Buying Advice

[Skinner]

Hi all. Glad to be back here now that winter is upon us.....

I am long overdue for new skis but have some questions. The choices available are a little overwhelming (as are the prices!). One of the pair my local ski shop recommended was the 06/07 Atomic Izor Premium Skis.

How much should I be spending for a decent pair of skis ($$ is a factor)?
Is this a good choice of ski?
What size is right for me?
I have boots that seem OK but they are about 10 years old. Do I need new boots too?

FYI - I have been skiing for about 12 years and mostly in PA with the occasional trip to Vermont. I ski on mostly everything, except moguls. I'm 5'8" and weigh 165.

Any advice would be welcomed.....

[KevinF]

The Izor skis got pretty good reviews in the past. They're fairly narrow (low-70mm range) underfoot, which basically means that you're not going to be getting much (any) help in deep snow. Then again, since you ski mainly in Pennsylvania -- there isn't much need for float in the deep stuff.

Atomic's are known for having incredible edge hold, although just about everything holds adequately well these days if the edges are kept sharp. Atomic's are also known for being S-T-I-F-F. Some people like stiff; some don't.

Boots... You don't need new ones; i.e., your old ones will work just fine. If your old ones fit well, then I'd use them for the time being.

[billski]

Originally Posted by Skinner

Hi all. Glad to be back here now that winter is upon us.....

I am long overdue for new skis but have some questions. The choices available are a little overwhelming (as are the prices!). One of the pair my local ski shop recommended was the 06/07 Atomic Izor Premium Skis.

How much should I be spending for a decent pair of skis ($$ is a factor)?
Is this a good choice of ski?
What size is right for me?
I have boots that seem OK but they are about 10 years old. Do I need new boots too?

FYI - I have been skiing for about 12 years and mostly in PA with the occasional trip to Vermont. I ski on mostly everything, except moguls. I'm 5'8" and weigh 165.

Any advice would be welcomed.....

I demo'd some IZORs last year and loved them. Not as much as my Volkl Superspeeds, but I'd drop cash for them if I needed to. They are a stiff ski, loves speed, hardpack, GS turns. Very stable at speed. I mention the Volkls because it says a bit about me, the terrain I ski with the speeds is comparable. I'm a similar size to you. Big, fast carvers for cruising. I'd suggest the 168cm or thereabouts.
p.s., I get my butt kicked when I take these into the bumps. They launch me out of the bumps and wear me out. But I can cruise all day.

[Bumpsis]

With regards to you boots, their vintage will not be a problem as long as they've been stored correctly.
Boots that are exposed to high temperatures (i.e. hot attic that just boils in summer) can just disintegrate. The plastic shell just doesn't take the heat well.

I've seen that happen to a friend, right on the slope. His ski, all of the sudden got away from him. Boot's sole in the binding, the rest of the San Marco still on his leg. It was very funny. It could have been much worse, I guess.

[Skinner]

Thanks for the feedback.

What about the size? One person mentioned 168s, which was my initial thoughts too. But the salesman suggested 159s, which seems small. Not sure if some of that advice was based on the fact that they only had this ski in that size!

I'm 165lbs and consider myself an upper intermediate skier. Would love to progress to a point where I feel more comfortable on the steep black/double blacks. I generally prefer big S turns at moderate speeds.

Any thoughts?

[SKIQUATTRO]

I've been skiing the Metons for 5yrs and love em...yes, they are stiff and heavy, but they do not get tossed in crud and death cookies, they blast through everything!! I demo'd all sorts of sizes and ended up falling for the 157cm (i'm 5'10" 180ish) that size and my skiing style just fit,,,,I prefer bumps and shorter fall line turns

[Trekchick]

I demo'd the izors(more than one model) and found them to be somewhat uninspiring compared to the Volkl Superspeeds, and the Nordica Nitrous.
My advice is this.............
Get thee to a good boot guy, and get a good boot. Yes 10 years is a bit long in the tooth for your old foot friends.
Once you get good boots, demo demo demo.

Don't get stuck with a brand, because they all have good properties depending on what you're looking for in a ski.
If you want energy and pop, go for a volkl or Elan
if you want creamy smooth, go for Nordica or Blizzard
If you want damp and stable, then Atomic or Rossi may be the ski for you.

[bigbog]

Skinner..my $.01.....
Several boots out there will fit nicely!..a lot more shapely shells out there today than 10+yrs ago. Liners...there are some good ones, but you have to find them..., that are worth refilling...imh($.01)o...
You name what kind of performance you want in a ski...and it's out there!

$.01

[billski]

Originally Posted by Trekchick

Don't get stuck with a brand, because they all have good properties depending on what you're looking for in a ski.
If you want energy and pop, go for a volkl or Elan
if you want creamy smooth, go for Nordica or Blizzard
If you want damp and stable, then Atomic or Rossi may be the ski for you.

That's a pretty interesting way to look at the brands Trek. I never thought about it that way, but you're right.

[YardSaleDad]

Great fitting boots on bad skis beat poor fitting boots on great skis any day.

Boots first, but go to a pro.

"The Pro Ski and Ride" at Hunter, "Green Mountain Orthotics" at Stratton, or the resident AZ bootfitter are all real pros.