Most Memorable Skis You have Owned? And maybe some NOT so memorable...

My biggest delights, in order of acquisition:

Black Diamond Tele Sauvage

Tua Excalibur

Tua Excalibur Mito

Volkl Snowwolf

Dynafit Manaslu

Rossignol S7

Still own: way too many :-)

Nordica Steadfast

Icelantic Shaman

Atomic ST11

Volkl P30 Racecarver

Rossi Strato 102

Head Competition Vector

I still have the first four but, the other two are long gone.

(A - alpine, T - teley)

A - Fischer C4 "red tips" (the SL version) ... very very quick. 

A - Rossi ST comps race stock

A - Rossi FM proto race stock ... wow. remarkably torsionally stiff for their time. Amazing edge hold.

A - Fischer C4 DH   lovely happy happy skis! No speed limit and remarkably easy to ski at any speed.

A - Rossi E 98   Better than anything available even a few short years ago. Great hold, great versatility.

A - Blizzard Bodacious  Smooth, powerful, fun in 3D snow of any type or consistency at any speed. 

T - K2 Piste Off  First really good teley skis I owned. 

T - K2 Piste Stinx  Did it all in their day. The Launchers where just a bigger version of these.

T - Rossi XXX v.1.0   Total and complete epiphany... my first 'fat' ski. Surfing, no more porpoising. Powerful.

                                    Mind was blown after 1 run. These changed the way I looked at terrain and the world. 

T - K2 AK Launcher   wonderfully forgiving all around ski. Toured on it a lot. The XXX was just too heavy to skin much with.

T - Atomic 10 EX    Great spring touring ski. Light, stable, stiff.

T - BD Verdict v.1.0    A lot like the 10EX but wider with a more even flex pattern. Still tour on these. A little early rise would be killer. 

The bad or scary:

T - Kaestle 'Extremes' ... three pins, cables, and leather boots. These things just didn't bend much. 

T - BD Rubicon... god awful foam filled planks that did nothing well. 

T - Rossi XX v 1.0.  just never connected. The XXX was much easier to ski than these for some reason. 

T - BD Zealot... I'm not man enough for the 192's. Fun, but scary.

T - Rossi T4    the 185 is pretty weenie and have a clear speed limit. The 195 are metal filled and absolutely lovely a la the 193 XXX and  

                    195 B4, but unfortunately I bought the 185's. good corn ski though.

A - Rossi Bernard Russi DH... planks. 2 x 6's with a top sheet.

A - Spaulding Sideral...  207's. I was about 15-16 and 165lbs. They were the early season 'rock skis'. Just too big, but they were cheap.

A - Head Rev 105. Gutless noodles. The only 'modern' ski that I felt was a total waste of good time even taking out for a couple 

                            hours of runs. I don't own these, but they made the list because they're just remarkably bad.

Most memorable - Stockli Laser SX (still have)

Most forgettable - Salomon Axendo

Least memorable - Dynastar Tempest

Most Memorable - K2 812

Also a list from best to worst :)

Atomic Bent Chetler 183cm

Lacroix LX Powder 175cm

Atomic GS12 180cm

Fischer RC4 WC GC 180cm

Fischer RX8 175cm

Elan FIS SL ski (from around 2003) 165cm

Rossignol Bandit B3 176cm

Hart Hornet: I was a kid an this was my first metal ski. I know I had a good time on it. I don't really remember the ski

Dynamic VR17s (205 SL and 207 GS)

Head XR1 (205?)

Rossi ROC, ST and DH: fabulous race skis

Fischer RC4 WC (SL 165, GS 188, SG 209, DH 215): ditto

Atomic Fat Boy (165, 180): the short ones are great in the trees, the long ones I tour on

K2 Big Kahuna (190): all around great ski; funny, it's a 10+ year old 88m waist ski. they are all the rage now

The Claw (185): fantastic edge hold, very snappy, light

I haven't skied many skis I didn't like. The Bandit XX was one that I used a lot because at the time, it was my fattest ski, but it wasn't much to speak of except in soft snow.

My list of likes is most of the skis I've owned.

Volkl Kando's very light weight and very intitutive.

Volkl AC40's and AC4's, should have never sold the AC4's.

Volkl AX3's I got a lot better on those skis.

Salomon Super Axe 3V's.

Volkl Gotamas last year of pre-rocker. Great ski with we have snow for them.

Volkl G30 and G31's I was getting better back in those day's.

Pocket Rockets. Great fun ski. I think most people had a pair of them.

Didn't like the Dynastar 4x4 sold them soon after buying them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MastersRacer 

The Claw (185): fantastic edge hold, very snappy, light

I still want a set of those.

I thought I'd add my telemarking wife's most memorable skis:

Tua Toute Neige (74-60-64): she skied these in the 80s/early 90s with Riva cable bindings and ankle-high, leather, Merrell Ultras at Mt. Baker Ski Area, North Cascades backcountry, Mt. Baker backcountry, Mt. Rainier's Muir Snowfield and Nisqually Glacier and Tatoosh Range, and descents Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Hood.  Replaced in the early 90s with the amazing:

Kneissel Tourstar Ultras (90-70-80, carbon & kevlar) with Rainey Superloop bindings and Scarpa T-3s; big advance in all snows, especially powder.  The plain old Tourstar was rebranded as the chocolate topsheet Karhu Outbound which quickly became a telemark powder favorite; she skied her Kneissels, while our guides skied the Outbounds, in waist deep powder around Powder Creek Lodge in B.C..

G3 Aviatrix (116-81-104), with Voile Switchbacks and Scarpa T-3s, her present ski, designed by Paul Parker to be  “the best…one-quiver…all-around telemark ski out there” 

For me there is no question

Volkl P9's back in the early 90's.  There was nothing even remotely close to it back in those days.  Still get misty thinking about it.

Original K2 4

Durafiber XR2

Dynastar Omeglass

Atomic Bionic

Volkl Explosiv SL & RS

Volkl Renntigers

Volkl Snowrangers

Volkl G40

Dynastar Legend Pro

Dynastar XXL

Kastle MX108

My favorite skis were ones I had for only one season.  I bought a new pair of K2 Velocity skis after test-driving them in Utah on my very first trip out west with my wife.  I had them one season and then the integrated plastic binding mount began to delaminate from the rest of the ski.  I took them into the shop over the summer, and they sent them back to K2.  In September, I received a call that a new pair of replacement skis had arrived for me.  When I got to the store, they handed me a brand-new pair of the first K2 Fours.  At first I didn't want them...after all, what the hell was up with this exaggerated cartoon ski?  And how come they were so short at 188?  Where were my good old 200cm GS skis?????

When they told me the company was going exclusively to this "shaped" ski thing and didn't even have any traditional skis in their line-up, I reluctantly accepted them.  The rest.... is history.  I was one of the first guys in my area to have shaped skis and it changed my entire outlook on skiing.  I had those Fours for 5 years, and still think of them fondly.

Most Memorable: K2 Winter Heat, Dynamic VR17, Kastle RX GS,  Volkl P60 GS 

Least: Hexcel Hexcellerator

I have had a lot of skis & I think there is a thread somewhere where we were listing them all.  I will just list the most memorable ones here.

In order of appearance:

*Woodies - brand unknown, my second pair of skis were woodies that my brother painted to look like White Stars.

*Head narrow edge SL's - made my first real carved turns on these.

*Rossi FP's - Undefeated for a full season in the race course on these (didn't say anything about the competition ;) ), massive acceleration off the tails kinda Bode style.

*Fischer Vacuum race stock GS, the white ones (Markus Wasmeier's rejects) - first GS skis I really liked, I thought they were magic!

*Authier  race stock GS (Marco Tonazzi's rejects) - broke them both rigtht under the heal in one bump run.  Loved them while they lasted.

*Dynastar G9's - last pair from the straight ski era.

*Dynastar SF's - one run on these & sold the G9's.

Dynastar SLc's - first pair of shaped SL's, thought I could carve on an ice rink.

Solomon Crossmax 10. - thought this was a true all mountain ski & probably the first non race specific ski I had owned since childhood.

Volkl Racetiger SL's - still skiing on these

*Scott Missions - got them as a powder ski, turned out to be all mtn.

*Rossi S7's - scary fast speeds in some pretty weird snow textures.

*Ski Logic Ullr's Chariot TT - won them in a contest & have turned out to be my faves!

Honorable mention to Volkl 6*'s & Volant powertrack ti's?.

I probably left some others off the list, but if I did they probably weren't that memorable.

Thanks,

JF

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philpug 

 

The G9 was one for the first GS skis with a tip over 90mm...a very important ski.

Yes, I felt they were the first shaped ski of the pre-shaped ski era.  I skied both SL & GS on them & mine were 206cm's, along with powder & everything else.

That is probably why I was on the tails all the time, but I was young, foolish & strong ;) .

The Fischer Vacuums were pretty special as well!

JF

Ah! That's what it was! The FP proto's, not the FM's.... killer skis!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Peters 

Great memories of the Rossi FP. I got to ski a "test" pair the season before they came out. I still remember a fantastic March powder day at Targhee on those skis.

You know what "FP" stood for?

Well I think you were gonna say "For Powder", but I used to say "Fing Perfect".

JF

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philpug 

 

 

The Bad ones...

 

86 Atomic HV6 RS

88 Elan Stealth

 

I am fortunate enough to not have had many stinkers...I have demoed some but never owned. 

 

'98 you mean.

Stinkers.  Could not WAIT to get rid of these as fast as humanly possible:

 Dynastar Max

 Elan CR 03, MD 05

 Elan Omni 6000

 Fischer Radarc (blue/red, the yellow cap version was bearable)

 Fels Trinetic

 Salomon Foil

 Atomic Kongurs

 Elan PSX

 Elan Integra

 '98 Kneissl White Star

 Atomic Metron 9 and lower

 Salomon Scream 10 Pilot (Xtra Hot) <- still leaves a bad taste

 Blizzard Sigma FR 22

 Blizzard Sigma twintip (XXL era?)

 Scott P2

 Elan MO2.2  (not the MO2, that was OKish)

 Elan MBX  14

Anybody who's been around for a while will not be surprised to hear that my most memorable ski is the first generation Kästle RX National Team SG.  Memorable for being able to make a relatively short turn without histrionics and still stable enough not to reach their speed limit straight-lining any run at Mt. Tremblant.  Also memorable for the perfect tune I found when I peeled off the sticky cover from the bases.  I still take my 208s out once a while, although the 215s I demoed might be more memorable for the burning in my legs at the bottom of Expo.

PS still looking forward to finding their speed limit; I've felt I was close a few times, but never really got there.

Favorites

 Dynamic Jean Marc Bovian (SP?) pro model

Volkl Explosive II

Volkl p11 Amp

volkl p20 rs super

Volkl Allstar

Head Im 88

kastle mx 88

Blizzard m-power

Nordica patron

Future fav.  nordica edt 84

Skis I didnt love

Volkl Carver plus- first ever ski magazine ski of the year- my most disappointing volkl purchase ever

Rossi super s7-  we didnt mesh!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Peters 

Great memories of the Rossi FP. I got to ski a "test" pair the season before they came out. I still remember a fantastic March powder day at Targhee on those skis.
You know what "FP" stood for?

I thought the FP stood for Fibre-Plastic. http://tonale.myblog.it/media/00/01/33e97302a04f695ab5c9b4add51ad12a.pdf

I owned a few a pair of FPs. Great ski if you charged like a Mongol Horseman.

I'll play...

Golden days of yesteryear:

• Dynastar Pulsar
• Olin Mark IV
• Olin Mark VI
• Dynastar MV5 Geant

The Shape Ski revolution:

• Volkl P40 F1
• Volkl Supersport 5-Star
• Volant Machete Sin
• Elan M777
• Stockli Stormrider XL (original red, white, & blue)

My current skis that are likely to be memorable for me 10 years from now:

• Blizzard G-Power
• Stockli Rotor 76
• Scott Crusade
• DPS Wailer 112RP