dude...what are you talking about?
1. there's a 5mm difference underfoot between the msp and watchlife, not really that similar
2. the livelife is 112 underfoot, definitely not a park ski
3. are you serious about your recommendations there? make a "1 year cheap ski"? that's pretty retarded, even for newschoolers.com, but maybe take those ideas to wal-mart or something; if they're looking to get into the ski industry, that might be just the ticket for them
surface started out with a good business decision - make 2 models of quality skis - rather than trying to do something crazy that may or may not work and may or may not bankrupt everyone involved. this year they're starting to branch out a little, making the same two models of quality skis, plus a pair of soft, fat 0-cambers (meaning that they'll ride almost like reverse cambers in soft snow but won't be completely worthless on everything else)..
as far as the whole tight pants thing goes...who cares? surface isn't all about tight pants, it just so happens that some of their sickest riders (blake, ian, and jordan) don't have the same XXXXXL lime green oakley pants as everyone else in this previously uncreative, unexpressive, cookie-cutter industry. and if all the 14 year old wiggers want to hate on surface and holden and shifties and the diversification of style in our sport and music other than tupac, fine. i guess that happens with growth.