Dynastar Mythic Riders vs ???

[polski]

Not sure if that is the right ski for a skier that rates themselves as 7+ maybe an 8 except for not great technique. No offense intended towards polski. The weight is definitely an issue but that is a lot of ski for someone with less than the best technique.

No offense taken. I appreciate the frank advice. I'm looking for a ski that will help me improve my technique in the conditions I now prefer. I suspect that at times my technique was worse than my actual ability because I was bringing the wrong tools to the job (chicken/egg question), but I won't overestimate my ability.

My current thinking is the Legend Pro Riders are not for me and the Mythic Riders would be a solid upgrade at a great price (new 07/08 184s are a little more than the 179s, $369 incl shipping with PX12 Fluid bindings -- I'm an 8 DIN so those are plenty), but I might get even greater ROI if I can increase that investment to spring for something even fatter.

So, long story short, what can anyone tell me about 08/09 Volkl Gotamas? I've done a lot of research (keep investigating other options too) and think I have a line on a nice deal for these. My main concern is durability as I've read of some problems with Goats the past two or three model years.

 

[polski]

I hope you explained to her that you forgot to change the binding fluid at the end of last season (because you were so busy with housework), and as a result, had to buy new ones this year, because if you didn't it just wouldn't have been safe.

-w

Binding fluid, love it. But I gotta say the "so busy with housework" line is so implausible it would succeed only in getting me my butt kicked and thrown out of said house.

Yesterday the shop tech going over my newly tuned skis pointed out a number of edge dings, nothing compromising integrity but the sticks are showing their age. I dutifully reported this to my wife and she was sure I'd paid him to say that :-D

 

[RootDKJ]

I hope you explained to her that you forgot to change the binding fluid at the end of last season (because you were so busy with housework), and as a result, had to buy new ones this year, because if you didn't it just wouldn't have been safe.

-w

ftw :beer:

 

[bigbog]

Files and stones are great things....

 

[polski]

Thanks all for the input. I ended up fairly far from what I'd initially been thinking, in ski dimensions, bindings and to some extent budget. (Birthday presents and a sweet deal helped with the latter though. I'll be lucky to get a couple lumps of coal for Christmas, but I'm fine with that.) So ...... I've put in an order for the 08/09 Gotamas in 190 with Barons.

I figure with a two-ski quiver I'm going to have some gaps no matter what. With the goats' 105 waist and my existing pair at 66, one gap may be somewhere in between, but I can live with that, seeing as I have for years now. And I should be so lucky to have days where the 105s are too skinny, especially on the EC. Basically I opted for planks designed for the conditions and kind of skiing I most frequently target -- to get the most out of the really good to great days.

I'm slightly nervous about violating the try-before-you-buy rule but I've researched this enough that I don't think I can go too far astray with this choice. Also very psyched to start earning turns.

Now SNOW PLEASE

 

[wa-loaf]

Thanks all for the input. I ended up fairly far from what I'd initially been thinking, in ski dimensions, bindings and to some extent budget. (Birthday presents and a sweet deal helped with the latter though. I'll be lucky to get a couple lumps of coal for Christmas, but I'm fine with that.) So ...... I've put in an order for the 08/09 Gotamas in 190 with Barons.

I figure with a two-ski quiver I'm going to have some gaps no matter what. With the goats' 105 waist and my existing pair at 66, one gap may be somewhere in between, but I can live with that, seeing as I have for years now. And I should be so lucky to have days where the 105s are too skinny, especially on the EC. Basically I opted for planks designed for the conditions and kind of skiing I most frequently target -- to get the most out of the really good to great days.

I'm slightly nervous about violating the try-before-you-buy rule but I've researched this enough that I don't think I can go too far astray with this choice. Also very psyched to start earning turns.

Now SNOW PLEASE

Wow you went big. I think some Watea 84's will fill out the middle for ya ...http://www.sierrasnowboard.com/Fischer-Watea-84-Skis.asp

 

[bigbog]

Great stuff polski!...from all I've seen, have yet to read where they sink...

 

[o3jeff]

Thanks all for the input. I ended up fairly far from what I'd initially been thinking, in ski dimensions, bindings and to some extent budget. (Birthday presents and a sweet deal helped with the latter though. I'll be lucky to get a couple lumps of coal for Christmas, but I'm fine with that.) So ...... I've put in an order for the 08/09 Gotamas in 190 with Barons.

I figure with a two-ski quiver I'm going to have some gaps no matter what. With the goats' 105 waist and my existing pair at 66, one gap may be somewhere in between, but I can live with that, seeing as I have for years now. And I should be so lucky to have days where the 105s are too skinny, especially on the EC. Basically I opted for planks designed for the conditions and kind of skiing I most frequently target -- to get the most out of the really good to great days.

I'm slightly nervous about violating the try-before-you-buy rule but I've researched this enough that I don't think I can go too far astray with this choice. Also very psyched to start earning turns.

Now SNOW PLEASE

I just received my Gotamas yesterday, now I am trying to decide on what to do for the bindings.

 

[polski]

Thought I'd give a quick update on the 08-09 Gotamas with Barons now that I've used them a bit in a fair variety of conditions:

The skis do take some getting used to. They benefit from an aggressive over-the-balls-of-the-feet stance even in powder (not that I've had major pow days with them yet, but some shots of up to 18" or so). Last weekend at Burke I felt I was starting to really charge with them, although there wasn't any pow to speak of then.

They're surprisingly versatile despite being 105cm underfoot. I haven't used my old 66mm boards once this season and can see doing so only on days with serious hardpack/ice. Could have used the skinny skis at Burke last week but the Gotamas did fine except they did get very slightly squirrely at higher speeds on groomers. In powder or chowder they are great fun. I'm hitting glades and some other more challenging terrain now that I might have been hesitant to try before. I look forward to DEEP pow and epic corn snow ;-)

Complaints: The topsheets are ugly (the infamous "Tokyo Whorehouse" motif) and not durable. I've gotten by far worse chipping and even a little peeling after half a season than I had with my older skis in five or six years. It doesn't affect how they ski and I'll epoxy the topsheet edges but it annoys me that I have to do so.

The bases, on the other hand, seem bomber (whereas I'd read complaints about soft/damage-prone bases on some earlier models of Gotamas). I'm not one to baby my equipment and I've definitely hit some nasty rocks with little to show for it. Also no issues with the sidewalls, something that also reportedly was a problem with Gotamas at one time.

The Barons feel like full-fledged alpine bindings yet also serve well for skinning. Have only started to get a taste of AT use thus far though and don't have anything to compare to re weight etc. Some people don't like how you have to step out of the binding to switch from AT to alpine and vice-versa, but I see that as a feature not a bug - assurance that I won't suddenly go free-heel while bombing downhill.