• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

PSA for Nordica Blem Sale

jimk

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 1, 2012
Messages
1,787
Points
113
Location
Wash DC area
Unsolicited positive feedback: I bought a pair of Nordica Burner Evos (170cm long x 84mm wide) via this StartHaus blemish sale last summer for $299 with bindings. I bought them as my daily driver/east coast/75% on-piste ski. This is billed as an intermediate level ski and I never demo'd them, but I found the purchase price made all that worth the risk. I probably bought them a little short/underpowered for optimal high speed groomer zooming, but surprisingly they proved to be the best skis I've had in a long time for the bumps. They are very turny and light as a feather compared to some of my older skis. They have a little bit of tip rise and are good in moderate amounts of new/loose snow. I have yet to figure out what was blemished about them. I'm tempted to buy a 100+mm ski via this year's blemish sale for use on trips out west and rare occasions when I get to an eastern hill before it's all groomed out.

ski in action:thumbup:
Copy of DSCN7036.jpg

Second photo, sunny day, is different ski, old Volant Chubbs!
 

Attachments

  • Copy of Copy of DSCN7043.jpg
    Copy of Copy of DSCN7043.jpg
    64.9 KB · Views: 126
Last edited:

yeggous

Active member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,170
Points
36
Location
Eagle, CO
It was easy to resist considering the extensive revamp that the Nordica line will see next year.


Sent from my iPad using AlpineZone mobile app
 

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,270
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
It was easy to resist considering the extensive revamp that the Nordica line will see next year.


Sent from my iPad using AlpineZone mobile app

Ah, I was wondering if there was a major design change, hence why these were being dumped.
 

Puck it

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
9,680
Points
48
Location
Franconia, NH
It was easy to resist considering the extensive revamp that the Nordica line will see next year.


Sent from my iPad using AlpineZone mobile app
Some for the worse. They are adding metal to the Hell and Back series.
 

yeggous

Active member
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,170
Points
36
Location
Eagle, CO
Ah, I was wondering if there was a major design change, hence why these were being dumped.

The Hell and Back series is being replaced by the new NRGy series. Their freeride (Soul Rider, Patron etc) series is getting long in the tooth and discounts have been widespread.

Most of these prices are around 50% off MSRP which is relatively easy to find in the spring, especially considering it is a blem sale. I'm not overwhelmed.
 

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,270
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
Yeah revamps are always interesting. You have to decide to go with what is tried and true or hold out for the "new" technology, but wait for them to work the bugs out of things. So it is go with the old or wait two seasons for the new skis (until they go on sale).

In 2011 I sprung and got some Head skis on sale...two conventional camber fat skis. Snowmonster and others said I should have sprung for the rockered...but it seemed a bit too new then and I wanted them to work things out and Head didn't really have any good rockered skis out. Turns out one big issue with the rockered skis was stiffness and getting a ski that was stiff enough to be a one-ski quiver but good enough for powder. The Hammered came out and they ran two seasons of it. I snagged some last year at a killer price and am glad I waited.
 

deadheadskier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27,906
Points
113
Location
Southeast NH
Took delivery of my blem Vagabonds today. At first glance I couldn't tell anything was off. Then under close inspection I found just a little bit of indentation on the top sheet. It was almost like there was some air that didn't get pressed out completely during the pressing process and then they settled. From 3 feet distance you can't even tell that the blemish is there.

Here is one ski with what I'm talking about. The other ski only had one tiny dime sized spot that wasn't perfect.

v8dirt.jpg


As far as I'm concerned, for $349 and free shipping, I got a steal. Backcountry.com has unblemished Vagabonds on sale for about $415. I've seen them elsewhere for over $500 still. Considering I probably would've paid $600+ at the start of the season for this ski, I feel like I got really good value for my money. Can't wait to try them out.

I certainly won't hesitate buying a factory blem ski from Start Haus in the future. I'm surprised more shops / ski companies don't do this; at least that I'm aware of.
 

jimk

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 1, 2012
Messages
1,787
Points
113
Location
Wash DC area
Took delivery of my blem Vagabonds today. At first glance I couldn't tell anything was off. Then under close inspection I found just a little bit of indentation on the top sheet. It was almost like there was some air that didn't get pressed out completely during the pressing process and then they settled. From 3 feet distance you can't even tell that the blemish is there.

Here is one ski with what I'm talking about. The other ski only had one tiny dime sized spot that wasn't perfect.

v8dirt.jpg


As far as I'm concerned, for $349 and free shipping, I got a steal. Backcountry.com has unblemished Vagabonds on sale for about $415. I've seen them elsewhere for over $500 still. Considering I probably would've paid $600+ at the start of the season for this ski, I feel like I got really good value for my money. Can't wait to try them out.

I certainly won't hesitate buying a factory blem ski from Start Haus in the future. I'm surprised more shops / ski companies don't do this; at least that I'm aware of.

I really should get a pair of those too. I may spend two months in CO next winter. Just hard to buy skis with next season 6 months away and never having demo'd them. What are they, 100mm underfoot?
 

deadheadskier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27,906
Points
113
Location
Southeast NH
137-107-125

Gamble on my part having not skied them, but the dimensions and build type (slight rocker, camber underfoot, wood core, no metal, vertical sidewall construction) were the characteristics I was looking for.
 

Puck it

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
9,680
Points
48
Location
Franconia, NH
137-107-125

Gamble on my part having not skied them, but the dimensions and build type (slight rocker, camber underfoot, wood core, no metal, vertical sidewall construction) were the characteristics I was looking for.
You left off my recommnedation!!!
 

bigbog

Active member
Joined
Feb 17, 2004
Messages
4,882
Points
38
Location
Bangor and the state's woodlands
137-107-125

Gamble on my part having not skied them, but the dimensions and build type (slight rocker, camber underfoot, wood core, no metal, vertical sidewall construction) were the characteristics I was looking for.

Nice dhs.....
Have been looking at a few 15's with that one added. Nordica, Head, ON3P have some that look promising..for on & off the resorts, but that Vagabond has nice specs...
 

deadheadskier

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
27,906
Points
113
Location
Southeast NH
Just got them back from the shop today mounted with a set of Dukes; ready to go for next season. Of course the guy at the check out said, "are you going to try them out soon." I knew he meant Washington as all the resorts are closed. I said, "No, I'm done for the year. Can't see myself heading up to Washington." He tells me he had just skied up there recently and it was still great, got 7" recently.

I really need to get off my ass and become a turn earner this time of year.
 

jimk

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 1, 2012
Messages
1,787
Points
113
Location
Wash DC area
So DHS planted a seed in my head that I couldn't shake and I decided to follow his lead and get the very same skis from StartHaus: Nordica Vagabond, 177cms.
My early 2000s Fischer's in the middle are 183cms, about two inches longer than the Vagabonds.
skis july 2014 007.jpg
The only blemish I can find so far is very minor. If you look at the center line you'll see a small horizontal bubble type blemish near outside edge of each ski, more visible in the left ski in this pic.
skis july 2014 003.jpg
Skis with bindings mounted: $440 total after a 10% discount code I got for reviewing a product I previously purchased from StartHaus.
Here's hoping they work OK for me. Like DHS, I bought 'em without a demo. I have a more narrow pair of Nordica's (Burners, 84mms) that I like. The Vagabonds are about 13mms wider underfoot than anything I've ever been on in 47 seasons :roll:
 
Last edited:
Top