How big is your quiver and why??

For me, a quiver is sort of a hobby. realistically, I could get by with one ski for all I do in the east and rent a fatty for western trips. It's just nice to have a dedicated carver (RX) , a mid fat (AMC) and a pair of Chubbs. I also have a pair of Dynastars to use on thin days.

The Chubbs see very little use. I just kind of like them hanging around for those 2' + drops. I live on the Rx's and just added the AMC's for fun.

Eastern trips see me packing the Rx's and AMC's

Western trips see me packing the AMC's and Chubbs (all the while hoping not to bust the weight limit)


If this quiver thing keeps up, soon we are all going to need caddys.

I can see it now... conferring with the caddy at the top of a run "how do you think I should ski this Jeeves?"

"well sir I'm thinking the Spats to the run off and then maybe slip on the AC4's to the finish"

Compulsive/obsessive disorder.

Really


Michael

1 pair, I dont do mouch deep powder, and dont do parks, So my Ripsticks fare just fine.

But what a great sport to feed the OCD! (there are worse compulsions)

For me, the skis I have are about the mountain: Bridger skis; skis for Lone Mt.; AT skis for backcountry. The Bridger skis are 724 PROs, and have never failed me there. Sometimes I'll take them to Big Sky when I want to be mellow or ski socially. I use Fischer race stock RC4 WC SL and GS for maching Big Sky/Moonlight.

OTOH, I see some guys at Big Sky who change skis three times a day (yes, you do see the same people over and over--there are never that many--and they're not demo-ing).

If we alpine skiers can appear obsessive about skis, try hanging out with the serious nordic crowd. It's not uncommon for them to agonize over which *eight pairs* to bring to a weekend of racing. Really. I have friends who have skis just for a specific wax and/or kilster.

smileguy, if you have not seen already, check out carvemeister's post, #106 on page 4 in thread:

http://forums.epicski.com/showthread.php?t=46405

answers your question "how many skis do you need"...:

All I need. Carver, mid-fat, alpine snowboard, freeride board, teleboard, waxless backcountry, skate skis. The seven ski quiver. I've only acquired the first five yet. Oh and snowlerblades, oh yes, and a bid ole innertube! The nine ski quiver. I don't saucer.

My quiver is probably a bit redundant:
180 AK No Ka Oi
175 Blizzard Titan 8
177 Volkl Karma
177 Volkl Mantra

The AK's are a 78 waist, the T8 an 80, the Karma an 87 and the Mantra a 94.

I skied the AKs probably a total of 5 days last season. The Karmas maybe the same, the rest was dedicated to the Mantras (bought the T8's over the summer and will be mounting them this season).

Honestly, I just went a bit crazy since I hadn't had new equipment since about 1985.

Additionally, I have a bear of a time deciding on skis. There's even a few others I would buy if I found a good deal on them, just because I liked how they rode (M:EX, for example) and a few that I'm itching to try (Sick Bird and Bro) and then there's the simple lust for a dedicated groomer/hardpack/ice ski (laking one of those) and a super fattie (+100).

But in all reality, I probably should have stuck to just one ski, since at this point I haven't spent nearly enough time on any of them to fully "get" them (with the exception of the Mantra, perhaps).

If I could only take one ski out west it would either be the Volkl AC4 or the Volkl Mantra (depending on the weather forecast).

Personally I think that a 2 ski quiver is completely reasonable. If I was skiing predominantly in the east I'd go with a front-side carver (~70mm waist) and something all-terrain (~80mm waist). For the west I'd drop the front-side ski, keep the all-terrain skis, and add something for the deeper days around a 90mm waist.

Right now I'm enjoying my Stockli Stormrider XL for all-terrain duties and my Elan M777 for the deeper back-side stuff.

I have a quiver of two. Only two due to $$$ constraints. Ideally I would like to have 5 sets of skis.

GS---have it
SL---perhaps this season
All mountain carver---have it
Twin tip for park---might be courting injury
Super fat skis for pow---not until I ski in the west

Thats a great idea!! I only have two sets of skis and already I feel like I need them both through out my ski day.

I just had to say that this idea is absolutely classic! I love the "scenario" since I've quite often thought that myself when on the mountain.

It's also absolutely ludicrous, but it's fun to consider the possibilities.

for years, until I went crazy, I had a two ski quiver. A stiffer ski for hard snow and a softer ski for soft snow and powder- all were skinnies in the old days. I guess we didn't know we couldent ski pow on tiny waisted skies and had a blast anyway.
The last set up was Volkl 5* for hard and Pocket Rockets for soft.
I've been skiing the Dynastar 8000 as an everyday ski the last two seasons and it's almost a one ski quiver- it's remarkably good in powder, inspite of it's lack of girth, and it skis ice fine. It has a speed limit and gets tossed around in 20" of crud, but there you go.
The Mantras are reportedly great all arounders too, although I've only skiied 'em in Pow and crud so far, where they exel.
The Head Monster 88 does everything well (except, probably not bumps)
and the new Head 82 is supposed to everything it does better and be more forgiving.
If I was still living in the East, I'd probably have an Eastern ski like the Volkl all-star and a western ski like the above for trips. My NY bro has a pair of Dynastar omeglass 10s (I think that's right) at home and uses them for New England and keeps some Volant Chubbs in my garage- which are also suprisingly good all arounders. The thing about renting, is that the fatties were all gone unless you got them the night before, and who wants to sit in a rental line while the pow's being harvested? But these days there are so many fats in the shops that that may not be a problem anymore. I was at Cole sports in PC yesterday and the rental fleet was being mounted- zillions on Mantras and Sollie Guns and x-wings. Even some LP's.

3 ski quiver for me. As followed: 1.) 05 Dynastar Legend 8000, size 165, used mainly as rock skis now.
2.) 06 line prophet 90 Size: 172 USed as my go everywheres do anything ski including deep pow.
3.) Line Sir Francis Bacon Size 183 used as pure big mountain deep pow ski out west.

pe@ce

Have 4, missing 1

Everyday ski: Stöckli Stormrider SS (188)
Powder ski: Völkl Sanouk (193)
Touring, technical descents, narrow colouirs etc: Fischer Big Stix 84 (181) with Fritchis
AT powder ski: Missing! Want something 99-109ish underfoot, 185 long at least.
GS ski: Atomic 10.22 (188). Wont' see much action usually - even if I'm going to be on-piste all day I'll usually
go with the Stormriders - but they're nice for shorter (it's all relative ), quick turns



If my home resort had less vertical (2700 feet) and less steep slopes I might use the GS skis more and even get a pair of shorter radius skis.

But as it is I have the room to exploit the high-speed capabilities of my 'slim' fat skis, and I'd rather spend my money on trips to better off-piste terrain (just about nothing at my local resort). I mostly travel by car so I can bring several pairs without hassle. When I fly I'll bring at most 2 pairs depending on destination and intent (touring or not).

12 pairs...

...of alpine skis plus one telemark, which adds up to 13, but because they're in slightly different categories, it's not an unlucky number.

I'm a Masters racer (all events), ergo the big numbers. Let's get the race stash out of the way first:

165 cm Volkl P60 SL, Atomic 614 bindings: I decided it was time to go to a FIS legal length SL ski, and a teammate of mine was selling these, very cheap, hardly used. Nice ski, very snaky.

165 cm Atomic SL12, Atomic 614 bindings: Race stock ski with the race stock plate. Incredible snap and energy. This is what I'm going to race SL on this year.

180 cm Atomic GS12, Atomic 614 bindings: This year's ski, I got them late last year. A really fun ski, but non-FIS legal. I raced on them twice last year, and they're a little short/turny in a course, so these might just be a play ski this year or maybe I'll sell 'em.

185 cm Head IGS RD, Tyrolia FR17 bindings: Last year's ski. I demoed a pair and liked 'em and these were pretty cheap, so I got a pair. Non-FIS legal ski (25.2 meter sidecut), so you have to go big or stay home, but I think these are gonna be great in a course. These'll be my GS trainers.

183 cm Head IGS RD, Tyrolia FR17 bindings: This year's ski. I didn't want to go all the way to 188, so this was the answer. Same sidecut as last year's, but 1 mm. narrower overall. I've been on them once, and they're the real thing. These'll be my GS race skis.

195 cm Atomic Super G, Atomic 614 bindings: In Rocky Mountain Masters, we have some wide open Super Gs and others that ski like an open GS, which is where I'll use these skis.

204 cm Atomic Super G, Atomic 1018 bindings: I have two pairs of these, one with the stock plate, which I train/warm up on, and the other with a World Cup plate, which I race on. These work for open Super Gs or turny downhills.

212 cm Atomic Super G/DH, Atomic 1018 bindings: I got these from a kid from California, and they came out of the U. S. Team pool from a few years back. I've never raced on them, but I have skied on them, and, as you can imagine, they're definitely the big dogs on the porch. I may race on them this year...that is, if I can get the brown stains out of my DH suit...

Next, the play skis. Pretty simple, really:

157 cm Atomic SL11, Atomic 614 bindings: These were my backup SL skis from a few years back. They work great for just about everything...bumps, cruising, trees, powder up to 6 inches or so, because they've got a race construction, but plenty of sidecut and a fat tip.

168 cm Atomic R:EX, Atomic 614 bindings: A totally cool mid-fat for gunkholing and anything up to knee deep powder.

175 cm Head Mojo 88, Head Mojo 15 bindings: Hey, I had to have a pair of fatties, too, right? Haven't skied on these yet, but if it keeps dumping in the high country like it's doing today, I may get my chance this weekend...

4 pair

Volkl Mantra for pow,soft and jumps
Volkl 724 pro beater's, rock, everyday
Volkl allstar Ice and hardpack, everyday
Dynastar Twisters my mogul experiment

Elan SLX : race skis for Tuesday night beer league. 165cm
Elan Fusion S12 : rock skis, soon to be replaced by Speedwave 12s for normal East coast cruising. 168cm.
Elan Magfire 10 : normal East coast cruising. Between this and the S12, one of them usually has sharp edges. 168cm
K2 Apache Recon : western ski. 174cm

My active quiver consists of 1 pair. 178 Legend 8000’s. They do most everything well enough and a couple of things much more than well enough. As I ski predominantly out east I would like to augment my quiver of one with a true hard snow carver along the lines of an Atomic GS:11.
If I get an epic day when I’m out in Fernie and need much more float than the 8000’s will provide, I’ll rent.

SL: 165 '06-07 Elan SLX Fusion Pro: I decided I'm pretty much done with race stock equipment this year, which is why I went with this instead of the WC SL. Will be my primary hardpack ski and clinic ski.

GS: 182 '04-05 Dynastar 66 race stock: The last race stocker left in my quiver, this'll be my beer league ski this year if I do get the itch to hop in the course. Probably won't see too much snow time.

Everyday: '04-05 169 K2 Public Enemy: Still my favorite ski of all time. Works like a charm everywhere except glare ice and over the boot pow. Probably will be replaced next year with the same ski in 179.

Powder: 186 '06-07 Dynastar Big Trouble: Still on order, probably has something to do with the fact that the bindings I ordered with it (P18 Frees) weren't even scheduled to arrive in-country until 11/13. Liked this year's Salomon Gun when I demoed it late last season but wanted something a little stiffer, plus I'm slowly becoming a fan of the classic Dynastar liveliness.

Why build a quiver? Because skiing pow is more fun on a pow ski and skiing hardpack is more fun on a carving ski. If I had to add another ski, it would probably be a bump ski like a K2 Cabrawler or Dynastar Twister, unless I started doing a lot more western skiing, in which case it would probably be a pair of the new fat Bros.

I think in the Mid-Atlantic a rock ski should be considered part of your quiver. In that case I have a 3 ski quiver :-)

Yes smileguy, the '02 M5 does quite nicely thank you at both speed and stop with family, dog and groceries

For me the quiver has changed much like our retirement portfolio as we consider what is really needed to enjoy our goals. Simplicity has greatly shaped our decisions where once a matrix of options was poured over ad nausea. After last season’s (surprisingly unceremonious for me) disposal of my favorite and nostalgic friends I purchased; Rossi B3 184cm for everything and Head Supermojo 105 181cm for deep. My choice is now eerily easy as I grab for pair and head up for Summit County skiing. I like this new simplicity and outcome…very liberating for a heretofore decision phobic!

Quiver ... what a whimpy word ... :

Think in terms of gathering an arsenal!!!!! :

quiver .... Let's try this in a sentence ...

You will quiver if you were faced with the size of some arsenals around here.

Back in the Seventies in Summit County...

...we used to call it a "ski stash" or, more simply, a "stash"...I think....

How appropriate! An arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. sshhhh! Don't tell George Dubya!

188 soft bro's
179 soft bro's (with demos)
181 Axis
165 Candide (wish they would die already)
2 pairs 180 Explosivs (only 1 mounted, needed a backup pair)
1 pair 184 Bandit XX (beat!)


I have problems.

I bet those 165 Candides are fun...I used to have those in the 180. Great ski for the east...