Need ski advise +K

MrYeates

MrYeates

Active member
Hey guys. I'll give you all some details first.

Ski mostly in the pacific NW (White Pass)

Like skiing trees, backcountry, some. Cliffs and the occasional groomer.

Would say I'm an advanced skier.

6 feet tall 200 pounds

I'm looking for some advice on a new pair of skis. I need something more all mountain. I currently have a pair of 178 J.O. Pros (with the blonde twins) that have been my park and groomer ski. And a pair of 189 Hellbents for my deep days. Problem is I don't have anything for the questionable days/trace overnight. I found some 191 atomic access skis for sale with bindings for $200 and just wanted a few second opinions/other options. (Thought they might be a bit on the long side and I should look elsewhere)

Thanks for your time and +K to all!

Chris
 
The access seems to be exactly what you should be looking for here, around 100mm waist, at least a tip rocker and positive camber. I don't know what you're looking for in terms of flex, but the access is a medium-stiff ski. If you can get a good price on those, I'd say go for it, I've never heard anyone complain about the Access, it's a good ski. You could also be looking at something like a Faction Prodigy or WhiteDot Director for something stiffer or even a BlackCrows Corvus. Those are just on the top of my head, but pretty much any ski company will have a ski that will fit what you're looking, what's gonna make a difference is the stiffness and playfulness of the ski depending on your skiing and how you like to send it.
 
Ohhh okay yeah I was thinking it would be the perfect width and I am getting a hell of a deal. My biggest thing would them being too long for me. I have started to enjoy longer skis more since I've been out of the park quite a bit.
 
I would go for it. I love the access. It's a great ski. I would have bought some myself but I decided to go with a 184 Lib-Tech Freeride NAS instead. Go for it dude!
 
Well here's the news on those. I had been talking to the guy (had them for sale at my college ski swap) and we were both out of town and I told him I would be back today and I for sure wanted them. This was like a week back. He got back today and said someone else hit him up earlier in the day and wanted them so he just sold them. Sweet... So much for that deal.
 
Yeah kind of a shitty situation! I understand him trying to make the deal but I was pretty set on them. In other news, I take it if I can find a pair of bacons those are great skis?
 
If you're into jib mid-fat skis then yeah the Bacons are a good choice, but they don't come cheap and the 2012 model is hard to find since people are so stoked with them ha! Otherwise, in the all-mountain/one ski quiver range, you can check out the On3p Jeffrey/Jmo, Moment PB&J, Atomic Ritual (or Coax, it's the 2012 model and I recommend you to check it out, you could get them for cheap. It's basically the all-mountain twin/playful version of the Access.)

If you're more into a charger that can still drop cliffs and such, especially in White Face long lines, I would go hands down with the Moment Belafonte. Very stiff, but super fast and still fun. I think you could find old model for cheap, I'm not sure tho.

Hope it helps a bit.
 
Yeah everyone wants them! I was looking at those atomics an moments. Haven't heard of those moments so ill take a look. Definetly need something I can charge with. Thanks guys. +k all around. If you guys happen to see any deals just let me know.
 
NS and TGR are your friends. As for the Coax, I think you could easily manage the 192 with your size.

For the Belafonte, 187/182 would be the sizes because the 192 in that model is most likiely for people doing big mountain comp and need maximum surface for maximum speed.
 
Yeah Ive been checking out TGR as of today.

Anyone reccomend the Rossi s7 or surface one life?

they seem a bit on the fatter side but i can get a good deal
 
Yeah thats decent. I found some 2009/2010 obsethed skis locally for a decent price. I wasnt sure about these but I forgot that these were the slightly skinnier ones than the 2010/2011
 
obseths are definitely a little on the wider side. if youre looking for that quiver killer ski, i would definitely check into the rossi s3. 98 waist powder rocker tip and tail with the jib tip. its a really nice blend for a little bit of fresh, hard pack, and crud. the spoon nose really cuts through the fresh nicely.
 
Even the ones from 09/10? Those are only 105. Which would basically be a cheaper version of the bacons since I haven't found any for under 500 haha
 
Need quick advice. Haven't really found any killer deal on bacons but I found some 08/09 obsetheds. The ones with the helicopter on them and only 105 underfoot and their 189. These going to be too big? They have only been skied a few times a have marker griffons. Hop on this deal or not?
 
I don't think those will be too big. It seems like a pretty good deal. If you're on a budget I'd say go for it.

But... If you're still open to other skis I would suggest checking out the Rossi Sickle. I was between the SFB and Sickle and ended up going with the SFB, partly because of reviews and partly because I got a really good deal on them. The Sickle, I'm told, skis a lot like the SFB except with a slightly stiffer feel to it. Both skis are damp, but if you like to mach at all, and are more of an annihilator approach to lines rather than playful, feature oriented, I would think the Sickle would actually be a better ski for you.

Check out this review of the Sickle: (these guys do excellent, awesome work reviewing gear. Very honest and direct and spend a lot of time on skis to get the feel for them. That being said, I'd check out the other reviews on there. I would also check out the Moment PB&J, really solid design there for all mountain attacking/jibbing.)

http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/review-2011-2012-rossignol-sickle-2010-2011-rossignol-s6-186cm
 
Actually, $400 seems a little steep. I'd try and knock him down a fair amount. How often/hard were they ridden? $400 if they're in pretty mint condition. A lot of things can happen to a ski in 4+/- years.

Also, remember that depending on your boot size you might have to remount the bindings.
 
Yeah I hope i can talk him down more. Their mint. He has a bunch of skis and only used them a few times. He said that's why he has them listed high. And their the right BSL. I just worried they might be too long. My 189 bents seem huge but mostly because the rocker and width
 
If he insists they're in mint condition... if you can, definitely go check them out in person. Damage can still easily be done. It always, only takes one unfortunate turn to core shot, edge bang, base gouge, etc. He didn't have pics?

You may find them to be a little big at first, but I don't think that will be a long term problem for you. A lot of skiers (especially more advanced ones) end up preferring bigger skies because of their increased stability at speed, longer running length=superior edge hold ability (generally), and they just tend to go faster which aggressive skiers appreciate.

I'm 5'10 and bought 184cm SFB's. Now if they had them in a longer length would I have gone for it? Probably. It would have definitely made my length choice more difficult. If I were to buy an all mountain attack ski I would probably get a Volkl or Moment and would absolutely not go below 179 and would tend more towards the 185+ range. (This would be a ski I'd use more to attack lines at high speed, not a play/feature ski. I made the balanced sacrifice with the SFB, or so I hope.)

The only question I would have is trees. I ski a lot in the east, and tight tree lines are always the soup du jour. Sometimes even one track lines where hooking can equal nasty falls. But the trees out west are generally a lot more open. I remember when I skied through some tree lines around Mt. Hood, it felt like a highway for an ice coaster. So, bottom line if you were worried about that, shorter MIGHT be better. But with terrain being more open and the powder more plentiful, I think the 189cm length will not be something you regret.
 
yeah he has pictures and they look great. no core shots, edge cracks and the top sheets look great.Yeah I originally wanted bacons but they were way out of my price range. And yeah White Pass has a lot more open trees and their not too tight. Now he said that the Marker Griffons are mounted for his 342 BSL boots. And that there appears to be a lot of forward adjustment left. My boots are 327. Is this going to work without a remount?
 
That is hard to say. Maybe, maybe not. I'm not "tech" enough to know off the top of my head. Measure it out on paper, of course it all depends on how the bindings were mounted.

Plus, Boot Sole Length (BSL) is not universal. Just like with any sizing it's not exact science. Maybe you could try and measure your own boot and get his BSL and see how much the change is. Also, somewhere on here, use the search bar, there is a BSL thread where people posted their boot size and the BSL.

Bottom line, you won't know until you bring it to a qualified ski tech. You might, maybe have to change the mount location if your boots are close but not close enough. If you can bring them to a tech before purchasing to see about that or bring a boot up when you get the skis if possible.

 
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