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Looking for an East Coast All-Mountain Ski???

alexcampagna898

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I never have bought a ski before, because up until lately I was still growing rapidly. I'm around 5'7" and 120 pounds, but by next winter (which is when I hope to have some skis) i should be about 5'8" or 5'9" and anywhere from 130 to 140 pounds.
I want a classic all mountain ski. I primarily ski Wachusett, or NH, with the occasional trip up to VT or ME. I want something that will handle groomers well at high speeds, and I definitely do not want something that will slip and chatter like crazy on ice. I love to ski bumps and dip in and out of the woods, so I want something nimble, but at the same time I want something that will hold up at reasonably fast speeds. Obviously NE doesn't get much in the way of pow, so that is not my top priority, but I at least want something that will have some type of float (or at least sink underneath), rather than plow the snow when we do get some.
I generally like a short ski, as I usually ski on a 155 to a 165. I've been looking at skis like the Rossignol Soul 7 and Experience 88, as well as the Line prophet flite, the Blizzard Brahma, Atomic Panic, Salomon Q90, and the Volkl Bridge, Mantra, or Kendo. I don't have the money to buy 2 pairs of skis, and I don't ever really ski the park, but I do want a directional twin tip or at least something similar. I've never bought skis before so I don't really know what to look for, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Does anyone own any of these skis? If so, how do they fair in typical NE conditions?
 

Edd

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I'd start by scratching the Soul 7 off the list, as that is pretty much meant for powder. I'm riding a pair of Kendos for the 3rd season. If you've gotta own one ski for the east, the Kendos are pretty good. It's a long turner, though. The Rossi Experience 88 is a shorter turner.

I've never tried the Brahmas but read very good things.


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Tin

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You need to narrow things down. The Mantra, Bridge, and Kendo are completely different skis. If you are mostly on groomers sometimes bump try Kendos. My dad has a pair and loves them. I liked them for the few runs I tried them. I loved my Bridges but they are tough to get used to and if you get in the backseat at all you're ending up on your ass. The Souls seem to be popular here so someone will have a good review. You can find Kendos with great bindings for under $300 on eBay.
 

alexcampagna898

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I figured the soul 7's werent good, im thinking the 88's but i dont know how they'll do off piste. I'll probably try to demo a pair before the season ends
 

makado420

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Lib tech nas a east coast dream ski


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yeggous

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I own the Experience 88. If you like nimble, stable, and built for New England that is your ski.


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yeggous

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It excels in the crud and bumped up trails so it is great in glades that have been skied before. It is less than happy with more than a few inches of untracked. It's really the ripper of all the midfat skis.


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makado420

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I haven't tried the new model but I have the free ride model from about. 4 years ago and I loved them wide enough to float pow and the magnitraction will rip any ice shit right up


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Bumpsis

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If I were looking for a new ski, I'd definitely look into renting a performance model that I'm interested in or something really close to that model. A ski may look and sound really great with enthusiastic reviews and desirable specs but the actual performance can be at odds with what you want or even a disappointment.

Case in point: a few years back I rented Kendos becuase I had Volkl skis in the past and really liked them. People also raved about them. It turned out that the Kendos were just not my cup of tea. I like a snappy, shorter radius turning ski that's light and lively and fun in the bumps. The Kendos were anything but that. Sure, they were stable for bombing down the mountain but I struggled with them in bumps. What's great for some, may not be all that much fun for you. Also, you get to match the ski with the boots you have. I think that a boot also makes a difference in how much command you can have over a certain ski.

I also rented some Rossignols and K2s in models that were similar to what I could find at the on-line stores. I picked the Rossi S80 that I'm super happy with. The hundred some dollars that I spent renting was a good investment in finding what I really wanted.

I'd also not shy away from skis that have more narrow waist (like 76mm). As long as the shovel is about 120, you'll plenty of float in soft stuff and crud. And lets face it. This is the east, most of the time you will be on packed snow.
 

legalskier

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How's it do on bumbs and in the trees?


My 88s are the best all round skis I've ever had- they perform extremely well in all conditions/terrain, including bumps & trees. Been on them for three seasons now & the only thing that ever held them back was powder up to my knees in the trees- but I doubt there are any all mountain skis that will do any better in that situation, which is very rare in the East anyway.
Another all mountain ski is the Volkl Nanuq, which is a lighter version of the Mantra (due to its wood core). It's discussed in this thread by watkin, who included pics of the tracks he left behind in the trees at Platty: http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php/128846-Plattekill-3-02-2014 Gives you a good sense of how they perform. I believe those are 98 underfoot.
At the end of the day, the best way to find out whether a particular ski will be good for you is to demo them. Many shops now have demo rentals available during the entire season (as opposed to the early-season-only demo's of the past), so you can get a good sense of which one to save up for at the beginning of next season. Good luck.

$0.02
 

Savemeasammy

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Go to a local shop or two, tell them what you are looking for, and demo a few things.


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ScottySkis

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I havent bought new skis in a while. i hear Chamber is where it is at. i do recommened like others have said demos. demo free days are awesome way to fugure what you like. Ehen i got back into skiing about 10 yeasrs ago i demoeded Appace by k2 awesome beginer skis i demoed them at Hunter snd like then so much that i biught them from ski shop on the hill for very resonBle price. Now my uncle has them.
 

SandwichTech

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Keep in mind that 130lbs is fairly light, with the average ski being designed for a 175 to 180 lbs male. Opting for shorter lengths is very good as it increases your edge pressure (akin to narrow tires on winter rally cars). This weight difference greatly effects your flotation too. If someone is an average US male (180lbs) and recommends their 88mm skis in a 175 length - they are getting the same flotation you would from a 68mm waist on a 163cm ski. I would say look at skis in the mid to low 70s waist and high 150s length. You mention that you want a ski good on groomers that won't slip & chatter on ice - frontside skis are the tool for the job and at your weight are still very versatile.
 

steamboat1

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Don't be afraid to try out the Dynastar Outland series ski's. They are versatile all mountain ski's which you probably haven't heard much about. I ski on the 80 series which are 126-80-110 & like them very much. There is also the 87 series which are 132-87-114. Both ski's have rockered tips & tails with traditional camber in the middle
 

JoeB-Z

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I suppose the Dynastar Outland replace the Legand Sultan 85s. I ski on the Sultans and they handle everything. A shorter length may take care of the lower weight issue as these skis are pretty stout. They cover an enormous range of skiing condition sthough.
 
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