?Ski/Ski Boot Reviews?

After about four or five years of skiing maybe two or three times a year I am going to really get back into it this year. I'm going to buy myself new boots & skis for the upcoming season.

I have been skiing since I was 5 years old. Which means I have been out there for a very very long time. I had years where I logged over one hundred days skiing.

I'm 6'3 250 lbs.

Depending on the conditions I woud consider myself an expert skier. I am looking for a good reliable all mountain ski. I know I cannot expect a ski to do everything.

Has anyone skied or heard anything about the following skis:

Rossingol Bandit B-1
Atomic Metron M-11

or

salomon wave 8.0 boots

(a buddy of mine said I would like those skis)

Also, If anyone has any info. on a good source for ski equipment reviews could you please pass it along. I haven't found much of anything out on the net searching on my own.

At least 5 inches of snow at my house in ashland! Hopefully it is a sign of things to come!!!!

Many thanks in advance!

Stroth

[oneotwoandcounting]

Hi Stroth,

The choices in ski equipment today are huge. I would advise you to demo the skies you are interested in. Shaped skis have changed how I ski and the length of ski I use. I used to ski a 208 cm GS ski and a 207 cm slalom ski. Now my slalom skis are a mere 164 cm Atomic SL-11 and my all mountain skis are 177 cm Volkles. While not a big as you I am a big guy at 6’2” weighing 220 lbs. I have also had ski seasons logging in over 100 days.

To answer your questions directly I have a friend that skis the Rossi Bandit I. He is an expert skier that raced in college and he also weighs in at over 200 lbs. He is a fast skier and loves his Bandits. I don’t know anything about the Atomics you mentioned but Atomics are Austrian made skis and I don’t think they make a bad ski. My Atomic Slaloms are amazing but you have to keep your weight centered or forward and keep them turning. If I don’t keep them on edge they do get squirrelly and act like a demented snake going down the mountain.

My boots are Solomon Wave 10s. I wanted to purchase the Wave 8 but due to my big feet (size 13) I had to go with what my local ski shop had. The Wave 10's are a bit stiffer than the 8’s and I am happy with the choice. What’s most important here is the comfort of the fit. If your foot has the right shape for the Solomon’s they are terrific boots. Go to an experienced boot fitter, try them and spend some time in them in the shop. Custom footbeds are also a good idea.

I recommend you got to http://www.skinet.com/skinet/ and use their gear finder to help narrow down your ski/boot choices but nothing works as well as, “demoing.”

Good luck and happy shopping.

[riverc0il]

while i can't comment on the specific skis you are looking at, i can recommend making sure you demo the skis before you buy them. try to find a ski area with those skis in multiple sizes so you can switch out a few sizes during the day to find what size is right for you. if you haven't bought new skis in a while, keep in mind people are skiing skis that are much shorter than they were 5-10 years ago. i'm 6'1" and 183 works well for me on the particuluar ski i am on, but i'll probably go slightly shorter on my next ski.

with the boots, find a reliable boot fitter and work with them to find a boot that fits. even looking at boots online and getting opinions is nearly a waste of time if you can find a quality boot fitter. they will be able to ask you some questions and take a good look at your feet and be able to bring out a couple of boots that will be likely suspects.

for online reviews of skis, http://www.techsupportforskiers.com/ is a pay site that a lot of people seem to like though i can't comment as i've never used it. www.epicski.com has some gear forums full of knowledgable users, try using the search function over there for the skis you're looking at. and then there's the gear finder at skimag.com. good luck!

Great replies.

Thank you!

I will look into the demoing.

My last pair of skis were a pair of Rossingol 4 ' s'. They were 200's and were paired up with the salomon 747's bindings. I beat the crap out of those skis and loved them.

I have skied on the shaped skis a couple of times on cheap banged up rentals, but the difference was noticeable. They were awesome.

My buddy told me to get a pair of shaped skis around 180?

Does that length sound right?

Many thanks!

Stroth

[Greg]

Originally Posted by Stroth

My buddy told me to get a pair of shaped skis around 180?

Does that length sound right?

The trend nowadays is to go much shorter. I was on 205 cm straight skis and now ski 183 cm shaped skis. I'm 6' 1" but only 160 lbs so I'm probably on skis that are too long. I'll probably go a bit shorter on my next pair of skis as I would like something shorter for the bumps. At 250 lbs., 180 cm is probably fine.

[riverc0il]

agreed, you should be looking around 180 +/-5ish. different skis ski differently at different legnths and what works for one person may not work for the other so never dial yourself into a specific legnth and don't take any advise from anyone recommending an exact length without trying them first.

like oneotwoandcounting, i ski on xwave 10 boots by solomon. i wish i went lighter and softer since i've gotten off the groomed slopes since making the purchase, but they are extremely comfortable boots that fit me perfect. but different boots fit different feet and working with your boot fitter is far better than taking advise online about boots.

[freeheelwilly]

once you have some ideas for skis check out www.telemark-pyrenees.com

and don't let the name fool you; they have alpine and AT as well. the prices are generally quite good. i've gotten great deals there. not just skis. boots, poles bindings accessories...the whole sha-bang. G'luck!

[sledhaulingmedic]

Depending on the ski, you may go shorter. For short radius turns, I used to be on 4S' that were 200. At 6'0", 210 pounds, Atomic says I should be on a 162cm M11.

I would definitely demo before you buy, especially where you're making such a leap in design.

Also: Be ready for some changes in technique! The new designs require a wider stance and more even weight destribution. If you learned to ski (like I did) with the old "Ski with Stein" legs locked together, you'll be in for a surprise. Minor adjustments and you'll love how responsive the new skis are.

Hello,

I love to hear people get excited for the ski season. You are a lucky man if you have skied one 100 plus day season.

I work for ski shop in Utah and get to test next years ski a year early. So I have skied the Atomic M11 http://www.northfacejacket.com/bc/xs...lpine_Ski.html

This ski is suppose to be good in all conditions and I would say it is just okay in all conditons. If you are a strong skier this ski would not be your best choice.

The Rossignol B1 has been around for a long time unchanged and I would say it is a solid off-piste if the snow is less than a foot deep.

Based on your size and background I would try to demo the Salomon X-Scream Hot Pilot
http://www.northfacejacket.com/bc/xs...4_Binding.html You should try the 175 and 185.

I agree with everyone else you should demo any ski before you buy.

As for the Salomon X-Wave 8 I think it would be to soft for a skier of your ability I would try to buy the X-Wave 9 http://www.northfacejacket.com/bc/xs...ot_-_Mens.html Good Luck

[oneotwoandcounting]

My opinion is the advice here is excellent. I’m glad to see “you guys” are into helping one another.

When I went from straight skis to shaped skis I did so because of a ski instructor. It was six years ago (about the time shaped skis started) and a friend of mine had taken lessons at Whiteface from the head of the ski school (Ed Kreil) and was into carving. I was into stepping onto the up hill (turning) ski or using the "Stein" technique. My friend and I skied at about the same level. All of a sudden with his new technique he was “blowing” me away. So I signed up for weeks worth of lessons (I hadn’t taken a lesson in thirteen years so I was ready) at WF in mid January. When Ed saw me standing at the ski school meeting place he asked me what I was doing there. I said I wanted to learn this “carving” technique. He assigned me his best “carver” and that man changed my technique forever.

On day one of my lesson I was on a pair of 203 cm bump skies. My instructor asked me if I owned any other skis so the next day I showed up with a pair of 208 GS skies. He said that was better but if I wanted to carve shaped skis were they way to go. He was on a pair of 198 Rossi GS skis and I said there was no way he could keep up with me on my 208s. Well he “blew” me away. So we went into town (Lake Placid) that night and with my instructor’s guidance I bought a pair of 198 cm Rossi shaped skies.

Since than my skis keep getting shorter and I have checked my “macho” ego at the “longer is better” door (we are talking ski length here) and I now think shorter is better. I have demoed a shaped ski at 191 cm that I hated and than went down to a 184 in the same ski and loved it. I have skied my short slalom Atomics at 50 mph more comfortably than any straight 208 I have ever been on.

I have friends that have had the same experience so please demo before buying. One of my skiing fanatic friends (with feet as big as mine) tried out my 164 cm Atomic’s and could not believe how lively and fast they were.

The softer is better boot advise is also not bad but at 250 lbs I bet Stroth can flex the Wave 10. I’m not sorry about that purchase and the head of WF ski school has said he thought my 164 cm Atomics and Wave 10's were the right choice (please remember that a boot has to be comfortable or forget it). Ed was on the same Atomic slalom ski at a longer length and said he wished he had gone shorter (and believe me this man can really ski). So can Bode and he is 6’2” 205 lbs. and on a 164 cm Atomic Slalom skis. Try before you buy.

I still on occasions (bumps and powder) lock my skis together and skid them down the mountain or just angle the tips up and let the powder do the braking (Stein is still on of this world's greatest skiers). It’s fun to have more than one way to ski and it’s actually very necessary. One of my favorite ski instructors once told me that it might all look the same but it isn’t. You adjust to the terrain and conditions in a way that is so subtle that an observer can’t see the difference. That my skiing friends is what puts someone into,” The Holy Grail”, of expert skiing. I’m still working at it.

Please forgive this long post.