choooosing a new ski

S

sean.d

New member
heh, posted this in the wrong forum...woops :)

so after a lot of reading and little testing...i have decided on one of these...

line mothership

salomon pocket rocket

head mad trix system

im looking for a very powder friendly (fat) twintip that doesn't weigh a ton, has the ability to handle rather large hucks, and is light enough for spins/grabs...and is high speed friendly :)

ive read horror stories about the mothership...how it looks nice, and its tech specs read nice..but i read how it cant perform, how it's tail is to soft, and how it can be damaged to easily...

ive read that the pocket rockets are great except kinda heavy and they cant handle well under high speeds...

the head mad trix biggest issue i can find is the weight with the binding system..but i like how it is all setup...

i am 5'5' and 135 pounds...currently im tooling around on a pair of 2001 1080s and have beaten them to the point needing to be replaced....

sooo...with what im looking for, anyone have any suggestions? and dont just say 'demo them all and pick the right one'..cause not all those skis are demo-able :)

-sean

 
Well, you've got 4 good skis there. I've heard (and experienced) only good things with the motherships. The Pocket Rockets are superb, but there have been problems with breakage. Mad Trix- don't get the system. The binding is heavy as hell and it sucks in general. The Seth Pistol is too new for me to have demoed it, but it seems to be getting stellar marks. Skratch BC is the same as the Pocket Rocket: It is great if it lasts. Honestly, I would recommend the motherships until Rossi and Salomon figure out their durability.

Eric Peterson

Freeski Specialist

Tyrol Ski and Sports

Rochester, MN

 
depends where you are, if you get some powder or are often skiing crud, the pocket rockets can absolutley not be beat, they are really awsome. I have tested a lot of modles. And they are also good in the park as well.

 
assuming you have no desire to go groomed runs (with performance)I woud take a serious look at the Seth Pistols. Couldent get too many details cos of language but my japanese mate loves em.

 
In response to EM's explanation about pocket rockets not holding up, I'm going to have to disagree. We've sold over 100 pairs of pocket rockets the last two seasons and have never had one come back. I've had mine for almost a full season and have no problems with them. I bought them as a powder ski and have since gotten rid of my midfats. I no longer need a quiver of skis with the PR's, the same may hold true with every suggestion you have there. You can't go wrong with any one of them. My point is that the PR's will not break if you take care of them, the cap will not crack, the core will not split, the bases will hold up...........all as long as you take care of them.

The PR's are not stable at high speeds in crud, they are surprisingly stable at high speeds on groom and in fresh snow. Oh and the weight?? Go pick up the Seth Pistols and the Scratch BC, compare them to the PR. You'll figure out which one is the heaviest (not the PR).

 
Yea, i would check out the BC. But your kinda small, i think the smallest size is like 176 or somthing. I have the 176 and im about 5'10' 150. BUt you've got a pretty good list going there. I would check out the pistols, only heard good things about em.

--------------------------------

Proud Owner of Rossignol BC's
 
The difference in our shops experiences could be with conditions? Snow around here is a wee bit hard. I don't know the exact numbers, but I'd say we've sold 20-25 pairs of Pocket Rockets and had 6-7 of them come back (2 from the same guy, who then bought moships). That's an unacceptable failure rate to me. All with the same problem, they break where the spaceframe stops underfoot. Most of these people aren't that hard of skiers either, we get a lot of doctors and such having the Mayo Clinic in our city. I'm not pretending to make a be-all end-all judgement of what is otherwise a great ski, just documenting what is going on.

Eric Peterson

Freeski Specialist

Tyrol Ski and Sports

Rochester, MN

 
hmmm...interesting comment about the pr's. It certainly could have something to do with the snow conditions. Don't rule out the fact that most of our buyers were very decent skiers (some tools of course). Seth pistols...check em out.

 
would have helped if i mentioned where im from, huh :)

i live in the northwest and ride the hood area, stevens pass area, and whistler...so i spend the majority of my time in deep powder and flooofy bumps...im off the grooms less im going from one part of the mtn to another...

ive seen a few pair of PR's break in about the same place mentioned above...

i know NOTHING about the pistols..except they are kinda heavy...but ill go down to a local shop this weekend and see if i cant demo a pair...

a friend of mine rides for line..and has motherships..he loves them..but another friend tells me they are to soft and they break and dont get them less they are cheap or free...

i grabbed a pair of mad trix last night to see what they weigh...MY GOD...way to much...

yeah im short..i ride right now on a pair of 145 1080s (thats right...grom skis!) and a pair of 167 1080s...both have been raped to no end...

i have an old pair of rossis that run about 178...and they arent to long...

so anything from 167-180 is fine for me...

i have a few concerns, obviously :)

lets take 3 of these skis...

1- pocket rockets...

when i first ran across these i fell in love...i had been riding on my 1080s for a season or two and thought 'hey, a salomon powder twintip...this has to be great'...since then i have heard breakage stories, weight stories, and chatter stories...

from what you guys are saying, as long as i stay clear from the groomers and clumpy crud, the chatter wont be an issue...my weight and size is small enough im not concerned about shattering the ski...they seem crazy durable...i could be wrong, but the only broken ones i have seen are done by larger people...am i way off on that one?

2 - motherships...

i thought this was my answer...i came across line skis this season and saw they offered a powder friendly twintip that looked lighter in weight than the PR and could handle faster speeds...

after reading some reviews of the mothership, i began to think they were just crap...i asked a friend who rides a pair and he says they are wonderful...i cant demo a pair, so i have to go on what i read/hear...

3 - seth pistols

i know zip about them except what i have read...my concern is with a new ski, what unseen problems will i run into if i get them...newer isnt always better :)

so i guess for this upcoming season, im torn between the rockets and the motherships...

it seems they are loved or hated...liked or disliked...and i cant make up my mind which to tackle...

id love to support line solely because my current 2 pairs of 1080s are pretty damn raped and it makes me wonder how badly id kill pocket rockets...

thanks for all the help tho! i do appreciate it..

-sean

 
Wow, I can't believe I forgot to mention this. I wish there was bold gazillion point font, I'd use it right now.

If you're going to get the PR, WAIT UNTIL NEXT SEASON.

They're coming out with a new binding for it. The old bindings have been ripping heelpieces in half like no one's business. They just put a wider brake on a 912Ti and the leverage from the wider brake is more than the heelpiece can handle. It literally rips in half. I just confirmed with our Salomon rep that it is indeed a widespread problem (though he still denies that the PRs are breaking because of a defect) and that they will be releasing a binding with a beefier heelpiece for the PR. He said he's optimistic about next year, but for sure the next year.

And yes, the people breaking the PRs have generally been large or very very aggressive skiers.

As far as the moship, I have nothing but praise for it. I rode it and loved it, but your experience, as always, may vary.

 
thanks!

i was planning on holding off on getting a new ski til next season anyways...but thanks for the greatly appreciated heads-up with the PRs....

so you love your moships? do you have any complaints with them? how do they handle in the bumps, deep freshies, and large (10+foot) hucks? my biggest worry is getting a ski that is to soft in the back and when i come down on the backs they shoot out from under me...

i think of my riding as fairly aggressive and fast...i beat the hell out of skis...if i was a larger person i would be in serious trouble..id break to many skis :) hell, i already break skis and im a small guy...

minus the line bindings, what do you recommend/like/hate for the moships?

thanks!

-sean

 
I don't own a pair of 'em, but I did demo 'em for a day. I didn't bump with them, but they handled precisely how I expected them to. They kill deep snow and kickers but are slow edge to edge on groomed.

For bindings, get the Lines! That's the shit and then some right now. But if you're afraid of the bleeding edge, go Salomon 810 Ti (you're a smaller guy) or Marker 1200 Ti (lighter)

 
I have a comment on your riding style. Does your ski have to be twin?? You should really look into the Rossi XXX or G3 if you ride fast and are looking for durability. The rossi XXX may as well have a twin on it. I fear as much as I love to promote my supplier, that the PR's just are too floppy for your style. But then again, dare I say that I ski fast and aggressive and they hold me at 6' 180. I'm on the 185 PR....

There are tons of options. You'll see lots of new binding/ski integration technology out in the coming season. If you have access to Nordica, check out the Nordica beast. It's a freakin great ski, very underadvertised and I don't see why more people don't ski it. I skied it and it's fantastic. Great in deep and a little more stable than the PR at high GS style deep snow turns. I like those slalom style deep snow turns, hence my love for the PRs. Good luck fella. Don't be worried about durability....sounds like no ski will hold up for you (no offense). the G4's are your best bet as far as durability, REX are durable as well.

 
well ive had bad experiences with new stuff...probably just me...

ive had my eye on the line bindings, and really want a pair..so those will be on my next ski :)

well having rid on a twinny for a few seasons, and on/off with normal skis, i can tell a flex difference, and when i wander to the park on a fresh powder day to tinker around on the rails and larger hits, the twinny has always been more favorable to me...

i guess a twin is just a preference than anything..i just feel more stable/comfy/confident on one now that i have ridden on one for so long...

what ill probably do is take advantage of when next season's line comes out, and demo the PR's, demo the moships, and look into the skis you mentioned (if i can demo them that is :)

i rode on a pair of k2 enemies and i snapped the tail off the right ski...it cracked clear through...was not an easy thing to explain to the shop i demo'd them through....so with that said, knowing the seth pistol's are k2 make me really iffy on them...

i know i ride way to hard on skis..but thats just how i was brought up riding...go really big..go really hard...and replace your skis every couple seasons...gets kinda expensive :)

so this is why im really leaning to the pr's and moship...

again, thanks for all the insight...totally appreciate it!

-sean

 
Sean- totally dude, take your time and find something that's exactly what you want. Just for your reference I looked at the Rossi XXX tail lift, it's a 30mm lift which is very substantial, it's a twin really. Not a TRUE twin, but any freeskier would gladly take it if given....I love the XXX. Have fun and keep riding hard, no shame in that.

Kyle

 
dont know much about the fat skis you've picked but all i can say is dont get the mad trix with system, they are extremly heavy that way. ive only heard good things about them though, ive never heard of anyone breaking them. good look with your choices. later

'Ski Patrol has no problem with us being here, as long as they dont know about it!'- Chris Colins
 
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