-- [DETAILED] what ski? thread --

M

Matty_C

Active member
So here it is people: I'm in the market for a new ski for this season. I will be riding it exclusively in the park and on groomers. No urban, very few rails at all in fact. The odd lap through the pipe. Just jumps in the park really. I'm a decent park skier, not exceptional, can do up to 7's, jumps up to about 60ft I guess. I'm from a racing background so I ski aggressive GS style turns on groomers, and play around a little bit with handdrags, butters etc.

I'm about 6'1" and weigh around 165-170. I ride Prophet 100's in a 186 when there's a bit of fresh and love the way it handles on groomed. Obviously a narrower park ski will be a little quicker edge to edge. I'll probably get hold of something big and rockered like a 190 Moment Bibby for really deep days.

Being a bigger guy I want something in the 180-185cm range, and on the stiffer side. I've demoed Volkl Walls in a 185 and really liked them so if noone has any better ideas I might just get them. I know that Walls ski a little shorter because (a) they're centremounted and (b) Volkl measures a little shorter. Therefore other skis that are listed a little shorter are likely to be about the same size...

The candidates (all likely to be 2010 models):

Amplid: C7 @185cm: really interested in this ski, sounds great but little info available- thoughts?

Armada: Pipecleaner @ 181cm; Ar6 @ 181cm, Alpha 1 @182cm, El Rey @ 185cm: PC/AR6 long enough? Alpha 1 with rocker too park specific? El Rey too flimsy?

Scott: P3 @ 184cm: seems like a great ski?

coreUPT: TJ Pro @ 183cm; Colby West Pro @185cm, Candide Yard @181cm: anyone ridden the new 2010 coreUPT models?

Rossi: S4 @ 181cm: sounds good- is it long enough?

Atomic: Punx @ 182cm: too park specific?

I am of course open to other suggestions but those seem to be the leading contenders. Now, enlighten me...

 
the Walls are a great ski, if you demoed them and liked them I'd consider them. As far as the C7, I don't know much about them, but I love my Antidogmas and I have heard nothing but good things about the C7. As far as the Armada line is concerned I'd say of the ones you listed go with either the PC or the Alpha 1 (since you're not doing a lot of rails, these will be awesome on jumps) I don't think they'll be to short, but I could be wrong - they are going to be about 2 or 3 inches shorter than you, so take that into consideration, but the skis themselves are amazing. The El Ray probably wouldn't be a good idea for jumps as they are mostly a groomer ski, although the size is right for you, I don't know how well they'll preform on the bigger jumps. I don't know much about the rest of them - so I'm not going to comment on those. Out of the skis you've listed I'd probably say either the Pipe Cleaner or the Wall is you best bet, the rocker on the alpha will make them feel shorted, so that's probably no a good idea.
 
the addict is a nice ski. fully symmetrical and pretty stiff. as a racer i think you'd like it alot.
 
Addict is supposed to be a good ski.

I suggest you look at the ON3P Blue Steele. 181 (measures 184), 21m turning radius (GS ski), medium stiff and built like a tank. Plus it's only $349 on presale.
 
I ski salomon suspects which are pretty stiff compared to your average park noodle the used to rail groom when the edges were sharp biggest size is 181 though which would probably be to short but thats up to you.
 
id like to know how you plan on getting to the park withoug going down any groomers. i mean at my mountain its possible but thats cuz its shit
 
In order... 181 Blue Steele, 185 Wall, 181 S4. The blue steele takes top honors thanks to price and bombproof construction, plus a bamboo core for snap. 185 wall would give you a little more stiffness, and the 181 s4 would be the most buttery, while still on the stiff side.

The nordica Ace of Spades in a 184 might not be bad either..
 
Also moment has a 186 reno jib that is very similar to the walls that you could check out basically a poppy snappy symmetrical park ski. that could be a good choice.
 
errr, did you read my post? i said i DO ski groomers, don't ski rails...

thanks for the input everyone else. i'm in europe so i don't think on3p is in the equation, as sick as their skis look. i'm not looking for some kind of uberstiff race ski with a twin btw, i'm just lookin for a park ski that's long enough and that carves well at speed on groomed...

any more input welcome :)
 
^yeah no doubt but it would cost at least 100 bucks no? and then (not saying i'd expect there to be) if there were warranty issues it becomes a nightmare for both parties. i think all of on3p looks sick and i've no doubt i will own a pair in future but not at this stage i think...
 
anyone have any more info on the skis listed? i'm leaning toward the 181 s4 as it's carried by a shop that i get a discount at and it sounds like a dope ski, but i'm still very open to suggestions if anyone has anything more to add.
 
Re-paying the ski advice for you on the ones you mentioned that I've ridden...

Walls in a 185 are really more like a 180 compared to the normal ski measurements. On the stiffer side, symmetrical, they rip. Sounds like it would be a good choice.

Rossi S4 are definitely softer but ski so nice, I prefer how they ski switch to anything else I've tried including symmetrical skis. I've been riding two pairs of Scratch FS (same as Ghetto and S4) for the last 18 months and I'm bigger than you (6ft4/80kg) - I really like the flex of them. Very light too. Edge durability is average, not as solid as K2 anyway. Stability is fine on big jumps but I'm looking for something longer this year myself since I'm going to be hitting bigger jumps more often this winter and small jibs less. If they made this ski in a 185-190 I'd be all over it.

Don't rule out K2 Extremes, they ski way nicer than the old PE. I always hated PE's but the Extreme is way livelier, feels a bit softer and lighter to ski, it skis like a slightly stiffer Missdemeanor if you've ever tried those. A 179 extreme is really 182-183 compared to most skis. They've got a 184 this year too (more like a 187) but if you're in the UK there's no 184 available except with the Schitzo binding system (I spoke to the distributor this week because this is what I was looking for), so it's either a 179 Schitzo/flat or 184 Schitzo, unless some shop has flat 184s in stock already.

Other long options I'm looking into myself:

184 Nordica Ace Of Spades - 84mm waist, symmetrical. It's £450 RRP but heard a lot of good things about it, meant to be mid-flex.

185 Dynastar 6th Sense Spin - sounds like a wider Troublemaker (87mm) with no metal making it softer than a Troublemaker but still on the stiffer side for a park ski, with edge reinforcement. I think I read somewhere the tips and tails aren't that high whch will make it ski long.

184 Scott P3 - the old P3 was pretty stiff, not sure if it's changed much.

191 Scott Punisher - I've demoed them and they rip, the flex is nice but not sure how they'll handle switch since there's a lot of taper on them and recommended mount is about -10cm.
 
just before I let this thread go, I've uncovered a great deal on 181 head mojo 80's from 0607, does anyone have anything to add on these skis? from the reviews i've read they sound light, poppy, durable and stiff so they kill it on groomers... anyone confirm this? are they too stiff to be fun for the occasional jib around? i'm thinking i might get them coz they're less than half the price of any of the 0910 skis listed.

thanks.
 
I skied the 05/06, same ski though.

Light? Not really. Average.

Poppy? Yeah I guess.

Durable? Definitely. They're totally solid.

Stiff/kill it on groomers? Yeah pretty stiff but manageble. I worked with an 18 year old girl who skied just as cruiser skis and she liked them.

If the price is right then they'd work well for you. If you're wanting them on the stiffer side then these or Walls or Extremes (seriously!) would be a good call.
 
nice one- they're at revolutionz/snowfit for 197 but seeing as they've had them for 3 years i'm guessing they want rid of them so i might try to get more off. i know the extremes are a good, dare i say it a great ski, but i have some bizarre unexplainable mental bloc against riding the same skis as every punter who's heard of twintips and gets them at the rental shop. illogical but irrepressible nonetheless.

and another thing... who can tell me about fisher bindings? i'm looking at the x14 which appears to be yet another incarnation of the mojo 15 but why the din difference, and why is it cheaper than peak 15s, and why have peak 15s suddenly become a lot more expensive?

again, thanks in advance.
 
Paint the Extremes if you want to disguise them! But yeah if you get a good price on Mojo 80 do it.

Those X14s look like the old Mojo 15 not the Peak. The Peak is lower and doesn't have a diagonal heel (simpler and stronger). The PEak 15 price has probably gone up because they're the "best" out there except FKS. I've got a spare pair of last year's Peak 15 (white/grey) new/boxed I could do you a good price on, send me a message if you're interested.
 
i've found another excuse to bump this thread, yay! this is proving to be a difficult decision...

so after pretty much deciding to go for the deal on 181 0607 mojo 80s i've now found yet another potentially tasty option: new 2005 ERIC POLLARD PROS in a 186. the shop guy told me they are around 10% STIFFER than the mojos which sounds maybe too stiff to be a good park ski- the reviews i read about the pollards suggest it is a great ski, but has it been left behind by modern twintip evolution or would it be just as good as the other newer skis i listed?

remember i only need park and piste performance as i have p100s for pow, so the all mtn characteristics of the pollard are incidental.

-HOW HEAVY IS IT?

- IS IT GOOD IN THE PARK?

- DOES IT CARVE WELL ON GROOMED?

- WILL IT WORK IF I MOUNT NEAR[ISH] CENTRE?

thanks in advance
 
thanks, but i'm pretty set on either the mojo 80s or the pollard pros, unless someone can tell me something about either ski that will persuade me that the newer skis listed are significantly better...

talk to me about mojo 80s and pollards!
 
If you are set on one of those two then for sure go for the Mojo 80, from what i've seen of friends (not ridden) they are more or less indestructable.
I'd also take a peek on Ebay Uk, for now i think they have 181 Pipe Cleaners, 182 Alpha Ones and 180 Icelantic Da'nollies all around/under 250.. worth a look although da'nollies might be noodles I can't remember.
 
yeah cheers for that mate, alpha 1s and pipecleaners look pretty tasty- my ski finding odyssey continues to deepen: but do i want/need to spend an extra 100 hard earned pounds on either of these newer models or will the mojos/pollards be just as good? decisions, decisions, never been much good at making them...
 
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