Wife's 2005 Volkl Attiva 5 Stars - Ski Shop Wants To Euthanize

Every time you tune them a little bit of base is ground off. 150-175 days is a lot of days. Give them a Viking funeral for Ullr.

My wife also has 5*, but still a bit left on them. Amazing skis in hindsight. I'll make some suggestions based on my own experience (have skied longer 5* and other Volkls, my wife's skied the Tierras.)

 

Sadly, I don't think Volkl makes skis like the 5* anymore. Blizzard does. (With assistance from all the Volkl engineers they stole.) Assuming you're talking about a one ski quiver for her, I'd strongly recommend your wife try the Viva 7.6 or 8.1. These will be as good or better on ice and hardpack than the Volkls, and a lot more fun everywhere else. More to the point, they replicate the sense of the 5*, a do-everything, fairly substantial carver that could kick back or blast depending on your mission. The Volkls you mention are just too, ah, substantial now for kicking back. Or life in soft snow and moguls...

 

If you have $$$ to spend on her (never a bad idea, will come back to you in many ways), and she likes to hit softer as well as harder snow, then get her a pair of Kastle LX82's. Check out reviews here. Have also heard good things from female friends about the Dynastar Exclusive Active, which appears to be a female specific version of the 4x4, nuff said. 

 

 

FYI - Kastle makes the MX78 in a 144 and a 152. Skiershop in Stowe has both as well as an MX70 in 152 (I just got my wife on the 160 and she loves it).

If you are willing to consider a used demo ski, Powder7.com has the MX78 in both 144cm and 152cm.  I purchased my RXs from them and their condition was accurately described by the site.  There is no way I could afford a new pair of Kastle's so a used pair was the only option for me.

 

http://www.powder7.com/sale-skis/brand/Kastle-Skis

 

Good luck on your search!

 

Mike

You're a wise man

Take a look at dawgcatching reviews of some current narrow carving skis here:

 

 http://www.epicski.com/forum/thread/99620/2011-sub-80mm-skis-from-fischer-dynastar-kastle-blizzard-head-nordica-stockli-elan

 

As a fellow Killington skier, I understand why your wife like the 5 stars.  I was on a pair of Fischer RX8s (similar ski with 66mm waist) for several years and replaced them last year with the Fischer Progressor 8+.  All the grip of the RX8 but wider (72mm) and more versatile.  Forerunner and Peak Performance both carry Fischers.

I agree with JimH on the Fischers.  Your wife might really like the Progressor 8+.  I loved mine, but sold them when I got the Kastle RX last spring.  Can't afford to own two carvers that are so similar.

 

Mike

 

Hi!  I am an elderly lady with almost the same stats as your wife, but 72 years of age!  I have skied most of my life, taught skiing, and raced.  I use my Attiva 5 stars for just about every condition, plus Nastar.  I also have Race Tiger Slaloms for groomed, soft or hard.  Then I added G3 Nectars for just about anything but real hard ice, but they are tender to tune, or I am the princess and the pea about tuning!  I need my skis to be under me, and to be able to feel I have control.  So this year my husband and I both added Wagners from Telluride, but they are for all the lovely powder we have been getting.  When I am not sure of what I will get into, I take my Attiva 5 stars.  They are always there for me.  So mine will not get euthanized!  I havemostly skied Volkl's, and I tried the Tierra and thought it was too soft.  I have not tried the Fuego's, but they sound good.  I have usually used non women specific skis, but just loved the Attiva's when I got them about 3 years ago.  Guess I have to find the next generation! 

The newer women's volkls lack the "pop" the old ones had. If you could find her fuegos or tierras from two years back she'd prolly like them a lot. As a lover of the older volkls I might suggest she try the blizzards as well, but I would stay with the viva 8.1, not 7.6, if she loved the 5stars. I also recently tried the nordica fire arrow 74 and was pleasantly surprised by it.

For reference my eastern skis are two years ago Tierras. I would not buy the current version. However let your wife try em all and see how she feels - different skis for diffent folks

Seems like alot of old Volkl skiers are making the switch to Blizzard!!  Who would have ever imagined.  Oh wait it happened to me too!

Nah... couldn't have anything to do with the ski tech people... they couldn't be the same people designing the skis...

 

BTW 2 years ago when Volkl rolled out their biologic line (and killed the pop) in their women's line I spoke to some reps and told them how disappointed I was in what they'd done to the Fuego and Tierra. I was skiing them at a "next years demo day", and had demo'd the original Fuego that fall, and own the 2nd gen Tierra (the Attiva AC3 is the first gen and I own those too!) The rep didn't seem to care as all he'd heard from women skiers was how they wanted "easier to ski" and "easier to release from turns". Well their loss I guess is Blizzard's gain. :)

I skied Killington the last 2 seasons on my Attiva S5 and loved them but have been getting into the bumps and trees and wanted something softer. If anyone is interested in these (154 cm), let me know. I just posted to CL Boston but could meet up at Killington. They're in excellent shape. never seen a roof rack and barely a rock!

BTW, I got the Lotta Luvs and am having fun with them tho i never thought I'd like a ski so different from the Volkl's.

What about the Dynastar Sensation or 6th Sense? I skied on Volkl Wren Tigers and it's later iterations for years, including the 5 Stars. I liked the Dynastars because they felt like a lot of ski rather than "girls' skiis". They are fast with a good quick edge but a nice riding ski. And a bit less effort for great performance. Length is key if she's really aggressive. Hope this helps.

How did the hunt go Falcon_0?

 

If you really wanna make her smile, add the Blizzard Crush to her quiver and she'll have a great powder ski to compliment her groomer ski........Trust me