Deals and recommendations on women's skis

For all the times I leave my wife "on Piste" with her friends, while I'm off in the woods til 5, I need to upgrade my wife's gear: its time to buy the wife some "chick skis"! 8)

To start, the wife is a solid int. blue/black skier with good form, but she gets nervous on the typical hardpack that develops by noon on the east. She is not a bump skiier (probably not ever going to be either), and she's not really a powder junkie (like me), but I think that her current 5 year old Olin's have something to do with her issues in powder. I am hoping some new gear will help that.

So... I am looking at

K2 T:9 "Luv" series possibly the "One Luvs"

http://www.k2women.com/trueluv.html
http://www.k2women.com/oneluv.html

Volkl Gamma series

http://www.volkl.com/ski/energy_380_gamma.shtml
http://www.volkl.com/ski/7_24_ext_gamma.shtml
http://www.volkl.com/ski/energy_320_gamma.shtml

Someone also suggested the Salomons, but I have not really delved deep into thier line yet.

I would appreciate any recommendations from women on the board, and/or sigothers who are in the know. Being a snowboarder, I am not savvy on the skis these days. Thanks in advance.

someone my mom works with just got a new pair of B1W's and she loves them

Hey Mergs. Chicks I know have been diggin' the K2's and Volkls, particularly the K2 Burnin'Luv, the Volkl Supersport Gamma and Gamma 380. Another company that pays particular attention to their women's line is Dynastar. Their Exclusive series skis generally get good reviews from da babes too. If you're serious about your partner getting to like powder, glades etc, you might wanna consider a wider ski - but watch out there. Statistically, at least in the East, women like narrower skis than men do. Also, narrower skis tend to do better on hardpack/ice, and ladies HATE ice. Demoing the ski (by her, heh) would be a very good ting.

Also, narrower skis tend to do better on hardpack/ice, and ladies HATE ice.

Click to expand...

this is slightly misleading as a LOT of midfats this year are really good on eastern hard pack and scraped conditions. though i do agree, there may be a difference between the width of a men's midfat vs. a women's midfat... lots of 70+mm mid-width skis can still rip it on the hard pack!

Notice my use of the word "tend" there? I never said there weren't great hard-snow midfats. My point is that there are several models I know of (based on the opinions of women I know who've skied them) that would make safe purchases if demoing isn't feasible. All of them are narrow and will not ski as well in powder, which is what Mergs seems to want his wife to enjoy the way he does. If he decides to go midfat, she should really try them first.

thanks fellas...

the K2 top my list right now, followed VERY closely by the Volkls.

my main ski buddy has been riding volkls for years and has been loving them, but he just picked up a pair of apaches and is just awestruck. quote "ultimate east coast ski" for him of course. he's a bc junkie like me, powder, tight trees, then finish the day on fast groomers and bumps. why do i mention this? bc a girl who demoed the K2 true luvs actaully demoed the apaches and she liked them best... ugh the plot thickens... . i do think that the apaches are sold out everywhere so i am leaning towards the K2 "luvs", whereas last year i'd probably be bigger on the volkls (i give my ski buddy a lot high marks for kind of knowing skis)

yes, agree 100% on the demo'ing. i demo snowboards all the time and for me its the only way to go, but i'm running out of time here, i wanted her to demo them but stocks are getting really thin now. i might just make a "safe purchase" and buy either a volkl gamma 724 exs, or the k2 burnin luvs... if i can find in her size.

i just hope that the burnin is not "too much ski" for her. if only i can get onto a demo first. dammit i should have thought about all this sooner.