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KingGrump

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The 2014 Kenja is cambered with front rocker only. The tail does not like to drift in the bumps.
The 3rd gen Kenja (2016-219) has tail rocker. Much smoother in the bumps.

The new 2020 Kenja is cambered with tip & tail rocker. For a fairly stiff ski, really slick in the bumps. Lost a bit on the groomed. Doesn't handle anything like a gen 2 Kenja.
 
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LuliTheYounger

LuliTheYounger

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The 2014 Kenja is cambered with front rocker only. The tail does not like to drift in the bumps.
The 3rd gen Kenja (2016-219) has tail rocker. Mush smoother in the bumps.

The new 2020 Kenja is cambered with tip & tail rocker. For a fairly stiff ski, really slick in the bumps. Lost a bit on the groomed. Doesn't handle anything like a gen 2 Kenja.

Oh, interesting, that's really good to know! I'd read some reviews saying the 2020s were good in the bumps, but I wasn't sure if the profile was all that different.
 

KingGrump

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The 2020 Kenja is a brand new construction. Same ski as the new Kendo. The 2020 Kendo is my 6th pair of Kendo.
It skis like a non cambered ski in the bump. Very easy pivot and drift. I can actually stall the ski by loading the tip and watch the entire ski drift around the tip in the bumps. Pretty cool.
The down side is the lack of rebound on the groomed. The handling on the groomed reminds me of the 4th gen Mantra/Aura.

Several women I skied with in Tahoe also like the Volkl Secret. Feels lighter and quicker than the new Kenja. Stronger edge feel and more rebound out of the turn.

If you are looking for a smooth all mountain bump ski. Try the Stockli Motion 85W. Mamie converted several women to it last season. The discontinued Kastle FX 85 makes a good bump ski for a lighter skier also. Can be had for a song.
 

AmyPJ

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Also (haha, me again) – I think I might be opening a can of Ski School worms with this one, but oh well. I took the Kenjas out today, and we got hit with maybe 6-7" of powder, over old bumps in some spots & tracking out on the groomers over the day. Not that different from the stuff we find off piste, really, but enough that we started talking.

Florida Man mentioned at the end of the day that I seemed like I was taking my sweet damn time in these conditions on the Kenjas & that he thought I was more confident on the Santa Anas. I was pretty surprised by that, but since the flex felt so similar to me, it made me kind of curious if my "unforgiving" feeling with the Kenjas is just that they have less rocker and don't smear & pivot particularly well, especially when it gets a little deeper?

I really assumed it was a stiffness issue, but I feel like I get along fine with the Kenjas as long as the bumps are relatively packed and/or I'm willing to take the fast lane - it's mostly when I'm trying to skid a couple turns in deeper conditions and look around a bit that we start to disagree. Is that a bonkers thought, or is my "bumps" issue just a rocker issue? Am I just jealous of Florida Man's stupid new Bent Chetlers and getting weird ideas? Am I easily persuaded by any random guy with rockered skis? Please help.
The Santa Anas are fabulous in powder and crud because they can be smeared so easily. But they're not noodles at all. I find their flex to be very smooth and predictable.
 

Tricia

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Keep in mind, we can only give you feedback based on what you're telling us, and you're kind of all over the map.
However, in your defense, you've gotten answers that are all over the map.

One ski that no one has mentioned that you may really really like is the Elan Ripstick. For your size, that ski is easy to ski, fun to ski and rips.
The other one that I may not hav mentioned is the Fischer My Mtn.

Reach out to @SkiEssentials and see if they have a deal on these.
 

tinymoose

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Florida Man mentioned at the end of the day that I seemed like I was taking my sweet damn time in these conditions on the Kenjas & that he thought I was more confident on the Santa Anas. I was pretty surprised by that, but since the flex felt so similar to me, it made me kind of curious if my "unforgiving" feeling with the Kenjas is just that they have less rocker and don't smear & pivot particularly well, especially when it gets a little deeper?

I really assumed it was a stiffness issue, but I feel like I get along fine with the Kenjas as long as the bumps are relatively packed and/or I'm willing to take the fast lane - it's mostly when I'm trying to skid a couple turns in deeper conditions and look around a bit that we start to disagree. Is that a bonkers thought, or is my "bumps" issue just a rocker issue? Am I just jealous of Florida Man's stupid new Bent Chetlers and getting weird ideas? Am I easily persuaded by any random guy with rockered skis? Please help.

I definitely think that the Black Pearls having tail rocker is what made them feel so easy in bumps when I tried them. All of my skis I currently own have a flat or nearly flat tail. Supposedly my Yumis (2018) have a bit of tail rocker, but it's pretty minimal IMO, at least compared to the BP.
 

Pequenita

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@LuliTheYounger I tried the Black Pearl 88 in 159 today in cruddy bumps. Liked the flex but could tell they were just a little too long for me (97lbs). The 153 was out, so I couldn't try it; I think that would be have been perfect for me. They and the 82s, in the 153 and 145 lengths, may be worth trying out.

I also tried the 98s in a 153, and they were too much for me. Did the same 3 runs in both pairs of skis. One thing I've been working on in crud is allowing my turns to have a plot - more of a middle, in the fall line - and in the 88s I could get there. There was a certain amount of being in the snow that I liked, whereas I was on top of it in the 98s and felt out of control/had to work harder. Granted, this was the end of the day and my legs were cooked. And I am never sure that I can ski consistently.
 
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LuliTheYounger

LuliTheYounger

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Oh boy, I've been a total absentee OP on this one, sorry! I ended up springing for new goggles (oops) using the money that was earmarked for skis (double oops) and figured I'd wait it out and see what's up with the new Santa Anas before I make a decision on the ski front. Also waiting for @luliski to show up so I can finally use a couple of Alta/Bird days & maybe demo on mountain instead of hiking back & forth to the valley every time. ogsmile

Keep in mind, we can only give you feedback based on what you're telling us, and you're kind of all over the map.
However, in your defense, you've gotten answers that are all over the map.

Definitely a lot of forum user error on my part; I'll own up to that! I really haven't skied anything other than the Kenjas until now, so I think my knowledge of what I like and don't like is pretty lacking. I'd always heard that the Kenjas are unwieldy because of the stiffness, but the profile was a factor that totally didn't occur to me. I really do appreciate all of the suggestions and input even if I'm constantly going a weird direction!


@LuliTheYounger I tried the Black Pearl 88 in 159 today in cruddy bumps. Liked the flex but could tell they were just a little too long for me (97lbs). The 153 was out, so I couldn't try it; I think that would be have been perfect for me. They and the 82s, in the 153 and 145 lengths, may be worth trying out.

I also tried the 98s in a 153, and they were too much for me. Did the same 3 runs in both pairs of skis. One thing I've been working on in crud is allowing my turns to have a plot - more of a middle, in the fall line - and in the 88s I could get there. There was a certain amount of being in the snow that I liked, whereas I was on top of it in the 98s and felt out of control/had to work harder. Granted, this was the end of the day and my legs were cooked. And I am never sure that I can ski consistently.

Thank you so much for reporting on your demos! The demo shop guy that gave me the Santa Anas was super grim about the Black Pearls for some reason, but it sounds like they'd be worth trying if I can get my hands on them. Super interesting that they come in the 145 length; I almost wonder if that would be too short, but I would be so curious to try that?
 

Pequenita

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The demo shop guy that gave me the Santa Anas was super grim about the Black Pearls for some reason, but it sounds like they'd be worth trying if I can get my hands on them.

The guy at Squaw was super excited about the Black Pearls, both widths. And I had just turned in a pair of Sheeva 11s (he was reeeeaaaalllly excited to give me those because it seemed like I was the first person to ski them). I mean, he seemed like an enthusiastic guy in general for someone stuck in a shop on a powder day.
 

AmyPJ

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Oh boy, I've been a total absentee OP on this one, sorry! I ended up springing for new goggles (oops) using the money that was earmarked for skis (double oops) and figured I'd wait it out and see what's up with the new Santa Anas before I make a decision on the ski front. Also waiting for @luliski to show up so I can finally use a couple of Alta/Bird days & maybe demo on mountain instead of hiking back & forth to the valley every time. ogsmile



Definitely a lot of forum user error on my part; I'll own up to that! I really haven't skied anything other than the Kenjas until now, so I think my knowledge of what I like and don't like is pretty lacking. I'd always heard that the Kenjas are unwieldy because of the stiffness, but the profile was a factor that totally didn't occur to me. I really do appreciate all of the suggestions and input even if I'm constantly going a weird direction!




Thank you so much for reporting on your demos! The demo shop guy that gave me the Santa Anas was super grim about the Black Pearls for some reason, but it sounds like they'd be worth trying if I can get my hands on them. Super interesting that they come in the 145 length; I almost wonder if that would be too short, but I would be so curious to try that?
The Black Pearl line is also being updated for next year...how funny that the guy in the shop wasn't very enthusiastic about them. So, now you have even more skis to look forward to trying!
 

MissySki

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The guy at Squaw was super excited about the Black Pearls, both widths. And I had just turned in a pair of Sheeva 11s (he was reeeeaaaalllly excited to give me those because it seemed like I was the first person to ski them). I mean, he seemed like an enthusiastic guy in general for someone stuck in a shop on a powder day.

Not to derail, but how did you like the Sheeva 11 @Pequenita? I’m super interested in trying them as a powder ski since I love the Sheeva 9 so much as my daily drivers.
 
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LuliTheYounger

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What about your teeny Rossi's, the green ones after those or the K2 twin tips that you wanted to ski forever?

You forgot to list the pre-Rossi rentals!

1579791827775.png
 
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LuliTheYounger

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Circlin' back so we have some closure if anyone else finds this thread! And so @Pequenita can have this last review for the album. ogsmile

I ordered the Moment Hot Mess in a 152 a couple months ago, and have finally been able to test them out in some early season stuff over the last few weeks. SUPER fun in bumps. Pretty damn good on hardpack too; I've been really impressed with them as an all mountain ski so far.

A big reason I jumped blind for them was that a lot of the reviews say that they're similar to the old Santa Ana 88/93 that I liked so much, and that felt pretty accurate; they have that same kind of "go anywhere" feeling. The tip/waist/tail width measurements are super similar to the SA88, but they have quite a bit more tail rocker, basically complete twin tip? I think the turn radius is also similar to the SA, but shorter than the Kenjas.

They feel like they can take a zipperline if I ask for it, but they're not going to get hooky in the tail or lock themselves into a super rowdy line. We had some adventures with bad coverage on a couple of bump runs, and it was really nice to be able to just spin the tails out and stop on a dime without fighting too much for it. Definitely nice to have a pair that can take a joke when I get myself into stupid situations.
 

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