3 Ski Quivers. What is your optimal ski selection?

[AngryAnalyst]

Maybe this was obvious to others all along, but I feel like every respondent to this thread has the same basic wants and the entirety of debate is how people approach filling them.

Everyone basically wants a daily driver hard snow ski, a soft snow ski and a "specialist" ski. For some people the specialist ski seems to be a slalom ski, for others its a touring ski or a middle width.

We then spend hours arguing over whether some of us are lame wads for wanting narrow skis or if others have the technical finesse of silver back gorillas for preferring wide skis. I'm not discouraging that per se but it is an interesting way of understanding the debate I think.

 

[Marker]

Maybe this was obvious to others all along, but I feel like every respondent to this thread has the same basic wants and the entirety of debate is how people approach filling them.

Everyone basically wants a daily driver hard snow ski, a soft snow ski and a "specialist" ski. For some people the specialist ski seems to be a slalom ski, for others its a touring ski or a middle width.

We then spend hours arguing over whether some of us are lame wads for wanting narrow skis or if others have the technical finesse of silver back gorillas for preferring wide skis. I'm not discouraging that per se but it is an interesting way of understanding the debate I think.

Actually, I want my daily driver to be good all over the mountain, not just hard snow. Hard snow is the specialty ski. But I concede your basic point.

 

[ScottB]

Actually, I want my daily driver to be good all over the mountain, not just hard snow. Hard snow is the specialty ski. But I concede your basic point.

I agree with this statement and I think the daily driver is the all mtn ski. I could also agree with having the first two, hard snow and all mtn, as daily drivers. That's how I have pared my quiver down. A two ski daily driver quiver, hard and soft, plus about 6 specialty skis. The powder board is definitely in the specialty ski category for East Coast. For West coast, you could argue the hard snow ski is the specialty ski.

After writing this, I am convinced that there is no one consistent way to look at this, however, we all except the title post of a "3 ski quiver".

 

[AngryAnalyst]

Actually, I want my daily driver to be good all over the mountain, not just hard snow. Hard snow is the specialty ski. But I concede your basic point.

Ok, 1 harder snow ski, 1 softer snow ski, 1 specialty ski

 

[ARL67]

2-Ski Quiver:
For me, I can cover a helluvalot for where and how I ski with just my Laser SX (or AX) and my SR97.
Sure I could have an 84/88 All-Mountain but my SR97 compromises very little to those (for me anyway).
Then a 110+ for a POW ski if I ever head to those conditions -> this is a specialty ski for me, which I will just rent from now on.

 

[Swede]

A SL, a GS and a SG? Just kidding. I ski mostly on a middle of the road ”not really great at anything”-ski and I like it a lot. So a SL for smaller hills, a GS for larger, empty hills and a damp all mountain 80-90 mm for most days.

 

[Uncle-A]

My go to every day is the Head Rally, although I have never skied the Laser AX and by reputation that could be a great choice.
Second would be the Z 90 just because all the people here have given it such a great recommendations. But I have not skied it so I am going on faith in the community.
Third world have to be a Kastle just because I have had so much success with their products in the past and I have several pairs of older model skis.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

If I could only have 3 skis I'd pick the following out of my quiver.

Dynastar Omeglas SL ski OR Head World Cup Rebels

Stockli Stormrider 85 Motion OR Volkl Kenja

Blizzard Bonafide OR Stockli Stormrider 100

 

[JimL]

Tony - The differences in width between the East and West you posted got me thinking about what I actually use "out West". I think sometimes skiers assume that we just have fantastic conditions everyday, but we have lots of days without new snow.

So I looked at my data from last season and here's how it played out. Note that I'm using the same categories as from my previous post in this thread and I skied 68 days last season.

1. Hard-Pack skis = 48%
2. Narrow All-Mountain skis = 22%
3. Regular All-Mountain skis = 4%
4. Wide All-Mountain skis = 20%
5. Deep-Snow skis = 6%

Of course this data is somewhat skewed because I didn't have any great skis sitting in the Regular All-Mountain category. I think I would have grabbed those more often than the Narrow A-M if I had something I wanted to ski more. But still, I skied on skis with less than 85mm waist widths 70% of the time. And I honestly grabbed what I felt was appropriate for the conditions of the day each time.

So it's interesting (at least to me). I hadn't ever run those calculations before for any season. And last season we had a great snow year.

As someone who just bought his new one ski quiver (the Stockli Laser AX), I feel happy that the data from at least one experienced skier supports my choice of ski width.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Fischer The Curv
Fischer RC One 86
Nordica Patron (never should have sold those!)

 

[markojp]

Maybe this was obvious to others all along, but I feel like every respondent to this thread has the same basic wants and the entirety of debate is how people approach filling them.

Everyone basically wants a daily driver hard snow ski, a soft snow ski and a "specialist" ski. For some people the specialist ski seems to be a slalom ski, for others its a touring ski or a middle width.

We then spend hours arguing over whether some of us are lame wads for wanting narrow skis or if others have the technical finesse of silver back gorillas for preferring wide skis. I'm not discouraging that per se but it is an interesting way of understanding the debate I think.

Sorta the 'if you don't like what I like, you're lame, and I'm gonna change your mind on the interwebz' school. Hope we all start skiing soon.

 

[Kent]

Blizzard Bonafide OR Stockli Stormrider 100

@surfsnowgirl I will be interested in how this shakes out this ski season. I skied the original 2012 Bonafides - don't know how different in feel your model year is - and they had a completely different feel from the Stormriders.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

@surfsnowgirl I will be interested in how this shakes out this ski season. I skied the original 2012 Bonafides - don't know how different in feel your model year is - and they had a completely different feel from the Stormriders.

I will be sure and post. My plan is to keep the bonafides at bromley and the stormriders at the condo so I don't really plan to choose between them but I know how different they are.

 

[Wendy]

If I could only have 3 skis I'd pick the following out of my quiver.

Dynastar Omeglas SL ski OR Head World Cup Rebels

Stockli Stormrider 85 Motion OR Volkl Kenja

Blizzard Bonafide OR Stockli Stormrider 100

You didn’t list 3 pairs, you listed 6.
Come on, rise to the challenge. Pick three pairs.

 

[lisamamot]

As a New England skier my quiver pick 3 -

Hard snow (81mm): Blizzard Viva 810ti IQ
Daily driver (92mm): Blizzard Sheeva 9
Powder (100mm): Nordica Santa Ana 100

I just put AT bindings on my Atomic Elysian so that makes 4. Oops.

 

[ski otter 2]

Hard for just three.

1. Versatile, playful hard snow carver. Maybe Head Rebel WC iSpeed (non-pro) 180/18. (I have lots of race skis also, SL & GS - nice contrast to my number 1.)

2. Versatile daily driver for both on and off piste and milder bumps usually. Stockli Laser AX 183/182, @ +3 with adjustable mt. pt. PRD binding. (I have better bump skis also.)

3. Versatile soft snow ski/soft groomer charger/powder floater/crud blaster. K2 Pettitor 120/189, @ +4, with adjustable Marker Schizo binding. (I have narrower skis that work almost as well in some ways too, and that are easier on my knee at times.) But for me the Pettitor is tops.

Long live Sean Pettit (for the 179)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And, probably, long live Seth Morrison (for the 189)!!!!!!!!

 

[ski otter 2]

P,S. To me, this stuff is just fun. And interesting. The diversity of approaches is fun, a learning experience too. New tricks to try. New approaches.

Thank God I can do this stuff, and so can you, hooray!!!

 

[RedSoxFan]

For my VT, NH & ME skiing, I have these:

Atomic Vantage 79ti
Head Kore 93
Rossignol Soul 7 106

If I go out west I take the Head and the Rossi's, possible renting a wider ski for bigger powder.

 

[Troth]

These work great for me
Head i.Race
Fischer ranger 102
Fischer ranger 115
Although I picked up a pair of salomon QST 118s not sure if they will replace the fischer 115s

 

[Marker]

These work great for me
Head i.Race
Fischer ranger 102
Fischer ranger 115
Although I picked up a pair of salomon QST 118s not sure if they will replace the fischer 115s

What's wrong with the Ranger 115?