I purchased these beautiful Italian skis from @Walks here last month (the original for sale thread is here) and had the good fortune to take them up to the glacier on Mt. Hood in Oregon to try them out. About me: 50 years old, 5'9", 145 lbs., advanced skier who mostly likes to go fast on piste.
I dug up a Vist manual online and adjusted the bindings per their chart (based on height, weight, BSL, and ability). I made the trek up to Timberline where the Palmer lift is still running. The US Ski Team was up there doing tech training and it was great to watch them slalom down the hill. I saw a lot of Fischer, Rossignol, and Head skis.
This was my first time out on skis with such a narrow underfoot (131-77-111) and I was excited. At 7 am, it was a field of ice but the skis handled it no problem. I was able to easily catch an edge and never once felt unstable or out of control. The skis easily dispensed of the ice. Now I think I know what you East Coasters ski on!
By 9 am the snow had softened and it hit it's peak at 10 am. This was like riding a nice groomed run and man were the Vists sweet. Again, stability at speed was the order of the day whether I was straightlining or carving large or short turns. By this time I was settling in to the skis and starting to flex them. I started to think the bindings were really what made this setup so good. @Philpug said they were a steal. I don't think I've ever felt so planted or connected to the snow.
By 11 am it was really soft, with piles of snow on the hill, deeper tracks, some slush, and an occasional ice patch. The wide shovels on the Crossovers just plowed through anything in their path. Again, the skis just felt incredibly stable and capable. I started thinking to myself about the reviews you all wrote on the Blossom White Out, which has the same shape and dimensions and comes out of the same factory that made these skis. Same as the Hart Pulse too. They just got it right apparently.
Top to bottom was 10 minutes round trip and according to ski tracks I got in 23 runs and 19k vertical feet in about 3 hours.
However, I was shocked when I looked down at at the app and saw my top speed for the day was 62.8 mph. I honestly thought I was in the low to mid 40s because the skis were just that stable and easy. Prior to this, the fastest I have ever skied was 50 mph on my J Skis Masterblasters -- and I didn't want to push those skis any harder. I don't feel like I found the top end of the Vists. @Walks told me to expect that. He was right.
All of this makes me wonder why we don't see too many narrow skis out West here. When I was in Vail, there were a lot of International skiers with beautiful Stockli and Kastle skis. But up in Tahoe it's a lot of 90-100 skis even from the people who stay on the groomers. I personally cannot wait to take these on some longer groomed runs in Tahoe.
A big thanks to Pugski because I would've never considered skis this narrow or anything with plate bindings if I hadn't come here.
I dug up a Vist manual online and adjusted the bindings per their chart (based on height, weight, BSL, and ability). I made the trek up to Timberline where the Palmer lift is still running. The US Ski Team was up there doing tech training and it was great to watch them slalom down the hill. I saw a lot of Fischer, Rossignol, and Head skis.
This was my first time out on skis with such a narrow underfoot (131-77-111) and I was excited. At 7 am, it was a field of ice but the skis handled it no problem. I was able to easily catch an edge and never once felt unstable or out of control. The skis easily dispensed of the ice. Now I think I know what you East Coasters ski on!
By 9 am the snow had softened and it hit it's peak at 10 am. This was like riding a nice groomed run and man were the Vists sweet. Again, stability at speed was the order of the day whether I was straightlining or carving large or short turns. By this time I was settling in to the skis and starting to flex them. I started to think the bindings were really what made this setup so good. @Philpug said they were a steal. I don't think I've ever felt so planted or connected to the snow.
By 11 am it was really soft, with piles of snow on the hill, deeper tracks, some slush, and an occasional ice patch. The wide shovels on the Crossovers just plowed through anything in their path. Again, the skis just felt incredibly stable and capable. I started thinking to myself about the reviews you all wrote on the Blossom White Out, which has the same shape and dimensions and comes out of the same factory that made these skis. Same as the Hart Pulse too. They just got it right apparently.
Top to bottom was 10 minutes round trip and according to ski tracks I got in 23 runs and 19k vertical feet in about 3 hours.
However, I was shocked when I looked down at at the app and saw my top speed for the day was 62.8 mph. I honestly thought I was in the low to mid 40s because the skis were just that stable and easy. Prior to this, the fastest I have ever skied was 50 mph on my J Skis Masterblasters -- and I didn't want to push those skis any harder. I don't feel like I found the top end of the Vists. @Walks told me to expect that. He was right.
All of this makes me wonder why we don't see too many narrow skis out West here. When I was in Vail, there were a lot of International skiers with beautiful Stockli and Kastle skis. But up in Tahoe it's a lot of 90-100 skis even from the people who stay on the groomers. I personally cannot wait to take these on some longer groomed runs in Tahoe.
A big thanks to Pugski because I would've never considered skis this narrow or anything with plate bindings if I hadn't come here.