Background - I'm 5'9 170 lbs. I am an intermediate to advanced skier. I only ski 1-3 trips per year and I always go to the rockies, typically Colorado. I am looking for a one ski quiver to take all mountain. I primarily ski ungroomed blacks, trees and bowls and occasionally take a park lap but not often. I spend more time than I would like on blue groomers but I want a ski that would make me more confident / better in bowls and steeps. I also want to be able to jump and butter so that is why I am looking at the Kartel series. I have never skied a ski wider than 90 underfoot so the 108 seems like a big jump but would the 108 be the better choice for me? I will be going to Jackson Hole, Breckenridge and Whistler this winter. Any advice would be appreciated!
Kartel 98 or 108 - Cant Decide!
- Thread starter TuckO89
- Start date
No.Quarter
Active member
108 would be nice if you happen to get pow on one of your trips, you'll get use to the extra width pretty fast and they wont be too unruly on groomers if you can ski well enough to know how to hold an edge.
I'm on skis 112mm+ underfoot almost every ski day
I'm on skis 112mm+ underfoot almost every ski day
peteythefish
Member
I have the Kartel 106 and I use that ski on everything from ice to pow and it preforms fantastically. The 108 is the turbo charged 106 so that ski will kill it all.
fully_tilted56
New member
108 and hope you hit a storm and not ice. They are chargers and look into the 181s, the 98s are super poppy like the 108s but are 10 cm shorter in the waist and shovel and if you hit a deep day or even a 2-6'' day you might have problems in a lot of those transitions between runs.
RousedWits
Member
Everyone has their own preference, I know its not really an option this early in winter/fall to demo, but if you get the chance to at least see and feel the ski before you buy it I would do it. Maybe your wallet is thicker than mine, but I dont want to drop 800+ bucks unless I am certain... The average ski shop doesnt carry on3p, but it might be worth looking at similar underfoot skis to get better picture of what your looking at.
I find it really hard to visualize the width on a ski until you really see and feel it. The 98 is by NO means a skinny ski, it is more modest than the 108 and definitely thinner than a dedicated powder ski, but its not your dads ex racer, all mountain ski either..
Generally, and its not always the case, but I personally like the versatility of a 90-100 underfoot ski. My issue with going wider than 100 is it starts to really impact your carve. Unless you like skiddy turns, I find the wider the ski the more you have to really get low and angulate in order to get the aki to really cut into the snow. Think about the angle of the ski against the snow. I find a wider ski takes more effort to pull onto edge than a thinner ski, and so on a wider ski I feel my turns are more skiddy and sloppy unless I really try.
At the end of the day On3p doesnt make a bad ski in my opinion. I doubt you would be really disappointed either way, but I would hate to get that buyers remorse wishing I would have gone thinner or wider.
Good luck making your desicion
and hang loose!
I find it really hard to visualize the width on a ski until you really see and feel it. The 98 is by NO means a skinny ski, it is more modest than the 108 and definitely thinner than a dedicated powder ski, but its not your dads ex racer, all mountain ski either..
Generally, and its not always the case, but I personally like the versatility of a 90-100 underfoot ski. My issue with going wider than 100 is it starts to really impact your carve. Unless you like skiddy turns, I find the wider the ski the more you have to really get low and angulate in order to get the aki to really cut into the snow. Think about the angle of the ski against the snow. I find a wider ski takes more effort to pull onto edge than a thinner ski, and so on a wider ski I feel my turns are more skiddy and sloppy unless I really try.
At the end of the day On3p doesnt make a bad ski in my opinion. I doubt you would be really disappointed either way, but I would hate to get that buyers remorse wishing I would have gone thinner or wider.
Good luck making your desicion
and hang loose!
Booze.Hound
Member
Im in the same sit as you and i went with the 108, plus i love when kids ask u in east coast lift lines why you have powder skis
SandwichGuy
Member
108