New Skis for Mammoth: Losing weight!

Hello all!  Been a lurker here for almost a year and a half and this place is a veritable cornucopia of information!

I'm at a bit of a loss for which skis to buy this year as I'm losing weight...20 pounds so far and expecting another 10-15 by the Spring ski season at Mammoth.  I'm 33, 5'10", and currently 178 pounds. These past few years I've been skiing around 195 pounds having topped off at 198 so I'm in for a different skiing experience this year.  I'm a solid 7 skier working on better black carving and mogul technique.  I'm also starting to have fun venturing into the crud and trees just off groomed piste runs and becoming more and more adventurous as my confidence grows.

 

Recently I've been presented with a few bargain ski deals and would really appreciate some input as to what people recommend for a primarily Mammoth 70/30 Spring ski.  I've more or less narrowed my best local bargains to the following:

1. Nordica Nitrous '09: 170 or 178
2. Nordica Afterburner '08: 170 or 178
3. Head Monster IM82 '09: 171 or 177
4. Head Monster IM78 '09: 171 or 177

I've been around and around on this site and others trying to narrow my choices down to these four, but am stuck on length choice (weight loss) and waist width (envisioning perhaps 1 foot of powder at most).

Unfortunately, living in the southeast I have zero chance to demo everything so I'm flying a bit blind with this purchase.  Still, the deals are good enough I feel I can take a chance on one of the above.

Your enlightened recommendations would be most welcome and appreciated!

I don't know much about those skis but go with the longer lengths. I weight 160 and ski lengths around 180.

good luck

The best skis for your needs are not on your list. Among the skis that are on your list....the Nordie AB is hard to beat.

SJ

Thank you both for your replies! My options are pretty limited as my bargains are at a local big box clearance. I was surpised with what they DID have actually. Still, I've seen a lot of your posts in particular SJ and know enough not to go too much against your suggestions. I'm curious as to what you think would be a more appropriate ski for my situation. I am pretty athletic and in pretty good aerobic shape due to soccer. Regarding the AB, would the 178 be too much? I've read many reviews, but most seemed to have been on the 170.

Head IM82 would be too much ski imho.

 Origin, the last time I was at Peter Glenn on Roswell Road they had a couple of pairs of Legend 8000's in 178 for a good price that may be exactly what you need.

Noted and struck from the list.  Thanks, Mr. Jones. :)

I have the Nitrous in a 178 and really like them for days when conditions are firm due to no snow for awhile.
Rather then the Dynastar 8000 series how about some wider Mythic Riders. A great deal here on new 07/08 with bindings http://cgi.ebay.com/Dynastar-Mythic-Rider-178cm-07-08-Ski-w-PX14-Ti-WB_W0QQitemZ190343755150QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSkiing?hash=item2c515f358e
I am your height and weight and ride 184 Mythic Riders as my daily driver at Mammoth. Everyone here knows how much I love that ski, as I always talk it up as a great everyday ski. Now, I have 105 underfoot skis that I use in any new snow, but at 184, I would not hesitate to use the MR in up to 6"-12" of fresh snow as they float me pretty well. I just like a flat camber/wider ski for those conditions.
So I am with SJ. I think a ski that is 88-99 underfoot in a 178-183 would be better for you at Mammoth.

Concur w/Liv..  I ski mammoth alot and have found that skis in the 85-100 mm are a good daily driver..  Hey Liv do you like your MR's better than your old Thunders?   I currently ski the Thunder as my daily driver...  Curious as I seriously looked at that ski before I settled on the Thunder..  I find find the Thunder a blast btw....

Really appreciate your thoughts guys.  I'll definitely check out PG either tomorrow or Saturday (Largest Ski & Snowboard Sale in the South: Southeast Winter Sports Show 2009 - Atlanta!).  So, in your respective opinions, 85-100 is a good daily ski even with a 70/30 lean toward groomed blue/black and black runs?  Granted I am skiing more in the side crud and down chair lift lanes more and more, but the gents I go with stick almost exclusively to the center of groomed runs.  Last year they just had to wait while I worked my way down an alternate path along the same runs. :)

Hmmmm...Thunders, let me count the ways I love thee. You know, they are very different from each other. The Thunders have more pop and energy, the MR is more damp and solid. The MR is easier to ski. The Thunders want to be driven hard and will punk you into the backseat if you aren't up to driving them. If you are an excellent skier, that likes a lively ski with lots of energy, buy the Thunders. If your ok and getting better (that would be me) the MR is not as demanding. Skiing from the top of Mammoth in off piste conditions, I like the feel of the MR better as it doesn't get bumped around as easily as the lighter Thunders. The Thunders feel faster, so if I am on groomers, give me the Thunders. The MR feels like it has a little bit better float in soft snow. Maybe the tips and tail are a little softer than the Thunders which are pretty stiff. Because they are stiff, the Thunders are really good on what I would call icy conditions/sections at Mammoth, but the MR is pretty good too. Both are my favorite every day ski. I just need to really be on my game on the Thunders when it gets steep. BTW, my Thunders were 06/07?, which I read was stiffer than the last 2 years production. I keep watching Tramdock hoping to score the newer generation ski for cheap. I just hasn't popped up yet.

I also really like the Thunders in most conditions up to about 6" fresh..  I ski the 07/08 177's which are quick, lively with lots of rebound..  You do have to stay on them however, as you stated..  I also have a pair of 183 stiff Bro's which I ski when it's cut up fresh/crud and they are better crud busters than the Thunders, don't get pushed around as much and provide better float, but I find them to be a handful, you REALLY need to bring your A game on these skis or they will buck you off like an angry bull..  They almost killed me last year on one of the Avi chutes off 22, got me up on 1 ski in a pretty steep section (I'm too old for that)..  Anyway thx for the info.....

Hey, 1SDSkier, now that we have jacked this thread, just a few more comments.
My Thunders are the 187, which like your Bros, will buck you off if your not really on them. I can appreciate the Avi chutes comments, as honestly, I never took the Thunders down 1 or 2, just 3 as it looked to much for me.
I live in Coronado, so we should meet up sometime.