Bigger powder skis for women

[AngryAnalyst]

I’m trying to help my wife find an improvement on her current powder ski which is a Volkl 108 W. She’s in the market because the 108 is not sufficiently different from her current daily drivers to feel like a big improvement which makes justifying the bag space on trips hard. We were lucky enough to have had a couple of bigger days this year as well where more float would have helped.

Stats - 5' 4'', weight ~180

Most used skis this year:
4FRNT Devastator - 164
Black Crows Navis Freebird - 169

Any advice? The issues we are having are that women's skis generally don't come wider than 108 and men's powder skis size runs stop around 175. Is 175 (in a unisex flex pattern) likely to be too much ski? Is there some good reason women's skis don't get much wider than 108?

The only options we have been able to identify for her are Blizzard Sheeva 11 and Armada JJ 165 that have that mid 160s length option.

 

[cantunamunch]

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The only options we have been able to identify for her are Blizzard Sheeva 11 and Armada JJ 165 that have that mid 160s length option.

Pretty sure Praxis do a Protest in the 160s.

 

[AngryAnalyst]

Pretty sure Praxis do a Protest in the 160s.

Yep, saw that too. Sorry I forgot to mention it - Praxis is one of the more serious options on the table, either the Protest or the GPO custom come in the right-ish sizes. One of the "holdups" we have had was uncertainty over how the shortest sizes would ski. Anyone know anything?

 

[Vinnie]

With her stats I would think that a unisex/men’s non-metal powder ski in the 174-177cm range would work really well. As a small guy (5’4”) I’ve been riding a Liberty Origin 116 @174cm. It’s since been replaced by the Origin 112. The Armada JJ 116 would also be a great ski to check out. Regarding flex, I think the latest women’s skis could just as easily be categorized as skis for shorter and/or lighter weight skiers regardless of gender.

 

[BS Slarver]

Can’t go wrong with the GPO from Praxis. Just got an Email from them on summer builds for ‘20 at 50% off.
Start a conversation with Keith and let him know exactly what your looking for in a ski for your wife, her likes and dislikes and skis she has tried.
FYI - GPO skis a tad short.

 

[Eric267]

Yep, saw that too. Sorry I forgot to mention it - Praxis is one of the more serious options on the table, either the Protest or the GPO custom come in the right-ish sizes. One of the "holdups" we have had was uncertainty over how the shortest sizes would ski. Anyone know anything?

My worry wold be such a fat ski in a shorter length like that would be really squirrelly when you put it back on piste.

I would email Keith directly with any questions you have. He's built a few pairs of skis for me over the years and will geek out with you on your requested specs. Right now it's 50% off custom builds so you could really dial something into your tastes.

You could even get something with good a good amount of rocker in a 175ish ski with a lower #2-3 flex pattern if you think she could handle the longer length as long as it's not to stiff. They have some pretty sweet topsheets designs coming down the pipe for next season..

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I love my praxis skis. I've got the freeride custom in a 174 and like them. Only taken them out once so far in a mixture of soft packed and crusty hard snow with some ice and they were great. Can't wait for a full on soft snow day. Definitely contact Keith at Praxis.

 

[AngryAnalyst]

My worry wold be such a fat ski in a shorter length like that would be really squirrelly when you put it back on piste.

I would email Keith directly with any questions you have. He's built a few pairs of skis for me over the years and will geek out with you on your requested specs. Right now it's 50% off custom builds so you could really dial something into your tastes.

You could even get something with good a good amount of rocker in a 175ish ski with a lower #2-3 flex pattern if you think she could handle the longer length as long as it's not to stiff. They have some pretty sweet topsheets designs coming down the pipe for next season..

My worry is your worry. I have no reference point for how a 119 underfoot ski would work in short length. I will email Keith.

 

[AngryAnalyst]

So am I correct in thinking the emerging consensus here is Praxis is the way to go? Just want to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious.

 

[cantunamunch]

My worry is your worry. I have no reference point for how a 119 underfoot ski would work in short length..

Talk to @Monique

 

[jmeb]

So am I correct in thinking the emerging consensus here is Praxis is the way to go? Just want to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious.

With the custom sale and a person like Keith on the other end, they should certainly be in the running. I would start out telling Keith specs of the skier and what you're trying to accomplish, where you ski, etc and let him guide you to a model and flex. It may be that something odd (like a slimmer model in a +10mm waist version).

 

[Josh Matta]

I know your going off height but based on weight 175cm should be fine....IMO weight matter much than height on ski choice.....

 

[Jerez]

Agree with Josh. Unisex should not be discounted. If she likes the devastator she likes a burly ski, no?

If she really wants a different ski but likes Volkl, what about picking up a pair of Volkl Ones? Lots of women here like them. Probably find them cheap. Super surfy and fun ski.

 

[Tricia]

At her size, a wider ski may create a cowboy stance

Those you mentioned by Armada and Blizzard are both good options. The Sheeva 11 is more of a charger.

Others to consider:
DPS Yvette 112 is an awesome powder ski. Playful tree ski
2020 K2 Mindbender 115c Alliance new for 2020 and super fun! Its a charger for sure.

I'll keep percolating on it.

 

[coskigirl]

I'd make the suggestion that she should try other skis in the same width range. I'm heavier and a couple inches taller than she is and I love my Backland 109 in powder. It may be that the Volkl isn't the right model for her. What is her daily driver?

 

[SBrown]

I'd make the suggestion that she should try other skis in the same width range. I'm heavier and a couple inches taller than she is and I love my Backland 109 in powder. It may be that the Volkl isn't the right model for her. What is her daily driver?

Yeah, although I use it as such, the 100Eight isn't really a "powder ski" and it has more to do with shape than width. That said, the DPS and K2 (and Völkl One) suggestions are good.

 

[AngryAnalyst]

At her size, a wider ski may create a cowboy stance

Those you mentioned by Armada and Blizzard are both good options. The Sheeva 11 is more of a charger.

Others to consider:
DPS Yvette 112 is an awesome powder ski. Playful tree ski
2020 K2 Mindbender 115c Alliance new for 2020 and super fun! Its a charger for sure.

I'll keep percolating on it.

Thanks so much for the headspace, we both really appreciate it. The mindbender alliance is tempting, the DPS somewhat less so. She demoed a narrower pair of DPS as well as a wider one some time ago, neither quite “clicked.”

Agree with Josh. Unisex should not be discounted. If she likes the devastator she likes a burly ski, no?

If she really wants a different ski but likes Volkl, what about picking up a pair of Volkl Ones? Lots of women here like them. Probably find them cheap. Super surfy and fun ski.

This may sound dumb, but do Volkl Ones have 2100 ptex (evo makes it look like they might)? Is that a durability or glide issue vs
4001? I don’t know as much as I wish I did about 2100 vs 4000 vs 4001 vs 6000 ptex material properties and which skis have which base, but I thought that higher numbers were both more durable and, when kept waxed, faster.

On the unisex point, I sort of agree but i am not sure how I would do if you handed me a 200 cm board that is stiffer than I am used to. My suspicion is it would be a handful in anything that isn’t a wide open bowl. The only men’s ski she has found a totally unbendable plank was a pair of MX84 so perhaps a Bent Chetler or Moment Wildcat in 174-ish would work.

I'd make the suggestion that she should try other skis in the same width range. I'm heavier and a couple inches taller than she is and I love my Backland 109 in powder. It may be that the Volkl isn't the right model for her. What is her daily driver?

The skis she’s using most often now are a 4FRNT devastator in bounds and a Navis Freebird for touring. Both are about 102 underfoot and the devastator is full (though subtle) rocker. My assignment was to find a powder ski to compliment either narrower ski so she has a well defined 2 ski travel set. My own experience as a taller guy with about 40 more lbs is that I would need big construction differences and/or about 1 cm of waist width to be noticeably different in powder.

Praxis skis are looking pretty great to be honest, super tempted to go in that direction. Still open to other comments.

 

[Tricia]

Thanks so much for the headspace, we both really appreciate it. The mindbender alliance is tempting, the DPS somewhat less so. She demoed a narrower pair of DPS as well as a wider one some time ago, neither quite “clicked.”

Honestly, based on your description of her, I figured the Mindbenders would be a good bet. Of those in my post, I'd say the Sheeva 11 and Mindbender 115 are close to what she'd like.

 

[Analisa]

+1 to the Mindbender Alliance, or Armada is bringing the VJJ back with the ARW 116. Nordica La Ninas and Line Pandora 110s are also fairly easy to find (Pandora 110 is also coming back after a 2 year disappearance in 2021, with the same construction as the new Line Vision).

 

[EricG]

@AngryAnalyst - Reach out to Keith at Praxis and see what he recommends. I’ve been chatting with him since I damaged my knee a few weeks ago about getting some powder boards to handle the heavy wet snow we get here in New England. I’m still trying to work out my solution, but I think it’s going to be a Praxis.