Pow ski advice?

J

jckstein

New member
Growing up on the east coast, I have never really had a need to get some true powder skis, considering the rarity of true usage. I now go to school in Denver though, so the thought about finally splurging on a pair of pow skis has really crossed my mind.

At first I was looking at some SFB's, but i kinda feel that they are till a bit to "all-mountain" orientated, and might not be worth a whole new pair of skis (I'll have my K2 Extremes out there too)

In the spirit of living in Denver, Icelantic has become a brand of much interest, and in particular the Gypsy. Can you guys enlighten me on how the Gypsy would work for out west? Ive only skied out west for a holidays in the past (1-2 weeks at a time), so i'm not completely familiar with how the conditions are on a regular basis. Would the Gypsy be a ski that would get a lot of use in the normal colorado conditions?

Feel free to let me know of any other skis that would possibly be a better alternative too.I'm all ears.

Thanks, homies
 
IMO:

get a daily driver first, something that you can use in the pow, but also all over the mountain. there are so many great ski companies out there i will suggest more guidlines:

100-110 underfoot

Traditional sidecut, ie not 5 way sidecut

early rise tip and tail camber underfoot

~24M turning radius

and then you can fine tune the rest, for ex if you are a big strong skier something like the Volkl Mantra with metal in it, or if you want something playful, something like the 4Frnt Turbo
 
Sorry for double post, but...

Ive been looking at bit longer and ive basically narrowed it down to three different skis.

Icelantic Nomad RKR - Seems like an Icelantic equivalent to the SFB's, and a bit of a combination of the regular Nomads, and the Gypsy.

Line Sir Francis Bacons - Obviously has very positive reviews as a all mountain ski with a bit of a backcountry/powder bias.

Icelantic Gypsy - I know this is technically a step up from the two previous skis in terms of a more powder centered ski, yet everything I have watched/read about them suggests that they still hold incredibly well on groomers and are a truly versatile ski.

Amongst those three, I'm really into the Gypsy's, but i'm worried that they still might be too niche. Any further opinions would be appreciated so I can wrap this up!
 
I have atomic bentchetlers, and live on the east coast, the width is a little overkill for everyday powder but i go outwest 1-2 times a year, and i got to school near jay peak which gets pounded by snow and these come in handy, but thats not the point.

What i like in these skis is the camber underfoot with early rise tip and tail, really makes the ski versatile for alot of conditions, i know the line prophet series and some other atomics are not as wide as 123 underfoot, but personally I wouldnt go under 100-110 like said above.
 
If you already have another pair of skis and these will be your designated pow sticks, then definately go with the gypsys, they are my all-time favorite pow ski. perfect float and flex, and still rip the hardpack because the rocker profile corresponds with the sidecut. If you're just looking for one ski that will do it all, then the RKR is probably a better bet. Also a sick ass ski.
 
I am bringing a pair of 2012 K2 Extremes with me also, which will be for when I plan on being a park rat i suppose, but in all honestly, whatever I end up buying now will end up being so good that i'll ride it most often.

Seeing all the positive comments on the versatility of the Gypsy, would I be stupid to ski them more of a one ski quiver?
 
Not at all, I was blown away by they're performance in crud and chopped up snow, and they're probably really fun to dick around on in the park as well.
 
Ideally I will be able to demo a pair once I get back out west. I'm headed out in the morning so i'll take a look in person once i'm there and hopefully make a decision soon. Would rather be skiing than deciding which ski to use.

Thanks for the help, man.
 
Just going to give my input on the 186 on3p Jeffrey, as it is similar to the skis you are talking about.110 waist, 25 M turn radius, camber, massive rocker tip and tail, taper tip and tail, mounted -2 from true center (-4 recommended)

I live in Boulder for school, but California is home. I, like you, have a pair of park skis as well. Wanted an all mountain ski that could crush powder, decided to not get Caylors(on3p's more dedicated twin pow ski, big brother to the jeffrey. Same as bacon-->Opus) I have skied the Jeffrey in pretty much every condition this winter so far. Bulletproof man made early season stuff at Keystone, 6 Inches of untracked fresh at Keystone, normal soft snow at Keystone, few laps through a51, 4 feet in two days in tahoe, untracked and chopped. The Jeffrey killed every single one of these conditions. Since my first day on these skis I haven't touched my park skis. I love them.

As far as dedicated pow vs all mountain/pow is concerned, that is really up to you. For some reason I thought I was going to be disappointed when stuff got super deep. I was not. I am so glad I got an all mountain ski that can crush powder, versus a pow ski that can kind of ski all mountain. I like not worrying what the weather is going to be, I know my skis are the right skis for the day.
 
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