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Looking for recommendations on a New England Daily Driver, Hard Snow edition

flbufl

Getting on the lift
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This one is easy. Stockli Laser AX.

I have a decent quiver of skis now. I am 6'4", 240 lbs, expert skier. Ski Race coach for a local youth program in Mass. I still haven't found my daily driver for firm, variable conditions that I can ski on groomers, ski moguls, and ski in the glades. I have found my daily driver for soft variable conditions: Liberty Origin 96, 187 cm.

Quiver:
-Rosi Slant nose 9STi slalom ski, 70mm, 175 cm, love the ski for small hills. Too reactive for high speeds on big mtns', too stiff for moguls
-Blizzard Magnesium FIS GS ski, 68mm, 193 cm, great ski for going fast, doesn't turn when going slow, I don't ski it off piste
-Kastle MX 78, 78mm, 184 cm, very close to my firm daily driver, not too stiff, just right, not good at short radius turns, bad in slush
-Salomon X-Drive 8.8 FS, 88mm, 184 cm, very burly ski, not good at short radius turns, doesn't pivot at all, I like it but not daily driver, really good ice grip
-Blizzard Brahama, 88mm, 187 cm, I thought this would be the one, on ice the tails release on me, great at slarves on ice, but not carves, really like it everywhere else. I put a race tune on it from SkiMD, its the ski
-Liberty Origin 96, 96mm, 187 cm, love this ski with race tune, tips don't carve but rest of ski does, pivots on a dime, my tree ski, great in deep snow too
-Ski Logik Charriot, 101mm, 178 cm, a little short for me but skied it a lot, close to retirement on this ski, great in slush, skis like a fat slalom ski
-Blizzard Zero G 108, 108mm, 185 cm, touring ski that can be used in the resort, like it a lot for touring and in soft resort snow
-Ski Logik Depth Hoar, 142mm, 191 cm, powder ski, it rocks when there is fresh snow and it floats me right on top, love it

I will ideally replace the MX78 and Brahama with a daily driver. What I want it to do:

- carve really well on groomers, close to a race ski, and make short radius turns as well as GS turns
- have great grip on ice, very important for someone my size in NE.
- not be as stiff as my race skis so it won't beat me up in moguls
- have a little rocker so it can pivot or turn quick in the trees (this is secondary to carve great on groomers)
- handle soft snow and dense snow (mashed potatoes) without getting grabby, or at least not too grabby

I am looking for a powerful ski that carves great, even on ice, but doesn't get too bad in variable conditions (trees and moguls). It should be quick turning and be more slalom ski than GS ski. It needs to cruise at a relaxed pace as well. I am asking for a lot, I know.

My thinking for candidates:
Fischer RC4 The Curv, 178 cm
K2 Ikonic 84 TI, 184cm
Kastle MX 84, 184cm
Blizzard Firebird, 178cm
Dynastar Speed Zone 12 Ti, 182cm
Elan Amphibio Black, 178
Rossignol Hero Elite Plus Ti, 181cm
Salomon S/Max Blast, 180cm
Atomic Redster X9, 181cm

If there is a ski on or off the list that meets the criteria let me know.
 

Philpug

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Ooh nice, I should ask more often! What are the specs on that model?
(Personally I like the green. I have matching pants. But I get the demographic is horrified.)
I don't have the catalog with me..I will post in the next couple of days
 

peterm

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Does anyone know anything about the new Brahma 82? According to the description: "It's a narrower version of the 88, and follows similar shape, profile, and construction. The shape is actually the biggest difference, with an 82 mm waist width, the ski is a lot quicker from edge to edge, and it also has fantastic edge grip due to the increased torsional stiffness"

Since Brahma 88 was close to what the OP wanted, maybe Brahma 82 will nail it.
 

surfsnowgirl

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My SO has been absolutely been loving his Stockli Laser AX skis. He has the 2015 and digs their hard pack prowess but also equally as impressed on the versatility including their ability to blast through crud. He loves these things so much he hasn't even so much looked at his Volkl RTM 84s.
 

Coach13

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My SO has been absolutely been loving his Stockli Laser AX skis. He has the 2015 and digs their hard pack prowess but also equally as impressed on the versatility including their ability to blast through crud. He loves these things so much he hasn't even so much looked at his Volkl RTM 84s.

Aren’t the AXs a bit soft for a skier of the OP’s size of 6-4 240 and a very good skier? I know everyone here loves that ski and I have a good friend who loves his too, but every time I mention the possibility of trying that ski he tells me it’s too soft for a guy my size. I’m pretty close in size to the OP but a little heavier.
 

surfsnowgirl

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Aren’t the AXs a bit soft for a skier of the OP’s size of 6-4 240 and a very good skier? I know everyone here loves that ski and I have a good friend who loves his too, but every time I mention the possibility of trying that ski he tells me it’s too soft for a guy my size. I’m pretty close in size to the OP but a little heavier.

I think @Jean-Benoit is a big guy and he loves his. Not sure about the size of other folks who love the ski.
 

Erik Timmerman

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Does anyone know anything about the new Brahma 82? According to the description: "It's a narrower version of the 88, and follows similar shape, profile, and construction. The shape is actually the biggest difference, with an 82 mm waist width, the ski is a lot quicker from edge to edge, and it also has fantastic edge grip due to the increased torsional stiffness"

Since Brahma 88 was close to what the OP wanted, maybe Brahma 82 will nail it.

@Mike Thomas has skied the 82.
 

Mike Thomas

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Fischer RC One 86- rips, it's what you want. Stop here.
Volkl Deacon Lowrider 84- big improvement over RTM
Liberty VMT V82- one more vertical strip of metal = mo' bettah
Liberty Evolv- it's like the VMT and the Origin procreated. A better Origin.
Blizzard HRC Firebird
Fischer Curve GT- just ignore terrain irregularities.
DPS Cassiar 87
 
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ScottB

ScottB

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My SO has been absolutely been loving his Stockli Laser AX skis. He has the 2015 and digs their hard pack prowess but also equally as impressed on the versatility including their ability to blast through crud. He loves these things so much he hasn't even so much looked at his Volkl RTM 84s.

How big a skier is your SO? Not judging, just for comparison sake. ;) I think the RTM's in 177 are too short for me.

The Ax's are under consideration for sure. I just left them off the list. I think MDF has a pair in 183cm and thinks they are hard to handle in bumps. Paging @mdf. I am hoping to ski with him at the NE gathering, maybe I can try his skis.

Here is a quote from the editor of Blister, which get's me thinking.

Jonathan Ellsworth, Founder / Editor, Blister
January 4, 2019 at 5:15 pm | Reply

Hi, Jeff – you’re getting some pretty good advice from the collective here — thanks everybody for the perspectives. My own take is that the answer is really going to come down to what compromises you want to make. If you truly want this ski to shine on icy groomers, then I would think about The Curv or the K2 Ikonic 84 Ti. And the more you want your carver to work pretty well off-piste, then I’d go Ikonic 84 Ti.
But the more you *actually* are going to want your skinnier ski to really truly shine off piste (this is one of those Know Thyself moments) … that’s where the Brahma comes in. It does not carve on very hard snow as well as something like The Curv or the Ikonic 84 Ti, but again, The Curv and Ikonic 84 Ti can’t touch the Brahma’s off-piste versatility and performance.


I agree with the Brahma comment not carving as well on hard snow. I also like a ski that when you roll on edge, it auto turns for you. Most skis like that don't do well off piste, so I am willing to accept what I get for versitility. My race skis auto turn, but they are tough to ski in double black moguled trees, I do it occasionally, but its not always as fun as it should be.
 

Mike Thomas

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I like the Brahma 82 a lot, the narrower waist will be easier to get on edge for some, so I can see why grip will feel better. It's a perfect firm snow ski for most people, it doesn't demand to be carved all of the time, it's fun, its quick edge to edge, it's just plain versatile... but it isn't 'race like'. It does what most 'all mountain' skiers want from a ski, but probably isn't what OP is looking for.
 

flbufl

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So it is basically a slightly wider Latigo, right?

I like the Brahma 82 a lot, the narrower waist will be easier to get on edge for some, so I can see why grip will feel better. It's a perfect firm snow ski for most people, it doesn't demand to be carved all of the time, it's fun, its quick edge to edge, it's just plain versatile... but it isn't 'race like'. It does what most 'all mountain' skiers want from a ski, but probably isn't what OP is looking for.
 

Mike Thomas

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Nope. It's a narrow Brahma. It has way less rocker and taper then the Latigo and it has more beef.
 

trailtrimmer

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The Latigo is really rockered, the 177 skis like a 170 the way it pops and pivots. With a 3 degree edge it will still grip better than you think it will.

At the posters size, he’d need a 184 for it to work for him. Unfortunately the new old stock really dried up this past month.
 
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ScottB

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The new RC One fits the OP's needs perfectly IMO (even the trees part), but is way different from what is on most of his list.

Erik, do have any info on the new ski? I can't find much on the web. Also, don't you have The Curv and Curve GT skis? How do they do in moguls and in the glades. If I remember correctly you ski at Stowe, what is your daily driver for firm conditions?
 

mdf

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Huh, wha...? Oh, AX, ok.

I'm around 200 pounds, 5' 10".
I skied a friend's AX in 167. It was a fantastic bump ski. I own the 183 AX. It is horrible in bumps. The only place it really shines is for going fast on steep, flat ice. Never been on the middle length.

My favorite ski right now is the Nordica Navigator 85 in the 186 length. Wonderful ski everywhere -- bumps, trees, steeps. ice, powder.
My other active skis are the Atomic Automatic 109 (188-ish length) and an older Fischer slalom ski, 166 length.
 

Erik Timmerman

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I have the Curv and the Curv GT They are both awesome skis. I don't really ski either of them in the bumps much, mostly because bump runs have rocks, but they are both mega stiff. The Curv isn't that much fun in soft snow because it is so stiff that it just won't bend without hard snow to react against, so I just use it to destroy corduroy. I use the GT as a teaching ski, so I use it in bumps on occasion, and it does fine. I'll ski it in easy woods sometimes. My daily driver is the Pro Mountain 86. Mine are probably pretty worn out at this point, but with a sharp edge, they were much more than adequate yesterday on snow that varied from hard to impenetrable. I love them in bumps and in the trees when the snow isn't so deep as to lure out the 100mm skis. They might not wow you on your first run, but as you ski them more you will realize how much they can do. I'm 4 inches shorter and 40 lbs lighter and ski them in the biggest size, so maybe @Mike Thomas can speak to that. The RC One 86 GT will wow you the second your feet touch the unload ramp. I've only skied them a couple down runs, but I think they are exactly what you want, more of a gun on the groomers and I expect they will more than hold their own elsewhere. I should have mine any day now and will post pictures and a review once I have them. I am not sure how many are in the first shipment and if they are all spoken for or not. In the meantime, the PM86 is great and I'd just buy a new pair if these guys weren't on their way.
 

Wilhelmson

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I only demoed the Pro Mtn for 86 for an hour and liked them. But op is a big dude. I weigh 175; while they have smooth power nothing that would knock your socks off.
 

Coach13

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The op is a tad lighter than me but I’m betting he’d love the PM 86 in a 182cm. It’s a great, versatile ski that handles a lot of the wants he mentioned very well.
 

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