GEAR REVIEW: VOLKL SUPERSPEED 2004-5

[billski]

Item and Brand Name:
VOLKL SUPERSPEED 2004-5

Date Purchased:
April, 2005

Retail Outlet:
PINNACLE SKI AND SPORT, STOWE.

Purchase Price (optional):
475 (These are demos) with Marker Piston bindings
delivered (includes taxes and no shipping costs/pickup and a full tune.)

MSRP:
1100

Description of item and your experiences:


To paraphrase patentcad's question, "Why would anyone want a ski stiffer than a 5 star?" Well, that's me. I bought a pair of Superspeeds last week, after some haggling.

Let me preface this all by saying my review will be more qualitative than technical. I'm at a point in my life that I'm just out to have FUN on skis. I'm paying attention to different things nowadays. I've got nothing left to prove, just having a good day makes it for me.

I'm a GS cruiser and sometimes NASTAR racer and I spend much time with my three girls - 2 teens, 1 8YO, all who just want to go fast [Why should I turn Dad? It just slows me down! ] This year, I demo'd the 5 stars, P60s and Superspeeds. I also demo'd Atomic GS 11, Heads 1100, Rossi Bandits and a few others manufacturers I cannot recall.

I'm a lot like patentcad, I'm 49YO and generally want to GS ski. Not really into mogul fields, but I do enjoy a glades run now and then. I ski almost exclusively in New England.

This was a "breakthrough year" for me, when I really mastered icy, crappy conditions. What do I mean? That I now can have A LOT OF FUN in most any condition (I still won't ski in the rain or crowded trails/resorts) and I've stopped whining when conditions aren't just right. Especially in January to mid Feb, when I skied a lot, conditions were icy and variable. Forget looking for powder. What I really learned (after a race lesson this year) was REALLY how to edge and carve (I thought I knew how, but I was wrong). While I was improving my carving, I was also demoing, all season long. WOW what a difference the right skis make on hardpack, icy, northeast conditions. I used to think that skiing on any old board that were sharp was sufficient. I also really resisted the "higher end" skis, trying to buy on value alone. My former skis always turned out to be a compromise.

So what I finally decided I needed (Yes, I'm slow learner) was two pair of skis - one for the hardpack & ice (90% of the time) one for the softer stuff (10%). I can only afford one pair of new skis, so I'll go for the 90%. Dammit, if I really get a powder day, I'll rent a performance demo. So I spent the season looking for GS skis.

All I can say, is damn, Volkl sure knows how to make a fast, stable ski. It's just a pleasure to ski a Volkl, ANY Volkl.
I had the Superspeeds and 5 stars on the same day. I just didn't want to get off the Superspeeds.

I simply found a very stiff ski to be an absolute pleasure when you ski hardpack and ice. The amount of control and stability I had was amazing. I NEVER lost control. I called the Superspeeds "mountain magnets". They just held onto the snow and never let go. Carving was spectacular. When I turned, it was with ease (abeit fast) and never skidded, just as patentcad said.) I felt like I could carve most anything with those skis, including the Thanksgiving dinner turkey.

Speed, egads, speed. I have NEVER gone so fast AND been in control like was was with these boards. Even on flat runouts, these things smoked. I left my skiing bud (grew up on Okemo and is much better than I) who has a pair of Rossi B2 Bandits could not keep next to me on the flats - these things just felt like they were accellerating, when in the past I would be slowing on the flats at Stowe. Another day, I took a pair to Loon, skied with another bud on a groomed BD. He could not keep up with me. And he IS better than me to (He even was a ski instructor in Italy for a while, and is also an excellent skier.) I never could have done that without these skis.

These skis do insist that you forward weight. Sitting back ont he skis, skidding turns just won't make it. Some reviewers say sitting back, the ski "punishes you." Rather vague, excessive remark. I guess what they mean is you lose control - that is true. So if you want to ski and skid sloppily, don't bother with the Volkls. Now I hear the 4 stars are much more "forgiving" and may do that for you.


Everytime I got to the bottom of the hill, I just had this grin on my face. It was like a first date that clicked. It was just a good match.

Bindings - I tend to ignore bindings for the most part. I was however impressed with how easy it was to get into them and hear a firm click when they engaged. Getting out was easy too.

Downsides: a) Crappy in short turns, and moguls but I knew that, and I din't buy them for that. They are my cruisers. b) tips are a bit wobbly in the flats - they just want to carve. Adjusting your style fixes that. c) Some people called them "heavy", but I only found them heavy when I was lifting them onto the car racks. The rest of the time they were on the ground and caused not issues.

Miscellanea:
a) Some people say this ski burns them out before the day is done, since you have to work it. I didn't find that, and I think the jury is out. If you are serious, take a demo out for the entire day.
b) Purportedly a high-theft item. I use a ski lock now.

Demos:
I decided to purchase the demos. I rented several skis over the years from this shop for me and my family. I know the skis, they had one pair, 168s. Saw the ski, know the history, know who skied it. It only saw about 8 days of skiing. Minimal stone grinds. No damage. Look like new.

I purchased performance demos for my daughter a year ago and we've been very pleased with them. So yeah, I bought "used" skis, but even something skied one day is now "used."

Ebay:
Shopped around ebay for a month, but decided on these because of a) price, b) my size c) return policy, d) able to inspect before purchase.

Buying decision:
Frankly, I bought based on "excitement factor" and "fun factor". I simply had a lot of fun under typical northeastern conditions. For whatever reason, the speeds were more "fun" than the 5 stars. The 5 stars just seemed to be so-so for me. I got much better carving off the Speeds. I really liked the p60s and the Atomic GS11's and would probably been happy in them too. While they are categorized as "race" skis, that wasn't the factor. Again, I had slightly more fun in the Speeds.



Overall Rating (1-5 with 1 being "horrible" and 5 being "outstanding"):
5

Would you recommend the item?
ABSOLUTELY - FOR THE GS CRUISER.


http://www.volkl.com/

[thetrailboss]

Great review!!

I've heard good things about the skis.

Two points I want to echo:

• 1. Skiing is supposed to be FUN as you said and I agree--demo, demo, demo to find the FUN ski for you!
  
  2. Nothing wrong with buying demos/used skis. In fact, I really encourage it because you can save a lot of $$$$ and get a great ski. As you said, just know the history of the pair and be prepared to move quickly

Glad you found a good deal. Looking forward to someday meeting you and other AZer's and taking a spin.

[billski]

In the past, I never demo'd, I relied on the shops advice. I never realized how subjective skis are to the individual. Always looking to save a buck in this expensive sport, I short-changed myself, then got stuck with a mediocre ski for 5-7 years (cycle time is all I can afford, you know....)

I'm rather reticent about on-mountain demo days. They often occur early in the seasons when the conditions are not what they will be for 90% of the season. You get much more out of it if you can ski on them for the whole day or half day. Since I'm looking for the fun factor, I have a hard time doing a quantitative analysis and I just need more than one or two runs.

Also, a lot of local mountains have good demos. You don't need to go far away to find good demos. For example, Wachusett, just outside of Boston has a very good selection of demos and the mountain is large enough to get mostly a good picture. I will admit however, if you are a big mt. GS cruiser like me, you will find Wachusett lacking in vertical. The topography, skier traffic and vertical conspire to limit your speed. I. e., I would NOT be able to open up a GS ski to it's full speed [IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER, OBSERVING THE SKIER'S CODE, without endangering others)] at Wachusett. This is where demo'ing at a place like Stowe or Loon is appropriate.

Originally Posted by thetrailboss

Great review!!

I've heard good things about the skis.

Two points I want to echo:

• 1. Skiing is supposed to be FUN as you said and I agree--demo, demo, demo to find the FUN ski for you!
  
  2. Nothing wrong with buying demos/used skis. In fact, I really encourage it because you can save a lot of $$$$ and get a great ski. As you said, just know the history of the pair and be prepared to move quickly

Glad you found a good deal. Looking forward to someday meeting you and other AZer's and taking a spin.

[riverc0il]

nice review, glad to hear you found a ski you love and that matches your style.

What I really learned (after a race lesson this year) was REALLY how to edge and carve (I thought I knew how, but I was wrong).

after joining my college race team and getting the race technique 101 lesson, virtually overnight i became a good skier while having learned the essentials to develop within a few years into a great all mountain skier. i firmly believe race training can turn any one struggling with technique into a great skier fairly quickly (as long as they are willing to embrace and practice the technique). actually, there isn't much different between what you learn racing gates and what proper fundamental ski technique is. i always come back to the three biggest things i learned: stay centered with forward preassure, square the shoulders and upper body, angulate while turning to carve. it's way more simple than most skiers realize.

the way you feel about the superspeeds reminded me about how i felt when i tried the 6 stars. i really don't care for groomers any more, but the 6 stars had me feilding a HUGE ass grin after every run on easy blue squared groomers. they are rockets that hold and grip on anything much like you described the superspeeds. a few years down the road, i'd love to find an older used pair on the cheap for early season man made snow skiing.