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Choosing an east coast ski

#1
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8/2/09 at 7:58pm
  • Joined: August 2009
  • Post Count: 3
I am an advanced/ expert skier looking to buy my first pair of skis.  I have done rentals for the last several years but am now ready for my own ski.  I'm 5'11" and about 160 and ski in the east/ midwest (so at times can be real icy).  Like I said I have only skied lower level skis and need a ski that is more fitting to my level.  I do pretty much everything on piste and ski blacks w/ ease.  I'm not concerned about powder as I already own a pair of k2 pe's.  I am considering a Volkl Tigershark 10 ft. but am open to any other suggestions.

Thanx
Edited by eastskier44 - 8/3/2009 at 10:02 pm GMT
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#2
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8/2/09 at 8:27pm
  • Joined: October 2005
  • Post Count: 77
Fischer still makes the RX8 which is a good ski on ice, The Progressor series 8 or 9 will also do the job.  Head Supershapes,  The Volk's are nice

Sub 70 waist skis are a lot less common than they used to be but for hard pack and ice I still prefer them over a 70+ ski..  The RC4 SC from Fischer is a great ski but a bit more racing oriented than the RX or Progressor series..  I love Fischer skis as you can tell, but there are certainly other excellent options..  The Kastle RX is a great hard pack ski but quite costly.. and while I prefer a sub 70 ski on hard pack.. a lot of the 70-75 waist skis do just fine on ice and hard pack, the contruction is the key..


Demo days are usually a plenty in December so try and find a mountain where you can spend a day demoing and see what feels best for you.. most of the major manufacturers will have something that at least on paper will meet your needs..

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#3
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8/3/09 at 7:56am
  • Joined: August 2009
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What length?
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#4
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8/3/09 at 1:48pm
  • Joined: April 2008
  • Location: NY State
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The best length advice is to demo.  For the Head Supershapes that Skizoo mentioned, folks at your level and size seem split between 170 cm and 165 cm.  Those who weigh more or who bend the heck out of their skis mostly go with the 170s.

All of the skis that Skizoo mentioned are good options for you, but remember that hold in ice or hardpack also requires sharp, well-tuned edges and solid technique.  So, don't forget to touch up the tune on your new skis frequently so you're ready when it's icy.  There are a lot of shops out there that will give you a bad tune or remove too much material.  Learn to maintain your own skis or find a tuner that you trust (possibly one that the local racing community favors.) 


finesse + balance + a big grin  =  skiing
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#5
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8/3/09 at 4:07pm
  • Joined: April 2007
  • Location: N-H
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Tigershark 10fts aren't a bad place to start. You might want to add the 12ft to your list, as it rips just as hard on the groomers, and adds a little more waist for softer conditions. I use mine for literally everything that I ski here in NH when I'm not on my race skis. I have considered upgrading to Bridges to fill my gap, but I feel that the 12ft does everything I need it to. I ski mine in a 175, with no powerswitch.

So I heard you like Mudkips...

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