polski
New member
My soon-to-be-13-year-old needs new skis and he's at the point where we need to be choosier than simply settling for whatever we find at our local swap. But as I look into it I'm finding remarkably little in what I'd call the "older kid but sub-adult" category. He's 5'3" and undoubtedly going to have a growth spurt the next year or two; last year he was on 141s and now an upgrade to ~150 or longer seems in order, but most manufacturers seem to offer only stuff for smaller kids (like up to ~140 length) or full-blown adult skis ($$$$).
Fortunately I've learned Volkl makes a Gotama Jr and I'm pretty sure this will fit the bill. Online I'm finding the 2010 in 158cm for as little as $219 including shipping. (Yes I see the Gotama Jrs available via AZ gear directory at REI for $149 but they only have 128s available.)
Curious 1) if anyone here has any experience with these skis, 2) can suggest alternatives, preferably at an under $250 price point, and 3) what sort of bindings we might consider.
Some more background:
- Overall I'd say my son is a solid intermediate skier and could easily be considered advanced if he'd actually listen to me when I tell him on Every.Single.Run. that he needs to get out of the backseat and center his gravity over the balls of his feet and that he should initiate turns with proper pole plants. (I swear this year I'll pull the trigger and pay for a private lesson so he can hear the right things from someone other than his dad and maybe it'd actually stick then.)
- He's not overly aggressive but also not afraid of a pretty serious challenge, like Cat Bowl > Lower Antelope at MRG or the narrow steep drops into the top of the Ravine at Ragged. He keeps his speed in check when necessary and is reasonably confident in his ability to navigate sketchy conditions. He loves on-map woods like Caveman at Burke and Catacomb Glades at Wildcat. He seeks out little jumps but not huge air at this point.
- He's happy in powder and crud though to date he hasn't had optimal skis for those conditions (way too skinny). On groomed trails he'll often seek out ungroomed edges. He really does aspire to be a park rat though. One running discussion we've been having as I've been reviewing this with him is whether the Goat Jrs would be suitable for the park. I do note that Volkl categorizes them as freestyle twin-tips. My take at this point is they might not be *the* best possible ski if my son would be in the park exclusively, but as I point out to him, when he's skiing with me and his brother he does a good bit of powder, crud and woods; the Goat Jr looks to me like a good balance, with enough ski under foot to handle the deep when we get that. (I told him I'd read something about someone using Goat Jrs to ride switch in powder and that seemed to blow his mind a little.)
- None of us in our family has tried rockered skis yet but I'm fairly convinced this is the wave of the future and no time like the present to start riding it.
- I have 2009 grownup Gotamas myself (regular camber) and love 'em, except for the purely cosmetic problem of topsheet chipping.
- Any differences of note between 2010 and 2011 Gotama Jrs? The latter are widely available for $269, or $70 more than the best price I'm seeing for the 2010s (before shipping). Any progress on the topsheet problem, for example?
- I'd be happy to have my son get two seasons out of these skis though I suppose he might grow out of them after one. Either way, then his younger brother (now 10) could use 'em for a year or two.
- oh yeah, bindings: I really haven't started researching this at all. I have Barons on my own Goats but at this point my son doesn't really have much interest in fighting gravity, so no need for that kind of investment. Appreciate any advice on this. Currently my son's BSL is 265 but we may have to get bigger boots for this season, and if not this year, certainly by next.
Thanks in advance (and I remind myself that at this time last year I was barely more than six weeks away from my first ski trip ...)
Fortunately I've learned Volkl makes a Gotama Jr and I'm pretty sure this will fit the bill. Online I'm finding the 2010 in 158cm for as little as $219 including shipping. (Yes I see the Gotama Jrs available via AZ gear directory at REI for $149 but they only have 128s available.)
Curious 1) if anyone here has any experience with these skis, 2) can suggest alternatives, preferably at an under $250 price point, and 3) what sort of bindings we might consider.
Some more background:
- Overall I'd say my son is a solid intermediate skier and could easily be considered advanced if he'd actually listen to me when I tell him on Every.Single.Run. that he needs to get out of the backseat and center his gravity over the balls of his feet and that he should initiate turns with proper pole plants. (I swear this year I'll pull the trigger and pay for a private lesson so he can hear the right things from someone other than his dad and maybe it'd actually stick then.)
- He's not overly aggressive but also not afraid of a pretty serious challenge, like Cat Bowl > Lower Antelope at MRG or the narrow steep drops into the top of the Ravine at Ragged. He keeps his speed in check when necessary and is reasonably confident in his ability to navigate sketchy conditions. He loves on-map woods like Caveman at Burke and Catacomb Glades at Wildcat. He seeks out little jumps but not huge air at this point.
- He's happy in powder and crud though to date he hasn't had optimal skis for those conditions (way too skinny). On groomed trails he'll often seek out ungroomed edges. He really does aspire to be a park rat though. One running discussion we've been having as I've been reviewing this with him is whether the Goat Jrs would be suitable for the park. I do note that Volkl categorizes them as freestyle twin-tips. My take at this point is they might not be *the* best possible ski if my son would be in the park exclusively, but as I point out to him, when he's skiing with me and his brother he does a good bit of powder, crud and woods; the Goat Jr looks to me like a good balance, with enough ski under foot to handle the deep when we get that. (I told him I'd read something about someone using Goat Jrs to ride switch in powder and that seemed to blow his mind a little.)
- None of us in our family has tried rockered skis yet but I'm fairly convinced this is the wave of the future and no time like the present to start riding it.
- I have 2009 grownup Gotamas myself (regular camber) and love 'em, except for the purely cosmetic problem of topsheet chipping.
- Any differences of note between 2010 and 2011 Gotama Jrs? The latter are widely available for $269, or $70 more than the best price I'm seeing for the 2010s (before shipping). Any progress on the topsheet problem, for example?
- I'd be happy to have my son get two seasons out of these skis though I suppose he might grow out of them after one. Either way, then his younger brother (now 10) could use 'em for a year or two.
- oh yeah, bindings: I really haven't started researching this at all. I have Barons on my own Goats but at this point my son doesn't really have much interest in fighting gravity, so no need for that kind of investment. Appreciate any advice on this. Currently my son's BSL is 265 but we may have to get bigger boots for this season, and if not this year, certainly by next.
Thanks in advance (and I remind myself that at this time last year I was barely more than six weeks away from my first ski trip ...)
Last edited: