Big dude expert one quiver skis

     Is this a joke? Maybe? Its the same deal every year. First off I'm 6ft 225 and have size 12 foot. Not that that means anything to a sub 200 lb guy with size 10.5 feet but to us bigger guys it seems to mean alot in choosing a ski and binding placement.

     i would consider myself an expert type skier. I can ski any thing any were. The problem for me is it takes 3 sets of skis to do this at that level!! A friend of mine who skis with me uses one set of skis for all conditions. He has size 9.5 feet comes in at 170lbs 38 years old. He skis Experience 88 skis and kills everything even Champaign powder wist deep with this ski. He has demo bindings on them and I tryed them and loved them also except in powder i sank like a rock. Hes a certified high level 3 skier. In Canada thats a very high certification that arnt just given out to anyone. We are very close in style.

      For me now. I were my Nordica Jetfuels for hard days. At 83 under foot they ski everything very well except icy bumps. Soft bumps no problem i can zipper them. Icy bumps a little skiff and wide in the tip. Crud busters for sure also. Powder sink like a rock.

     I bought some EP pros last year for powder days. Awesome powder ski to say the least!! Well at least light pow. Heavy powder not so much as the tips flex up to much in heavy powder cement. Also once a run has been chopped up by noon they deflect off everything also.

     I have some prophet98 also thinking they would be a good compromise when unsure of the conditions. They are. Just again not the greatest in deeper say above knee powder performance. They are however the best all rounder Ive skis so far.

     My questing is.... is there a ski that a big dude would recommend that may possibly be a one ski quiver yet? I see all these reviews saying the Opus is and the line influence 115. The Volkl Kantana, Lines Francis Bacon, Buzzard Cochise, Icelandic Keepers. You get the drift. They problem is most of the reviews are under 200lbs that are saying this. The average weight of all the testers out of 15 testers in most mags are 150-170lbs. What I would find to be a noodle they find to be stiffer flex.

    Were I live in Northern BC we cant demo most of these skis. There are demo days but to have a day were you can try a ski in all conditions is rare. If any of you big guys out there have a recommendation of a ski that might meet these requirements please do tell. I'm really wishing for a ski that can carve technical turns at speed,bust crud with authority, ski heavy and light powder with ease in the bowls and trees. Hard charging do it all ski. What you got that does it all?? if there is such a ski for us bigger dudes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rossi Smash 

Why would you want only one pair of skis? 

Good point. But I ski 70+ days a year. Theres days when I'm skiing on the Nordicas I find some powder. No point in going to the parking lot or if I logged the EPs to the rack swap skis just to get back to the powder stash and find while i was gone some boards ripped it up.  Skiing it with the Jetfuels isn't as much fun. Its OK but figure I could do better. I figure if I had a better all round ski days like that that happen more than any other day would be the ticket. Ive bought so many skis based on reviews until I woke up and realized the reason they are so good for them was they are much lighter skiers. There is a Huge difference I'm finding with these newer skis in the last 10 years. When we all had straight skis the only real difference was length. Now with shape and so many flexes and rockers having the right ski for the job gets harder than buying a chocolate bar!!

   White room Ill take a look at those. My buddy's a Nordica rep hear. Ill see if he will let me take a pair out for a day when theres variable conditions.

  Hears an interesting day coming tomorrow. We just receives 60cm of fresh light powder yesterday. Woke up today to hit the slopes and they closed because the temperature warmed up from -10 to +3 C and now its raining!!! They said the only line up would have been at the first aid shack with broken legs so closed. Tonight its going back down to -10 with highs of -5 Sunday, tomorrow. What ski do i ski?

   Case and point. The EP,s might be good in the morning because the wet heavy snow from today might get crystallized enough to lighten up. Or the just the top layer because theres not enough time to penetrate down to the lower sections of fresh over night. The snow is very saturated now. I just came in from digging down and its wet to the bottom. Or there will be a crust on top light layer under for 4 or 5 inches with still saturated snow under that?? Might be just wise to rip groomers all day. but what if the untouched fresh 60cm of snow is good? Be nice to have a ski on that could handle all the variables without having to swap skis. Thats why .

  If it didn't rain today it would have been an EP day all day for sure. Theres always many many days that are variable over straight pow days. Also the days you'll be ripping groomers are very predictable also. Its every thing else between. With all the new tech out there is why I asked the Question. Because there sure seems to be guys raving about what the Opus is as the one ski quiver. I'm going to try those tomorrow along with the Influence 115 as a matter of fact. If any of those skis can ski the powder tomorrow and rip the icy groomers i will be amazed!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

listen to Whiteroom.

Yes. I accually spend the day doing some review googleing on the Giris and went down to see my buddy and fondel them at his shop. Very nice ski construction. I dont know why I never noticed them before. I mean i looked at them but never gave them a second thought? I guess I always thought of Nordicas as all mountain rippers not big mountain or powder skis. Any way there a site called Blister gear. these guys are lighter also but very compelling reviw they gave the Girish for all condintions. Ill for sure have it on my to try short list. Thanks. Hears the review from these guys. http://blistergearreview.com/gear-reviews/review-2011-2012-nordica-girish-185cm  
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by SierraJim 

I'm close to your weight and you're waaaaaay overthinking this. Narrow, medium, wide. That's what you need to cover all the bases and that's what you already have. You're covered........go ski.

 

OK.....If you absolutely have to have only one, then the medium is the one. Your medium is a P-98, mine is a Blizz Bonafide either one is great among many others. If you really think you really need something wider than 98mm then a then a Dynastar Legend 105 or Line Influence 105 would be a great call.

 

But Dude,....you're covered....go ski.

 

SJ

Your right I'm covered I know. Today was demo day and after 75cm of powder Thursday and Friday it rained like crazy Friday night. So bad that they closed Saturday. Today Sunday the conditions were icy boiler plate actually. That being said I took the opportunity to try some skis. i tryed the Armada TST on icy groomers. It surprised me how well it held an edge. Really no problem at all. My doughtier skied a pair of Line Celebrity 100,s and she slayed in with 100mm under foot on ice!! They never had a Kantana for me to try. Oh well. I tryed some new volkl front side skis with tip and tail rocker that were light and pretty good. I did like my Jetfuels better then them all though. Just thought i would let ya know how these skis skied ice. Very well all of them. Still want to try the Grish. Thats my next demo. On ice though as I know they will ski powder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1911nut 

I'm 5'10" and 220lbs and just took my 185 Girishs out on nothing but hard pack groomers this past weekend.  They handled great and I had not problem controlling them at all speeds.  Not so much fun on the bumps but then again, I hate bumps anyway and always avoid them.  Now if only it would snow south of the 70 so I could get these damned things out into some powder.

Cool I can wait to try them also. If they handel ice they can handel anything at that width. We have been getting lots of snow up north but it the inbetween storms that is getting to warm or there to far apart. I tryed the AC50 also today. Nice ski. Just the right flex for charging. That in a 107-110 waist with a little bit of tip rocker would be the ultimate tool for me!!

Ha ha. I know its very frustrating let me tell you!! I live in the middle of know wear in a small town with only 2 ski shops. 3 now this year. They over lap brands. Not to much in the way of demos. I was at one demo day but they only had two sets of skis. There all sold out of the good ones. The other two only never demo and except for maybe two year old skis!!! I read all the mags and search forums to see what out there and there's a lot of info for sure!! That's the problem. Most of the skis everyone talks about we don't even have in town. The next closest town of any size is 800 KM away!! 500miles. My everyday ski is the Nordica Jetfuels. Rips everything real well just rotten in powder. We get 2ft dumps very often up hear close to the Rockies in Northern BC at Powder King. I got a great deal end of season on the EP pro. I love them in deep powder. Used them yesterday in the morning in knee deep powder then swaped to the Jetfuels in the afternoon once the pow was cut to pieces everywhere!! They get bucked being so soft in snowboard cut powder. There's way more snowboarders than skiers up hear. Most level 3 or 4 instructors ski 78-80 waisted skis like the Volkl ac30, Dobermans ect.. They practice all day everyday on the groomed and technical turns in powder. I'm the black sheep. I train with them but LOVE to free ride all over the mountain. i just don't want to stop and change skis all the time that's all.

   Yes I did buy to soft of powder ski but only for not so deep days. Ill keep these for epic days when I get a more all rounder. I just cant try them before I buy them that's the biggest problem hear!! I don't want to make the same mistake twice. I want very good quality and all round good performance that will last. The Jetfuels are getting fried now. The rebound is close to snapped out them with over 200 days on them. Great ski though!! Onp3 sounds interesting as does the new Goode with wood cores now. Ive always like goods products. I have a set carbon poles i bought in 1990 I still use in like new condition!! Unreal good poles. If there new skis are anything like there water skis now they are finally coming of age. I really like the Goode 98 waisted ski and there 106 sounds interesting also? DPS? 112 not so sure that much rocker is a good thing at high speeds on groomers. The tst sure was a waist of time. i thought I was going to break that ski it was so floppy!!

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by skeeter984 

Hey whipper, I've never seen an "expert skier" ask for advice on skis from a bunch of clowns on the Internet. Have you considered trying some to see what works best for you?
My rule of thumb is skier weight, height and "advertised level" are somewhat linked; here's my example. I'm about 5'7" and 158lbs, I purchase a pair of skis every two years for eastern skiing BUT not without trying them first. I don't believe anything from any magazine. I think they're all valid reviews, but think skiers put too much value in a review and editors know that! Because I'm small, I go for more of an intermediate ski than a stiff unforgiving one. Keep in mind, a lot of manufacturers do not adjust the underfoot sizing with ski length, making them disproportionate; as well it takes a lot of power to turn a ski and there are a lot of great skis today that are powerful, yet stable and easy to turn... All day. My personal preference is Fischer, that's just a preference.
While I have been skiing well over thirty years, the turns that make me happy don't depend on geography or type of terrain, but on who I'm with and sometimes the weather... And how cold I'm getting. As I'm sure you know, because you posted it, " I can ski anything anywhere" doesn't mean anything unless you are having fun and You're able to ski anything anywhere and are having fun. Hopefully it is with friends and/or family.
Good luck and be safe!

BTW I ski with my son and daughter 40 or 50 days a season. Sons skiing at Castle right now for week and my daughter is a retired fiss racer. She like to just ski the whole mountain now. The whole racer regiment was getting a little boring skiing the same run all day everyday. She just likes to ski. She is set up great. Has her race skis for hard ice days and her Blizzard Crush for every other day. Son has JJ,s for most days and Alpha1,s for big airs in the park flips and that sorta stuff. More freestyle orientated were my daughter and I are more technical background skier type. Ive been skiing 42 years. In the late 70,s was a Comp bump skier. Still athletic cant spell love to go fast and don't care if it snows or not. Just ski what ever the day brings. But I'm just admiring all the new skis out there and am ready for another pair. With all the new types out there i just want to try and make the best educated decision I can is all. That's the tough park since I'm not to educated.

The owner of the shop sold them to me. I accually love them on deep days. Only untracked though. I was looking at the Wrens? Never even heard of them but they look sweet and I like the 30 radius and 113 under foot. I could ski those any were Ill bet. The 191 has 162 cm side cut. That should be plenty of edge for hard days. I can rail the 127 underfoots so railing 113 should seem pretty good. Also there Vicik is an interesting offering also. Same side cut length in a shorter radius as the Wren with 104 under foot. 26R. I like the 26r but the 191 and 30R at 162 under foot seems pretty burly and stomp ready. I really loike the legand pro also The 105 was calling my name. Im still toying with that ski as an option for sure. Thanks for all the input guys!!! The price point is good on the ON3P and they seem to use very good materials over a lot of the majors. Bambo core Carbon fiber stingers 35% thinker bases in a light ski. Sounds great!! Hmm

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Lindahl 

ecimmortal is right on

 

The EP Pros are VERY soft skis, built for a lightweight rider who likes to butter around the mountain. Whoever sold you those needs to be fired. You need something stiffer and burlier to support your size. The Caylors or Wrenegades would be great for someone your size. Aside from ON3P, SkiersRealm has some decent suggestions. I'd also suggest looking at the Legend Pro 115, just so you have more options that are not tail-rockered.

Lord Thomas,

    Glad to see I'm not the only one. Get your wife on the Blizzard Crush. Really they are the bomb!! My daughter just kills everything with them even Icy groomers! Totally impressed with that ski for her. She tryed the Line Celeb's and liked them but Loved the Crush so much we bought them. They really hold an edge. I'm taking some Gotamas out on Saturday to try. Coming off -45 temps to -14 Saturday with a foot of fresh. The 193 Zealot sounds god also. I think your right on the bamboo cored skis though. i really would like try some. We dont have any for 800 Miles of were I live but poppy wide soft snow groomer ski/knee deep powder skis are what Im looking for. I want to launch from turn to turn on firm groomers like my race skis with some width to handel some not so deep powder days with crud busting authority. Thats all.