Opinion: Why 100-108mm waist skis?

[Tom K.]

They wanted one ski for western (our) conditions. They get 10 days or so per year and said that (I'm paraphrasing) "yeah I get it, but I can ski these on groomers, but I don't ski enough powder to be any good at it so I want something that will make that as easy as possible."

Probably the best answer I've read so far. I might not agree with it, but there is some solid logic here.

I've got a lot of newer skis, but if it's going to be a "one pair road trip" I still grab my Fischer Motive 95s -- never found a ski that spans a greater range, AND offers fun at both ends of that range.

 

[jmeb]

On this forum, we are race car drivers debating what car handles best on a flat race track and the average consumer(terminal intermediates or less) wants a car that’s comfortable to drive the kids to school over pothole filled roads and has an easy to use satellite radio/media system.......lol

I drive a Toyota minivan and ski most days from November-late March on a 108 or 112. Both with plenty of rocker and fiberglass. Your logic checks out.

People always say I ski like a soccer mom.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

There are people who think nothing of spending hours (or minutes) setting up and refining playlists. What is wrong with those people? Why do they they think that is a good use of their time?

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I drive a Toyota minivan and ski most days from November-late March on a 108 or 112. Both with plenty of rocker and fiberglass. Your logic checks out.

People always say I ski like a soccer mom.

You don't have to be left out.

Ultra-Rare Mercedes R63 AMG Minivan Surfaces for Sale

It's a 6.2-liter, 507 horsepower sleeper that seats six. Oh yes.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Atomicman]

and none of your Benzes can haul as many people and thier stuff as our Yukon XL.

I don't like enough people to need that big a slow boat! Owned both a Suburban and Denali XL in the past and don't miss either!

 

[martyg]

There is no offical reporting of ski sales, no auditing of sales. Preseason? Regular season? Closeout? Hell, A few years ago one manufacturer turned on the presses to do a late run of a particular model when a large US retail chain put a large order in. I will rarely every say best selling unless there is some pretty good proof. I will tend to say one of the best or one of the more popular.

I beg to differ on reporting Phil. Many decades ago SIA funded Jim Spring and the creation of Laisure Trends to do just that. Salomon heavily relied on that data when launching their ski line. NPD Group purchased Leisure Trends after Jim passed. Many of his key staff went with the sale. Many of those staff where with Jim since inception. They are the data geeks who are the best Sources Of The Truth.

 

[jmeb]

You don't have to be left out.

Ultra-Rare Mercedes R63 AMG Minivan Surfaces for Sale

It's a 6.2-liter, 507 horsepower sleeper that seats six. Oh yes.

www.thedrive.com

Until they make a lift for it, I'll stick with my sienna: https://www.journeysoffroad.com/siennaliftkits.html

 

[Atomicman]

So I was snooping g around checking out reviews of 20/21 Enforcer 100. Powder 7 recently named the Enforcer 100 "Ski of the Decade" and Blistergear 5 straight years at #1.

So this is the mediocre do nothing well ski? Nothing but raving reviews of the current model.

As I said earlier about the comments in this thread.....2+2=5. I submit the variable is technique/ability and/or tune. too much base bevel, not enough side edge!

 

[Tony Storaro]

Sort of off topic, but can someone help me pick out my next pair of skis? I drive a Ferrari Enzo and I’m trying to figure out how to replicate the mixture of mechanical unreliability, sporty good looks and feeling of superiority over you peasants who lack the refinement to appreciate the finer points of Italian car design.

Ahahaha....my vote goes to a pair of Volant Black Spear. Russians just LOVE 'em.

 

[Tony Storaro]

I drive a small FWD station wagon with a 6 speed manual and pretty ok snow tires, both from large, not so fancy German brands...

True blue outdoorsmen drive Subaru, simple as. The rest of us are posers.

But back to the topic, I think I had something of an eye-opener today. As often happens in life when you take certain stance and state your opinion as a fact, the circumstances shape themselves in such a way as to show you there is more to life than that. A reality check if you wish.

I went to one of my home mountains which normally is a SL bonanza-steep reds which are usually hard packed, icy and technical. A place where normally the cool kids with the fat skis are the laughing stock and we -the people of culture, good taste and experience, on 60, 70-something skis poke fun at them all day long.

Today was different. It had 30 cm of new snow left ungroomed, which was turned to ugly, heavy, gluey, bumpy, slushy terribleness. Awful. Just awful.
On top of that there were like gazillion people out there. On a slope 2 km long I counted 10 ski schools, 8-10 people each. I kid you not.

And I had only my SL 160/12.7 with me. And there was falling on ass. And there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Meanwhile the mentioned cool kids on their desktops of a ski had a blast floating around like nobody's business.
So much so that it made me pack my beloved SL ski and head straight for the nearest rental where they put me on some Atomic 100 dark grey monstrosities in 180 cm the name of which I did not care to remember.
But these skis made all the difference today-it took me some time to get used to them being sloooooooow and wiiiiide but when I dialled up my turns to a much relaxed and flowing tempo, it was like WOW, this is proper good!
Where my SL skis were sinking and unnecessarily biting, the Atomics just smoothened the terrain under my feet and kept me on top of the slush.
Very very nice.

Would I buy such things? Probably not as today was not the normal day. But do I see why some people love them? Hell yeah...

 

[ARL67]

IMO Blister is very "western-centric" in their selection of skis for review, and their review locations. The fact that the Enforcer 100 is their #1 ski for 5 years does not mean much to me in my search for a local Daily-Driver here in Ontario. Blister is not reviewing 88 and wider skis at Mt. Tremblant on a typical -14 to -24* C day, and comparing them to a Redster / Hero / Racetiger on the same hill or frozen groomers. So I certainly take some of Blister AND Pugski reviews with a grain of salt for my intended use locations vs the reviewers.

Not everyone can edge a wide ski either, whereas they can get a skinnier ski up on edge more easily.

 

[anders_nor]

guessing atomic bent chetler 100?


I always have 2-10 pairs of ski in the car as a backup.

First time I broke out my proper SL skis this season had similiar conditions, skied 2 runs, swapped skis.

 

[Tony Storaro]

guessing atomic bent chetler 100?


I always have 2-10 pairs of ski in the car as a backup.

First time I broke out my proper SL skis this season had similiar conditions, skied 2 runs, swapped skis.

No idea. Could have been. They were dark grey. And pretty good. Loved them in these conditions.
Having more than 2 pairs of ski in the car is too much of a burden man, all this loading/unloading etc. ..not good But I can clearly see your point.
We'll see how it goes next season, maybe...just maybe I would probably, possibly consider a pair of SR 95 as I hear these ride as fat AX. Need to demo them tho to make sure they are decent on frontside as this is where I spend 99% of my time.

 

[Atomicman]

IMO Blister is very "western-centric" in their selection of skis for review, and their review locations. The fact that the Enforcer 100 is their #1 ski for 5 years does not mean much to me in my search for a local Daily-Driver here in Ontario. Blister is not reviewing 88 and wider skis at Mt. Tremblant on a typical -14 to -24* C day, and comparing them to a Redster / Hero / Racetiger on the same hill or frozen groomers. So I certainly take some of Blister AND Pugski reviews with a grain of salt for my intended use locations vs the reviewers.

Not everyone can edge a wide ski either, whereas they can get a skinnier ski up on edge more easily.

All I am saying is a ski doesn't get consistent rave reviews across multiple platforms being mediocre. Again, should I believe strangers on the internet or my feet? And I am sure a 100 mm ski is more of a st DDT uggle on east coast ice. But don't think iui ts all pow and fluff here in the Great PNW......

 

[tch]

^^^^ Wait...is it Kumbaya time already?

 

[BMC]

So Tony I take it you ski in Europe?

At least in my experience European resorts, while getting big dumps, also typically have long intervals of no snow. So personally I would use a narrower daily driver in the Alps than I would in say Whistler. Indeed because of that I’d really be tempted to travel with two skis to Europe - say 88 underfoot and say 112 underfoot. Or mid 90’s as a OSQ ( a ski I don’t own).

 

[Tony Storaro]

So Tony I take it you ski in Europe?

At least in my experience European resorts, while getting big dumps, also typically have long intervals of no snow. So personally I would use a narrower daily driver than I would in say Whistler

Indeed. Italy mainly, Austria, France, Slovenia, Bulgaria etc. I see powder very rarely. Last season it was 2 days, this season-none.
That's why my go to ski is the Laser AX-I know they will work everywhere, no matter what the conditions, other skis are used very occasionally in specific places.. I just would not know what to do with 100+ skis. They look to me unnatural and out of place
But having said that, today I realised that probably for some warm slushy spring days, a 95 mm would be a good idea.

 

[AngryAnalyst]

Indeed. Italy mainly, Austria, France, Slovenia, Bulgaria etc. I see powder very rarely. Last season it was 2 days, this season-none.
That's why my go to ski is the Laser AX-I know they will work everywhere, no matter what the conditions, other skis are used very occasionally in specific places.. I just would not know what to do with 100+ skis. They look to me unnatural and out of place
But having said that, today I realised that probably for some warm slushy spring days, a 95 mm would be a good idea.

So is all skiing on glaciers? How do you get snow on the hill if it never snows? I don’t understand.

 

[Tony Storaro]

So is all skiing on glaciers? How do you get snow on the hill if it never snows? I don’t understand.

It snows. But not when I am there

 

[BMC]

My experience of the Alps is big dumps over 2-4 days....big dumps...and then 2-3 weeks of no snow.

Because of the vast size of the resorts, and altitude, fresh snow can be found long after the last snowfall with hiking and traversing and (if you’re sensible) a guide. But if you’re not doing that 75% of your skiing or more will be on pistes or near pistes, not in fresh snow.

That’s my experience