Volkl Grizzly

Has anyone out there tried the Volkl Grizzly??

Skiied it yesterday. It is agreat ski, if you're a great skiier. Not to yank my own chain, but this ski is for an expert skiier only.

Two of my friends, who are by definition advanced/expert skiiers, skiied this ski last week. They found the ski to be to stiff and very tempermental. One of them even commented that this ski is intimidating, and to be honest I was a little intimidated myself. Then I skiied it....

What a ski... If you want a ski that is sure-footed in most conditions, this is it. To be fair, I didn't get to try the Grizzly in deep powder, but I did ski it in boot deep snow. I also skiied in all other conditions from ice to chop, from windsift to groomed. This ski performed, and performed well. However, you have to be carrying high rates of speed for this beast to perform.

The top ski in my quiver is a Volkl Sumo. It will be the ski that I grab 9 out of 10 days. This is because I am lucky enough to ski fresh turns most of the time. If I buy the Grizzly, it will replace my old volkl G-4 as a hard pack/crud ski. I also ski a Gottama, and this will replace it as well.

I don't see the Grizzly being as versatile as the Mantra, but if you want to role with a quiver, this is great ski to carry along with a powder ski. Even though I tried this ski in some shallow powder, it's stiff shovel and heavy camber make me dought it's deep powder performance.

To finish, I think that this is going to be a popular ski next season because of cool looks. However, I think that a lot of people are going to buy this ski and be disappointed, as this ski isn't for the average skiier. If you're at the top of your game, you'll love the Grizzly.

heya

new to the board here...

i had a chance to ski loads of next years product last week...the grizzly was easily one of the sweetest skis ive ever skied on in my entire life. im a 6'3" guy who weighs about 190 lbs. or so with a racing background so flexing the ski isnt really an issue for me, but i could see how it might be difficult for a lighter person. i didnt notice much of a difference with the power switch in any of the 3 modes, but i feel that you'd need harder snow conditions to really appreciate that.

at the end of the day the ski was a tank...plowed through broken snow like no ones business. if i didnt know it was 89mm underfoot i never would have guessed it based on how nimble it felt. i didnt get a chance to try it on really hardpacked stuff or ice but based on how it felt id say it would still be pretty awesome. i havent been this impressed with a ski since probably the year 2000 or so...the year salomon's race GS ski had the tail wider than the tip...

anyway...wholeheartedly recommend the grizzly. ill be picking a pair up next year for sure

Grizzly sell

I have a pair of 170cm volkl grizzly's slightly used as demos, still with the original factory base, how much do you think i could sell them for?

Yes.

Jerk.

I also have a 177cm demo pair lightly used.

i have 177 and 184 totaly unused.............

Phil Marsh

Do you still have the Volkl Grizzly's?

Do you still have the Grizzly's?

Any of you Fellows with Grizzly Demos still have them? If so, how much $$$ do you want for them? I have a buddy who wants a set.

have 184, gave 177 to my buddy, my wife has 163 and all swear for them.

the only  catch: my wife allways demands to set the PS on  Power

 

great ski...........

So do you want to sell the 184's?

that's what i'm using........

I skied this ski last year here in the southeast.  I loved it.  I was a little worried when I saw the thing...I looks like a lot to handle.  The thing turned amazingly easy for me.

I am 6'1" and 270 solid pounds.  Flex not an issue and these skis where a great solid foundation. 

Anyone that has a demo pair I would gladly buy them.

has anyone skied both the head monster im 88 and the volkl grizzly?  Can you compare the two skis? they sound similiar on paper but how about reality?

thanks,

asland

Not even similiar on paper. Completely different skis. The Grizzly is just a large cumbersome freight train, teh Monster is smoother and more refined, I liked the AC50 and Blizzard 8.7 much more than the Grizzly. 

thanks,

this may be the first time I have heard of the monsters referred to as refined or smooth. I agree that they are, especially at high speeds, but they usually get the wrap of being big, burly, and non-forgiving. 

These Grizzlys must be crazy (stiff, big...) 

thanks,

asland

Tramdock has them for 749 with the IPT 14 bindings. I currently have a pair of AC 40's in the 184 but am leaning towards the Grizzly. Definately will try them at a demo day this year.

the grizzlies are a bit bonkers but they do deliver.....

I picked up a pair of Grizzly's last fall and went out west with them. Definitely the best pair of ski's I've ever owned or used. The switch works. It was surprising and amazing. They carve like crazy. I love them.

I have not skied the Grizzlies, but I can't resist posting in this thread anyway.  The idea of a switch for different flexes is interesting to me, but not even close to that price tag interesting.  The dimensions aren't bad for an all mountain resort ski, but I can't get over the fact that these things cost over ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS.  Even Tramdock prices put em at 750.  You can have almost any ski you want for that kind of money.  I own multiple setups of handmade skis that are way cooler, built with way better materials, that I paid less for (combined).  I know the idea is to have one ski to do it all, but this ski would NOT do it all for me as I spend 95 percent of my time in off piste powder.  It seems to me like these are mostly a 'bling' ski for those who have lots of money to blow.  That, and they are incredibly ugly.  But to each their own. 

Yeah, seriously.  This is a real problem.  Volkl flat out charges too much and these are insanely priced.  I actually plan to buy a pair of Mantras when I find the right price but I have 5 pairs of skis, none of which are Volkl.  We can all live without Volkl, trust me.

I could live without a lot of things but after skiing Volkl's for the last 20 years, I prefer to live with them!  :)

 

Volkl makes quality skis, as good or better than most of the big manufacturers.  I think the Volkl cult is pretty blind though, there are so many better skis for the same money or less.  I guess if you have skied Volkls for 20 years, you might not know that.

On powder day when you hit the groomed to zoom back to the lift for another run, what is the chance you are going to stop and switch the flex of your skis?  And likewise on a hardpack day, when you take a run in the trees looking for a little deeper stuff, are you going to stop and switch the flex?  I see the Griz like the $600 adjustable mountain bike forks, all those options are cool, but on a normal day of use you don't bother to ever make changes, you just ride it.

Edited by mudfoot - 8/24/10 at 8:36am

The power switch is a technology that didn't really grab hold in the markertplace the way Volkl thought it would. The initial target was to expand the PS throughout most of the primarily on-trail models. Early on, I skied several models pretty extensively and on firm to hard snow, the PS had an effect. I suspect however, that the average skier might not feel much from it and hence be reluctant to spend the $$. For a couple of years there, PS skis were in dramatic oversupply and were deeply discounted to clear them out. That is one reason why dealer support for the PS models dwindled pretty quickly. On the price thing, keep in mind that technology is not free and typically you do get something for your investment.  

 

IAC, in the "Giant Carver" category the Grizzly is a reasonable option particularly for the Volkl fan. For those without a brand preference, there are other options within the category and width range that perform better for equal or less money.

 

SJ

About the price complaints, I don't know what you guys are looking at but every ski company's high end carver retails for 1000+.  It's just the fact that if a ski is going to perform on hardpack/ icy conditions, it needs a lot more technology put into it than say a deep powder ski.  Sidewalls, Titanium, Innovations (such as the power switch) all cost more money.  As far as sales go I don't know if Volkls go on sale or not, but with the Grizzly having Titanium and double grip technology, as well as other thing required for a soild carver, it's gonna be more expensive.

A ski doens't need new technology perfrom on hardpack and ice conditions. Most sandwich construction skis work very well on those conditions and that has been around for a loooong time. I still don't get the wide carver category.