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Ski for spring conditions

VTKilarney

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Can someone recommend some characteristics to look for in a spring (wet snow) ski? My current pair has a narrow waist (and are great carvers). But now the snow is soft, I feel that these skis cut into the mashed potatoes rather than riding on top.
 

JimG.

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100mm underfoot, 130mm tip, 120mm tail, 35% rockered tip, 20% rockered tail.
 

tekweezle

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Go for the Softer, fatter skis and don't forget the wax!

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2
 

jaysunn

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This what Jim says is the right idea. 100mm underfoot, 130mm tip, 120mm tail, 35% rockered tip, 20% rockered tail.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone
 

jaysunn

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@cannonball thanks for the image. I ride a neversummer legacy, I may be wrong, however that rocker camber technology was created by them. Again, may be wrong. Thaka for the cool pics
 

Domeskier

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Get the narrowest, straightest skis you can find and hit the bumps - spring skiing the way it is meant to be!
 

abc

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So the % is percentage of the full length?

That means "30% tip rocker and 20% tail rocker" is only half of the length of the skis are traditional camber?
 

Rambo

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So the % is percentage of the full length?

That means "30% tip rocker and 20% tail rocker" is only half of the length of the skis are traditional camber?

I Demoed a bunch of next years all mountain type skis at Demo Day at Greek Peak a couple of weeks ago... They have eliminated traditional camber and call the skis - flat skis with tip and tail rocker. It actually seems to work and with super sidecut skis, it turns out you do not need traditional reverse camber. The reps did say to go with a longer length ski as on the hard pack the early rise tip and tail rocker won't contact the hard base. The ski I liked best was next years Volkl Mantra in a 177 length, 100mm underfoot, with tip and tail rocker and no reverse camber - ski was fast and stable on the groomers and powered through the warm slushy GLOP with ease.
 

Cannonball

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@cannonball thanks for the image. I ride a neversummer legacy, I may be wrong, however that rocker camber technology was created by them. Again, may be wrong. Thaka for the cool pics

Yeah, not so much. I've been riding an Inca snowboard for the past 10+ years. They were doing variations of rocker and multiple-cambers for a few years well before other snowboard companies (before "rocker" was a word). Then Burton decided to throw their weight around and completely F*** Inca over with a bogus lawsuit and put them out of business.

Meanwhile, on the ski side, McConkey pretty much invented the rocker concept by ripping some huge lines on water skis (literally!!). His sponsor Volant came out with the Spatula, which was pretty much the start of the rockered ski boom.

FWIW. My Inca succumbed to a decade of abuse. I'm picking up a Never Summer Cobra today. Same dual camber that I absolutely love!
 

jaysunn

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Then Burton decided to throw their weight around and completely F*** Inca over with a bogus lawsuit and put them out of business.


That above statement, makes me sad, corporate BS. I love my NS LEgacy 133 Wide, however it's not an all mountain board. Meaning, I really would like to try the magna traction tech on the icy days? Have you ever ridden a magna traction board?
 

mishka

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The ski I liked best was next years Volkl Mantra in a 177 length, 100mm underfoot, with tip and tail rocker and no reverse camber - ski was fast and stable on the groomers and powered through the warm slushy GLOP with ease.


177 with tip and tale rocker sounds kind of short. Especially if you tip and tale tapered. imo 100mm underfoot it somewhat transitional size not exactly daily driver and not a pow ski either
 

Cannonball

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That above statement, makes me sad, corporate BS. I love my NS LEgacy 133 Wide, however it's not an all mountain board. Meaning, I really would like to try the magna traction tech on the icy days? Have you ever ridden a magna traction board?

Yup, agreed about the corporate BS. I want to love Burton, but too many negative personal experiences make it impossible.

But you can get the magna traction you are looking for from pretty much any brand these days. Including American-made companies like Never Summer and Lib Tech. Plus other solid companies like Arbor, Jones, etc. Everyone has their name for it: NS = "Vario Power Grip", Arbor = "Grip Tech", Lib Tech = "Magne-Traction", etc.

Personally, I don't think it matters much and can feel 'grabby'. I like the dual camber that lets you set the section of edge needed at the moment. But those are subjective personal preferences. So many great brands and models right now you really can't loose.
 

wa-loaf

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I was really digging my Soul 7s the last couple days in the soft snow and bumps.
 
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