Ski gear advice

[Runtheory]

I was hoping someone might be able to give me a little insight on the gear that's hit the market in the past several years as I'm looking to purchase an entirely new setup.

First off, I haven't skied seriously since about '98. I used to ski about 40 times a winter when I was in middle and high school, but after graduating from high school I went south for college and I ran CC and track for my school. Since '98 I haven't skied more than twice a season. My current gear is old, I always bought pretty good equipment, but always a year or two older. Consequently, I ride a pair of straight skis that have seen better days.

Second, I used to always be an aggresive skier; always steeper, faster, farther, etc. However, my bones aren't made of jello anymore (I'm still only 24 though), and while I will still go for steep, technical stuff, and the type of big...but not super dangerous air that goes along with that, I don't really forsee too many forays into the parks.

I've only ever used shape skiis once, and that was in about '97, and I didn't like them then. However, now, the only thing on the market seems to be shape skiis. I've considered some twin tips, but I'm not sure how versatile they are for the rest of the slopes, and how much I give up in general usability. I'm a pretty good skier, I grew up in Michigan, but during my trips out west I've been completely comfortable on everything I've skied (moguls, steeps, little bit of park, little tree skiing, black, double black). I do like to go fast when I'm on intermediate trails, so I wouldn't want something that would slow me down too much.

So, I'm kind of curious as to what some other people might think of my situation and what they might recomend. I'm interested to know what type of ski you'd think would work well for me. I'm going to primarily be skiing in Michigan, with a trip or two out west. I'm probably looking for a bit of an all-mountain ski, but like I said I'm interested to know if any of the twin tips might fit that category. I'd appreciate any info that you guys might have. Specific skiis would be great (especially if they were a year or two old and I could find good deal ).

 

[Yooper]

I also am from Michigan originally (UP) but am considerably older than you. The situation was the same, I had been away from skiing for a period of years and when I got back into it they had gone from straight edge to shaped. My skiing ability discription is similar to yours also. Okay, so much for the small talk.
I demoed quite a few skis (the best way to decide in my opinion). I finally decided on two types/models the Salomon X-Screams and the Atomic SX-11s. I couldn't decide----Soooo I bought both. Both of which are used for differant types of skiing. I use the X-screams for cruising, high speed, long arcing carving turns, most relaxed on them without much effort. The Atomics are great in the mogals, steep tight turns, have to keep up and on them, reqire alot of attention.
Oh, I weight 180 pounds, the Salomons are 179 cm and the Atomics are 170 cms. One of most important things that I also did which improved my skiing was that my boots were a pair of solomons, they just were not right for me, so now I have a pair of Nordica Beasts, what a differance, extremely comfortable no hot spots. In my other boots I would have to take a break and unbuckle them a few times a day, not so in the Beasts, buckle in the morning, unbuckle at night.
It works great for me.

 

[ChileMass]

Just had a detailed conversation last weekend with a ski-shop employee about this same issue. I, too, am a fossil who still skis on "straight" skis (Rossignol Course 201cm GS racing skis). I think they're still terrific and I can ski the crap out of them on almost any surface. However, I'm thinking something a little lighter could be a good thing as I am not a spring chicken either.

I told the guy that I like to go fast, the shaped skis I have demo-ed were too "grabby" and unstable at high speed, and I ski like a former racer. His recommendation for me was to stay on a GS racing ski for rigidity and stability. They are still very shaped, although not as much as a slalom ski - probably a 70cm waist. And - they were only like 175cm long! He went on to recommend some weighting/unweighting changes that I'm not sure I can adequately describe here (maybe someone else can take that on - teachski?).

Anyway - look for something with a mid-size waist (65-70cm) which has the extra stiffening technology in the shovel and tail and you should be OK. This guy showed me a pair of Fischer GS skis (can't remember the exact model) and a pair of demo Rossi Bandits that were 2 years old (not a racing ski - more of an all-mountain ski). I didn't buy - I think I'm going to demo a bunch of skis early in the season and see which I like best......

 

[tree_skier]

OK first the skiis. Pick a ski that fits your skiing best ie if you spend 90% of your time ripping long turns down groomed expert trails look for a gs race ski, or if you spend most of your time on intermediate corderoy then maybee an all mountain carver. With todays skiis the brand (I know some will not agree with this but it is true) isn't important but the right ski is everybody makes good skiis today.

Second, boots. The most important thing in boots is fit. Try on a bunch and make sure they fit. They should be very snug with no movement in the heal and the toes should not touch the end. Also get a custom footbed, it is a must and don't hesitate to try the boots on with the footbed before purchase. You need to be able to flex the boot. Most boots are much more flexable (forward) then boots of the past. Get the model the is at least your planned skiing or better, an expert will never like an intermediate boot.

Third, Bindings. Again everybody makes a good binding today. The important thing is din. Find out what your din setting is and get the model that puts your setting in the middle of the range. For example I ski at 8.5 so I want something with a 4-12 range and don't need the 8-15 racing bindings.

 

[Runtheory]

Thanks, I appreciate it

Thanks for the advice everyone! Chile, you've dropped 26 cm from your straight ski to the shaped. Is that normal?

What's the best way to demo skiis? I've never really done this before. Are there mountain shops that will let you take out a couple different skiis in one day? I doubt the place I'll be skiing (Crystal Mt...more of an exagerated hill) will have any such program.

 

[tree_skier]

Re: Thanks, I appreciate it

Thanks for the advice everyone! Chile, you've dropped 26 cm from your straight ski to the shaped. Is that normal?

or more, I have gone from a 210 GS race ski to a 180 and 207 SL to 160

 

[First Tracks]

Re: Thanks, I appreciate it

Thanks for the advice everyone! Chile, you've dropped 26 cm from your straight ski to the shaped. Is that normal?

or more, I have gone from a 210 GS race ski to a 180 and 207 SL to 160

It's completely normal. I remember picking up my first shapes, Salomon X-Scream Series (still one of the best darned all-around skis out there). I'm a featherweight, 140 lbs soaking wet, but I still felt emasculated going from 194cm slaloms and 204 GS straight skis to a 179cm shaped. I had a hard time swallowing that, but a bud who's a tester for Salomon convinced me. And he was absolutely correct!

Somewhere back in this thread the comment was made about carving long, fast GS-style turns on the groomed. For that definitely head for a dedicated GS ski. While the X-Scream Series is one phenomenal ski, one thing it doesn't do well is run straight and fast, a characteristic that it has in common with a lot of shaped skis. That sidecut and abbreviated length is just too (*&(*&I) squirrelly at speed when left flat. Get used to keeping them on edge at all times.

Personally, while the 65 to 70 mm waist widths being bandied about this thread are fine for the fast and groomed, you definitely want something wider under foot for the ungroomed. My X-Scream Series retired due to a blown-out edge, a common malady for those skis. I replaced them with Salomon's Scream 10 Hot Pilots at 175cm, and that's a wonderful ski for most uses (110-75-100), but it doesn't do bumps well and it's a bit too narrow for pow in Eastern woods or the deep stuff out west. For that I have a pair of Völkl Explosivs (120-95-112) mounted with Fritschi Freerides for AT. This also affords me a dedicated AT setup, for the Salomon's can't be mounted with anything other than Salomon alpine bindings thanks to that silly integrated Pilot system.

 

[ChileMass]

Re: Thanks, I appreciate it

Thanks for the advice everyone! Chile, you've dropped 26 cm from your straight ski to the shaped. Is that normal?

What's the best way to demo skiis? I've never really done this before. Are there mountain shops that will let you take out a couple different skiis in one day? I doubt the place I'll be skiing (Crystal Mt...more of an exagerated hill) will have any such program.

Run - I guess going from 201s to 175s is pretty standard now. I watched Hermann Maier and Bode Miller on TV last year skiing GS on 175s (or thereabouts), so that's the length being made these days. Mens' slalom skis are even shorter (in the 160s).

As for demo-ing skis, almost any ski shop of any size, even at your small local hill, should have demos for rent almost any day. Demo-ing a pair for the day will probably cost you about the same as a lift ticket, maybe a little less, and this is how many skiers make their buying decisions.

Cool thing to look for - at a lot of ski areas there will be dedicated demo days with a bunch of ski shops or manufacturers' agents showing up specifically to make demos available that day. The shops/agents will have tents or booths set up with technicians who can fit your boots onto the demos in no time, and you can demo several pairs in a day. Big fun. Check out the websites of your favorite hills for their demo days or make the trip to a ski are in your region that is having one. You won't regret it. Have fun!!!

 

[andyzee]

Demo, demo, demo, most shops will let you put the price of demos towards the price of purchase. That being said, try K2's XTs, great pair of skiis

 

[bigbog]

re:..........

Runtheory,
...edited to agree with andyzee... demo....., then pick whatever makes you smile the most.

 

[stomachdoc]

Demo

Lots of medium to large ski areas have "demo days" where all of the manufacturers (big and small) set up demo booths where you can take as many different pairs of skis as you want in a day. The nice thing about this approach is that you can compare different skis within the same snow day; different conditions from day to day will make more of a difference to your experience then will the sticks you are using; thus, try to compare skis on the same day.

Some mountains have on-mountain demo huts; my home mountain (Waterville) does, but only on the weekends. The on-mountain huts are more geared for rapid switching of skis than is the shop in the base lodge.

Good luck!