Best Ice/Hardpack/Shit Snow Ski to Complement Wildcat

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druseph33

Member
Title says it all. My Moment Wildcats have become my dailies. I need a narrower ski to replace my other skis (Daemons) for the beginning of the season, icy mornings, and garbage snow days. Ski the Sierras and like to go all over the mountain.

Have it narrowed down to these four, assuming similar pricing/availability (but also open to suggestions):

J Skis Masterblaster

Volkl Kendo

Nordica Enforcer 93

Blizzard Brahma

What's best?

*Looking to buy used*

**This thread was edited on Apr 19th 2019 at 5:15:27pm

**This thread was edited on Apr 19th 2019 at 5:33:21pm
 
Have Bibby’s among other skis myself and run the Enforcer 93 for my usually daily driver on the East Coast. Not a twin which gives it more effective edge and a strong carving capability with its stiffer tail. It should be easy to find used or new on a deal now if there’s stock out there still. Just got mine new a month ago for $450 US including Attack2 13 bindings but they are sold out now at the place I got them.

Master Blaster very similar to the Enforcer 93 but with a twin shape and a bit more playful feel especially on the tail. Might be harder to find used though but probably the “most like” a narrower Wildcat of this group.

Brahma and Kendo great skis but much further back traditional mounting position and not as playful as the E93 or MB.
 
14026228:Greg_K said:
Have Bibby’s among other skis myself and run the Enforcer 93 for my usually daily driver on the East Coast. Not a twin which gives it more effective edge and a strong carving capability with its stiffer tail. It should be easy to find used or new on a deal now if there’s stock out there still. Just got mine new a month ago for $450 US including Attack2 13 bindings but they are sold out now at the place I got them.

Master Blaster very similar to the Enforcer 93 but with a twin shape and a bit more playful feel especially on the tail. Might be harder to find used though but probably the “most like” a narrower Wildcat of this group.

Brahma and Kendo great skis but much further back traditional mounting position and not as playful as the E93 or MB.
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Do you think it (or the others) fill my purpose of a narrow hardpack/low coverage ski to compliment my Wildcats? Being in the Sierras, would be using the WIldcats 70% to 80% of the time.

Or should I being going for a different category/narrower width? I noticed a few people voted "other" but didn't explain haha
 
Moment PB&J would be like a skinnier Wildcat of course but I found it wasn’t great on harder snow or ice and it grabbed more than a 101mm should when you did get a bit of snow. Commander 98 would be a more traditional style ski that should be better on harder snow than the PB&J.

I replaced my PB&Js with an Enforcer 104 Free which I LOVE. Much better on harder snow, charge crud with ease and way better in powder than the PB&J. The E104 Free is not as good as the Enforcer 93 when it comes to really firm groomers but on everything else, I prefer the E104.

If you ski in usually softer snow and are used to a 99mm Ski, you might like the E104 Free as a Wildcat step down. Master Blaster is kinda like an Enforcer 96 Free if they made it-beefy ski with metal with a fun twin shape that rips everywhere.

So Enforcer 104 Free if you want to prioritize crud busting or maybe the Master Blaster if you want something a little quicker edge to edge on harder snow.

What do you like/dislike about the Daemon skis you have now? More traditional, reverse camber ski which would be less like the Wildcat than any of the skis mentioned.
 
I love Moment and looked at the PBJs and Commander, but they seem like hard pack may not be their strongest suit?

As for the width/ski, I don't think I would need the 100s considering I daily the Wildcats and would just be using these on shitty, icy, or low coverage days. So maybe the Masterblaster is what I'm looking for
 
14026385:Greg_K said:
What do you like/dislike about the Daemon skis you have now? More traditional, reverse camber ski which would be less like the Wildcat than any of the skis mentioned.
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Honestly? I like the daemons a lot. I bought them middle of last season and got 30ish days on them. Liked how responsive they felt, how tight they could make turns, their weight, and how they floated on powder as long as it wasn't super deep. However, I did always notice they were not the greatest on ice and hard pack were getting knocked around in crud, and had trouble with deeper stuff.

Then I picked up the Wildcats and loved them so much they've become my dailies. They handled crud way better, obviously better in powder, funner on groomers, etc.

So because the Wildcats take of most of the roles of the Daemon, I would normally use the Daemon as a rock ski or crappy condition ice ski, but it's not really good at those. Hence the wanting to get rid of it.

Also of note is my Daemons are 171 and Wildcats are 186, and the increase in size felt. .. Right haha.
 
I skied the Daemon too, and agree that it felt a bit underwhelming.

Maybe consider the Corvus (last year's/ next year's). I skied them and they felt pretty nimble and yet quite stable with the metal in the ski. I'm buying Atris, and will probably get the Corvus too for a ski with a more firm snow / crappy snow bias.
 
I can reccomend the Captis if you are looking for something more narrow. The Ski is very stable but playfull and has no problems on ice.
 
Masterblaster is the best ski I can think of as a narrower ski to pair with the Wildcat. The Masterblaster is way better on firm snow, but maintains a bit of playfulness that many of the similarly stable skis out there lack.

Fischer Ranger 94 FR is a good alternative if you want something more energetic and snappy, but it's not as damp and composed on ice. And it's new for next year so won't be cheap.

If you can't find a good deal on the Masterblasters, the E93 and Volkl Mantra M5 are very good options, just more directional / less playful. Mantra feels a bit more piste-oriented than the E93, but both are pretty good all around the mountain. And the M5 is more energetic than the E93.
 
If you don’t mind very traditional mounts like -12 the head monsters in 88 or 98 are amazing on hardpack/ice. They pop up periodically very cheaply used too. But brahmas would be a great choice on your list for the same purpose.
 
14027191:Trefin said:
If you don’t mind very traditional mounts like -12 the head monsters in 88 or 98 are amazing on hardpack/ice. They pop up periodically very cheaply used too. But brahmas would be a great choice on your list for the same purpose.
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Had a look at those. Seemed like they could fit my needs. I noticed they changed them up a ton from 17/18 vs 18/19. Think one is superior or better for my situation?
 
14027284:druseph33 said:
Had a look at those. Seemed like they could fit my needs. I noticed they changed them up a ton from 17/18 vs 18/19. Think one is superior or better for my situation?
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I think any year would be fine, I guess the new ones are slightly more carving oriented. I’d just pick up whatever version has the best deal, they all are well made so even a slightly beat up pair is gonna last forever. I have the 17/18 184 88s and love them for ripping icy groomers and steeps when it’s so shitty out I’d probably call it on my other skis. Just a warning they do require a lot of shin pressure to keep their edge, if you are coming from center mounted skis get ready for a minor adjustment period before they really click.
 
14027321:Trefin said:
I think any year would be fine, I guess the new ones are slightly more carving oriented. I’d just pick up whatever version has the best deal, they all are well made so even a slightly beat up pair is gonna last forever. I have the 17/18 184 88s and love them for ripping icy groomers and steeps when it’s so shitty out I’d probably call it on my other skis. Just a warning they do require a lot of shin pressure to keep their edge, if you are coming from center mounted skis get ready for a minor adjustment period before they really click.
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I had a look at/considered them in my choices. But, are they the more groomer/carving oriented of the bunch? How do they preform on icy snow/low tide off piste?

CalumSKI said:
you should look into rustler 9s
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Took a look at some of the reviews on those, and they seem to not be the best when it comes to harder snow? Also seems like they aren't super stable at high speeds? Those are obviously just reviews though so others experiences could be different.
 
14027475:druseph33 said:
I had a look at/considered them in my choices. But, are they the more groomer/carving oriented of the bunch? How do they preform on icy snow/low tide off piste?

Took a look at some of the reviews on those, and they seem to not be the best when it comes to harder snow? Also seems like they aren't super stable at high speeds? Those are obviously just reviews though so others experiences could be different.
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One, y does it say my post was removed

Also I heard they are pretty great on hardpack compared to some of the options you have provided
 
14027475:druseph33 said:
How do they preform on icy snow/low tide off piste?
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They are solid, you just gotta stay forward and keep that edge.the tails release way easier than you would think so they aren’t horrifying in icy moguls, and you can keep it mellow if you want.

But honestly all those skis are very similar just get what you can find the best deal on and don’t think twice. You listed all good skis for what you are looking for and you won’t be disappointed. Try and look for some moment commander 98s too, those would probably be a great fit.
 
Found a demo pair of Masterblasters for $450 with the bindings. But they're 187: is that too much of a ski like this for someone my size? 5'8" 150 lbs advanced/expert
 
14028326:druseph33 said:
Found a demo pair of Masterblasters for $450 with the bindings. But they're 187: is that too much of a ski like this for someone my size? 5'8" 150 lbs advanced/expert
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Too much ski for your size I think. Not impossible for you to ski but would like more speed and open spaces to get going and wouldn’t be as fun and playful as the 181cm would be for your size. Blistergear actually compares the 2 sizes in their review.

The 185cm Nordica Enforcer 93 about the same weight as the 181cm MB and the 187cm MB is 1/2 pound heavier. Great in crud but not as playful especially for your size. Wait for a 181cm to show up.
 
14028326:druseph33 said:
Found a demo pair of Masterblasters for $450 with the bindings. But they're 187: is that too much of a ski like this for someone my size? 5'8" 150 lbs advanced/expert
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Unfortunately, yeah I wouldn't really recommend the 187 for you. I'm the same size and experience level as you and love the 181, but definitely wouldn't want to go up to the 187 unless I literally only skied wide-open terrain.
 
Same shop has a Demo pair of 175 Masterblasters but I feel like that's a bit short for a ski like this: would that shorter length be too much of a reduction in stability at speed and crud busting?

Also found some Rustler 9s and some Nordica Enforcers 93s for really good prices but am still deciding if I want to hold out for some Masterblasters or try those. I may try to demo, but I know a lot of the shops stopped demoing or are very limited on selection

**This post was edited on Apr 26th 2019 at 11:05:18pm
 
Had the Rustler 9 180cm this season and swapped this spring for the 185cm Enforcer 93. Liked the Rustler 9 but not heavy enough to be great in crud and not as good edge grip on harder snow as the Enforcer.

Master Blaster comes in 175cm not 177cm but the Enforcer 93 comes in 177cm and would “ski longer” with it’s reduced tail rocker and non twin tail. Think you’d get along well with the Enforcer 93 177cm for your size and would be similar in feel to the 181cm MB. If you get a deal on it, go for it.
 
14028739:Greg_K said:
Had the Rustler 9 180cm this season and swapped this spring for the 185cm Enforcer 93. Liked the Rustler 9 but not heavy enough to be great in crud and not as good edge grip on harder snow as the Enforcer.

Master Blaster comes in 175cm not 177cm but the Enforcer 93 comes in 177cm and would “ski longer” with it’s reduced tail rocker and non twin tail. Think you’d get along well with the Enforcer 93 177cm for your size and would be similar in feel to the 181cm MB. If you get a deal on it, go for it.
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Whoops I meant the 175 good catch. Edited.

I think I will give the enforcer a try: it's actually available as a demo at a couple shops so I think I'll demo and worst case scenario I can return 'em if I don't like em. But it's a good place to start and I feel like they'll do a fine job
 
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