Justify Your Quiver To the Internet

[jmeb]

Since @Ken_R 's for sale thread was devolving into this, I thought it might make sense to break it off.

What is your quiver?
Why is your quiver setup the way it is?
How much of it is explicit design as a quiver vs a historic accretion vs built around one particular ski you love?
If you could start over, what would it be?

For example:

My inbounds quiver is:
- 85mm twin tip
- 98mm all mountain twin
- 112mm tip/tail rockered
- 118mm pow ski
- 127mm pow ski.

The main driving forces behind it are:
- Filling in "gaps" by hopping on "deals"
- Historical accident.
- Falling in love with the 118mm (Moment Bibby) and then even more in love with the 112 (Deathwish). Bought both because "deals".

If I could start it over:
- I'd currently build it around my favorite ski: the 112mm Deathwish. My preferred ski in anything from soft leftovers to 6" of fresh.
- I'd have one ~90mm "daily driver" ski. Semi-twin tip, more tip rocker (touch of tail), with a bit of metal in it. Rustler 9 comes to mind.
- One BIG pow ski. I'd probably retain my 127mm Praxis Protest because it is so magical in deep snow and weird crusts.

We'll let @Ron, @Ken_R, and @UGASkiDawg kick us off.

 

[Ron]

Stockli Laser Ax. Daily driver= a magical blend of carving, crudbusting and float for up to 6”. Not just “good” in all, it kicks ass. Makes me a better skier.

Stockli Stormrider 88 or 95 = mid because it’s much like a Laser but decidedly off piste it will get used on leftovers, soft bump days and sidecountry for anything that I find.

Faction Ct3.0= powder ski and crudbuster also great for leftovers after a big storm. Absolutely love this ski.

Possible skis =. I am eyeing up a Faction Prodigy 1.0 or 1.0x ( if I can figure out if there’s really any difference)
Moment Deathwish for über deep days. I would like to try a 184

@jmeb For a 90 ski, look at the faction or Liberty Origin 90.

 

[Lorenzzo]

Atomic SL FIS. -- Powder fun on a hardback day.
Stockli SX FIS. -- "
Head Titan. --Rock ski and early season trainer. Versatile for what it is.
Stockli AX. --Because it's my favorite ski ever. Anything but real deep and even then.
Kastle MX ltd. --Like an MX 84 kinda but with carbon. The AX spreads love, this destroys whatever it meets.
Stockli SR 88. --Pending. Because I have the same BSL as a frequent ski bud, he has 3 pr. Stockli, we switch and I need to ante up. (Not cause I really want them)
Nordica Enforcer. --Could be a daily driver...but it isn't. Cruddy, heavy, bumpy, wait what's that. Technical meets freestyle.
Moment Bibby. --Gamechanging for me in deep, crud, what's that.

I'd like to reduce from 8 but as I look at the list there's nothing with which I'd like to part. And it isn't really 8. The first two are masters race skis, the third rock and so I really only have 5. The bottom three are my powder quiver. Maybe I need another pair.

There's overlap if the only criteria is width but why would that be the only criteria? Each of those skis are distinctly different.

Oh wait, was I not supposed to go yet?

 

[Lauren]

Skis are fun.
More skis = More fun.

Quiver justified.

 

[Jtlange]

Skis are fun.
More skis = More fun.

Quiver justified.

Truth

I just sold four of my 8 skis, mainly because I had a bunch of overlap and I didn't want the ones I sold anymore. My real problem is, I really like one-oh-something skis, so that might be a problem again.

Currently:

Faction Candide 2.0, because I want to get better in the air this year and for days when it hasn't snowed in a while
Blizzard Rustler 10, because I love this ski and it does everything well
Armada ARV JJ 116, because when it dumps I want a tool for the job
Blizzard Rustler 11, because sometimes the JJ doesnt have enough backbone to deal with what I want to do

To be added:

Replacement of my light touring skis I just sold for hut trips
Something stiff for groomers?
QST 106 because I want to be really conflicted on what skis I want to take out on a daily basis.

 

[jmeb]

@jmeb For a 90 ski, look at the faction or Liberty Origin 90.

Don't tempt me. There are some NIB Origin 90s I've had my eye on that are sub $200.

And I already have another touring ski en route.

 

[Lauren]

QST 106 because I want to be really conflicted on what skis I want to take out on a daily basis.

 

[cantunamunch]

It was a historical inevitability.

Elan Predator X - 45mm waist super-damp icepick, because.
'79 Rossi ST - because retro.
2x pairs Elan Comprex Titanium C - because GS retro.
2x pairs Elan Comprex Kevlar PL - because better all-round.
K2 Mamba/MB, because moguls are fun.
Palmer PO2 - because SL and because weird sidecut and because built by Kessler.
Blossom Follow Me - because SL and because Martial tells us roman prostitutes had Sequi Me cut into their sandal soles.
Blizzard SL with Piston Plate - because jackrabbit fun.
Blizzard Sigma GS - because built in Deflex plate is awesome on coral reef.
Atomic GS
Atomic SX because they ski nothing at all like the GS and because they have spring structure on them.
Nordica Doberman GS
Maxel Storm GS
Elan MO2 75mm twintip, because the center edge is cool and because rooster tails annoy tailgunners.
Stockli Stormrider XL - because tandem ski lifter experimentation.
Stockli Stormrider XL #2 - because a lot of the experiments didn't work.
Volant V2 Sin - because I needed a test mule for epoxy experimentation.
Evolution RAZOR - because the 2002 Olympics are now retro
Head Monster 88 w. Marker piston, because damp is good.
Head Monster 88 w. Tyrolia demo, because I have boots with different BSL.
Original Plus model 8, unmounted, because the Monster 88s weren't quite stiff enough.
Mad Russian MR87 double carbon - because I wanted a super stiff ski that will not bend in half when it hits things.
Volant V2 Chubb, because I like it.
Mad Russian MR95 steel, because the V2s are crap in bumps.
Rossignol B4 Squad because a previous build of herself needed a zombie apocalypse ski and it (the zombie apocalypse) never actually happened before the build was superseded.
Revision Bodrum because 10-something seemed an interesting size and because deals.
Blizzard TheAnswer, because I like having a 110mm width ski with adjustable BSL AND Rossi FKS both.
Zag H112 because evil nurse topsheet.

Shorties:
Fischer Spyder Radarc because asymmetric and huge lifter
Rossignol Free Venture because randonee skiboards are super cool.
Kneissl BigFoots - because skier I ski tandem with has to have SOMETHING to access the lift with.
2x Gauer dance skis - because they are completely utterly silly and they look like Japanese whaleboats

There's more on the XC and tele walls, but never mind.

 

[Wendy]

OK, I’ll play:

Stockli SR 83: Do-it-all fun, easy, and poppy ski that suits most conditions here. An “I don’t know what conditions to expect” ski.
IDOne FRXP: A poppier, more playful version of the SR 83, and I’m the only person on the hill with a pair.
Elan SLX: Short radius fun on hardpack days in a friendly package.
Elan GSX: Multi radius fun on hardpack days in a friendly package.
Hart F17: Cool camo graphics for playing in bumps and anywhere else when I’m in the mood for a 64 waist.
DPS Alchemist Wailer 99: Playful fun in powder and mixed conditions.
Stockli SR 100 Motion: Smooths crud into velvety goodness, goes macht schnell.

 

[Michael Kane]

A wise man once told me we all have our spending vices. Be it boats, motorcycles, etc. Mine just happens to be ski gear.

 

[fullStack]

Dynastar Cham 87 because they still have a little pop left and perform well on everything from blue ice to bottomless cold smoke.
Also someone had to be the Yin to the @cantunamunch Yang.

 

[Cheizz]

Well... I like the stuff and I can afford it.

 

[Philpug]

@Tricia and I started Pugski to justify our quivers.

 

[Ron]

I ignored the justification part because I thought he was kidding .

 

[Wendy]

OK, I’ll play:

Stockli SR 83: Do-it-all fun, easy, and poppy ski that suits most conditions here. An “I don’t know what conditions to expect” ski.
IDOne FRXP: A poppier, more playful version of the SR 83, and I’m the only person on the hill with a pair.
Elan SLX: Short radius fun on hardpack days in a friendly package.
Elan GSX: Multi radius fun on hardpack days in a friendly package.
Hart F17: Cool camo graphics for playing in bumps and anywhere else when I’m in the mood for a 64 waist.
DPS Alchemist Wailer 99: Playful fun in powder and mixed conditions.
Stockli SR 100 Motion: Smooths crud into velvety goodness, goes macht schnell.

Omigosh, I forgot one!
Blossom Follow Me SL in a 155 (from @Brian Finch )....waiting on Pivots for them....for short racy turns on a very cool ski!
@cantunamunch ...I had no idea about the Sequi Me thing....

 

[Wendy]

It was a historical inevitability.

Elan Predator X - 45mm waist super-damp icepick, because.
'79 Rossi ST - because retro.
2x pairs Elan Comprex Titanium C - because GS retro.
2x pairs Elan Comprex Kevlar PL - because better all-round.
K2 Mamba/MB, because moguls are fun.
Palmer PO2 - because SL and because weird sidecut and because built by Kessler.
Blossom Follow Me - because SL and because Martial tells us roman prostitutes had Sequi Me cut into their sandal soles.
Blizzard SL with Piston Plate - because jackrabbit fun.
Blizzard Sigma GS - because built in Deflex plate is awesome on coral reef.
Atomic GS
Atomic SX because they ski nothing at all like the GS and because they have spring structure on them.
Nordica Doberman GS
Maxel Storm GS
Elan MO2 75mm twintip, because the center edge is cool and because rooster tails annoy tailgunners.
Stockli Stormrider XL - because tandem ski lifter experimentation.
Stockli Stormrider XL #2 - because a lot of the experiments didn't work.
Volant V2 Sin - because I needed a test mule for epoxy experimentation.
Evolution RAZOR - because the 2002 Olympics are now retro
Head Monster 88 w. Marker piston, because damp is good.
Head Monster 88 w. Tyrolia demo, because I have boots with different BSL.
Original Plus model 8, unmounted, because the Monster 88s weren't quite stiff enough.
Mad Russian MR87 double carbon - because I wanted a super stiff ski that will not bend in half when it hits things.
Volant V2 Chubb, because I like it.
Mad Russian MR95 steel, because the V2s are crap in bumps.
Rossignol B4 Squad because a previous build of herself needed a zombie apocalypse ski and it (the zombie apocalypse) never actually happened before the build was superseded.
Revision Bodrum because 10-something seemed an interesting size and because deals.
Blizzard TheAnswer, because I like having a 110mm width ski with adjustable BSL AND Rossi FKS both.
Zag H112 because evil nurse topsheet.

Shorties:
Fischer Spyder Radarc because asymmetric and huge lifter
Rossignol Free Venture because randonee skiboards are super cool.
Kneissl BigFoots - because skier I ski tandem with has to have SOMETHING to access the lift with.
2x Gauer dance skis - because they are completely utterly silly and they look like Japanese whaleboats

There's more on the XC and tele walls, but never mind.

Good Lord, I just spent the last 10 minutes Googling your skis because I didn’t know what half of them were!

 

[Bad Bob]

red 90 all mountains
red 100 all mountains
84 front side zoomer groomers but they are green!

My non-skiing wife doesn't seem to notice my red skis changing in the garage now and then.
Note to self; "stop by the hardware store for some red spray paint."

 

[François Pugh]

1st generation Kästle RX National Team SG 208 cm - The only ski I could get my hands on that was stable at the speeds I enjoyed and I could make turn (I weighed 140 lbs at the time). Still my favourite ski for skiing fast, although it is hard to find SG or DH skis in the demo tents these days, so I may be missing out.

Fischer circa 2005 RC4 WC SC 165 cm. - stuck in Ontario Canada, small hills, need a short side-cut radius ski.

2002 Volant Machete G 190 cm. Found in remainder bin in Sportcheck. Needed something with a longer radius than the SCs, but not as long as the SGs. Turned out to be ok for the radius, but the top-sheet forced me to abandon a 3 degree side edge bevel, now down to a 1 degree. Not good for the ice I frequently ski on here. Still worth keeping as a spring crud ski - like pushing the easy button in a 1 foot dump of wet snow compared to the SCs. Real skiers describes it as, "Serious deep snow ski, not too tough in fall line and otherwise acceptable on groomed. Very lively for a big ski. Great Volant float. Requires strong skier.", and I agree, except for I don't see why you would have to be a strong skier. I'm also bringing it out on storm days here in the east. The long sidecut radius makes it so much more enjoyable in deep snow. It is more of a carving ski than a smearing ski. It is VERY lively; at speed the tips are dancing. I dare not make the turns at 50 mph on hard snow that I think nothing of making on the SGs.

2002 Volkl P50 F1 Energy 188 cm - Another attempt to fill the gap between SL and SG. Ski can be set to any edge angle (no top sheet). It is pretty flexy longitudinally, but stiff torsionally. I thought I could use it to make both SL and GS turns. NOT SO. It skis well enough to give you confidence, but when you end up in trouble (because of your over confidence) and think it will bail you out if you really drive that outside tip to sharpen the turn, it folds. I have to be careful with that ski.

All skis are skinny, because I'm mostly skiing on ice and hardpack, with rarely more than 6" of fresh.

If I skied more out west where the snow is deep, I would have a Volkl 100-eight as well.

 

[cantunamunch]

Good Lord, I just spent the last 10 minutes Googling your skis because I didn’t know what half of them were!

It's also a really good incentive to hold on to them - most nobody else does either

Omigosh, I forgot one!
Blossom Follow Me SL in a 155 (from @Brian Finch )....waiting on Pivots for them....for short racy turns on a very cool ski!
@cantunamunch ...I had no idea about the Sequi Me thing....

Euro ski builders love their cryptic easter egg jokes - like the Blossom name, or like 'Cham' being the Anglo punter name for the town, or like the clown nose Y on the back side of harlequin-topsheet Stocklis

 

[GregK]

Truth

I just sold four of my 8 skis, mainly because I had a bunch of overlap and I didn't want the ones I sold anymore. My real problem is, I really like one-oh-something skis, so that might be a problem again.

Currently:

Faction Candide 2.0, because I want to get better in the air this year and for days when it hasn't snowed in a while
Blizzard Rustler 10, because I love this ski and it does everything well
Armada ARV JJ 116, because when it dumps I want a tool for the job
Blizzard Rustler 11, because sometimes the JJ doesnt have enough backbone to deal with what I want to do

To be added:

Replacement of my light touring skis I just sold for hut trips
Something stiff for groomers?
QST 106 because I want to be really conflicted on what skis I want to take out on a daily basis.

Great quiver!!

Moment Wildcat 108 Tours or Wildcat Tours if you wanted something wider for the light touring ski replacement. The hype these are getting from online users is very promising as a very light ski that still skis VERY well and not just for their weight. The rest of your skis are free ride biased, so you’d probably like them.

Don’t get the QST 106 desire as it will just cause more overlap again and doesn’t outperform what you already have. Think I’d add the Rustler 9 to fill out the set and give you some harder snow performance that’s still fun instead.