getting over being "apprehensive" of skiing a 109mm ski?

[James]

The Automatic 109, which I believe is essentially the same ski, was my primary ski for years. A great ski.
My advise goes slightly differently -- ski them a lot at home, even when conditions are not appropriate. You want to have gotten over the "getting to know you" phase before you use them in conditions where they shine.

Omg!! Nooooooo......
How many years did it take us to get him off those things? Skied them everywhere. Icy moguls-check, groomers- check, trees-check, oh yeah soft snow-check.

OP, fine for you to experiment. But, could be a gateway drug.

 

[mdf]

Omg!! Nooooooo......
How many years did it take us to get him off those things? Skied them everywhere. Icy moguls-check, groomers- check, trees-check, oh yeah soft snow-check.

OP, fine for you to experiment. But, could be a gateway drug.

Now I'm doing the reverse. Skiing an 85 wide ski when 9 feet of snow fell over a 4 day trip.

I guess I am naturally monogamous.

 

[James]

Now I'm doing the reverse. Skiing an 85 wide ski when 9 feet of snow fell over a 4 day trip.

Look at you, all grown up now!
How those boots doing?

 

[TimothyD11]

Leaving later today. Still on the fence over which skis to bring. On the one hand there should be plenty of soft snow off piste to justify these "bigger than I ever skied in my life" skis!...on the other hand, I'm familiar with the NRGy 100 skis and I think they'll do well enough in any conditions.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

If you aren't going to bring the Atomics, you might as well just get rid of them. Bring the Atomics.

 

[markojp]

Contact Nikol, their ski school director. Sign up for a lesson or two. The choice between 100 and 109 will stop being a big deal. Take your 109's. There's also a shop at the base that will have other demos if things are skied out, but I'm guessing you'll get some new snow. The weather's been pretty active.

 

[TimothyD11]

I chickened out of bringing them, with the achey knee especially. Brought the Nordica NRGy 100 skis. They did great at Bachelor last year off piste.

I still have my big trip at the end of February. I'll have another chance to bring them then.

These days coming up will also be my first days on skis this year so I want to ease into it a bit.

 

[Daves not here]

I chickened out of bringing them, with the achey knee especially. Brought the Nordica NRGy 100 skis. They did great at Bachelor last year off piste.

I still have my big trip at the end of February. I'll have another chance to bring them then.

These days coming up will also be my first days on skis this year so I want to ease into it a bit.

You will be fine with either. Schweitzer is my home mountain and we have been getting fresh snow each day. I think it is going to taper off by Sunday. They added 2 new chairs on the backside and opened u a lot of trees areas for great off piste skiing. My last 4 days have been knee deep all day with soft hopped up runs back to the lift.

 

[TimothyD11]

You will be fine with either. Schweitzer is my home mountain and we have been getting fresh snow each day. I think it is going to taper off by Sunday. They added 2 new chairs on the backside and opened u a lot of trees areas for great off piste skiing. My last 4 days have been knee deep all day with soft hopped up runs back to the lift.

Nice! So excited! Can you recommend a few tree / glade sections that aren't too steep and the trees are well spaced out?

Also, I don't own a shovel, probe or transceiver so maybe you can advise me where to avoid skiing...I'm now afraid to ski stuff that can potentially slide, even in a resort, especially after that very unfortunate incident at Silver Mountain last week.

Oh, and if you want to meet up for a few runs I'll be there 3 days straight starting tomorrow if my knees are cooperating!

 

[Daves not here]

Nice! So excited! Can you recommend a few tree / glade sections that aren't too steep and the trees are well spaced out?

Also, I don't own a shovel, probe or transceiver so maybe you can advise me where to avoid skiing...I'm now afraid to ski stuff that can potentially slide, even in a resort, especially after that very unfortunate incident at Silver Mountain last week.

Oh, and if you want to meet up for a few runs I'll be there 3 days straight starting tomorrow if my knees are cooperating!

Backside off of Cedar Park Express Chair. Takes you up to midpoint of back side. Drop down off of the left of kaniksu run. Good pitch, great tree spacing - not super long runs.

 

[TimothyD11]

Backside off of Cedar Park Express Chair. Takes you up to midpoint of back side. Drop down off of the left of kaniksu run. Good pitch, great tree spacing - not super long runs.

Referencing the map it looks like the tree area directly beneath the end of the rope tow could be cool.

 

[Daves not here]

Referencing the map it looks like the tree area directly beneath the end of the rope tow could be cool.

Great area. Thicker trees. Steeper. A favorite for sure. The bowl under Colburns Triple is great as well. Especially if you get oof the mid point of the Cedar Park Express and drop in there.

 

[TimothyD11]

Great area. Thicker trees. Steeper. A favorite for sure. The bowl under Colburns Triple is great as well. Especially if you get oof the mid point of the Cedar Park Express and drop in there.

Probably not the perfect place for this but my relatively new buddy just bailed out on this trip with me to Idaho and I will be alone. He is an airline pilot that was trying to get a free flight to Spokane and he claims nothing was available. I had a feeling that he was going to bail out if he couldn't get a free flight...I thought he might want to ski enough to pay for it if he couldn't go for free but I guess not.

So I'll be alone, wanting to ski some slightly more adventurous stuff than straight up groomers, and I shouldn't if I'm alone...so if you or anyone else you know wants to ski with a friendly advanced intermediate from New York please give me a shout.

 

[mdf]

if you or anyone else you know wants to ski with a friendly advanced intermediate

I recommend you start a new thread under the "Gathering and On-the-hill Meetups" section with a title something like "Schweitzer (Idaho), date A to B, who is going to be there?"

 

[TimothyD11]

I recommend you start a new thread under the "Gathering and On-the-hill Meetups" section with a title something like "Schweitzer (Idaho), date A to B, who is going to be there?"

Thank you!

 

[karlo]

Greetings everyone.

Two years ago I, as a northeast skier that tries to go out west occasionally, particularly when the snow is piling up, purchased Atomic Backland FR 109 skis for this very purpose!

But sheee***it, the size of these things are intimidating!

I've been skiing for about 9 years, mostly in the northeast, but I started going out west 5 or 6 years ago.

And in the last few years I have been intentionally waiting til the last minute to try to ride recent or ongoing snowstorms.

So my first ski to bring out west was the Nordica NRGy 100, and I have to admit the size of those intimidated me initially, being use to Salomon Rocker 2 90 skis, but it was a fairly easy transition I'd say...

But these Atomics are a whole other animal!

Do you think I'll easily "get the hang of them"?

I'm going to Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Idaho for 3 days this coming holiday weekend and I'm a little hung up on which skis to bring, but it looks like maybe these "un-christened" Atomics might finally be the logical choice!

I like easier off piste and easier tree skiing the most.

Thanks!

I’m also an Eastern skier. I purchased a 108 a few years back for dedicated deeper powder skiing. If not deep and if not dedicated, I think no need. A 88-98 thereabouts will be much more versatile. Capable of deep powder and groomers as well

 

[James]

Probably not the perfect place for this but my relatively new buddy just bailed out on this trip with me to Idaho and I will be alone. He is an airline pilot that was trying to get a free flight to Spokane and he claims nothing was available. I had a feeling that he was going to bail out if he couldn't get a free flight...I thought he might want to ski enough to pay for it if he couldn't go for free but I guess not.

So I'll be alone, wanting to ski some slightly more adventurous stuff than straight up groomers, and I shouldn't if I'm alone...so if you or anyone else you know wants to ski with a friendly advanced intermediate from New York please give me a shout.

That huge lake that Sandpoint is on has some secret stuff. The lake is over 1,000 ft deep. On the south end is a Navy research base. If you see some weird stuff surfacing, it's not aliens.

The Navy's Most Vital And Secretive Submarine Base Is In... Idaho?!?

The US Navy's submarine bases are some of the most high-security installations in the world, but one of their most important and shadowy submarine outposts is not located along the ocean, but rather in a lake in landlocked Idaho.

foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com

 

[karlo]

109 is great for a sub 12" powder day.

Wow. That’s what I’d say of an 88-98. What would you ski above 12”?

 

[markojp]

Rung what you bru g

Wow. That’s what I’d say of an 88-98. What would you ski above 12”?

Run what ya brung and don't worry. Now if it's 12" of sludge, ski a 120. Blower fluff? Doesn't matter all that much. Your nrgy 100's are very versatile off piste skis that will ski pretty much everything. And again, talk to their SS and book a lesson. Ask for Terry or Chris T. if they're available.

 

[Core2]

Wow. That’s what I’d say of an 88-98. What would you ski above 12”?

My Enforcer 100s do great in just about everything up until 12". They really eliminated a lot of my quiver and even turn better than my 90mm Mindbenders. Over 12" though, I've found having width and length to be a huge benefit to my fun factor. It is the difference between skiing in the middle of the powder or on top of it. I picked up a pair of 118mm K2s and skied them during a 3ft storm at Wolf Creek last winter and it was a game changer. I was carving huge surfy turns on top of the powder while other people were getting annihilated. They wouldn't make these fat skis if they didn't work and have a purpose. They are just not a ski you will pick up often but it can really be fun in the right conditions.