to my fellow domestic abusers of skis - what has been most bombproof?

[KustyTheKlown]

my new armada declivity 92s are basically useless rock skis now.

i am at 21 days this season with maybe 17 of those on the armadas. thats about 400k vertical feet. (i'm at 520k total for the 21 day season so far)

obviously its been a good winter and ive been able to get adventurous in the woods, and i think im known for having a high tolerance for boney eastern tree skiing

but i am pretty sick of shredding skis sometimes in under 1 season

my big losers have been these armadas, my pink fischers, and every pair of black crows ive tried

my winners have been moment and kastle

what's fuckin bombproof friends? lookin at you mad river valley guys...

 

[KustyTheKlown]

 

[jaytrem]

Graves

 

[kingslug]

J skis.
And the Wagners...

 

[KustyTheKlown]

J is an interesting shout. Not a brand ive considered much but they are proudly vermont based, which means maybe they make skis to take a beating in the vermont woods...

parlors are so expensive, but similar theory maybe?

 

[Shredmonkey254]

J is an interesting shout. Not a brand ive considered much but they are proudly vermont based, which means maybe they make skis to take a beating in the vermont woods...

parlors are so expensive, but similar theory maybe?

my 280 lbs + buddy swears by his J skis. Big guy rips Slidebrook and all woods at the bush all day, all year long and has yet to destroy a pair that I know of.

 

[Hawk]

I just buy used demos and other cheaper used options for my rocks skis. In the old days I bought park skis because they usually are built to withstand rails. LIke my old K2 public enemies. They were bomb proof.

 

[deadheadskier]

I ski hard in the woods and often at low tide. I haven't broken a set of skis since old Salomon cap skis in the 90s. I don't think full sidewall, wood core and some metal in a skis design really varies all that much between brands in terms of durability. Those pictures simply show you hit some ledge near the edge and were just unlucky. I don't think it's the fault of the ski design.

 

[bumpcrasher]

Great Thread!! And very appropriate for the MRV.
Line Supernatural 92. Thin layer of rubber on the sidewall stands up to those rocks on Liftline & Rumble. Not the hugest fan of its performance and certainly not the most responsive ski like the Armada Declivity.
The least durable skis are the Volkl Kendos & Mantras. I have seen so many Volkls blown out and there is no protection on the sidewalls.

 

[Smellytele]

All I know is Rossi’s are soft and will never get another pair.

 

[Hawk]

Kusty, you say it has been a good winter. I don't thing that at all. Unless you ski at Jay, Stowe or Smuggs, we are definately at low tide compared to most winters. Even last year we had more snow at this time. I think that if we got like a 2 foor dump your problems would disapear. ;-)

 

[KustyTheKlown]

all things are relative. we had an incredible run in december and then it rained. then we had an incredible run in january that continues. it hasnt gone above freezing or rained in weeks. in new england. thats incredible.

i've been able to ski in the woods every single day this season including november days at killington. imo, that is incredible.

i have 4 days at jay and bolton so i have been north of 89 a bit, and there's been so much snow. i have 8 or 9 days at stratton where the woods above 3000 ft have been in every time.

my most disappointing conditions have been at sugarbush, which does seem sort of relatively thin, but ive had great days there too.

as an every weekend no matter what skier, its been a fucking pleasure to not be relegated to shitty icy groomers AT ALL

 

[Hawk]

Some of my buddies like the Nortica enforcers. They say they are like steel.

 

[Hawk]

I've skied in the woods also. Ripdise, Paradise woods, Spillswoods and other woods high up are OK. What I am saying is the conditions are not mid winter or great compared to what we normally would be skiing for this time of year. Many places are just shitty because of downed trees, swack, stumps and rocks that would normally be covered. I did Slidebrook this weekend again. Just to see if it was any better. Saw people fucking up all over the place. I was fine but it was not what I call great skiing. It was skiing for the sake fo getting away from people and groomers. And many of places I like to ski are still an impass.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

ya i know, ive complained about the lack of clean up on the sugarbush woods.

i have had legitimately great skiing at jay, bolton, mount ellen woods, and somehow stratton (weird!)

i have had pretty shitty boney tree skiing at lincoln peak woods

i just think relative to the dogshit constant thaws and rain>backend snow we usually get, its been great. ive not missed a single weekend. ive skied in the woods every day. thats not normal for new england early season, and imo that makes this a notably good one.

 

[Hawk]

I heard Jay is off the hook right now and It continues to snow. We bought two days and a VRBO in Montgomery for later in February after we get back from Zermatt. I hope it stays cold until then. Fingers crossed.

 

[Hawk]

ya i know, ive complained about the lack of clean up on the sugarbush woods.

i have had legitimately great skiing at jay, bolton, mount ellen woods, and somehow stratton (weird!)

i have had pretty shitty boney tree skiing at lincoln peak woods

i just think relative to the dogshit constant thaws and rain>backend snow we usually get, its been great. ive not missed a single weekend. ive skied in the woods every day. thats not normal for new england early season, and imo that makes this a notably good one.

Now that is something I can truely bitch about. They did Zero, Nada, ziltch cleanup this year. And they will not let us volenteer anymore. Even the main runs down Slidebrook have limbs and logs and swack all over the place. We stopped to clean up one that was pissing me off but you could do that all day and not ever make a dent.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

you should go down to stratton. if woods could be considered 'groomed', they are. its been a fuckin pleasure. the obvious heavily trafficked lines are so clean

 

[cdskier]

I've only been in the woods a few times at SB this year. For me it is too low tide in most of them (and too much crap in them that isn't covered up). On the plus side, where there's coverage, it is actual snow and minimal ice due to lack of thaw/freeze events. I'm sure a lot of the upper elevation woods are better covered, but a lot of those also tend to be a bit steeper/tighter than I personally like.

The fact is the majority of the snow that has fallen has been extremely light and fluffy. Great to ski when it falls, but doesn't lend itself to good base building.

 

[tumbler]

I second the Enforcers.