Why do all skis suck

Ghost_BLandzV2

Active member
Im in the market for new skis and it really made me realized how shitty skis are. Every ski review I read says the ski breaks in a couple days or its not the kind of ski I want. I just want a ski thats 95-100 underfoot, medium flex, symmetrical if possible, and most imprtant it needs to be durable. HG’s were gonna be my go to but they’re outta business :(. Possibly thinking about buying movement skis, anyone ride those?
 
4FRNT has always been bombproof for me. I am 12 seasons deep on my old VCTs beating the hell on them. Their new MSP 99 looks pretty sweet and might be what you are looking for. They have a 187 option as well.

**This post was edited on Aug 29th 2019 at 5:23:54pm
 
i wouldn't base almost anything on ski reviews. have you actually experienced big durability issues so often yourself?

skis are fuckin fantastic these days IMO. i buy skis like once every 3 years for 3-400 bucks and believe me i treat them like shit

im just gonna spitball here and throw out an option: here are some poachers for $370 and free shipping. poachers are really well regarded in performance and also for durability and i believe they fit the bill for what you described wanting

https://store.christysports.com/k2-poacher-skis-mens-2018?GA_network=g&GA_device=c&GA_campaign=1661440738&GA_adgroup=65740205922&GA_target=&GA_placement=&GA_creative=320231890031&GA_extension=&GA_keyword=&GA_loc_physical_ms=1018127&GA_landingpage=https://store.christysports.com/k2-poacher-skis-mens-2018&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiOmXyIap5AIVA5-fCh1mBAh1EAkYAiABEgLhH_D_BwE
 
ah shit i just remembered you said you're 6'3" and those only go up to 177 at that shop, 184 in general

here's a link for 184s for $425 after taxes and (free) shipping. 184 is 6 cm shorter than you but they are somewhat stiff skis which makes a big difference

https://www.evo.com/outlet/skis/k2-poacher-2019?image=138347/570847/clone.jpg&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIobe-pIip5AIVFY_ICh08owxFEAkYASABEgJ9NPD_BwE

what skis in what sizes have you used in the past and what did you not like about them?

you didn't mention price as a primary concern so maybe you should consider some ON3Ps? they're really durable and they have some bigger sizes. i'd explore their site if i were you and see if that's a good option
 
14054926:SofaKingSick said:
i wouldn't base almost anything on ski reviews. have you actually experienced big durability issues so often yourself?

skis are fuckin fantastic these days IMO. i buy skis like once every 3 years for 3-400 bucks and believe me i treat them like shit

im just gonna spitball here and throw out an option: here are some poachers for $370 and free shipping. poachers are really well regarded in performance and also for durability and i believe they fit the bill for what you described wanting

https://store.christysports.com/k2-poacher-skis-mens-2018?GA_network=g&GA_device=c&GA_campaign=1661440738&GA_adgroup=65740205922&GA_target=&GA_placement=&GA_creative=320231890031&GA_extension=&GA_keyword=&GA_loc_physical_ms=1018127&GA_landingpage=https://store.christysports.com/k2-poacher-skis-mens-2018&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiOmXyIap5AIVA5-fCh1mBAh1EAkYAiABEgLhH_D_BwE

Ive owned about 5-6 pairs of park skis. Some pretty good ones too like icelantics. And ever since I started to send it harder, I always get edge ripouts. And I a baby my skis too. I guess at the end of the day skis are skis and no matter ehat i ride im gonna be able to do the same tricks. HG are like my dream but they don’t make anymore. I guess it just sucks not having my dream ski :(
 
To be honest, if you primarily ski park and hit a lot of rails, you're gonna break skis. I don't have much experience with skis made pre-2014, but I kinda doubt that skis are getting less durable. Our main park reviewer has been breaking skis within days of getting them since he started reviewing for us back in 2011. That said, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on previous skis you've used, and if you had better luck with durability.

In terms of durability, ON3P, Moment, & Icelantic are the ones I've had the best luck with. So I'd check out the ON3P Magnus 90 / 102 or Jeffrey 96, Moment Frankenski (might be too short) or PB&J, and Icelantic Nomad 95.
 
Honestly you really never know. Find a ski you like with a decent reputation and hope you get lucky. I hear of friends buying skis and they don’t break for years and someone buys the same ski and it breaks in a month.
 
14054935:BLandz said:
Ive owned about 5-6 pairs of park skis. Some pretty good ones too like icelantics. And ever since I started to send it harder, I always get edge ripouts. And I a baby my skis too. I guess at the end of the day skis are skis and no matter ehat i ride im gonna be able to do the same tricks. HG are like my dream but they don’t make anymore. I guess it just sucks not having my dream ski :(

"Durable skis" aren't really a thing depending on how you ski. If you say you're sending it harder and if you're hitting a lot of rails, you're going to destroy skis from the steel on steel contact. Rails destroy skis. Coming from someone who skis primarily rails in the midwest, I'm happy if I make it through an entire season on one pair of skis. Whereas someone skiing in the mountains, I would expect they could easily get 2ish+ seasons out of a pair.

I've personally had good experineces with ON3P Magnus 90s. If you're looking for something wider, you could explore the Jeffrey line or the Magnus 102s.
 
RMU Rippahs are like 123-98-123, come in 185 cm and are currently on sale for labour day weekend. They have a lifetime warranty which I'm sure doesn't cover rail damage, but it's more encouraging than most. I have just been looking at em myself.
 
I think I just gotta stop being a pussy and just buy a pair of skis. The thing is if I find a deal I can probs get like 2 K2 Poachers for about the price of a pair of ON3Ps. I think thtat might be my best bet honestly
 
I ended up copping the Liberty Helix 98s on sale last sprint, largely due to the durability they mention in the roof box review. I would have definitely liked something fully symmetrical, but it sounds like they rip pretty well center mounted anyways. Of course, all this is coming from a guy who doesn't even have the bindings mounted yet, so I have zero experience on these...but if you're looking at Poachers, I'd read that roof box review of the Helix 98s first, because they sound like relatively similar skis in a lot of ways, and they reviewers go out of their way to mention how surprised they were at the Helix's durability.

**This post was edited on Aug 30th 2019 at 3:11:26pm
 
learn to slide rails both ways, and if you notice an edge getting dangerously thin, switch your skis around so it's your outside edge. Armada BDogs use some thick edges (my 2016's lack any edge cracks, though they're not my main ski). Trying out wet +'s, this year, curious how they will hold up.
 
I mean do you expect multiple pieces of wood and plastic held together by glue while also weakened by 8 drill holes to stay together forever while simultaneously bashing them against metal rails over and over again in extreme temps that make compounds brittle? How bout that run-on sentence? No.

Honestly it's an engineering feat that skis hold up so well as they do. Sure there's luck involved, but for the most part, any reputable manufacturer is gonna be producing reliable skis for all mountain use that will hold up pretty damn well. I've been pleasantly surprised at how durable my skis have been, aside from core shots.

The truth is.....why do all skis rock?
 
Stop banging your ski so hard on the rails and tubes. Learn to be smooth getting on.

Not only will your skis last longer, so will your joints!

Also do the proper base bevel tuning for rails before use.

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Grizzly corn skis don’t care about your opinion
 
I’ve got a buddy who is 6”8, rides the blizzard rustler 9’s and loves them. Don’t worry about the skis breaking, you’ll be fine
 
14055079:BLandz said:
I think I just gotta stop being a pussy and just buy a pair of skis. The thing is if I find a deal I can probs get like 2 K2 Poachers for about the price of a pair of ON3Ps. I think thtat might be my best bet honestly

I have the poachers and love the way they ski, I don't really hit rails. However, I've been super happy with how durable my other K2 skis have been.
 
topic:BLandz said:
Im in the market for new skis and it really made me realized how shitty skis are. Every ski review I read says the ski breaks in a couple days or its not the kind of ski I want. I just want a ski thats 95-100 underfoot, medium flex, symmetrical if possible, and most imprtant it needs to be durable. HG’s were gonna be my go to but they’re outta business :(. Possibly thinking about buying movement skis, anyone ride those?

Black ops 98 in a 192 will do it for you bud
 
On3P Jeffery 96 in the 186cm. They’re expensive for a ski you’re going to ski in the park mostly with, but they’re one of the best constructed skis out there imo.

i think you need to except that’s you’re going to fuck skis up no matter what. I know some companies offer singles, look into that.
 
14055134:jupiterhenry said:
I ended up copping the Liberty Helix 98s on sale last sprint, largely due to the durability they mention in the roof box review. I would have definitely liked something fully symmetrical, but it sounds like they rip pretty well center mounted anyways. Of course, all this is coming from a guy who doesn't even have the bindings mounted yet, so I have zero experience on these...but if you're looking at Poachers, I'd read that roof box review of the Helix 98s first, because they sound like relatively similar skis in a lot of ways, and they reviewers go out of their way to mention how surprised they were at the Helix's durability.

**This post was edited on Aug 30th 2019 at 3:11:26pm

I STRONGLY recommend mounting the helixes -1 cm or further back. they're a wicked fun ski but definitely directional and definitely not built for a center mount. if you ask me, they beat the poachers on almost every mark though. way more fun for the type of skiing I do
 
My Majesty Vandal 2's were probably the most durable ski I've ever been on. Highly recommend. I really enjoyed my Wet's but I bet they won't be so durable for someone your size.
 
14055543:Dunderflip said:
I STRONGLY recommend mounting the helixes -1 cm or further back. they're a wicked fun ski but definitely directional and definitely not built for a center mount. if you ask me, they beat the poachers on almost every mark though. way more fun for the type of skiing I do

Yeah I'm still on the fence, but I'm leaning toward mounting around -3 cm. Mark, who did the roofbox review, had them mounted true center for his testing and seemed to love it. But then there's another review on Blister where one guy mounts them at -8 where it's recommended, and another guy mounted at -3, and the second guy seemed to like them more.

The thing is, I'm really trying to improve my switch game this year. I can land switch decently but I've never taken off switch on anything big, and I can't carve switch to save my life. So I don't want to mount any further back than I have to.

You ride helixes? Where did you mount? Do you wish you would have gone any farther back/forward at all?

Thanks mang.
 
14055859:jupiterhenry said:
Yeah I'm still on the fence, but I'm leaning toward mounting around -3 cm. Mark, who did the roofbox review, had them mounted true center for his testing and seemed to love it. But then there's another review on Blister where one guy mounts them at -8 where it's recommended, and another guy mounted at -3, and the second guy seemed to like them more.

The thing is, I'm really trying to improve my switch game this year. I can land switch decently but I've never taken off switch on anything big, and I can't carve switch to save my life. So I don't want to mount any further back than I have to.

You ride helixes? Where did you mount? Do you wish you would have gone any farther back/forward at all?

Thanks mang.

just as a preface i should say i think i straight up spend about half of my time on skis going backwards.

i had them at -1, got new boots mid season and had to move the heel, now im centered. honestly, theyre not the skis to learn how to ride backwards on. the tails are significantly stiffer than the noses, especially after they break in over the first few days. youre gonna be really tempted to lean way over your toes when youre skiing switch but dont do that lol. if you ski park put them at center but i would rather have them -1 or m a y b e -2, ive been trying to get out of the park more lately.

they ski really good at center mount but you just lose stability in the noses when youre charging around outside the park, its more noticeable on helixes than on other skis ive ridden.

the stiff tails kind of lock you in to the same turn radius every time when youre carving switch, in my experience i kind of just have to set it and hope i got the lean right, especially carving same shoulder turns its kinda sus. i feel more comfortable carving backwards on skis with softer tails or with symmetrical flex. poachers, surface park blanks, vishnus all had a really solid switch carve.

landing switch is totally fine though, zeros are totally fine, pivoting off your tails feels badass cause they just pop you up and stay there. theyre the only ski ive ever been able to do legit tail butters on but you really gotta lean on em. moral of the story is mount them where you think you want to mount them based on what kind of skiing you do and youre probably gonna have fun

fyi the marked "center" line on the topsheet was exactly -1 on mine. double check tho
 
Dude, thanks so much, this is the info I’ve been looking for.

Sounds like I’ll be happy at -1, as I’ll be doing mainly park this season. I’ve been on some old beat up Armada El Reys for the last 5 years or so, mounted true center and a little too short for me, so I’m used to charging on unstable skis. I’d rather trade in some charging stability for improved switch riding. Maybe they aren’t gonna be the best choice to learn to ride switch better, but who knows? I’ll keep in mind how you said not to follow the urge to lean over the nose a lot.

Excited for that tail butter action you mentioned too.
 
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