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Demo Suggestions

Idahosnow

Putting on skis
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Hailey, ID
First time poster, but I have been enjoying this site for a while.

Me: 5'8", 170lbs. Ski at Sun Valley, Idaho about 20 times a year with wife and kids 10yrs old and 6 years old. We ski the whole mountain comfortably but probably not technically great.

I switched from snowboarding about 5 years ago. At that time, I bought Dynastar Sultan 80's at 165. I know they are short, but I didn't know better. I love these skis, but I think I'm ready for an upgrade. I'm starting to spend more time in the trees and bumps, but groomers are a must at Sun Valley due to long periods of sun between snows. With kids, I need something that's pretty easy going at all speeds. I like making short turns, and am starting to ski more "playfully" as I follow my kids through the trails and small jumps. I still love to rip down a groomer though.

I'm hoping to demo a few skis (not too many due to cost) and looking for suggestions. What skis should be on my list?....Thanks!
I did try the brahma and bonafide @ 180 last year. They felt too demanding for me. Perhaps too big of a jump in length?
 

Jerez

Skiing the powder
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My husband fits your stats. Absolutely loves his K2 Pinnacle 105s and they also come in narrower versions. They have def. improved his skiing. Seem stable enough and forgiving in bumps and easy turning in trees.

I also love my Scott The Ski skis. They do all of the above as well and are Sun Valley locals.
 

Philpug

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Glad you finally jumped in, we were wating for you. Actually that Sultan isn't too too short in a 165 for you, it skis it's full length so don't beat yourself up too much. I do agree with @Jerez with her two suggestions, the Pinnacle 88 and The Ski. I would add Armada's Invuctus 89Ti or even the 95, two realy nice skis that work in a multitude of condtions.
 

tch

What do I know; I'm just some guy on the internet.
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Phil jumped in as I was writing. He's got a better sense of the market.
Here's what I was saying. For Sun Valley conditions you describe, it would seem like you might want a narrower ski than 105...and a torsionally stiffer ski than the Pinnacle 105, since you'll be doing a lot of groomers. Fischer Motive 95 or 86 (though I think those models have been superseded), Rossi Experience 88, Nordica Enforcer 93, Volkl Kendo....I'll leave it to others to suggest new skis, as I'm not up to date.
But I'd be looking at a 70/30 groomer/off-piste ski myself. If you go too far towards the playful end too far, you'll give up the groomer performance you'll be skiing most of the time.
 

Ken_R

Living the Dream
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Denver, CO
First time poster, but I have been enjoying this site for a while.

Me: 5'8", 170lbs. Ski at Sun Valley, Idaho about 20 times a year with wife and kids 10yrs old and 6 years old. We ski the whole mountain comfortably but probably not technically great.

I switched from snowboarding about 5 years ago. At that time, I bought Dynastar Sultan 80's at 165. I know they are short, but I didn't know better. I love these skis, but I think I'm ready for an upgrade. I'm starting to spend more time in the trees and bumps, but groomers are a must at Sun Valley due to long periods of sun between snows. With kids, I need something that's pretty easy going at all speeds. I like making short turns, and am starting to ski more "playfully" as I follow my kids through the trails and small jumps. I still love to rip down a groomer though.

I'm hoping to demo a few skis (not too many due to cost) and looking for suggestions. What skis should be on my list?....Thanks!
I did try the brahma and bonafide @ 180 last year. They felt too demanding for me. Perhaps too big of a jump in length?

Along with Phil's recommendations I would try the Nordica Enforcer 93 in the 177 length.
 
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Idahosnow

Idahosnow

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Hailey, ID
Thanks for the suggestions! I should be able to find some of those locally. Volkl is big here, so I know I can find those. Maybe I'll knock on Bobby Burns' door and see if he has any The Skis laying around;). What length should I look at, low to mid 170s? I also think there is a demo day near the end of the season. I'm not in a hurry, so I should be able to find a good sale for next year. I'll update this post as I try skis.

Thanks for the welcome and the quick responses.
 

Ken_R

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Thanks for the suggestions! I should be able to find some of those locally. Volkl is big here, so I know I can find those. Maybe I'll knock on Bobby Burns' door and see if he has any The Skis laying around;). What length should I look at, low to mid 170s? I also think there is a demo day near the end of the season. I'm not in a hurry, so I should be able to find a good sale for next year. I'll update this post as I try skis.

Thanks for the welcome and the quick responses.

I would worry more about the skis design and feel under your feet than a particular length. Being 170 lbs a size down from the skis max available length should suit you. If it feels way wrong then its probably the wrong ski for you. If it feels almost right then try a different length. I weight 175-180 and generally have used skis in the 180 range +- depending on the design and "effective edge length".
 

Philpug

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Thanks for the suggestions! I should be able to find some of those locally. Volkl is big here, so I know I can find those. Maybe I'll knock on Bobby Burns' door and see if he has any The Skis laying around;). What length should I look at, low to mid 170s? I also think there is a demo day near the end of the season. I'm not in a hurry, so I should be able to find a good sale for next year. I'll update this post as I try skis.

Thanks for the welcome and the quick responses.
I htink you will find the same issue with the Kendo that you did the Brahma, a bit on the stiff side. As far as The Ski, there are the The Ski's that Bobbie hand built and those that bared his name from Scott Sports. If it is the latter, the 175 would be a great option. If you can find some of the earlier ones, that are white with the multi colored blocks, all the better.
 
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Idahosnow

Idahosnow

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Update..............I was able to get on a pair of Scott The Skis for a couple of runs. This was an older pair that was white with colored blocks 175 I think. This was a very comfortable and easy ski for me. It instantly felt familiar and did everything I asked it to. I felt like I could make all turn shapes and break the tails loose to scrub speed whenever needed. It also felt comfortable at all speeds that I skied it. While a great ski, it really didn't feel like much of an improvement over my current Sultan 80s. I'm sure it would handle deeper snow better than the Sultans though.

I was also able to jump on some 177 enforcer 100s. Wow, these skis like to go fast! They were a blast and I felt like I was skiing better on them than I usually do. They were also quite enjoyable at slow and moderate speeds. Moguls were a bit harder for me, and I felt my legs getting tired quicker. They felt a bit heavy on my feet. That is probably due to going from a 165 80mm to 177 100mm plus some metal. I assume I would adapt to the heavier ski. I also noticed some new cuts in my pant cuffs, so I think some adaptation to my stance might be needed. I had so much fun, I almost bought them. I think a 100mm ski would be overkill for Sun Valley and I still want to try some Armadas and the Pinnacles. I'm horrible at making decisions.

On a side note, I just found a local pair of barely used Enforcer 93s in 177 with STH 12 bindings for $450. They are mounted for 298bsl while I have a 300. I assume no remount necessary. Tempted......but I think I would need to demo them first. I assume they would be similar to the 100s but better in bumps and probably a better daily driver where I ski. I have heard that they are a bit stiffer than the 100.
 

Kyle

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I am not telling you something you don't already know but a 100 or 93 is much wider than the norm in Sun Valley. Of the two Enforcers, I would go with the 93 and like the deal you found. I would try a Kendo as well. You are going to want a ski that is rewarding on groomers and has some bite to it as well.
 
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Idahosnow

Idahosnow

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Yes.....I know. I'm probably thinking more along the lines of what I want to be skiing rather than what I am actually skiing. Although, the majority of my ski days the past two years have been on fresh snow. I'll keep my 80s for the hard snow days.
 

AmyPJ

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Several of the shop guys here at Snowbasin ski the 93s as their daily ski, including for powder. I skied the Santa Ana 93s for a day, and boy are they a fun, easy ski. I own the 100s, and they do ski very similarly to the 93s. That's a pretty awesome deal on the 93s...
 

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