East coast intermediate/advanced ski recommendation/opinion

[Bluenose]

Had a chance to demo the Rossi Hero Plus Ti - on the first couple of blue runs felt very similar to the SZ10, though a little short (167 cm) and as a result a bit squirrely when straight-lining. Then over to the black and double black runs and there they came into their own. I could actually control speed while making nice turns, as opposed to dumping speed. I would like to try a longer length and in more varied conditions. At the same time I think I could be happy with these.


Again, thanks for all your insights and I will continue to look to demo some of the suggested skis.

 

[trailtrimmer]

Had a chance to demo the Rossi Hero Plus Ti - on the first couple of blue runs felt very similar to the SZ10, though a little short (167 cm) and as a result a bit squirrely when straight-lining. Then over to the black and double black runs and there they came into their own. I could actually control speed while making nice turns, as opposed to dumping speed. I would like to try a longer length and in more varied conditions. At the same time I think I could be happy with these.


Again, thanks for all your insights and I will continue to look to demo some of the suggested skis.

That's a 13m radius SL ski. They hate straight line speed, but love being on edge the whole time and a simply fantastic hardpack ski for short to medium sized vertical. The Head Rally or Dynastar 12 Ti will be a little more versatile.

 

[Uncle-A]

You said you tried the Head Rally and the ski does love to turn. You may want to try Head Titan it is a lot more versatile and it is a 80 at the midsection compared to the 76 of the Rally. It is a ski that will deliver a lot of performance. Someone recommend the V8 or the V10 earlier and I would think the V10 is also good choice. Good Luck with your search.

 

[Bluenose]

Any opinion on the suitability of the Blizzard RC Ti (2017/2018) version? Looks good on paper and in spite of it being narrow underfoot it does not seem to be a one-trick monkey. It is also available locally at a reasonable discount...

 

[Uncle-A]

Blizzard just came out with a Brahma 82 that would make a good east coast ski. It may be worth checking out.

 

[AmyPJ]

yes, but unlike the race skis, the SpeedZones ski very different than say the Rossi React and Heros.

The Deacon 74 and 76 are very smooth skis and have a pretty high top end.

One of the surprise of the test was the upcomogn Salomon S/Force Bold, a wider version of the S/Max Blast. The ski has a tremendous upside in power yet it did not overpower our intermediate lesters. Stay tuned for this one.

Ah yes, I know a certain man friend who is getting a pair ASAP. He LOVED them.

I will add the upcoming Nordica Enforcer 88 to the list of skis for the OP to consider.

 

[trailtrimmer]

Nordica Enforcer 88

And the narrowing trend continues. It's almost like the monster truck skis don't work as well as the sport sedans.

 

[AmyPJ]

And the narrowing trend continues. It's almost like the monster truck skis don't work as well as the sport sedans.

I'm with you on that for sure. Happy to see more SERIOUS skis being offered in narrower widths. I'm not a fan of anything much wider than 88 unless it's deep enough powder to not want to submarine.

 

[François Pugh]

To truly experience carving ecstasy on east coast "firm" snow, you need <70 mm waist with traditional camber, not 88 mm with tip rocker.
Just say'n.

 

[trailtrimmer]

To truly experience carving ecstasy on east coast "firm" snow, you need <70 mm waist with traditional camber, not 88 mm with tip rocker.
Just say'n.

Crazy true!

However I’ve simply found the 76-82 range to be adequate in the carve while still dealing with afternoon crud and push piles as well as a few inches of fresh snow.

The 88 to 100 range is dead to me, serves little purpose. I’m on a race ski to race and train, a 78-80 for free ski fun on groomers and light fresh and a 105+ for actual powder or fresh tree runs.

A Brahma 82 or Monster 83 is as wide as I’d consider for an east/Midwest ski.

 

[Bluenose]

Spent a few days at Le Massif de Charlevoix - Fantastic resort!

I rented Rossi Heros MT - these are good for me on our local hill, but they completely wore me out there. I switched to the Experience 84 HD for the next two days and those were much better. I could not really carve them and they chattered at speed, but they were better suited to my skill and strength. I was still smiling when the lifts closed.

What is evident is that I need to 1) work out and get stronger legs 2) advance my skills in the fresh softer snow with the resulting crud and push piles and 3) have skis to match my skills.

Some of you have suggested I should have two skis and I agree.

For the "away" ski (still Eastern, on piste and no moguls) I have it narrowed down to the Blizzard Brahma CA 180 and and the Volkl Kanjo 175 cm. They seem to fit my need for a more intermediate ski that I can develop on in varied conditions while still strong enough rip for a bit when conditions are favorable.

Would you agree that these fit the bill and is there anything different enough between these that I should be aware of?

 

[SkiSpeed]

As an eastern skier, I think you will want, and need, metal in the board; consider looking at the Brahma 82 (I just snagged a pair, but have not been able to ski them yet) v the Brahma CA; I have a pair of Liberty V92’s and love them for fresh snow, trees, corn etc., but they don’t have enough metal in them for the super icy conditions we see in the VT and that you see up in Canada, a good choice for a multi-ski arsenal.

 

[Bluenose]

Now that summer apears to be ending, an update that may help someone else in the same situation...

I ended up buying Bushwhackers in the summer of 2019 and used them last season on away trips.
They ended up being the perfect ski for me on anything other than the smaller icy hills. Mind you they can do it, but they are obviously not the best tool for these conditions.

Where they shine is on pretty much everything else. My best day this past season was on Mont Garceau, after a 25 cm dump. I had a blast and now understand why people go crazy for those conditions. The rest of my party was done halfway through the afternoon and I just kept going with a big smile on my face!

So, with the away skis taken care of I want to revisit my other set. The ones I use on our smaller mostly hard pack and icy hills; mostly shorter turns and some wider carvers.

I had enjoyed the Rossi Hero Elite Plus in a demo last year, but they may be wider than I need. Should I pick the Hero ST Ti instead?
Another option that I sometimes see for a good discount is the Elan SLX
Or perhaps the Volkl Racetiger RC?

Any feedback and advice greatly appreciated!

 

[Jilly]

I love my Hero ST's for our eastern powder!!