Ladies...

[Edd]

I could use some ski advice for my girlfriend. She's still a novice, blues can be tricky. As she's always on a set of rental skis, it makes it more difficult to advance I think.

What is a good womens ski to take someone from novice to intermediate? A confidence builder? I think an established model that's been around a few years would be ideal.

 

[RISkier]

The K2 Luv series have gotten great reviews. I don't recall the names but one of those in the 68-70 under foot width. My wife has the burnin' luvs and loves them but I'm thinking something a tad softer. They had a ski that was basically the same dimensions and just a little softer. I recall a one luv that comes to mind.

 

[wa-loaf]

K2 first love. But I'm not a lady, so take it with a grain of salt. Where's Trekchick?

 

[Hawkshot99]

K2 Luv series without a doubt. I have skied them all from the First up to the Burning Luv. They are awesome skis.
I would recommend the True-Luv over a First-Luv. The "true" will give her some growing room over the "first", but they are all great skis.

 

[Trekchick]

K2 first luv is not something that will take her to the next level. You want to go with a carver or something more of a midfat that will help her excel and blow away the crud?

I'd go with something that has sandwich construction, stay away from box, and give her something that will stick with her as she advances.

My top suggestions would be K2 Lotta luv, or Norcica Olympia Victory or Conquor.
Those are all at the low end of a midfat and will easily let her carv but not hold her back from busting through crud and slush. The advantage is that they will also give her something to play with when you get that occasional powder.

If you want to go with something a tad more interesting, get her the Blizzard Titan Eos. 88 mm in the waist, with nice float, but soft enough and enough shape to let her carve nicely on the hard pack. Again, its solid sidewall construction and has a great binding set up with the IQ system.

 

[Sky]

My wife is tough to please (ya know...I tried to find a nicer way to put it....but they all sounded like what I just said...so let's just be honest with ourselves).

She's on Volkl Attiva's, lower end version. @ 5'4", she's on a 150 (or was it a 148?).

She really likes them, although she doesn't ski much.

Boots....Boots are definitely key. Ones your friend wants to wear, can get on and off herself...worth EVERY penny. Boots. Are you listening?! I only mention it cuz I "didn't" the first time around.

Maybe you're smarter than me. Let's hope so. :>

 

[RootDKJ]

My wife has Head Cool Thangs and really likes them. I think she's ready for a more aggressive ski however.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

K2 first luv is not something that will take her to the next level.
My top suggestions would be K2 Lotta luv, or Norcica Olympia Victory or Conquor.
Those are all at the low end of a midfat and will easily let her carv but not hold her back from busting through crud and slush. The advantage is that they will also give her something to play with when you get that occasional powder.

yikes TC you are sadistic! I agree that the first luv won't be the right ski to progress on...but jumping all the way to the lotta luv is a leap...lotta has 2 sheets of metal and is not exactly forgiving...similar story with the nordica conquor...both are advanced to expert level skis. Edd said his lady is still very much a novice, "blues can be tricky" I'd say in the k2 line the true luv would be the right model for her first ski purchase. Save the sandwich sidewall constructions for when she's progressed to a solid intermediate and is looking to make her second ski purchase.

 

[hardline]

K2 Luv series without a doubt. I have skied them all from the First up to the Burning Luv. They are awesome skis.
I would recommend the True-Luv over a First-Luv. The "true" will give her some growing room over the "first", but they are all great skis.

girly man

 

[Hawkshot99]

girly man

The only time people ever notice what skis I have is when I am demoing a woman's model.:lol: They always want to know why I didnt get a guys ski.

 

[Trekchick]

yikes TC you are sadistic! I agree that the first luv won't be the right ski to progress on...but jumping all the way to the lotta luv is a leap...lotta has 2 sheets of metal and is not exactly forgiving...similar story with the nordica conquor...both are advanced to expert level skis. Edd said his lady is still very much a novice, "blues can be tricky" I'd say in the k2 line the true luv would be the right model for her first ski purchase. Save the sandwich sidewall constructions for when she's progressed to a solid intermediate and is looking to make her second ski purchase.

Have you skied those skis?
I have. They are both extremely forgiving.

I've seen more women skiers discouraged because they are put on an extremely soft ski that won't handle the crud, or they're put on super soft skis that have a narrow waist that turns too quickly.
My sister was on a narrow, entry level ski, similar to the First luv, and was constantly being freaked out by the way she was getting bounced around. When she demoed the Nordicas I mentioned, and then got on my Elan Wave spice(wanna talk stiff, there you go), and fell in love. And, this is just one example.

Eh, but what do I know, I'm just a woman who demos skis all the time, and spends time mentoring women into skiing.

Carry on

 

[severine]

If you want to go with something a tad more interesting, get her the Blizzard Titan Eos. 88 mm in the waist, with nice float, but soft enough and enough shape to let her carve nicely on the hard pack. Again, its solid sidewall construction and has a great binding set up with the IQ system.

I skied this @ A-basin on the powder day on 5/10 and it was FUN. This is the closest I've come to demoing a ski... I was only supposed to use it til the shop finished the quick tune on my skis - ended up skiing them the whole day. Volklgirl didn't like it because she said it was too soft, if that gives anybody any clues about how forgiving this ski is.

Boots....Boots are definitely key. Ones your friend wants to wear, can get on and off herself...worth EVERY penny. Boots. Are you listening?! I only mention it cuz I "didn't" the first time around.

Maybe you're smarter than me. Let's hope so. :>

Boots are definitely THE most important component here. If the feet aren't happy, the skier isn't happy. If you want to encourage her to go to the next level, make sure she's in a boot that's not only skill appropriate, but fits right.

I've seen more women skiers discouraged because they are put on an extremely soft ski that won't handle the crud, or they're put on super soft skis that have a narrow waist that turns too quickly.

Totally agree.

I have no other advice to offer as I don't have the vast ski equipment knowledge that Trekchick possesses. But I would trust her judgment.

 

[Glenn]

My wife has a set of Sweet Luvs and she really likes them. She's made a ton of progress since last year, so we may demo a few pairs for her later into the season. But she really likes her skis a lot.

I agree with boots. We went to the shop to buy everything...but my focus was on boots. I kept dropping hints before we went. "Hon, don't focus on the color." Even when there, I told her not to worry about the look; go for the feel. And at that point...forget about cost. While I'd been out of skiing for awhile. I certainly remember how having something that doesn't fit right or makes you cold certainly has you kicking yourself for not spending the extra $. She went with a Salamon Devine 10 (I think the 10 at least) and we got the boot heaters as well. Heaters were $150 well spent. Her biggest complaint on the coldest day we skied last year? "My feet are kinda hot." Cha-ching.

 

[Edd]

Thanks for the responses. She bought boots last year and seems all set with those. I was sort of thinking about a ski that could handle some choppped up snow and powder but thought that might be too much to ask. I'm going to research these suggestions. I just don't know crap about women's skis. Thanks again, and any additional input is welcome...

 

[Trekchick]

IMHO, Edd, The top two skis on your list if you're looking for something that will handle chop are the Blizzard Eos, and the Elan Wave Spice. The Wave Spice is far better, in the chop category and a premium confidence builder.
If there is a chance she'll participate on a forum, you should encourage her to join www.theskidiva.com
It could go a long way to getting her addicted to the sport, and will definitely give her some ideas.

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Have you skied those skis?
I have. They are both extremely forgiving.

I've seen more women skiers discouraged because they are put on an extremely soft ski that won't handle the crud, or they're put on super soft skis that have a narrow waist that turns too quickly.
My sister was on a narrow, entry level ski, similar to the First luv, and was constantly being freaked out by the way she was getting bounced around. When she demoed the Nordicas I mentioned, and then got on my Elan Wave spice(wanna talk stiff, there you go), and fell in love. And, this is just one example.

Eh, but what do I know, I'm just a woman who demos skis all the time, and spends time mentoring women into skiing.

Carry on

Actually, I have skied on both of them. I've also watched my wife ski on both of them...she's a middle of the road intermediate, comfortable on all blues and cautiously venturing into some diamonds when the conditions are right. She LOVED the Conquer...when she skied it at the canyons on a blue bird day in perfect conditions on trails she wasn't even familiar with, liked them so much she was begging for a pair...but when she tried it in the east on a reasonably good day (no boilerplate, but not perfect courderoy either) on trails she knows well, she got tossed around and didn't like the ski at all. She had a similar experience on the Lotta Luv...the reason is they are too stiff for someone who is not bringing a fair amount of momentum into the turn...she couldn't flex them enough to use the sidecut effectively on harder snow so the skis skipped and skidded. I've also brought female testers with me to the on snow show at Stratton for many years, have helped many many happy women find the ski of their dreams...and my mother skis on the Lotta Luv...and loves them...but she's an advanced skier who skis pretty fast and has solid technique.
The conquor is the women's version of the afterburner...comes out of the exact same mold and has a similar construction (woodcore, sidewalls) while the Lotta Luv is the women's Recon, aka the "Shecon"...all of these skis are targeted at advanced to expert skiers....and with 78 and 84mm waists they're harder for someone who doesn't get some hip into their turns to get up on the edge.
I didn't suggest the First Luv or even the Sweet Luv...I said the True Luv...its got a 72mm waist, woodcore, and is designed for a mid level intermediate...something Edd's lady is aspiring to be.
But what do I know about ladies skis anyway, I've got a penis, I can't possibly have a clue. ;-)

 

[BeanoNYC]

My wife is tough to please

Jeeze, Sky...you threw such a softball over the plate here that it's not even fun to take a swing.

 

[Trekchick]

Eastcoastpowderhound, you have a what? Where?

Whoda thunk it!

I understand where you're coming from, and the true Luv is a possible good choice, but I still stand by my suggestions based on a lot of experience skiing with and exposing a lot of women to the sport.
Heck, Carrie almost went home with my Eos!

 

[eastcoastpowderhound]

Eastcoastpowderhound, you have a what? Where?

Whoda thunk it!

I understand where you're coming from, and the true Luv is a possible good choice, but I still stand by my suggestions based on a lot of experience skiing with and exposing a lot of women to the sport.
Heck, Carrie almost went home with my Eos!

:beer: we've got the same goal in mind

 

[Sky]

Jeeze, Sky...you threw such a softball over the plate here that it's not even fun to take a swing.

HA! I was wondering if anyone would launch on that..from one of many angles.

Now I'm feelin the love. Thanks! :>