(My other 2005/06 reviews are here.)
Random stats: 17 runs, ~20,000 vertical feet, 9 pairs of skis
Conditions: Loveland reported 5” of new snow on a 40" base, but opened new sections of the mountain. It was definitely a powder day! The conditions were mostly natural snow (some scraped to manmade between bumps on Spillway) powder and crud, with soft snow bumps. Deep crud and powder off chair 4. The “lap” was up chair 1, down Spillway (bumps/hardpack) to Mambo (arcing), up chair 6 and down Blackjack for softsnow/powder early in the day, up chair 4 and down North Chutes or Perfect Bowl/Scrub later in the day (we were getting powder shots until we left at 3pm!). Great conditions for getting a real sense of how skis handled in a majority of Colorado conditions.
My specs: 6’, 170lbs. male, 35th season skiing, PSIA level II cert. Ski fast, love to turn, enjoy the “arc and spark”, and powder. Gearhead. Do this because it’s fun for me and I get to hang with friends.
I honestly hope that you get something from it, too.
My own equipment (04/05 season): Tecnica Icon Race XT17 boots, 165cm Fischer RX8 Railflex II and 162cm Atomic Metron m:b5 skis, Goode and Leki poles, Marker helmet and goggles.
This review consists of my thoughts and impressions of these skis. As all should know and as Noodler and I discussed much of the day, ski impressions are driven by personal preference, technique, preferred sensations, and so on. Some have said that we prefer skis that mask our technique issues. Probably true. We also probably prefer those that our technique can really use. So, this is not doctrine. Simply what I think about what I felt.
Skiing style/technique: I have asked some ski instructors and race coaches to describe my skiing to give you an idea of my technical ability. Here's what they had to say: "dynamic, smooth, efficient. Good turn completion. Occasional tendency not to move down the hill on initiation that is easily corrected when you think about it." "...skiing looked generally quite good. You seem to ski a pretty aggressive line and generally in balance. Your turns are generally carved, even on the pitches. The thing I did notice that I would comment on if I were coaching you was a stance that seemed a bit narrow, and a turn initiation that seemed a bit steery." "...you are a technically strong, aggressive skier with a bias toward power rather than finesse. Smooth and fast!!
" Noodler skied with me most of the day, so may have some additional comments about my technique on the various skis.
Preference in skis: If you consider the skis that I prefer, you'll see that I like 'em light and lively. I like a lot of snow feel and energy in the ski. I prefer a slalom racing ski feel for my personal skis, and I love the carve.
Skis are listed in order tested. Dimensions were not recorded, since they are readily available.
Ski Make: Head
Ski Model: Monster i.M 77
Length: 170
Comments: Early in the day, the skis I most wanted to try were out, so these were the first I tried. I am used to a ski that's 76 underfoot, but these were quite different, obviously. The ski was very stable, able to carve nice, long, lazy turns. In the bumps, the primary technique was a pivot at the crest, but they didn't care for the hardpack. The powder was fun, but the skis just didn't really shine for me. Nothing special, but nice, stable, effective skis with a mid-range turn radius.
Ski Make: Blizzard
Ski Model: X-Cross Pro IQ
Length: 173
Comments: A very fun ski! It arced nicely in the bumps, on the hardpack, and down the smooth snow. Even thought it's turn radius wasn't much shorter than the 77, it sure felt like it! In the powder, it motored through quite nicely, and provided plenty of stability even in the cut-up. Definitely worth a demo--if you can find them!
Ski Make: Blizzard
Ski Model: Titan 8
Length: 175
Comments: After Noodler's comments last week, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I rather liked this ski. It was clearly not most at home in the bumps and hardpack, but was able to carve longer turns well, was very stable, and motored through the powder and crud easily. Definitely a worthwhile freeride ski, but no real outstanding characteristics.
Ski Make: Elan
Ski Model: Magfire 12
Length: 168
Comments: I was ready to like this ski, given how much I enjoyed the S12 in the past. However, I went away with an impression that the ski did not shine in any of the conditions of the day. It didn't have a lot of life in the bumps or on hardpack, it didn't arc especially nicely, and it got tossed around a bit in the powder and crud. Unfortunately unimpressive.
Ski Make: Elan
Ski Model: M999
Length: 177
Comments: After listening to Noodler rave about these, I decided I needed to give them a ride. These are noodles, with a 99mm waist and a bit of a twin-tip. They are very attractive skis, with a wood laminate appearance. The skis seemed well-suited to their target (100% off-piste), and were reasonably comfortable on the groomed. They did OK on the softer portions of the bumps, too. This was the first ski I took over to chair 4 and the North Chutes, and they were imperturbable in the powder and cut-up. Of course, Noodler wanted them back when we got to that terrain, since he was on the Head SuperShape. Worth a demo and nice for very deep snow.
Ski Make: Head
Ski Model: Worldcup i.SuperShape CP 13
Length: 165
Comments: I grabbed these when Noodler was done. When I picked them up, I thought, "Wow! These are heavy!" Then, I realized that I had said it out loud, and also the irony of it, given that the b5s are my primary skis. Noodler tried them, too, and they are heavy (although not as heavy as the b5). I was looking forward to these, based on all the raves from the other sites.
On the hardpack and bumps, they turned very well. They held on the hardpack, and carved nice arcs on the groomed. We headed back to chair 4, and I thought that they handled reasonably well in the soft, too, for the type of ski that they are, but they did get thrown around a bit in the crud. I believe that I could feel the fact that these are vertical sidewall skis. Worth a demo; a couple of the other guys really liked them a lot.
Break for lunch...
Ski Make: Volkl
Ski Model: Mantra
Length: 177
Comments: This is another ski that I was looking forward to skiing given all of the comments about it here on EpicSki as well as from Noodler last week. I certainly understand how folks enjoy it. It feels like a Volkl, with the lightness and power of the wood core contributing to a great ski feel. It held reasonably well on the hardpack for a ski this wide, but certainly shined in the soft. It motored through the powder, crud, and soft bumps. A very steady performer, and definitely recommended.
Ski Make: Volkl
Ski Model: Unlimited AC3
Length: 170
Comments: The first transition ski that I really liked when I was moving to shaped skis was the Volkl G3, an ancestor of this ski. I still really like what Volkl is doing with this ski. It is light, energetic, holds an edge like you'd expect, carves on the groomed, and is a lot of fun. However, in the fresh snow and cut-up, it got tossed around a bit. The liveliness of the ski has a downside in those conditions. For those who will ski limited soft snow, definitely worth a demo.
Ski Make: Atomic
Ski Model: Metron:B5
Length: 162
Comments: This was my "gold standard" from last year. I decided to get back on them to end the day to see how I felt about them compared to all of the other skis I had been on today (and last week). So, with some curiosity, I pushed off.
Wow! These locked into a carve on the bumps of Spillway like nothing else had (including the 172s). From soft bumps through the hardpack, the skis ripped off turn after turn. On the groomed, they clearly arced tighter turns than any of the other skis I had been on, but still allowed me to stretch the turns and pick up speed.
Again curious, I jumped off chair 4 and headed to the powder stashes we had skied on the other skis, most notably the Mantra and AC3. Following as close to an identical line as I could while still finding freshies. From my perspective, they were as stable and smooth in the soft, fresh, and cut-up snow as the Mantras (or the 999s).
In short, these are still the gold standard for me. They ski everything well. I feel like a hero on these skis, and Noodler seemed to agree (I'll let him add any thoughts about my technique or anything else that he wants to say).
I'll be on 162cm M:B5s again this season.
Random stats: 17 runs, ~20,000 vertical feet, 9 pairs of skis
Conditions: Loveland reported 5” of new snow on a 40" base, but opened new sections of the mountain. It was definitely a powder day! The conditions were mostly natural snow (some scraped to manmade between bumps on Spillway) powder and crud, with soft snow bumps. Deep crud and powder off chair 4. The “lap” was up chair 1, down Spillway (bumps/hardpack) to Mambo (arcing), up chair 6 and down Blackjack for softsnow/powder early in the day, up chair 4 and down North Chutes or Perfect Bowl/Scrub later in the day (we were getting powder shots until we left at 3pm!). Great conditions for getting a real sense of how skis handled in a majority of Colorado conditions.
My specs: 6’, 170lbs. male, 35th season skiing, PSIA level II cert. Ski fast, love to turn, enjoy the “arc and spark”, and powder. Gearhead. Do this because it’s fun for me and I get to hang with friends.
I honestly hope that you get something from it, too.My own equipment (04/05 season): Tecnica Icon Race XT17 boots, 165cm Fischer RX8 Railflex II and 162cm Atomic Metron m:b5 skis, Goode and Leki poles, Marker helmet and goggles.
This review consists of my thoughts and impressions of these skis. As all should know and as Noodler and I discussed much of the day, ski impressions are driven by personal preference, technique, preferred sensations, and so on. Some have said that we prefer skis that mask our technique issues. Probably true. We also probably prefer those that our technique can really use. So, this is not doctrine. Simply what I think about what I felt.
Skiing style/technique: I have asked some ski instructors and race coaches to describe my skiing to give you an idea of my technical ability. Here's what they had to say: "dynamic, smooth, efficient. Good turn completion. Occasional tendency not to move down the hill on initiation that is easily corrected when you think about it." "...skiing looked generally quite good. You seem to ski a pretty aggressive line and generally in balance. Your turns are generally carved, even on the pitches. The thing I did notice that I would comment on if I were coaching you was a stance that seemed a bit narrow, and a turn initiation that seemed a bit steery." "...you are a technically strong, aggressive skier with a bias toward power rather than finesse. Smooth and fast!!
" Noodler skied with me most of the day, so may have some additional comments about my technique on the various skis.Preference in skis: If you consider the skis that I prefer, you'll see that I like 'em light and lively. I like a lot of snow feel and energy in the ski. I prefer a slalom racing ski feel for my personal skis, and I love the carve.
Skis are listed in order tested. Dimensions were not recorded, since they are readily available.
Ski Make: Head
Ski Model: Monster i.M 77
Length: 170
Comments: Early in the day, the skis I most wanted to try were out, so these were the first I tried. I am used to a ski that's 76 underfoot, but these were quite different, obviously. The ski was very stable, able to carve nice, long, lazy turns. In the bumps, the primary technique was a pivot at the crest, but they didn't care for the hardpack. The powder was fun, but the skis just didn't really shine for me. Nothing special, but nice, stable, effective skis with a mid-range turn radius.
Ski Make: Blizzard
Ski Model: X-Cross Pro IQ
Length: 173
Comments: A very fun ski! It arced nicely in the bumps, on the hardpack, and down the smooth snow. Even thought it's turn radius wasn't much shorter than the 77, it sure felt like it! In the powder, it motored through quite nicely, and provided plenty of stability even in the cut-up. Definitely worth a demo--if you can find them!
Ski Make: Blizzard
Ski Model: Titan 8
Length: 175
Comments: After Noodler's comments last week, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I rather liked this ski. It was clearly not most at home in the bumps and hardpack, but was able to carve longer turns well, was very stable, and motored through the powder and crud easily. Definitely a worthwhile freeride ski, but no real outstanding characteristics.
Ski Make: Elan
Ski Model: Magfire 12
Length: 168
Comments: I was ready to like this ski, given how much I enjoyed the S12 in the past. However, I went away with an impression that the ski did not shine in any of the conditions of the day. It didn't have a lot of life in the bumps or on hardpack, it didn't arc especially nicely, and it got tossed around a bit in the powder and crud. Unfortunately unimpressive.
Ski Make: Elan
Ski Model: M999
Length: 177
Comments: After listening to Noodler rave about these, I decided I needed to give them a ride. These are noodles, with a 99mm waist and a bit of a twin-tip. They are very attractive skis, with a wood laminate appearance. The skis seemed well-suited to their target (100% off-piste), and were reasonably comfortable on the groomed. They did OK on the softer portions of the bumps, too. This was the first ski I took over to chair 4 and the North Chutes, and they were imperturbable in the powder and cut-up. Of course, Noodler wanted them back when we got to that terrain, since he was on the Head SuperShape. Worth a demo and nice for very deep snow.
Ski Make: Head
Ski Model: Worldcup i.SuperShape CP 13
Length: 165
Comments: I grabbed these when Noodler was done. When I picked them up, I thought, "Wow! These are heavy!" Then, I realized that I had said it out loud, and also the irony of it, given that the b5s are my primary skis. Noodler tried them, too, and they are heavy (although not as heavy as the b5). I was looking forward to these, based on all the raves from the other sites.
On the hardpack and bumps, they turned very well. They held on the hardpack, and carved nice arcs on the groomed. We headed back to chair 4, and I thought that they handled reasonably well in the soft, too, for the type of ski that they are, but they did get thrown around a bit in the crud. I believe that I could feel the fact that these are vertical sidewall skis. Worth a demo; a couple of the other guys really liked them a lot.
Break for lunch...
Ski Make: Volkl
Ski Model: Mantra
Length: 177
Comments: This is another ski that I was looking forward to skiing given all of the comments about it here on EpicSki as well as from Noodler last week. I certainly understand how folks enjoy it. It feels like a Volkl, with the lightness and power of the wood core contributing to a great ski feel. It held reasonably well on the hardpack for a ski this wide, but certainly shined in the soft. It motored through the powder, crud, and soft bumps. A very steady performer, and definitely recommended.
Ski Make: Volkl
Ski Model: Unlimited AC3
Length: 170
Comments: The first transition ski that I really liked when I was moving to shaped skis was the Volkl G3, an ancestor of this ski. I still really like what Volkl is doing with this ski. It is light, energetic, holds an edge like you'd expect, carves on the groomed, and is a lot of fun. However, in the fresh snow and cut-up, it got tossed around a bit. The liveliness of the ski has a downside in those conditions. For those who will ski limited soft snow, definitely worth a demo.
Ski Make: Atomic
Ski Model: Metron:B5
Length: 162
Comments: This was my "gold standard" from last year. I decided to get back on them to end the day to see how I felt about them compared to all of the other skis I had been on today (and last week). So, with some curiosity, I pushed off.
Wow! These locked into a carve on the bumps of Spillway like nothing else had (including the 172s). From soft bumps through the hardpack, the skis ripped off turn after turn. On the groomed, they clearly arced tighter turns than any of the other skis I had been on, but still allowed me to stretch the turns and pick up speed.
Again curious, I jumped off chair 4 and headed to the powder stashes we had skied on the other skis, most notably the Mantra and AC3. Following as close to an identical line as I could while still finding freshies. From my perspective, they were as stable and smooth in the soft, fresh, and cut-up snow as the Mantras (or the 999s).
In short, these are still the gold standard for me. They ski everything well. I feel like a hero on these skis, and Noodler seemed to agree (I'll let him add any thoughts about my technique or anything else that he wants to say).
I'll be on 162cm M:B5s again this season.
