The Eric Pollard Dilemma

R

ruskiantonov

New member
Hey guys, just joined the community and really looking forward to

getting some feed back about my current predicament. Now, before I get

into it, I should give a general disclaimer about my self. I am a newly

converted skiier. I grew up snowboarding in the NW around the Seattle

area. Then a bunch in California, Tahoe and Mammoth. I began to really

progress when I went to school in Colorado (near Aspen) and later Utah

(near Park City). I mostly did freestyle competition but after

sustaining a pretty major injury and not being able to ride the rest of

the season, I realized that the risks that I was taking in the parks

just werent worth it. I got a big board and just started doing all

mountain snowbaording, always searching for the soft stuff. As of

saturday I am 24 years old and just a month and a half ago, while up in

Jackson Hole, I tried skiing for the first time... and I immediately

fell in love. To me, snowbaording just seems silly now, I dont think

I'll ever go back.

I have skiied a total of 8 days but it feels

like my level of skiing is pretty advanced.... I dont want to sound

cocky or like im getting a head of my self, but after about 2 hours on

the bunny slope I put on some Atomic blogs 177 and headed for the

steeper runs. On the groomers, I am fully confident, I can do long

drawn out carves as well as short quick ones. Skiing just seems like

its easier for me, more intuitive. On the blogs i had a hard time

staying afloat when in the powder (it dumped like a foot and a half

over night), I am 6'2'' 180lbs and the blog is 100 in the waist. I

continued to ride the blog anyway because I didnt really know any

better and just thought i should get used to riding skiis in general

before getting on something bigger. Last weekend I went up to mammoth

with my girl friend and made some arrangements to demo some skiis.

I have never really been a "hardcore" snowboarder, I love powder, but I

only really hike in bounds, however I definitely want a ski that will

be a lot of fun in the powder and be fairly effortless, the way my

snowboard was. Up at mammoth i tested two skiis. The Sir Francis Bacon

and the Armada JJ. My biggest concern with these skiis was that they

wouldnt be able to hold it down on the groomers. I rode the Line's for

2 days and I absolutely love them, like IN LOVE with them. Despite

their 115 waist, they could lay down a solid edge, add some pressure

and youre getting sling shoted. Maybe im naive and dont know what a

real carving ski feels like but i had a lot of fun. Knowing that the

early rise will float me in the powder (on faith), I concluded that

this would be the ski ill buy. The JJ i didnt like as much. It felt

similar but didnt turn for me like the Line's. It felt like it was

'chattering' a lot on hard speedy turns. However, unlike the bacons i

took the JJ's in the park, and definitely got some air, of course not

the way I used to on my snowboard... Hitting jumps on skiis reminded me

how fun the park was and how much i still wanna mess around in it. Ok

so here is my DILEMMA... finally

I want a one quiver ski, and i know that that is really a silly concept

but i wanna get as close to a one ski quiver as possible. I know that

park skiis are generally narrower and powder skiis are generally wider.

the sir francis is awesome, but i think it might be a little too wide

for park, i dont mind how it handles on groomers, and infact like it

(perhaps due to ingnorance of other skiis). Line just released a new

SFB at the SIA show and also the new EP pro, the Mr. Pollard's Opus.

The current EP pro is 127 underfoot, which is too wide for all

mountain, but the new one is going to be 118 and 185 long. the current

SFB is 115 underfoot and the new one is going to be 108 underfoot and

184 long. Should i get the current SFB and just be happy with it?

Should i get the new Opus? Will it ride the park...? ...or should i get

the new Sir Francis Bacon? Most importantly will this ski hold me in

the powder with ease..? also taking into consideration that i think i

can ski fairly well, but definitely have a ways to go, especially if

powder is harder with a narrower ski. Will i really feel the difference

between the 108, 115 and 118 in the park? Im almost sure that ill feel

it in the deep stuff, which is most important to me but i wanna have a

ski that will be fun no matter what i do. Ok, sorry for the rant, but

im stoked on skiing and want to gear up so i dont have to rent anymore.

a preemptive thanks for all those who take the time to read this

length, rookie post and give some feedback. cheers.

PS i posted this on teton gravity, so i just copy pasted it. according to the posting guide here i should include the following info. Im 6.2 180lbs, i feel comfortable on skiis and like im progressing quickly, i will mostly be riding in tahoe and mammoth, maybe big bear once in a while (im in school in LA and it really bites), ill be taking a couple annual trips into the deeper rockies (ie CO, WY). thanks, hope to hear back soon.
 
read the whole thing and i can only say that ski-waist has nothing to do with how much fun a ski is in the park...
i'm just back from a week in france where the last freshies were a month old and it was basically only hardpack groomers and park....i had a park ski with me, a 100mmwaisted all mountain plank and my 127EPPi ended up shredding the entire week on my EPP....
here 's some useful information in this thread:https://newschoolers.com/ns/forums/readthread/thread_id/597570/
i personally think that the SFB is gonna be an excellent all-round quiver but if you're lookin more into powder and only occasionally hitting the park the EPP might be a goody !
also if you're looking to get a powderplank for park use, plz stay away from rails or you're gonna break other kid's hearts when you hit rails on your EPPS or SFBS :)
i have no hands on experience with the SFB or the Opus, but i can say that the EPP is definately the sweetest ski i've ever skied...only minor concern was that when charging variable snow/crud or hitting ice, the ski can become quite scary if you're not actively expecting it ....
 
The Bacons is too short for you. I´ve measured them, and the 182s are actually only 178 cm. I´m 5´9 and even for me they are a bit short. You´ll wish for longer skis as your skiing skills improve.
That said the skis work fine in the park and groomers. Rotations and switch riding almost feels like a park ski. But they belong in the powder and bc-jibb.

My advice is to get a longer ski, such as Bent Chetler 192. Or mabye the bacons will come in longer lengths next year.

 
Firstly, welcome to newschoolers (and skiing for that matter)!

Keep in mind that personal preferences are going to play HUGE into this. I've been on skis that others swear by, and did not like their performance. Additionally, expect the answers on TGR to be quite different than here on Newschoolers. The demographics of both sites are radically different (neither one is better than the other, just different).

You've taken a good first step by demoing. If you are happy with the way the SFB skis everywhere in the conditions you normally ski in, then I would say that is your best bet. You want something that fits to YOUR own skiing style and the type of terrain and conditions you normally ski in.

Keep in mind too that you can always buy a cheap used park ski if you're not thrilled with how your all-mountain skis handle park. If you're skiing somewhere with actual terrain, this is likely a far better idea than comprimising your all-around ski by trying to get something that can do everything.
 
hey thanks for the input, looks like the general sentiment is to not really worry about width too much. some one said that being 6'2'', a 182 SFB will be too short (and i guess it was measured to be actually shorter...), what if i got for the 185 opus, that is also 118 underfoot, is that still too short as i develop? also, i didnt really get the jibbing reference... why wouldnt i want to take a ski that wide on rails or boxes? the thing is, i love skiing now, and like my snowboard purchasing tendencies, i'm not trying to buy a new ski every year. I want a ski that will last me a while, something i can grow into (skill wise, i think im done growing physically, well maybe an eventual beer gut). Also when i travel, i dont like bringing a bunch of gear, i have a freestyle board but that thing just sits in the garage and collects dust, because when ever i go anywhere i just bring my powder board and just take it everywhere (of course its park capabilities are limited). I know what im looking for doesnt really exist, but im trying to strike a balance, like so many others.

Also, i have absolutely no clue about bindings, any recommendations would be really helpful. i've read on a binding thread that i want mid-din... dont really know what it is, but im assuming that its how easily the binding releases from the boot. i also read that having really high din can cause injury because the ski does not release in critical wipeouts. so a binding that is durable, versatile and wount have a problem releasing when needed, would be ideal. My last experience with bindings, while i was demoing: the FSB i was riding had rossignol bindings, i took a small spill and the biding did not release and actually ripped out from the rail, gnarly. i went into town, they apologized and gave me a pair of JJ's with the same binding, 2 hours later the same thing happened. fortunately i was able to get a little hammer and screwdriver and fix it on the mountain to finish the day off. a guy on the lift told me that im shredding too hard, haha, i doubt that that's the case.

lastly boots, I also read the boot guide, so custom boot fitter is the only way to go? seems logical, had a horrible experience with my last boot rental, toes were numb....

Thanks to everyone that takes the time to read my thread and helps me out! It really keeps the stoke going and makes for a positive community! cheers.
 
if you have access to the new opus, then pick them up for sure. They are quite possibly the most fun skis I have been on. Previous skis i have owned - Liberty Double Helix, CRJ, EP Pros, DPS Lotus 120, Nordica Radict. The opus' are more fun than all of them, the CRJ is a close second.
 
Take a look into the AK JJ. Its a new ski for 2011-2012. 195cm in length and 120 underfoot. I believe its stiffer than the normal JJ as well. So with the increased length, width, and stiffness it might feel a bit better than the ones you demoed.
 
other people can give you some great advice on skis. you should seriously consider taking a lesson or two now so that you don't start to learn with bad habbits
 
Why not? He's a big skier he could use the extra width for float and length and stiffness for stability. Probably not going to work out so well in the park, but he could always get a park ski on the cheap.
 
True, he might like the AKJJ however. It would be a lot better suited for his height and weight than the 185 JJ. Worth taking out for a few runs at least.
 
first off, cobra commander is a dick, i dont understand why you feel the need ridicule people on a forum. yeah i realize my posts are long and perhaps not totally grammatical, this isn't a literary journal. you should read your own quote and let the irony sink in.

- sorry; thanks for the responses everyone. i really cant believe that people are suggesting to go bigger. I feel like the hellbent would be too much ski, way too much... but what do i know.... shouldnt a 185 opus with 118 underfoot float me just fine? it seems to me that anything bigger than that would be more of a back country ski. when i demoed the JJ's and the SFB at mammoth, people were looking at me kinda funny for having such a big ski and both of those arent even in the 190up range and are 115 underfoot. the AKJJ looks dope but my god it looks so big, i really dont know if i'd feel comfortable cruising around the resort on such a big ski. the CRJ 4FRNT's look dope as well, and could be a viable option. however, to be completely honest, I really like Line, and despite them manufacturing in china (...eh), I like Pollard, his skiing and his artwork perhaps too much. also, kinda have a lot of faith in them because they were one of the first to pioneer the rocker, right? furthermore, in the videos for AKJJ, it kinda looks like they just resized it, while pollard talks about how they really 'fine-tuned' the new line. given all of this mambo jumbo, im 6'2'' 180 (and probably getting a bit bigger), would or wouldnt a 118@185 opus be a good powder ski for me? will it float? (and i dont mean planning over the snow, but more like, would I have fun in powder on it?)

- The only thing that bothered me about the SFB when i demoed them, was the top layer of the ski. it really peeled and chipped easy. I'd click my boots together on the lift and a new chip would appear. its not that big of a deal but the art work is too awesome to be just chipped away like that. do the new line's have the same problem?

Evilchris, thanks for the heads up on the lesson. I took a full day lesson on my second day of skiing and it helped A LOT. She was really awesome... and really cute haha. Anyway I feel like in my mind I have all the theory (or most of it) dialed, for resort riding at least. So as long as i keep the theory in mind and stay conscious of my riding, I should be ok for a little while. I'll definitely take a lesson in the future, but for now I'm just having too much fun to impose structure :)
 
oh also, so are the SFB's ruled out? seems like everyone here is pushing towards the bigger ski, for powder versatility i assume... i guess 108 underfoot seems like its confused between being a park or powder ski. Am i right to think that?
 
Check out the 191 gotamas, tip and tail rocker, stiffer flex, still very playful if you wanna butter and what not. 108mm underfoot. Can slay groomer and the pow.
 
Hey man, I think you are over emphasising dimensions here!

Im pretty sure with the skis you are contemplating you will be just fine going anywhere on them. (including POW). Keep in mind not long ago a 90mm waist was considered wide.

The fat skis these days are all pretty versatile and worrying about 10mm here or there wont matter too much. I mentioned the bents coz I shred them everywhere including park when im not doing an exclusive park day. My roommate shreds the EPP's and finds them just as sick.

With the new line I dont see how you can lose! the bacons look so dope and the opus will be fuckin sweet so go for whichever. I personally would go the bacon given the choice coz it will extend well into park. but if you like stomping shit into pow, more ski equals extra stompage. simple really
 
thanks guys, i feel that my opinion is unchanged and i will stick to the Opus, i think it will be a good ski for me. and youre probably right about dimensions, i guess too much gear research can fuck with your head. thanks for all the help and consider this thread closed, unless someone wants to continue. peace
 
I'd just be concerned that at your high with the length of the Opus and its rocker that it might be a bit to short for you. At 6'2" your about 188 cm so the Opus is gonna be 3 cm shorter than you and then add in the rocker. I like my park skis to be exactly my height and pow skis longer. If I were you I'd look for something a little longer like in the 190cm range. I believe ON3P make a 191 Caylor. One of my good ski buddies has a pair and loves them for what you are describing. Only 2mm wider than the Opus which is that much more float in the soft and stability for park landings. I think the extra 6cm in length will help a lot for your height. Super jibby ski from what I've heard and seen done on them. Near symmetrical nice tip and tail rocker and great on groomed snow.

http://on3pskis.com/products/caylor/
 
figure i might as well put in my .02. Ive got the SFB from 08 (i think, the one before they became rocker tip and tail) and in tight trees i love them, when i try to open them up and ski fast they start to get some wobble to them and are a little scary in crud and choppy snow. Im 5'11" 180 and id like a bigger ski (mine are 182) Im thinking my next purchase will be either the CRJ, or the new bentchetlers. I'd deffanatly lean to something that has rocker tip and tail and normal camber underfoot if your looking for something that can still handle well on hard pack and groomers. A full rocker ski wont like tracking straight on hard pack and if its a one ski quiver your gunna want that. I still have a park ski for thoes days but my fat skis are seeing more and more use as the season goes on. Hope that helped some and good luck with skiing!
 
he has 8 days on skis, and your telling him to get a 195 ski with a woodcoore and a sheet of metal in it... he doesn't need anything over 185 right now, or for a couple seasons
 
I think people are forgetting he has only skied for 7 days. The fact that he is considering a highly rockered powder ski is beyond me. I know he says he love skiing and that he is ready for a ski like this but In my opinion I would buy something used and ride that for the first year then go out and get something when you are more confident on skis and can actually utilize a ski like the opus and akjj. Again i dont have all the facts and i have never seen him ski but usually people who have been on skis for 7 days do not need skis like the ones being mentioned.
 
again thanks for the advice guys, maybe a used ski is a good idea, but i think i want my own ski, i can afford it. not rich or anything but i always like buying something new rather than going second hand, as most people. i think a good plan would be for me to demo something in the low 190's and see how i feel on them and then make the call. i can honestly say that i did love the SFB, BUT, i have very little to compare it to, ie only to the JJ and the blogs. ill admit that a big part of the appeal to the Line's is that its Eric Pollard's ski and i love how they look, and ride for that matter. so in a way i am preemptively shutting my self off from other option that could ultimately result in a better ski for me. so thats.... lame! My first snowboard was an elevation, chris englesman, and i loved it. small company, great board. my second board was a unity. again, small company, awesome powder board. and ive looked at ON3P, and they look sick, im just such a sucker for the EP ski's i guess. well i think supporting a small company in the US could be more aligned with my principals, so i think i should reconsider my options. i understand that the guy above is concerned about my riding ability and that maybe its too much too soon, but i want a ski i can grow into, ill probably have it for a long time (like over five seasons for sure). once i get something, i learn to love it... so that being said, im gonna officially reopen this thread and ask you guys for advice on other ski's like the ON3P caylor. i alomst sold out for the wrong reasons, so thanks, mmckechnie.
 
you say the ep's wont do well on groomers? i beg to differ, my every day ski is a 189 hellbent (122) underfoot and i find no problem what so ever with skiing groomers. but that might be because i havent skiied a ski under 115 underfoot since 2 years ago. but really the width of ski really doesnt have much to do with skiing all mountain, i mean it does for getting the skis on edge, but not really, i mean i ski really aggresive so i push my skis to get on edge. But no the width of a ski really doesnt have a huge affect on how it skis all mountain, pretty much only reverse sidecut skis and or reverse camber skis have problems on groomers. and by the way the blogs are 110 underfoot.
 
I agree 100% with this. I have yet to get on a fully rockered ski that felt good on hardpacked surface. The regular camber underfoot with tip and tail rocker/early-rise/whateverthehelleachcompanycallsit is the way to go for a one-ski quiver.
 
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