Quick east coast advice needed

Long time lurker, first time poster.  After tons of research and demos, I need to pull the trigger today (for various reasons) on a new set but am still - maybe more - lost.  The more I look, the more they all sound the same within 10%...demos don't help since every ski feels different every day on every run.  Blah...

So, to keep it simple and solicit your advice on at least what to stay away from...here goes!

- 35, 5'9", 170, Level II CSIA, 10 year patroller

- can ski aggressive, but most of the time the conditions aren't exciting enough and I wind up lazy so can get thrown by the stiffer stuff given my size

- 75% of time is teaching intermediates on a small eastern hill, 20% playing on bigger eastern hills, 5%

rocking the west coast

- on hill, I have the most fun in trees and bumps but rarely see many...guess I mostly like to play where and how possible...quick turns to long, crud to bumps to ice patches, and back again

- summary is that I probably need edge hold the most cause of where I ski; but also something soft enough to manage quick turns, mostly cause they're fun but also for bumps and trees; some decent floatation for crud and puddle jumping; big pow days are non-existent or I'll rent if I hit one out west.

- old skis: Volkl Vertigo 163 (loved em, still my best rock skis), Elan M666 168 (current sticks, decent but not exciting or high performing), Rossi Bandit 181 (tanks, but rather boring and too long)

- strong contenders: Volkl AC50 (+edge, =turny, -bumps/trees, =float), Blizzard 8.1 (=edge, +turny, +trees/bumps, =float), Blizzard 8.7 (=edge, =turny, =trees/bumps, +float)

- wild cards: Volkl Tiger Shark 12 (+edge, +turny, -bumps/trees, - float), Fischer Progressor 9 (+edge, +turny, =bumps/trees, =float), Nordica Afterburner (=edge, =turny, =bumps/trees, =float)

Dammit, why can't somebody bend physics to make something with a 85mm waist that's also quick edge to edge for bumps and trees, and giving lots of flex to carve troughs yet able to rail on ice.

The Progressor 8+ would be a better choice as they have no metal in them and would be more versatile.

The Bilzzard Magnum 7.6 are also a very good all around ski.

From what you describe I don't see why you'd want a wider waist then in the 70's. 

edit: oh and welcome to epic ski!

I love my Dynastar Contact LTDs from last year.  This year (2008-2009) the Dynastar Contact 10 is just about the same ski.  There's a reason it's ranked #1 in frontside skis in the gear review section...

I also demoed the Progressor 9+ this year and... well, it was the first thing I've demoed that I liked as much as the Contacts.  Incredible stability at speed, but also nice, um, progressive flex and responsiveness at lower speeds.

Head Supershape Magnums are also a great frontside ski, but I don't know if I'd want to teach on them.  Not the most responsive at low speeds, at least for me.

Any of those will handle just about any on-piste Eastern conditions, with some amount of off-piste and/or crudbusting capability.  Rent something wider for the 5% of the time you go out West...

IMO I would stay with a ski under 76 underfoot as suggested above. I ski Jay Peak 99% of the time and when I ski locally in Ottawa on 700 foot verticle hills I find that even my Rossignol Phantom 80 can sometimes feel like too much for less steep trails. On blue or less steep runs I can be more lively on my Rossignol VS ski which would be more like the skis being recommended above. Rent when you ski the bigger mountains in the east and out west and you will probably feel better about your options. Otherwise you might have a ski that is better in bigger mountains and you are skiing it most of the time on smaller mountains.

I demoed the AC50 a month or so ago. Really liked it. Out of your list, I'd do that one. 

 what did you end up with? 

in a perfect world you could wait til next years ac 50 which has an 80mm waist and a semi-wideride style binding...they ski awesome. feel no more sluggish than this years even though theyre a bit beefier..

Quote:

Originally Posted by broad 

 what did you end up with? 

 

in a perfect world you could wait til next years ac 50 which has an 80mm waist and a semi-wideride style binding...they ski awesome. feel no more sluggish than this years even though theyre a bit beefier..

 AC 50 or AC 30?

 

sorry..brainfart

ac30=80mm waist and semi-WR binding