $200. I was so impressed with them (compared to a K2 Axis X) and with Peter Kielty's review of the iM72 I purchased the iM72s from Harold when none of the Utah shops had them.

I also have a pair of PocketRockets I purchased for powder days. They were fantastic in bottomless powder at Powder Mountain one day. They are ok on harder surfaces and I have not taken them into bumps. A few other people I know ski them as their main ski.

I weigh 160# and am not a forceful skier and like a bit softer ski.

That said, let's look at the dimensions of the skiis

SuperShape - 120/65/105
iM72 - 117/72/102
iM75 - 114/74/103
Pocket Rocket - 122/90/115

The tip widths are all about the same, which is why I now realize they are all good in loose powder where you are skiing on a surface under the snow. I can sense the somewhat tighter radius of the iM72 (163 mm) compared to the iM75 (170 mm)

I am not sure when the PocketRockets (165 mm) will be best other than bottomless powder. The few times I have had the iM72s in bumps they performed well.

For the benefit of a previous thread - I am a mechanical engineer that has worked around commercial construction and somewhat of a web programmer (meaning very light programming and can hack out soultions when needed).

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Postby dewdman42 » Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:35 pm

I hear you. I have been searching for the true all-conditions ski and can't find it either. I spent a lot of time and money demoing over the past couple years and even tried buying a few pairs that simply did not work out as well as my trusty yellow Xscreams.

Found lots of amazing technology that is either great for pow/crud or great for fallline/bumps. Some that will do long radius groomers and pow. But nothign that really nails all three. I've decided in my mind that with shorter skiis..that's what you get. You have to go so wide now to get the pow float...that you will lose edge to edge quickness in the bumps or fast fall line skiing. Am I wrong? someone please tell me there is a true all-mountain ski that can do it all very well with a 195 pound expert on them.....
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Postby Max_501 » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:16 pm

dewdman42 wrote:Am I wrong? someone please tell me there is a true all-mountain ski that can do it all very well with a 195 pound expert on them.....


Head IM72, IM77, SuperShape

Atomic Metron series M10, M11, B5
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Postby dewdman42 » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:24 pm

I'll check those out. Thanks.

Actually I'm planning to demo the 77 very soon. guess I'll need to try the 72 in pow to know for sure if it can handle it. I wonder how the 88 or the new 82 will be in bumps. I also plan to try the K2 Crossfire but I hear a lot of people say its dampened to the point of feeling a little dead..I wouldn't like that I don't thnk. I was going to try the 5star also...and the Ac3 and maybe the allstar. Sheesh, feel the demo dollars racking up?

I haven't really heard much about those Atomics you mentioned..

This group seems to reall like the Heads right now.. I was eyeballing the 77 chip the other day...seems like a nice ski if I can rip it through the bumps at least as good as my XScreams..I'll be happy (mind you the XScreams were never all that great at bumps either because of the tail, but I figured it out eventually). Guess I just gotta try em. I'm in favor of lighter skiis too.
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Demo the iM77's with the binding at +15

Postby Jim Ratliff » Sat Jan 21, 2006 9:39 am

I strongly encourage all to demo the iM77's at +15 as well as the 0 setting. It makes a world of difference in the ski and you will love one setting much more than the other.
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