Recommend a 90-95mm charger daily driver?

treebeard

treebeard

Active member
Been a while since I've looked at non-pow skis, but I'm finally due to replace my daily driver and not really sure where to start. I ski in Idaho, so most of my days are between-storms or during long dry spells (I have pow skis for the good days). Here's what I'm looking for (for context I'm 5'9" 140lbs):

- Good for charging. I'm a hacker and proud of it, I like riding at the edge of control then shutting it down hard. This is the primary characteristic I'm looking for in a daily driver; something I can absolutely plow through crud days after a storm and do big dumb shit when big dumb shit is probably a bad idea, but also fun for ripping groomers.

- 90-95ish underfoot. I already have a 108 pow ski so not looking to go over 95. If there's a reason I should consider something under 90mm I'm all ears.

- Park is an afterthought. I'm 32 and my knees are fucked, I'm happy to hit the occasional rail or shifty a jump but my days of doing tricks are over.

My initial thought was to see what On3P and Moment have on offer, but neither of them have what I'm looking for. The On3P's are all 100mm or wider (except the Mango's but I'm not looking for a park ski), and Moment has the Commander but they explicitly call it a carving ski that does not destroy the entire mountain. I want something that destroys the entire mountain but can also carve adequately, so basically the opposite of the Commander.

I'm not familiar with Armada's lineup anymore, it seems wildly different than what they made 10+ years ago.

Nordica kinda feels like a dad-company for whatever reason, and even though I am a dad now it still feels wrong. I demoed an Enforcer (either 104 or 110) last year and actually really liked it, definitely a charger, so maybe the 94 could be a good choice?

I had some Faction Wednesdays like 10 years ago and loved them, but Faction's lineup has changed significantly since then too.

There are so many choices now. Help?
 
the enforcers could def be a good choice for you. it sounds like you want something with metal in it. you should check out the volkl blaze 94. i’ll think about it alittle more and edit this with other suggestions later
 
Armada probably doesn't have what you are looking for, except for arv106, but it is way wider than what you want. K2 Poacher is a solid choice, they are quite heavy and stiff and definitely bombproof
 
You need a pair of Jeffrey 96s. Used to be able to get them thru customs but I’m not sure if you can anymore. Even the 100 would be perfect.
 
Vokl M6 Mantras are super stable and great under speed through the rough stuff. I found the Atomic Maverick 94 TI to be pretty good as well, but its definitely on the more playful side and a touch less stable as the Mantras when you're really charging hard.
 
14574040:CatdickBojangles said:
You need a pair of Jeffrey 96s. Used to be able to get them thru customs but I’m not sure if you can anymore. Even the 100 would be perfect.
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Like 7-8 years ago I demoed a pair of Wrenegade 96's at Beartooth Basin and I would buy these skis in an instant if they were still around. Going mach chicken after sending the cornice was a religious experience
 
14574048:treebeard said:
Like 7-8 years ago I demoed a pair of Wrenegade 96's at Beartooth Basin and I would buy these skis in an instant if they were still around. Going mach chicken after sending the cornice was a religious experience
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Yeah I was gonna say that sounds like the perfect ski for op. I have them in 96 and that's perfect as a daily driver for east coast but plenty width and rocker for most travel days out west. You can really lean into them and get a good carve going too. They're also not as "unforgiving" as people make it seem. I find them quite easy to ski.

Op they got 102ti in stock. I doubt 0.6cm in width difference is going to be noticeable. I say get that if it's in your price range.

https://shop.on3pskis.com/products/wrenegade-102-ti

Edit: shit you are op hahahahaya

**This post was edited on Dec 18th 2023 at 8:15:40pm
 
My vote is the Jskis Masterblasters. I have a pair of Hotshots that I daily and I totally love them for every condition except for deep snow. The Masterblaster is they exact same ski at a 99mm waist
 
14574158:JerryAllDay said:
My vote is the Jskis Masterblasters. I have a pair of Hotshots that I daily and I totally love them for every condition except for deep snow. The Masterblaster is they exact same ski at a 99mm waist
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Your name fits your ski choice very well.
 
Fatypus d-root or Nordica unleashed 90. Nordica has a unleashed 98 if you wanna go a little above 98. But I always throw fatypus out there because they are such an underrated brand. I got on the unleashed 98 last year and it is an all around great ski. It is advertised as more of an all mountain freestyle option to the enforcer. Still has metal but more of a twin tip shape. Super stiff and hard charging. Everyone who I've put on them has said they love them. Honestly the perfect daily

**This post was edited on Dec 19th 2023 at 8:30:33am
 
As said above, sounds like something with metal in it is a good choice. I think the issue you're going to find is at those widths most of the skis available are targeted more towards groomer carving performance. They way I read what you're after is a "skinny" off piste charger that can also carve. The 96 wren would work even without the metal but there aren't many skis like that available, and it gives up the carving compared to some of the others. The E94 is definitely more groomer focused, I had a E93 and traded it for a M-Free99 but those don't charge enough. Maybe the dynastar m-pro line? the mantra mentioned would work but it's wider. the skinny J could work but not sure how much they charge. the other option might be one of the heritage lab skis, I know there was people on a 90mm freeride ski, they even made some in a comp build if you want to get really rowdy, lots of info on those specifically on tgr
 
Zag Harfang 96 if you want something a bit lighter but still stiff. I use it as an in-between storms ski and it rarely feels like a bad choice. Can get deflected in chop/crud if the conditions are too bad though.
 
Skis with titanium or titanal are going to be helpful when it comes to charging on a ski with that width (especially if you weigh over 80kg-180 lbs). I would stick to a ski that isnt as experimental with the woodblends because that seems to compromise durability when it comes down to it in my experience (poplar/ash/maple are always dependable woods to use in a ski). Pay attention to turn radius and length as well if you’re looking for a more agile ski.

I have enforcer 110’s and can imagine the skinny versions are just as good- alot cheaper (if used) and easier to not get worked up once/if you get core shots. There’s so many good skis out in that range nowadays that as long as you dont care about the “dad ski” vibe it wont be a problem.
 
Blizzard rustler 9 or 10. Both skis are an absolute HOOT. I guarantee either of those will be the only thing you ski for a very long time.
 
14574284:Ghini said:
Armada Declivity 92 Ti
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These are definitely on the short list, but I hate that their sizing goes from 172 to 180. My ideal length is 174-176, and while I know that realistically 2cm isn't that big of a deal I'm concerned that the 172 will get pushed around/floppy at high speed and the 180 will be a bit unwieldy in tight trees

14574393:BallClapper said:
Blizzard rustler 9 or 10. Both skis are an absolute HOOT. I guarantee either of those will be the only thing you ski for a very long time.
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I was looking at these last night. Seems like they're a more playful/forgiving version of a Bonafide/Brahma, which maybe is more along the lines of what I'm looking for. I might not be heavy/strong enough to get the most out of a Bonafide but maybe the Rustler is a good middle ground
 
The Declivity mount point is far back since it’s directional, so the 172 will probably have as much tip length as something more center mounted at 176-180. Most of the length difference will be in the tail.
 
14593775:treebeard said:
I ended up going with the FastForward! Thanks for the recommendation, I don't think I would have given these a proper look but they really checked every box. Getting them mounted this week!
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Lets go dude! Let me know how you like them!
 
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