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Buying my first pair of skis

ccsasuke

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Hi fellow skiers,

Glad that I came across this website, wherein I've already found a ton of useful information, as I just started browsing.

I am a male intermediate skier (level 5 or 6 out of 9), with a total of 70-90 ski hours since last year. I'm 5'7 and very lightweighted (120lbs). I took a ski class (2hr lesson * 6) at a resort, and plan to continue improving my on piste techniques (better carving, etc.), and may (or may not) occasionally explore glades or bumps to see if I like them.

As I've been renting for the past two seasons, I'm now thinking of buying my own equipment for next season. I understand that I should go see a bootfitter for the boots, but I'd like some advice on the ski choices.

I was originally thinking of an intermediate to advanced level narrow all-mountain skis such as: Volkl RTM 81 or Salomon XDR 80 and was hesitant to go for stiffer/more advanced skis. However, I saw in this forum that someone said the Head Supershape i.Rally could also serve well for an intermediate skier who looks to improve his technique. My coach also mentioned I might do Okay on the Rallys.
Do you think the Rally will help me improve my skiing? Or are there any other skis that you recommend?

As I've mostly rented before, I have very limited first-hand experience about skis to help me decide. The only skis I've been on other than the crappy rental ones were a pair of 2015 Rossi Pursuit HP and a 2015 Rossi Experience 84. While both were much better than the rental skis, I liked the Pursuit better since it was more stable, turned easier and the edge grip was a little better.

My second question is: what should the length be given that I'm only 5'7 and 120lbs and mostly ski at only 30mph? There are several websites that still have the rallys at 163cm, but I'm wondering whether that would be too long for me (especially it is a more advanced technical ski)?

Thank you!
 

Philpug

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Can you wait till next season? Head will be releasing the all new V8 which I think will be a better option than the iRally (as much and I like the Rally). Trust me, it will be worth the wait. Stay tuned, we will be posting reviews soon.
 
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ccsasuke

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Can you wait till next season? Head will be releasing the all new V8 which I think will be a better option than the iRally (as much and I like the Rally). Trust me, it will be worth the wait. Stay tuned, we will be posting reviews soon.

Thank you for the insider tips! I should be able to wait until next season, unless I saw some crazy-ish close-out deals.

Is the V8 replacing the Raw Instinct? How is it compared to the i.Rallys (and possibly the Volkl RTM/Code)?
 

Philpug

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Thank you for the insider tips! I should be able to wait until next season, unless I saw some crazy-ish close-out deals.

Is the V8 replacing the Raw Instinct? How is it compared to the i.Rallys (and possibly the Volkl RTM/Code)?
The new collection V-Shape collection is replacing the Insticts. There are 4 skis and the V8 is the one that I think will float your boat. 130-75-112 (170cm) are the dims. More important than just the dimensions ( I don't like getting hung up on numbers) the ski bends fantastic and is very compliant. It is more in kin with the original iRally which was a bit more versatile ski than the new one. Comparing the skis to the Code and the RTM...well closer to the Code but better for your lighter weight and level of experience.
 

PisteOff

Jeff
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I'm actually surprised this thread doesn't have A LOT more participation lol. These are usually good ones for opinions and folks pushing their favorites which is cool. I have a pair of Pursuit HP Ti's. They're stiff, I was surprised to see you liked them as you did. I know I wouldn't recommend them to a beginner. We also own a pair of Experience 80's that are great developmental skis. Those I do recommend all the time. I'm not familiar with the Heads but I do know that Phil is and he won't steer you wrong. I know my son and I were both impressed with the DPS Cassiars we demo'd at Alta. Both the foundation and the alchemist skied very well but we both preferred the stiffer Alchemist.
 
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ccsasuke

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I'm actually surprised this thread doesn't have A LOT more participation lol. These are usually good ones for opinions and folks pushing their favorites which is cool. I have a pair of Pursuit HP Ti's. They're stiff, I was surprised to see you liked them as you did. I know I wouldn't recommend them to a beginner. We also own a pair of Experience 80's that are great developmental skis. Those I do recommend all the time. I'm not familiar with the Heads but I do know that Phil is and he won't steer you wrong. I know my son and I were both impressed with the DPS Cassiars we demo'd at Alta. Both the foundation and the alchemist skied very well but we both preferred the stiffer Alchemist.

I rented the "high performance ski package" from the resort for the day, and they handed me the Pursuit. I did not even know they were advanced/expert skis while I was on them!
At the end of the day, I just concluded it was a nice ski and so much better than the rental skis. And then I googled online and found that I was on something that's supposedly beyond my ability level. Weirdly I did not really notice anything that I feel uncomfortable with the ski: hard to maneuver, running ahead of me, etc. I guess this experience added to my puzzle about what skis should I be getting..
 
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ccsasuke

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The new collection V-Shape collection is replacing the Insticts. There are 4 skis and the V8 is the one that I think will float your boat. 130-75-112 (170cm) are the dims. More important than just the dimensions ( I don't like getting hung up on numbers) the ski bends fantastic and is very compliant. It is more in kin with the original iRally which was a bit more versatile ski than the new one. Comparing the skis to the Code and the RTM...well closer to the Code but better for your lighter weight and level of experience.

Thanks again for the info.

On the length choice, do you have any comments? I used to think that longer skis are faster (and hence more demanding), while shorter ones are easier to handle. Then if I do not ski very fast to need the extra stability, I should be good on shorter skis.
However, I read in one thread here saying that shorter skis are less forgiving, and one needs to be more precise (about putting your weight forward, etc). This confused me a little, and I'm just wondering which are less demanding: long or short?
 

Philpug

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Thanks again for the info.

On the length choice, do you have any comments? I used to think that longer skis are faster (and hence more demanding), while shorter ones are easier to handle. Then if I do not ski very fast to need the extra stability, I should be good on shorter skis.
However, I read in one thread here saying that shorter skis are less forgiving, and one needs to be more precise (about putting your weight forward, etc). This confused me a little, and I'm just wondering which are less demanding: long or short?
I am 5'11" 195..I like the ski in a 170...the 163 would be good for you. Yes, shorter skis can be less forgiving some times, HEad hasn't made the V8 in a 163 test but they do a very good job of scaling their skis and I wold expect it will ski well.
 

rcc55125

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I'm surprised no one has brought up the question of boots.
@ccsasuke you said you have done a good bit of browsing on this blog so you must have seen posts about buying well fitted boots first.
Boots are the most important piece of equipment you can buy. Spend your money here first, if you haven't already. You don't mention anything regarding boots in your original post.
You said you have maybe 90 hours since last year, that's maybe 15 days of skiing. If this is correct you are still developing your technique. IMO it's too soon to buy skis.
Talk to people in your area, possibly your last instructor, about who the best boot fitters are in your area and go see them. Plan on spending around $500 for really good, well fitted boots and orthotics. Then rent performance skis such as the Pursuit and others until you find one you like the best. If you ski another 15 days next season your preference is going to change by the end of the season.
 

raytseng

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if you do buy skis i suggest just buying used demo skis with demo bindings. e.g. from powder7 or your local stores that is still an intermediate ski. This is about the time when stores put up their demo fleet for sale. Busget around $500.

After a season or 2 you will improve in skill and outgrow the ski.
Then you will know a bit better what ski you want.
Potentially you can resell the ski and get maybe $100 back from someone.
 

Fuller

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There's something to be said about "the pride of ownership". I didn't feel like I had made a commitment to the sport until I owned my own skis and boots. It kind of focused me on the task at hand I guess and kept me from having to deal with the rental shop every trip.

My first boots were a disaster (too big) but the skis I still have. I wasn't a beginner when I got them but I started with Rossi E88's which were fine for my ability and I was able to progress and not feel like I had outgrown them. If the OP didn't get freaked out by the Rossi Pursuits then maybe he's able to reach a bit with his skiing aspirations?

Also missing from the conversation is just where this future skiing will take place. It would certainly influence my choices.
 
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ccsasuke

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There's something to be said about "the pride of ownership". I didn't feel like I had made a commitment to the sport until I owned my own skis and boots. It kind of focused me on the task at hand I guess and kept me from having to deal with the rental shop every trip.

My first boots were a disaster (too big) but the skis I still have. I wasn't a beginner when I got them but I started with Rossi E88's which were fine for my ability and I was able to progress and not feel like I had outgrown them. If the OP didn't get freaked out by the Rossi Pursuits then maybe he's able to reach a bit with his skiing aspirations?

Also missing from the conversation is just where this future skiing will take place. It would certainly influence my choices.

I'm currently living in the northeast with small mountain resorts nearby, so basically 50/50 natural and man-made hard snows with ice patches sometimes. However, I might move to the west coast in a year or two, and I somehow got an impression from people talking that west coast resorts are more on the powder side? I'm wondering, though, how exactly is that? Do they not machine groom the tracks on the west coast or are there simply always fresh snow?
 

PisteOff

Jeff
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Yes, they groom out West. No, it is not the land of the perpetual fresh snow fairy. If you're strictly going to ski groomed terrain that narrows down the field of skis significantly
 

Fuller

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Well, as an example this year in Montana I skied perfectly groomed trails that happened to have 10" of new snow on top of them. But yes, in general even the corduroy surfaces will be much softer out west than in New England. They don't get the freeze / thaw cycles that you do that turns snow to ice. You would laugh at what westerners call "ice".

Others may have different opinions but I would say that the right waist size for an aspiring beginner ski in New England would be in the 70-80mm range. Add 10mm if you ski out west. Given that you are in the NE now and that a narrow ski is just a whole lot more fun for your location and skill level, stay in the 70-80mm range. There are many options to chose from in that category, shop for a 2017 closeout. Or if money is not a big deal go with @Philpug recommendation - Head V8. They don't call him The Grand Poobah of Pugski for nuthin'ogwink
 
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ccsasuke

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Yes, they groom out West. No, it is not the land of the perpetual fresh snow fairy. If you're strictly going to ski groomed terrain that narrows down the field of skis significantly

I have so far skied mostly groomed terrain, as I'm thinking of at least progressing my on-piste techniques to the advanced level before I try new things out to get myself a solid start.
That was why my original thought was to get a narrow all-mountain skis of 78-82mm waist, or maybe even a all-round carver with only 75-78mm waist.

I did try some piste-side bumps and some easy glades, but skied too cautiously to really enjoy them.. I also tried softer snow once there was 5-8" of fresh snow, but the narrow rental skis really made it not much fun that day...
My current plan is to start with a decent 80mm-ish skis as my daily drivers on piste while improving my techniques and get another pair of 90mm+ after a couple of years to explore more of the mountain.
 

Uncle-A

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The Head Rally that I am skiing is a 2015 - 2016 season and it is a lot of fun to ski. Phil has said that the newer Rally may not be for you and I have not skied the newer Rally but if budget is an issue maybe look for an older Rally and it would fit your needs.
 
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ccsasuke

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The new collection V-Shape collection is replacing the Insticts. There are 4 skis and the V8 is the one that I think will float your boat. 130-75-112 (170cm) are the dims. More important than just the dimensions ( I don't like getting hung up on numbers) the ski bends fantastic and is very compliant. It is more in kin with the original iRally which was a bit more versatile ski than the new one. Comparing the skis to the Code and the RTM...well closer to the Code but better for your lighter weight and level of experience.

I managed to find some sneak peaks of the 2019 V-Shape series, and they indeed look like a great fit for me!
Thank you for informing me of these new skis and I think I will wait until next season and grab one of those.

While waiting for your reviews of the whole new V-Shape series, one question I have is that they also seem to have a V10 besides the V8. I'm wondering what you think about those? They seem to be wider and hopefully more versatile? Are they more demanding than the V8? If I could manage those, I guess it's more economical if I get a slightly wider ski instead of a pure on-piste ski with only 75mm underfoot (in case I move to the west coast or want to wander off-piste a little)?
 

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