Powder Focused/All Mountain Capable Ski

pigglywiggly

pigglywiggly

Active member
Looking to get new powder skis. Still want them to be relatively capable all-mountain. I'll be using them when I ski out west (New Mexico, Colorado, Utah) at resorts. Mainly will be skiing when conditions are good (I live relatively far away, so I usually make the trips when there's fresh snow in the forecast).

I'll ski all over the mountain - trees, bowls, groomers, etc. 75% off piste, 25% on piste. Not planning on touring. I ski fast but playful, always looking for natural hits. Therefore I'd say I'm looking for a playful but stable ski. Won't be in the park much, except for the occasion jump line.

I'm 5' 11', 165 lbs.

I demoed the following skis when I was in Colorado last year:

- Armada ARV 116: Felt fine on hardpack, okay in chop, great in pow, but felt a little heavy in the air.

- Atomic Bent Chetler 120: Felt fine on hardpack, little worse than the jj in chop, awesome in pow, great in the air. Overall liked it the best of the three.

-Line Outline: Didn't like it. Felt it was very hooky on hardpark.

Skis I'm considering:

-Atomic Bent Chetler 120

-Moment Deathwish

-K2 Reckoner 112

-Candide Prodigy 3.0/4.0

Thoughts? I'm also open to other skis that I haven't mentioned.

Thanks!

**This thread was edited on Dec 30th 2020 at 5:32:40pm
 
Jeffery 116. I ski the 108 version, they’re perfect in the air albeit a little heavy for me but I’m a scrawny boi. Carves well on anything short of ice but even there they’re predictable and fun to drift. They float and surf but are mega supportive. The 116 should be even more of a monster truck in chop and surf even better in pow.
 
14219844:Austintexas25 said:
Jeffery 116. I ski the 108 version, they’re perfect in the air albeit a little heavy for me but I’m a scrawny boi. Carves well on anything short of ice but even there they’re predictable and fun to drift. They float and surf but are mega supportive. The 116 should be even more of a monster truck in chop and surf even better in pow.
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I was considering those, but thought they'd be too heavy/burly/overkill for me. I'm also pretty scrawny haha.
 
Do you spin / flip / land switch? New line vision 118 could be cool. Slightly more directional than the bent if you are mostly keeping it pointed down the hill and is pretty light. Moment wildcat shouldn’t be hooky at all and is also not heavy. My dream ski.
 
14219859:pigglywiggly said:
I was considering those, but thought they'd be too heavy/burly/overkill for me. I'm also pretty scrawny haha.
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I've got the jeffrey in 120(some kind of proto or something) and its defintely a burly ski. im not a super strong skier but not scrawny either. they're playful and blast through everything, even fun in the park, but they are a little too much ski for me, really hard to get the ski to flex, and heavy. I like a ski that i can get a little bit of initial flex out of with very little effort, but stiffen up a bit to give you some platform. these feel like you put all your muscle into the tails or tips and they might flex a centimeter.

that being said im in the same boat as you, looking for a good all rounder, equal parts park, all mountain, and powder for days that im gonna hit a little of everything. And i'm really considering a custom jeffrey 108 in the softer flex. hoping itll still be a pretty stout ski that can charge and plow when needed, but the skiiner width and softer flex should make it easier to whip around, ski park, and get some flex out of.

Might look into the RMU YLE110, it looks like it could be an awesme ski but i just havent heard much about it at all. and from what i've heard their quality is great now.
 
14219871:XtRemE11 said:
I've got the jeffrey in 120(some kind of proto or something) and its defintely a burly ski. im not a super strong skier but not scrawny either. they're playful and blast through everything, even fun in the park, but they are a little too much ski for me, really hard to get the ski to flex, and heavy. I like a ski that i can get a little bit of initial flex out of with very little effort, but stiffen up a bit to give you some platform. these feel like you put all your muscle into the tails or tips and they might flex a centimeter.

that being said im in the same boat as you, looking for a good all rounder, equal parts park, all mountain, and powder for days that im gonna hit a little of everything. And i'm really considering a custom jeffrey 108 in the softer flex. hoping itll still be a pretty stout ski that can charge and plow when needed, but the skiiner width and softer flex should make it easier to whip around, ski park, and get some flex out of.

Might look into the RMU YLE110, it looks like it could be an awesme ski but i just havent heard much about it at all. and from what i've heard their quality is great now.
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RMUs quality in the past was horrible, I’ve heard they’ve sort of cleaned up their act now but I’m still wary. The ON3Ps that people have suggested are fantastic options, they’re so much fun in literally every condition. If it’s in your budget, you could go with a custom one with a softer flex if you’re worried it’s a little stiff.
 
If your looking for a more freestyle oriented pow ski consider the k2 catamaran super fun skis surf in soft snow but super stable in hard pack and crud plus a large twin in the back.
 
14219871:XtRemE11 said:
I've got the jeffrey in 120(some kind of proto or something) and its defintely a burly ski. im not a super strong skier but not scrawny either. they're playful and blast through everything, even fun in the park, but they are a little too much ski for me, really hard to get the ski to flex, and heavy. I like a ski that i can get a little bit of initial flex out of with very little effort, but stiffen up a bit to give you some platform. these feel like you put all your muscle into the tails or tips and they might flex a centimeter.

that being said im in the same boat as you, looking for a good all rounder, equal parts park, all mountain, and powder for days that im gonna hit a little of everything. And i'm really considering a custom jeffrey 108 in the softer flex. hoping itll still be a pretty stout ski that can charge and plow when needed, but the skiiner width and softer flex should make it easier to whip around, ski park, and get some flex out of.

Might look into the RMU YLE110, it looks like it could be an awesme ski but i just havent heard much about it at all. and from what i've heard their quality is great now.
Click to expand...

You have to break them in a little. I only weigh like 135 pounds but I can butter them pretty easily now (2nd season). They really reward you for sticking with the ski I feel like they’ve gotten better over time. Give em the beans and they’ll absolutely launch you into the air too.

I ski the 181, suggest bumping up in size too since there’s hella rocker.

**This post was edited on Dec 30th 2020 at 7:17:21pm
 
14219886:Austintexas25 said:
You have to break them in a little. I only weigh like 135 pounds but I can butter them pretty easily now (2nd season). They really reward you for sticking with the ski I feel like they’ve gotten better over time. Give em the beans and they’ll absolutely launch you into the air too.

I ski the 181, suggest bumping up in size too since there’s hella rocker.

**This post was edited on Dec 30th 2020 at 7:17:21pm
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youre on the 108? yeah im 5'10 160-170 and debating between a 181 or 186. Itll be seeing a lot of park so leaning towards 181
 
14220183:XtRemE11 said:
youre on the 108? yeah im 5'10 160-170 and debating between a 181 or 186. Itll be seeing a lot of park so leaning towards 181
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I’d ask ON3P directly. On their website they have a messaging center and the guys are super helpful. In my opinion I’d bump up mostly because of your weight.
 
14219859:pigglywiggly said:
I was considering those, but thought they'd be too heavy/burly/overkill for me. I'm also pretty scrawny haha.
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I got my Jeffs when I was peak scrawny, like 130 lbs, and they weren't too much to drive and they have outlasted many other skis durability-wise
 
14220221:skidemon22 said:
Norse Freeride 184 would an epic choice. Do it, you won’t...
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Just copped a pair of these and they look insane. Can’t wait to ski them

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Will drop an unofficial Roofbox Review soon, stay tuned
 
14220352:mystery3 said:
Did a shop jack up your mount? These look like they're mounted 14cm behind center.
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I mounted them myself, they’re 2.5cm in front of recommended (recommended is 7cm from center). They look super far back because I took the photo on my iPhone and used the 0.5x filter which is sort of like a fisheye, and it slightly distorted the proportions. It’s also a pretty directional ski!
 
14220363:animator said:
I mounted them myself, they’re 2.5cm in front of recommended (recommended is 7cm from center). They look super far back because I took the photo on my iPhone and used the 0.5x filter which is sort of like a fisheye, and it slightly distorted the proportions. It’s also a pretty directional ski!
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I figured it was just the angle of the shot and was basically just making a joke about mounts.
 
14220368:mystery3 said:
I figured it was just the angle of the shot and was basically just making a joke about mounts.
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Hahahaha gotcha. Definitely a progressive mount but by no means a freestyle ski. Super stoked to try something different!
 
Gonna pass on the ON3P Jeff's. Little too heavy/burly for my style.

Any reason to go with the Moment Wildcat over the Moment Deathwish? I'm hesitant on the Wildcat as it seems like an absolute charger that won't be fun at slow speeds or in tight trees. I thought the Deathwish was a more playful version of the Wildcat. Not sure what to think about the triple camber, cool concept though.

Can anyone chime in on the Bentchetler? Are they really that bad at high speeds or in chop? I only got to ride them for one day, loved them, but the conditions were great. They were very easy to pivot, really low swing weight. Really fun cruising and popping off everything. If they can hold up somewhat at speed or in chop, that'd be awesome.

Also, those Norse skis look sick. Probably a little too traditional for me though. Excited to hear the review regardless.
 
14222123:pigglywiggly said:
Gonna pass on the ON3P Jeff's. Little too heavy/burly for my style.

Any reason to go with the Moment Wildcat over the Moment Deathwish? I'm hesitant on the Wildcat as it seems like an absolute charger that won't be fun at slow speeds or in tight trees. I thought the Deathwish was a more playful version of the Wildcat. Not sure what to think about the triple camber, cool concept though.

Can anyone chime in on the Bentchetler? Are they really that bad at high speeds or in chop? I only got to ride them for one day, loved them, but the conditions were great. They were very easy to pivot, really low swing weight. Really fun cruising and popping off everything. If they can hold up somewhat at speed or in chop, that'd be awesome.

Also, those Norse skis look sick. Probably a little too traditional for me though. Excited to hear the review regardless.
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I'm a simp for the Deathwishes and the BC120. I'd go with Deathwish if you want to be able to destroy all conditions and still jib around. If you are more focused on powder and stability I'd go with the Wildcat. The Wildcat is definitely still a capable jib ski, but the Deathwish is more suited for that.

The Chetler 120s are a super fun powder ski that does surprisingly well on harder conditions and high speeds for a ski of its weight and width. In chop, it can be a pain but was never knocked around too much on them. Super fun powder ski, and one of the more jibby ~120 underfoot skis these days.

The Armada Whitewalker or Jskis Friend also sound like they would fit the bill for you:

The Whitewalker is everything I liked about the BC120, but better at high speeds and a bit stiffer. I skied them for a day a few days ago and was really surprised by how playful they were, despite being advertised as a charger. Not great on groomers, but it excels in tight terrain or soft chop.

The J skis friend is not a ski I would put in remotely the same category of any chargy ski. It's super playful and fun in both powder and hardpack. Definitely a side-hit oriented ski, and super easy to butter and spin.
 
Hoji is another ski to consider. Great all mtn. tool for playing around in all sorts of conditions and a blast in the pow
 
14222123:pigglywiggly said:
Gonna pass on the ON3P Jeff's. Little too heavy/burly for my style.

Any reason to go with the Moment Wildcat over the Moment Deathwish? I'm hesitant on the Wildcat as it seems like an absolute charger that won't be fun at slow speeds or in tight trees. I thought the Deathwish was a more playful version of the Wildcat. Not sure what to think about the triple camber, cool concept though.
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I think the Deathwish sounds more up your alley than the WIldcat. Deathwish is more poppy, playful, and nimble, skis great with a more centered stance. Wildcat is more damp, charges well.

As for triple camber, I don't think you can reallllly feel a difference. There's a touch of "hmm, these feel a bit funny/difference" for like the first hour of your first day, then all that's left is, "wow, these are fun." They rally groomers pretty well I'd say.
 
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