Ski Advice - Twin tip that can handle chop and powder

 Hey so after much effort on trying to find the right skis for me, my friend recommended that I come here, so here I am. I have been skiing for just over 6 years now and can handle just about anything (the speed at which I handle it is the matter of question). For the first 4 years of skiing I used these mid80's straight Rossignol skis, but just recently I received a pair of brand new 146 X-Wing 4's and I loved them. However, that love probably originated from me not knowing anything better. I tend to ski all mountain here in the PNW, but I love hitting the park from time to time. That being said, I would love to have some twin tips that can handle the chop and powder of the rest of the mountain. So far I have looked at the Vokl AC 30's and the Line 90 Prophets. Any other suggestions?

 

About me:

I am 5' 6" 130lbs age 17 and I love the ability to do quick turns, ski fast, and do the occasional trick.

 

Thanks

Edited by skihappy - 6/19/2009 at 03:42 am GMT

Hi Skihappy, Welcome to EpicSki!

 

If you're looking at getting a twin tip that is versatile, then I'm not sure that an AC30 is the way you want to go.  That is more of an all mountain ski with a slight(very slight) turned up tail. 

 

The Line may do the trick for you, but there are a bunch of different skis that you should put on your short list to demo or buy.

stay tuned for some ideas....

Yeah, as Trekchick said, the AC30's not a twin, and is not going to be a good park ski at all.  The prophet is a twin, however I think you'll find it's not a great park ski, but a much better all mountain twin.  You'll have to decide what's more important, park performance or everything else.  The prophet could be used in the park, sure, but it's a little on the stiff, damp and heavy side to make a really good park ski.

 

The K2 PE/Extreme is pretty frequently suggested as a good all-mountain/park combo ski.  I've been on it and liked it, although not in the park at all.

Welcome to EpicSki, skihappy!

 

For a twin tip that is good in all conditions, you can't beat the Hart Twisted Twin. A hand-built ski with the same laminated wood/titanal construction as top-end race skis, it is not inexpensive, but it performs like few other skis can. Although it is a true twin-tip, Hart markets it as an all-mountain high-performance ski. It would be a shame to take it into a terrain park and beat it up on rails and other features--although you could if you wanted to. Take it off-piste, though, into the crud and chop, and it is awesome. Although it's a bit wide (86mm underfoot) for a true high-performance carving ski, it more than holds its own on firm and groomed snow too. It's an all-mountain ski that many instructors love for its tremendous versatility. And it's a twin-tip!

 

Check it out here!

 

Best regards,

Bob Barnes

 

I had the good fortune of skiing on the Hart Twisted Twin at ESA Aspen Snowmass for 4 days.

Bob knows of what he speaks.  In fact I bought the Hart Beat after demoing, because the skis are so well built.

Here is a review of the Twisted Twin for your viewing pleasure.

http://www.epicski.com/forum/thread/65988/video-review-2009-hart-twisted-twin 

So I'm pretty settled on the Line Prophet 90's, but it seems everywhere I look is sold out. Any suggestions on sizes/places to buy them?

Keep an eye out on Tramdock for the 90s, they fly by on ocassion. 5'6", go short, say to your nose.

You should look for a somewhat softer plank that is bombproof. I ski some Ninthwards, yeah I have friends in low places, and while the First Bloods are not for you, they build bomber park boards and have an ugly ghetto look to them that my kids like..

Other good skis to consider are the Dynastar Troublemaker (softer and a bit more park-oriented than the Prophet 90) and the Volkl Bridge.  I own and like the K2 PE (now, the Extreme), but I think it's a bit heavy to learn spins with in the park (I tried).

 

Best of luck,

 

STE

164 or 174 Bro's.

Check out PMgear.com 

I have 6 pair of of skis in my quiver right now.  If I had to pick one it would be my 183 Bros.

Not sure if there are any left but its worth a look to see.

Thay have to be one of the best consructed skis I have seen.

Not a true twin tip however. 

These skis will take your skiing to the next level.

I would strongly recommend you add the Icelantic Pilgrim to that list. 90 underfoot, nice flex but torsionally it's fairly stiff, very versitile. Great in bumps, My favorite "all mountain soft snow ski" by far, just has a nice feel to the ski that others don't have. Bombproof bases too!

on sale at Christy's for $299  http://store.christysports.com/catalog/ski_shop/ski/mens_powder_big_mountain_skis/icelantic_pilgrim_ski
Edited by Finndog - 6/25/2009 at 05:13 pm GMT

 So it seems they make them short have you ever felt a loss of control at higher speeds with the shorter ski? Also, how do they handle in the park?

 Check out the Volkl Mantras.  I see that you ski the PNW and this ski really helped me out with the chopped up pow that sets up so quickly here with our high water content snow. My lighter, old  Pocket Rockets weren't doing the trick.  No problems with speed on the Mantras, and they are quick edging. I'm too old for the park so I can't help you out there...  The Mantra's not quite a twin-tip but close.  This ski has won several awards and you see many good skiers on them at Crystal.  See the reviews section on this website.  The Line Prophet 90 is rated as an intermediate ski, so you may want to look at a more advanced twin tip that will challenge you and allow you to grow.   

I don't know who rated it that way, but I definitely disagree.  The prophets are stiffer and less forgiving than a lot of other stuff in the category we're talking about here, and very capable of performing very well for an advanced skier.

skihappy: the big thing you need to decide is where your priorities lie.  The best all-mountain twins are not going to be great in the park, and the best park skis are not going to be great all mountain skis.  Given that you want 1 ski to take everywhere, you should decide if you want a good park ski that's decent everywhere else or a good all-mountain ski that's decent in the park.  The recommendations you've been getting here so far have been skewing to the all-mountain side, and given that you earlier said you were set on the prophets, it sounds like you're ok with that.  Just want to make sure you acknowledge that there will be a compromise to make.

As for where to buy them, I've got no suggestions, all my usual suspect online stores are out of stock.  I'm guessing you missed the boat for the '09's which means your choices would be: buy '10's at a high price, wait until next spring, buy used.  The prophets haven't changed except for graphics in several years so used is a very reasonable option if you find a pair.