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Fischer: KOA vs Ranger W

VickieH

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I have long wanted to demo some Fischer skis, but haven't had the opportunity yet. Two skis that catch my eye ... KOA 84 and Ranger W 89. Anyone demo these, or their unisex counterparts, if those exist?
 

Philpug

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@Tricia skied some of the Koa's and Rangers over the years. @dawgcatching, @epic and a few others have skied the unisex versions. I will let them chime in with their opinions. I personally found that these were light, playful but those attributed did lend the ski to limitations at speed and mixed conditions. A lot depends on what attributes you are looking for.
 

Tricia

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I've skied both of those.
The Koa was fun and easy to ski. Not something that I would consider a charger, but a good solid choice for someone who wants fun and easy.

I had high hopes for the RangerW but it disappointed me. I skied it several days and tried to find the sweet spot. It didn't do anything badly but just didn't blow me away or make me want to buy it.
@kimmyt skied it at Arapahoe Basin on Mother's Day 2015. Maybe she can give some input.

The ski that Fischer brought out last year that I really liked was the Trinity. Its a super narrow carving ski that was a ripper.
 
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VickieH

VickieH

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I'm not surprised by less than stellar reviews of the KOA. In tests, it scored mid-3s on a 5-point scale.

Is there a women's version of the Motive 86? I haven't identified one.
 

Tricia

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No, I don't believe that there is a women's version of the Motive series. But then, there are so many good skis in that 84-88 category you shouldn't have trouble finding something.

The ski that blew me away in the 85(ish) category was the Armada Victa 87Ti at 87 under foot and a great TR. Ask @SkiNurse :D

Another ski that is overlooked far too often as "just an intermediate ski" is the Dynastar Glory 84, but its pretty darn fun and worth taking a look at.

Check out my thumbnail reviews if you want a few more ideas.
https://forum.pugski.com/threads/tricias-thumbnail-reviews-sub-90mm-skis-2016-17.1539/

*What do you want to get out of this ski?
 

Lauren

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I own an older KOA 88, and love it...it's getting a bit soft in its old age, but a couple years ago I put some AT bindings on them, and I think they serve that ski well for how light, nimble and playful they are.

I can't speak for the newer KOA for myself, but one if the ladies I demoed with last year enjoyed it, but it fell short of blowing her away. I feel like the 84 is kind of stuck in its awkward teenager years, not quite wide enough to have a lot of float and pop, but isn't stiff/narrow enough to be considered a straight-up carver.

I've tried the men's Ranger 90, and the women's Ranger 98. I gotta say the 90s were pretty meh, but I really enjoyed the 98s. Very damp but energetic feel to them...can those two words even be used together? I didn't get a chance to get them out on some fresh fluff, but I'm sure they'd do well in that arena. Super low swing weight, lightweight ski, poppy and fun but can still arc a turn when requested.
 

Tricia

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^^^ Stuck in the awkward teen age years is a good description.
 
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VickieH

VickieH

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Check out my thumbnail reviews if you want a few more ideas.
https://forum.pugski.com/threads/tricias-thumbnail-reviews-sub-90mm-skis-2016-17.1539/

*What do you want to get out of this ski?
Thanks. I completely missed that thread.

I'm currently skiing Nordica Infinite, 80 underfoot. The next ski will be a replacement for that. I have loved the Infinite ... solid, goes through stuff instead of getting diverted or bouncing over it. Why replace it? Well, I'll be getting new boots. The bindings would have to be adjusted for the boots, so I may as well have a whole new setup. (It's the best reason I can come up with on short notice.)

The only ski I've had that I didn't like was the Dynastar Exclusive Legend ... not the 85mm, but the slightly narrower one, predecessor to the Idyll. I was told they like a balanced stance. The tips got squirrelly when I'd pressure them. The Idyll seemed to resolve that. When I demo'd them, they handled forward pressure fine.

Lemme look over the list and see else interests me. @coskigirl's experience with Head Super(?) Joy makes me want to try that too.
 

Tricia

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Head Super Joy is a really nice ski, but its fairly strong. The skis you've named have been a little narrower and a little less aggressive.
Depending on your size and strength(by that I mean skiing strength), I'd stay with the Armada Victa 87 Ti, or the Super Joy. Between those two, the Victa is a little more nimble.
 

Lauren

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Lemme look over the list and see else interests me. @coskigirl's experience with Head Super(?) Joy makes me want to try that too.

I found the Super Joy super easy to ski, great carver, easy to get on edge, and can really rail a turn. Another option from the Head women's line (and might be a closer replacement for your current ski) is the the Total Joy. Also a fun ski, but having an 85 waist instead of 75 makes it a little more versatile than the Super Joy.
 
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VickieH

VickieH

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Thanks, I've had a terrible time keeping all of the Joys straight. I am hoping to stay somewhere in the 80s underfoot. Skiing on piste at Bachelor, I expect to need edges and a little width.
 

Tricia

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@VickieH the reason I asked what you want to get out of this new ski is because everything you're mentioning are (somewhat) intermediate. I'm thinking you are looking for a ski that will be a step up and therefore may be looking for something that is more advanced but still in that category.

For that I'd look at the Armada Victa 87Ti. It has more shape than the Great Joy and is a little more nimble. The Victa is also scaled sizing which isn't always implemented in ski brands so the Victa in a short length will be narrower than 87mm
 

Tricia

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Thanks, I've had a terrible time keeping all of the Joys straight. I am hoping to stay somewhere in the 80s underfoot. Skiing on piste at Bachelor, I expect to need edges and a little width.
To give you the line up for the Head Joy series
  • Pure Joy (73)- Beginner
  • Absolute Joy(79) - Intermediate
  • Super Joy(75) - Advanced Carver
  • Total Joy(85) - Intermediate/advanced all mountain
  • Great Joy(98) - Advanced all mountain off piste
  • Big Joy (110) - Advanced off piste
 

Lauren

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For that I'd look at the Armada Victa 87Ti.

I'd 100% agree with giving the Invicta 87Ti a shot as well. It's a fantastic all-mountain ski. While demoing, it was just one of those skis I didn't want to give back.
 
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VickieH

VickieH

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I'm going to pause for a sec and see if my instructor has any thoughts on an equipment change he'd recommend for next season. May as well get the whole team involved.

That Armada is definitely on the demo list now.
 

Tricia

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I don't want to dismiss what your instructor wants you to ski in order to help you make progress, but unless he has had a chance to test these skis and/or has a great deal of knowledge about them, I'm not sure he'll have much input about them specifically.

We had a fair amount of people in our test group at Arapahoe Basin who had a preconceived idea about Armada until they actually got on the Invictus and Victa. Its not your kids Armada. ;)
 

Lauren

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We had a fair amount of people in our test group at Arapahoe Basin who had a preconceived idea about Armada until they actually got on the Invictus and Victa

Just realized that you've been calling it the Victa (I've been calling it the Invicta). You're totally right! I remember thinking it was weird that they didn't call it the Invicta when I first saw it, based on the men's Invictus, and I guess the wrong name stuck with me. Guess I had to see the names together to get it straight, thanks!
 
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VickieH

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I've eliminated the Fischers from consideration so let me try to answer your questions and see if that generates other ideas of skis I should look at.

5'2", 140 lbs
Level 6, on a 1-9 scale, on groomed trails
Avoid moguls and trees, flail in powder
Lessons in the upcoming season will include trees and moguls. (I expect lesson summaries will be fit for the Shotzski Lounge.)
Not aggressive skier and not fast
Tend to make short- to medium-radius turns
Current ski ... Nordica Infinite, 154 cm (80mm underfoot)

What I like about the Infinite ... it holds well on firmer surfaces; goes through and does not get deflected by small piles of snow; does not demand speed. Based on what Phil said, sounds like "light and playful" would not be the right attributes for me, but rather something that "handles variable conditions well".

I have wondered if, at my weight, I should look at longer skis. Maybe so, if there's much tip/tail rocker? For learning trees and moguls, though, it seems that mid-150s up to 160 might be best.

I'm not looking for anything radically different from the Infinite ... maybe a little wider (<90mm) ... but I want to ensure I have something that will support developing my skills. I don't want a punishing ski. I want to be able to ski long days -- when I'm skiing well and also when I'm just messing around.

If I could find a good buy on a previous year's ski that seems to fit the bill, I would get it without demoing and give it a shot. If that didn't work well, I'd go back to the Infinites. Either way, I plan to demo and see what I like in the 2017 lineup.

The Victa really has my interest. Often, the challenge is finding a reasonable length available for demo. Would 155-160ish be the right length in that ski?
 

Philpug

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@VickieH , you are shorter than average in height but it sounds like you are towering in spirit. Lets get @SkiNurse in here, she is just 1/2" shorter than you and really enjoys the terrain and condtiions you are looking to tackle. I think she can shed some light on what might work well. I can see you havign issues in those conditions with the Infinite, it is a stiff uncompromising ski and even at 80 underfoot, it does not like to venture off of the groomers and will let you know immediately how unhappy it is.
 

Tricia

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I really like the direction you're going. I still say the Armada Victa should be at the top of your list, but its new this season so you won't find a leftover deal on it.
The Dynastar Glory and Volkl Yumi should also be added to this list.

You are more likely to find deals on the Yumi and the Glory.
@SkiEssentials essentials had a deal on the Yumi back in January. Check and see if they still have something laying around.
https://forum.pugski.com/threads/skiessentials-com-deal-of-the-week.1030/
 
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