Buying skis advice

[The-Kaizer]

Hello.

I consider myself to be a very advanced skier when it comes to regular slope skiing, but I'm a beginner to park. I can straight air fairly comfortably, but that's it. I'm 6'1(ish) and about 185lbs. I only ski in resort for 2-3 weeks a season, but I will be doing a season after university. I have a preference towards, k2. I've been riding k2 disorderly for about 3 years, but no substantial park stuff. I usually use skis that are 179, but I was thinking about 174 to help with spins. I don't want purely park skis I want some that will help to play on slopes and a bit of off piste too. I did some research and it sounds like k2 Recoils would be the most ideal that I have found, but they don't sell them this season.

Any advice would be helpful, budget isn't really an issue, but everyone likes a bargain!

 

[bt@509]

Why don't you center mount those 179 Disorderly's and buy a 100-110 waisted all mountain ski to shred the soft stuff? You've got a decent symmetrical park ski already. No need to go shorter at your height either. This would be your best option to learn how to spin. The added swing weight of a wider ski might be a bit tough to learn on.

If you want to replace your current pair, I'd steer you towards something fatter than the recoil. Maybe 100 underfoot and ~179 long. You could go shorter, but you may not be happy with the decreased stability at speed. Add rocker to the mix and it'll ski really short compared to your current pair and probably won't be as versatile as you are hoping for.

Still, some people really don't like fatter skis in the park. I do. My 172 Lizzies are 110 underfoot and are a total riot in the park. I can't really recommend a ski from K2 though. I haven't kept up with their offerings since my 07/08 Fugitives. The Line Blend or Chronic comes to mind though. Have a look at those. Check the Evo outlet too. They have a ton of sales this time of year.

 

[justinchapman]

I was in your boat too. If budget isn't stopping you from anything. Line Chronics are the perfect all mountain skis from park to off piste. If you watch any kind of line videos, most skiers are on chronics

 

[The-Kaizer]

Why don't you center mount those 179 Disorderly's and buy a 100-110 waisted all mountain ski to shred the soft stuff? You've got a decent symmetrical park ski already. No need to go shorter at your height either. This would be your best option to learn how to spin. The added swing weight of a wider ski might be a bit tough to learn on.

If you want to replace your current pair, I'd steer you towards something fatter than the recoil. Maybe 100 underfoot and ~179 long. You could go shorter, but you may not be happy with the decreased stability at speed. Add rocker to the mix and it'll ski really short compared to your current pair and probably won't be as versatile as you are hoping for.

Still, some people really don't like fatter skis in the park. I do. My 172 Lizzies are 110 underfoot and are a total riot in the park. I can't really recommend a ski from K2 though. I haven't kept up with their offerings since my 07/08 Fugitives. The Line Blend or Chronic comes to mind though. Have a look at those. Check the Evo outlet too. They have a ton of sales this time of year.

Thanks, that was really helpful! Why would it be better to get more width underfoot? Is it just preference or does it make a large difference? If I make my current skis purely for park, what would you recommend for an everyday ski (mostly piste skis, but can still deal with trees/shallow powder every now and then)?