Shopping for 2 pairs of skis

C

CarinthiaCoach

Member
so I'm about to get 2 pairs on warranty and I guess I get to pick the replacements

PAIR 1

I got some surfaces last year and they immediately fell apart, I only just now got them warrantied and in the end the shop just gave me store credit. so the first pair has to be from the-house.com and I would like to keep it around/under $300

PAIR 2

I've got a pair of 2016 e'dollos I bought in October that are now in the process of being warrantied, the shop I'm doing the warranty through said I can probably pick a different armada ski of equal-ish value

ME AS A SKIER

I'm 25, 6'6" and about 175 - coming back from acl/meniscus surgery this year.

I coach freestyle in Vermont so most of my time is in the park, but I also love taking my team into the trees and bumps, and I'm a big fan of ripping big carves all over the mountain.

I also currently have a pair of atomic access in a 181 - they're like 6 years old so I use them as my tree skis, though right now they're my only ski that I can use

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR / WHAT I'M CONSIDERING AS OF NOW

I think that I want to go with an "everyday" ski and a pow stick

I'm not sure where to get which, I guess a lot of it has to do with whether or not armada lets me pick a ski other than the e'dollo

-EVERYDAY SKI

If armada makes me stick with e'dollos then those will be my everyday pair

but if not then I'd go with something a little stiffer and closer to a 90mm waist

I want some true camber or camber with a little rocker but not a full rockered ski

something in at least a 181, but would prefer something closer to the 188 that I had with the e'dollo. being an everyday for a park coach obviously it's needs to be a twin tip

looking at

-from the house: line step up (181), line prophet 85 (186), rossi s5 jib (185), armada el rey (185), rossi scratch (181)

I'm thinking the prophet is probably my best option here but really none of these are as long as I'd like, there just aren't a whole lot of options form them in my size/price range

-from armada: TST (192) or the invictus 89 ti (187)

I've had my eyes on the TSTs for a few years, I realize they aren't as skinny as I said above but they seem like so much fun. I just have no idea if that tail is high enough to ski switch

the invictus seems like the perfect ski to fit my above desires but just like the TST I have no idea if they can be skied switch

I considered the ARV 96's but I heard the whole ARV line isn't very durable

-POW STICK

I prefer a 190+ for deep stuff

I had some 2012 JJ's when I coached at Squaw and they were probably my all time favorite ski ever.

I probably don't want something too big in the waist, obviously we don't get huge storms here in the east but I do wind up out west every now and again, and might be moving back out there so maybe something in the 110mm-120mm range?

I would prefer something with rocker and I'd like it to be something that can take some tighter turns in the trees (if we ever get enough snow in there again), I would also prefer it to be a twin tip, I'm not a big switch pow skier but I like to have the option to pretend I'm Tim Durtschi

looking at

-from the house: line mothership (195), k2 shreditor 102 (191), Fischer Big stix 120 (189)

I don't really know much about any of them other than the site description but they all seemed to be something I'd probably enjoy

-from armada: tst (192), jj 2.0 (195), arv 106 (188), norwalk (189), magic j (190)

as I said before I loved the old JJ, and I hear the new one is amazing.

I listed the tst again because that 103 waist is a little more appropriate for "east coast pow"

while I'm skeptical to bring the arv onto rails I figure if I'm just using them in powder I shouldn't be too worried about durability

I figure the norwalk and magic j are too wide for me to bother with, but I didn't want to just rule them out
 
I can only speak for the jj 2.0s and they are my favorite ski of all time. More all mountain then you think can do anything except ice can be sketchy
 
assorted thoughts:

where'd you hear the ARV lineup isnt durable?

line step up hahaha NO. forget price point skis entirely esp from line, youre using these all the time it sounds like

agreed that norwalk and magic j are wider than you need here on the east

my opinion would be to get one dedicated everyday park ski, classic shape and decently stiff, and then one wider ski that can do pow but still trees

id say in park do the rossi scratch or one of armada's flagship park skis, ideally IMO the ar7/ar8/pipecleaner for you-- nice classic-shaped stiff park ski

then i guess id say the TST for your wider thing, since you said you loved the JJ and the TST is more or less a skinner JJ/norwalk. and im pretty sure the TST has a full size twin tip..?
 
13778584:SofaKingSick said:
assorted thoughts:

where'd you hear the ARV lineup isnt durable?

line step up hahaha NO. forget price point skis entirely esp from line, youre using these all the time it sounds like

agreed that norwalk and magic j are wider than you need here on the east

my opinion would be to get one dedicated everyday park ski, classic shape and decently stiff, and then one wider ski that can do pow but still trees

id say in park do the rossi scratch or one of armada's flagship park skis, ideally IMO the ar7/ar8/pipecleaner for you-- nice classic-shaped stiff park ski

then i guess id say the TST for your wider thing, since you said you loved the JJ and the TST is more or less a skinner JJ/norwalk. and im pretty sure the TST has a full size twin tip..?
Click to expand...

Armada tst is not really a pow ski at 103 underfoot Sure it can float but it sure won't be a boat there are so many more capable fun skis out there imo
 
13778592:Cole9 said:
Armada tst is not really a pow ski at 103 underfoot Sure it can float but it sure won't be a boat there are so many more capable fun skis out there imo
Click to expand...

yeah well i sorta agree. but for one, i dont think skis need to be that fat here on the east. that's partly my own bias-- i currently use 96 waist skis for literally everything-- but also let's be real, there are so few days here that really call for anything that fat

also, i personally dont like JJs/norwalks/TSTs etc because of the 5 point geometry, but tons of people do, and like i said, i think JJs or norwalks are overkill here so the TST, their skinnier little brother, seems like a good fit for this guy for trees and soft snow on the east
 
If you can swap the edollos check out the armada b dog, it has a flex lower than the edollos, but from my experience they are a lot stiffer, I haven't ridden edollos but in comparison from a hand flex, and the Tim I've spent riding the new b dogs they are a good bit stiffer but still playful let me know if you have more questions ( I'm talking about the 2017 b dogs)
 
13778627:SofaKingSick said:
yeah well i sorta agree. but for one, i dont think skis need to be that fat here on the east. that's partly my own bias-- i currently use 96 waist skis for literally everything-- but also let's be real, there are so few days here that really call for anything that fat

also, i personally dont like JJs/norwalks/TSTs etc because of the 5 point geometry, but tons of people do, and like i said, i think JJs or norwalks are overkill here so the TST, their skinnier little brother, seems like a good fit for this guy for trees and soft snow on the east
Click to expand...

I see your point but from my own experience of using the ski in Michigan which gets zero powder most of the time it's been fine in all conditions except ice. I'm only suggesting this fat of a ski because he is buying two pairs
 
13778699:Cole9 said:
I see your point but from my own experience of using the ski in Michigan which gets zero powder most of the time it's been fine in all conditions except ice. I'm only suggesting this fat of a ski because he is buying two pairs
Click to expand...

true-- since he's getting two pairs, having the fatter pair be pretty fat would work fine. good point-- up to preference now
 
Thanks for all the feedback, I think I'm going to try and grab jj's for a fat pair and find something around an 85 waist for the other pair.

Those two added to my 100mm atomic access would give me a pretty solid freeski quiver.

I guess it's time to figure out the park/everyday stick

Something stiffer that's long enough for me from the-house.com

Again I'm 6'6" so I'd really like to go with like a 185 at a minimum
 
Thanks for all the feedback, I think I'm going to try and grab jj's for a fat pair and find something around an 85 waist for the other pair.

Those two added to my 100mm atomic access would give me a pretty solid freeski quiver.

I guess it's time to figure out the park/everyday stick

Something stiffer that's long enough for me from the-house.com

Again I'm 6'6" so I'd really like to go with like a 185 at a minimum
 
13778732:CarinthiaCoach said:
Thanks for all the feedback, I think I'm going to try and grab jj's for a fat pair and find something around an 85 waist for the other pair.

Those two added to my 100mm atomic access would give me a pretty solid freeski quiver.

I guess it's time to figure out the park/everyday stick

Something stiffer that's long enough for me from the-house.com

Again I'm 6'6" so I'd really like to go with like a 185 at a minimum
Click to expand...

If you have the option to get the JJ zero DO IT!! I absolutely love that ski. it is my go to ski no matter the conditions. Around that 85mm id look at the arv 86 or 96 the new arv series is soo much fun and they're a durable ski as well. Those are my two cents for what its worth. good luck on the search.
 
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