New Skis

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StaySolitude

New member
Hey, I am looking for the perfect ski for this next season. I need something that can rip up the utah powder and big mountain but unfortunately, I live in the realities of Colorado where the snow is less than consistent. In these dry times, I tend to ski the moguls so it is important that I stay with a ski that can make tight turns. For this reason, I have been looking at skis around 100mm underfoot and prominent side cut. Some skis I have researched include the Nortica Hell and Back and the Rossignol S3. Does anyone have any reviews/comparisons of these skis or possibly any others skis that seem to fit this criteria?
 
ya s3s would be great you could probably even get away with going with something like the line sir francois bacon or even armada tst which wouldnt do as well in the hard pack..hope this helps
 
The S3 would be a solid choice given what you are looking for. It has a shorter turn radius and the rocker profile with the pintail definitely help in the soft stuff. Its a lively ski and rather playful with good pop but does lack stability when you really get hauling especially on harder packed conditions. If you really want soft snow performance I would lean a little wider though.

The Hell and Back is basically the Enforcer without metal. It has a slightly thicker core profile, and still has a small metal plate in it and the I-Core construction leaves you with a snappy and powerful ski. The Hell and Back is a directional ski so if you are looking for playfulness or a fun ski in the park I would look elsewhere but if you want a snappy and light ski that charges and is super stable on edge its great.

As mentioned above the Line SFB would be a great choice as well. Skinnier than last season at 108 underfoot you do see an increase in of piste performance and the ski really dominates. Rock solid on edge and the early rise/early taper combo makes it so easy and intuitive to ski. As it's a Pollard ski it's still super playful and has a freestyle vibe about it. The only drawback for this ski is straight line stability when you really get hauling as is skis best mounted near center making it a bit prone to wanted to dive unless you stay really balanced.

The other ski I would consider is the Cochise from Blizzard. This thing is a monster, 108mm underfoot with full Flipcore rocker and can go anywhere. It is stable enough to mach on hard packed or bust through crud but the rocker profile leaves it surprisingly easy to ski. Floating and smearing in soft snow is a dream too. It benefits from a skier looking to ski at higher speeds but responds amazingly well and still has some decent playfulness to it.
 
So I'm pretty new to the idea of rockered skis. How will that effect skiing in moguls? I know that the more rocker there is, the less edge touches the snow but getting a solid edge doesn't seem that important in the moguls. Do I need to sacrifice some width underfoot to allow the ski to be able to make quick turns and if so how fat should I go? Like I said, I live in Colorado where it rarely snows more than 6 inches at a time but getting a ski that still has the ability to float is still important to me.
 
When I was living in Colorado my everyday ski was 103mm underfoot and I didn't feel like I was missing anything when conditions were hard packed. Tip rocker doesn't have any real effect in moguls other than making it harder to accidentally catch an edge but heavy tail rocker can make a ski squirrely. The only ski in the four I suggested that would pose a concern is the S3 but if you size up it really isn't an issue. It is my opinion that any ski under 100mm at the waist is just fine for ripping moguls while skis over 100mm can be a bit more work but in the end do just fine. If float is a real concern then I would lean to the Cochise, it will be the best blend of both worlds or if you want something more freestyle oriented go for the SFB. Both at going to be solid in moguls, decent to good on hard packed and killer in anything else.
 
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