Skiis for all mountain and boilerplate

[uphillklimber]

x

 

[Greg]

Suggestions please. We want to ski longer when conditions deteriorate.

Adapt. Ski the trail sides right near the trees at the end of the day. That's where the LGR will pile up. Sounds like you guys like to rip the groomers. Demo the Volkl Supersport line.

 

[andyzee]

I like my K2 XTs for boilerplate, when well tuned, they hold real nice. K2 doesn't make the XTs anymore, but I believe that the Crossfires are the same ski.

 

[riverc0il]

volkl five stars if you can handle them, four stars if the fives are a bit too much.

 

[Mark_151]

I spotted these on an episode of Chronicle last season. They look intriguing:

http://www.clawskis.com/

 

[BeanoNYC]

Demo the Volkl Supersport line.

That was my initial thought as well.

 

[Birdman829]

Unofortunately the Volkl website is down right now, but there is a sticky somewhere here that lists all the demo days at eastern resorts. Here ya go. Volkl should be at just about all of these but I'm sure you could call to make sure.

http://forums.alpinezone.com/9633-2006-2007-demo-days-list.html

 

[JimG.]

I wouldn't count Fischers, especially the RC's, out. Fischer makes some superb skis for ripping boilerplate, and yet they are plenty quick for bumps or trees too.

 

[jack97]

Volkl and Atomic are well known for their torsional rigidity (resistant to twisting, not to be confused with flexing) resulting in a better edge hold. Just a caveat, Volk has changed their 5 star, from a softer to a stiffer ski, make sure of the year.

K2 XT was a good ski but they obsoleted their axis series to the apaches series, the tail is wider and generally more stiff (compare to the axis series). By all accounts, I have not read reviews that K2 compromised on torsional rigidity.

If it was me, I would demo models that have not changed from last year, I might be able to get better deals after the season.

 

[ajl50]

If you like the K2 line you might find the volkl's just too hard with their edges. They need ALOT of attention and are prone to dumping you on your face if you don't watch the edges. With that in mind - try the Apache x's - they have worked great for me on all kinds of hard snow. They have changed the x's and now call them the stryker. Beware however because they have changed the footprint and have made it wider underfoot and cut down on the sidecut. This might make it less responsive on hard snow. Therefore I would look to pick up 05-06 x's to avoid the confusion. The crossfire is the same design as the x but is just much more stiff. For the woman go with the one luv - similar ski and has same superior hold on hard snow.

 

[ajl50]

I used to ski on the K2 5's and moved to the X's and they hold like glue. It's not so much the stiffness that creates the hold but the shape of the ski.

 

[bigbog]

skis....

uphill,
A bunch off the top of head...

Fischers...06' (last year's) RX6, RX8 (any year) is/has been a huge seller...less dense/burly but snappy ski that I could add some skidding easily, AMCs(73mm, 76mm, 79mm).
Nordicas, Heads(I enjoy my iM72s..kind of basic but their XRCs & iCs = terrific carvers & a couple of Head women's skis), Dynastars(8000), K2s(has a few very popular women's skis)

...as usual, too many...

 

[riverc0il]

Dynastars(8000),

i would not recommend the legend 8000s as a good groomer/boilerplate ski. there are a lot better choices even in the mid-fat range. but then again, these folks are not even looking for a mid-fat.

 

[Rushski]

Agree with Volkl reccomendations. Either a 5-Star or Unlimitted AC3.

Also Fischer has always been adept at the solid snow. RX8 or AMC 76.

Any of those would keep you skiing hard deep into the afternoon. BUT, there are no noodles in that group, so you may want to look a model down in each case if not confident.

 

[jack97]

Pretty much, we are looking for ... a stiffer ski, I guess, so that we can dig into the boilerplate and get a decent amount of purchase in it. We don't want to overdo it though. The K-2's we have a fairly flexable, and though I hone the edges after each trip, just don't seem to able to grab like we would like. We're not trying to buy a pair of ice skates, we want some fun all mountain skiis. Looks like demo days will see plenty of us.

The K2 four is consider an intermediate to advance ski so it has more flex and the torsional rigidity may not be so great as compare to an expert ski. In general, K2 is well known for being an easy ski to turn in various speeds and conditions. Also, they have a damp response (less vibration), some like the feel of this while others want a more lively response. If you feel comfortable with this, try their higher end models, the rigidity gives you a better edge hold on boiler plate. The extra stiffness provides stability at higher speeds but it could be slightly harder to turn.

Another generality, I have a Volk G3 (ancestor of the present AC3) as my rock ski, its edge hold is great for boilerplate. The stiffness is also great for mid season crud and spring mash potatoes. However, my ankles will get sore in the bumps because of this stiffness. A lot of stiffness can be a good thing or a bad thing.

 

[riverc0il]

mid-fats are generally decent at everything, great at nothing. i have found various mid-fats excel in particular areas. i think the definition of a "mid-fat" is changing. when the term first came out, it was to seperate out a mid-size (width) ski that was neither a cruising ski for the groomers nor an all out powder fat ski, but something in between... a ski that someone looking for a one ski quiver that could do it all would enjoy. the mid-fat of yesterday (width wise) has kinda become the stardard of today. but you will see cruising skis and skis meant for eatting up the hard pack and groomers tend to be not as wide as mid-fats and powder skis.

you are contradicting your original statement of desire with your last statement. originally, you said you were looking for a ski that was great for hardpack and boiler plate. now you say you ski bumps, powder, and trees. if that is the case, i withdraw my suggestion for the supersport series. volkl ac3 perhaps would be a better suggestion. though i think you need to decide if you want a ski that will rip the groomers or something that will handle everything. ac3 will be a major step down on the groomers compared to the supersports.

 

[jack97]

What riv said. I'll add this....

I think the number is 72, the division between a midfat and a carver. IIRC, the supersport has a waist of 68 while the AC3 has 72 to 74. Usually, the skis with a narrow waist are taller in this area than the midfat. The combination of smaller waist and a built in riser gives you a quicker edge-to-edge response, thus a faster and more responsive turn. You can really feel the difference on the groomers. On softer snow, the edge-to-edge response is negated and you’re really looking for more area in the ski base to help you “float”.


Also, got to remember to keep tabs on the ski...
Couple of years ago I demo some skis; Rossi, K2, Volk and Salomon. I would have been happy with any one of them but opted for the latter, a lively ski and mainly because it was the first one I saw on clearance. A year later, the K2 was on clearance at ebay (the year they obsoleted the axis series), I sniper bid and got a new axis x for around $100 dollar. This is the only way I can get skis inside the house without the significant other getting mad at me. Who knows, you may want a midfat and a carver, I haven't demo a ski that does it all.

 

[riverc0il]

cool, check out the volkl AC series, mantis m666 also is a great ski. legend 8000 if you really want to work on the bumps and trees more. seems like you are looking for a little variety, so a really stiff groomer ripper ski like the supersports probably is not the direction you want to take.

regarding the boilerplate at the end of the day, you may want to seek out a lesson or two and specifically request training in this particular area. maybe even a private lessons scheduled for when the slopes are really scraped down. even suspect skis are doable on the scraped stuff if you work the skis in the right way. at certain ski areas, that boiler plate and scraped stuff is always gonna be there on certain trails at the end of the day.

alternative solutions involve avoidment by skiing the edges of the trails which hold better snow or avoiding ski areas completely that get scraped down. for example, burke and cannon have some comperable wide open ripping groomers in terms of pitch and sustained steeps, but cannon will have many slopes striped down to scraped conditions by noon time whereas you will hardly find any suspect conditions one any of burkes groomed slopes due to less traffic. i used to be a racer but now have no tolerance for scraped down hard pack, i avoid at all costs. if you encouter it often and feel the need to ski it, then practice hard regardless of your ski choice.

 

[Greg]

Sounds like you want an on-piste East-coast all-mountain ski. The Volkl AC3 will fit the bill nicely. I ride a 2005-06 AC3 and love it. It has a 74mm waist and handles groomed snow and hard pack very well. A little heavy in the bumps, but I've been able to get them to respond. They like to be skied with some authority (i.e. agressiveness) so be prepared for that. You're not going to be able to gently cruise on these. The 2006-07 AC3 has a slightly wider waist at 76mm. It's gotten some great reviews. You may also want to demo the 2006-07 AC2 which this year has a 72mm waist. That may be a bit more forgiving and better on the groomed/hard pack.