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EmperorMA

Putting on skis
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I’ve amended the demo list:

DPS Foundation Cassiar 87 & 94
Liberty V82 & Evolv90
Nordica Enforcer 88 & 94
Rossignol Experience 88 Ti

This gets me on a variety of skis 82-94mm in width with an all-mountain bent that should produce a clear winner for me and help me understand what I really need in terms of width and flex.
 

Bruuuce

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Just a note that you may be able to credit the demo costs to the purchase price of a ski. I did this at Sturtevants in SV once a while back. I think you have a great list.

Everyone likes different skis and feels so once you have your list ignore the reviews and ski them. One of my favorite skis turned out to be one almost everyone else dislikes.

You never know until you ski them! Good luck!
 

USCskibum

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I’ve amended the demo list:

DPS Foundation Cassiar 87 & 94
Liberty V82 & Evolv90
Nordica Enforcer 88 & 94
Rossignol Experience 88 Ti

This gets me on a variety of skis 82-94mm in width with an all-mountain bent that should produce a clear winner for me and help me understand what I really need in terms of width and flex.

I just got a few days on the DPS Cassiar Foundation 94 in 185. Really liking it! Very easy to initiate turns, forgiving, backseat friendly.
 
Thread Starter
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EmperorMA

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A decision has been made. I’m going with the Liberty Evolv90 in 186.

I believe this will be a ski that should do everything I need for at least 75% of my skiing days, which is about the most I can hope for. It should be good on groomers and forgiving enough to help me improve my technique off-piste.

As I get my legs back and figure out what types of “leisurely skiing” are going to appeal to me, then I can think about adding that second ski to the quiver to help me with whatever I’m digging at the time.

Who knows...maybe it’ll be narrow carving ski or perhaps a fat powder ski, or something in between. Maybe even that new Evolv110.
 
Thread Starter
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EmperorMA

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Perfect. Now you just need a V76 and an Origin 106 or 112 and you're done!
In the end, my biggest struggle was whether to go with the Evolv90, which really made the most sense, and the V82, which could possibly have served the purpose of both the V72 and Evolv90 and let me have a true two-ski quiver when paired with a mid-fat powder ski.

Now, I believe you’re right that I’ll end up needing a 3SQ as a result of going with the Evolv90.

I suppose there are worse problems to have. :)
 
Thread Starter
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EmperorMA

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Perfect. Now you just need a V76 and an Origin 106 or 112 and you're done!
After ending up buying the Evolv90 at 179 instead of 186, I think I may or may not need to add a V76 (but maybe I will!). But the Origin 106 is definitely next on the list, along with a few other mid-fats. I won’t be chasing super-deep pow so something 105-112 that is versatile and has at least minimal on-piste chops will win the day:

Icelantic Nomad 105
Liberty Origin 106
DPS Foundation Wailer 106 C2
ON3P Woodsman 108
G3 ROAMr 108
K2 Mindbender 108 Ti (if they get the chipping issue resolved)
Nordica Enforcer Free 110
Faction Prodigy 4.0
Liberty Origin 112

Lots of decisions!
 

Tom K.

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After ending up buying the Evolv90 at 179 instead of 186, I think I may or may not need to add a V76 (but maybe I will!). But the Origin 106 is definitely next on the list, along with a few other mid-fats. I won’t be chasing super-deep pow so something 105-112 that is versatile and has at least minimal on-piste chops will win the day:

Icelantic Nomad 105 -- 111 waist in longer lengths. Cool ski!
Liberty Origin 106 - tail rocker kills it for me.
DPS Foundation Wailer 106 C2 - I got nothing.
ON3P Woodsman 108 - I got nothing.
G3 ROAMr 108 - I got nothing.
K2 Mindbender 108 Ti (if they get the chipping issue resolved) - GREAT ski. Crap quality.
Nordica Enforcer Free 110 - tail rocker again, and I love Nordicas.
Faction Prodigy 4.0 - I got nothing.
Liberty Origin 112 - - tail rocker again

Lots of decisions!

A few notes in your quote, above. Just my two cents.

No Evolv 110 on the list?!
 
Thread Starter
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EmperorMA

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A few notes in your quote, above. Just my two cents.

No Evolv 110 on the list?!
Great feedback! Thanks!

On the Evolv110, I suppose I could include it, but with an asterisk*. The description of “Cochise Killer” leads me to think it may be too much of a charger for me, as I have really no experience in powder and don’t really need to have a ski that prefers some speed to get rolling. My research indicates I need something a bit more playful, surfy, easy to turn at slower speeds and forgiving if I’m to learn some pow. That’s why I’m concentrating on rockered skis that have some guts underfoot and are forgiving and versatile out of powder.

I could be wrong, though. I am open to suggestions. Perhaps a new thread on beginner powder skis for intermediate skiers?
 
Last edited:

peterm

Getting off the lift
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After ending up buying the Evolv90 at 179 instead of 186, I think I may or may not need to add a V76 (but maybe I will!). But the Origin 106 is definitely next on the list, along with a few other mid-fats. I won’t be chasing super-deep pow so something 105-112 that is versatile and has at least minimal on-piste chops will win the day:

Icelantic Nomad 105
Liberty Origin 106
DPS Foundation Wailer 106 C2
ON3P Woodsman 108
G3 ROAMr 108
K2 Mindbender 108 Ti (if they get the chipping issue resolved)
Nordica Enforcer Free 110
Faction Prodigy 4.0
Liberty Origin 112

Lots of decisions!

Good list - lots of variety there. Will be fun to demo a few and see which ones click. Will be good to home in on what length ski you like off-piste too. Generally a little longer helps with fore-aft balance in variable snow i.e. makes it easier to avoid that going over the handlebars feeling. And of course greater surface area helps with float too. For example Icelantic Nomad 105 only comes in 181 and 191 and maybe 181 is a bit on the short side for you in that ski, while 191 might be a bit much to deal with

A few more to maybe try: Enforcer 104 Free, Rustler 10 and 11, Black Crows Atris.
 
Thread Starter
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EmperorMA

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Good list - lots of variety there. Will be fun to demo a few and see which ones click. Will be good to home in on what length ski you like off-piste too. Generally a little longer helps with fore-aft balance in variable snow i.e. makes it easier to avoid that going over the handlebars feeling. And of course greater surface area helps with float too. For example Icelantic Nomad 105 only comes in 181 and 191 and maybe 181 is a bit on the short side for you in that ski, while 191 might be a bit much to deal with

A few more to maybe try: Enforcer 104 Free, Rustler 10 and 11, Black Crows Atris.
Thanks. Rustler 11 looks like it would qualify by my somewhat uneducated criteria.

A couple of the new Dynastar skis have piqued my interest, but I’ll need to hear more about them before including them on my list.

After I get a good list together, I’ll winnow it down to 3-4 to test through reading reviews and hopefully soliciting anecdotal feedback from those with experience with the various skis. This forum will be invaluable for providing this and I’m most grateful.
 
Last edited:

Tom K.

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Thanks. Rustler 11 looks like it would qualify by my somewhat uneducated criteria.

Not my style of ski, but I've got a young friend that is borderline World Cup mtb stuff, and just overall astounding.

The Rustler 11 has been a huge boon to his progression in off-piste and tree skiing. So user friendly.

By next season, I'll probably have to take them away from him, if I hope to keep pace!
 
Thread Starter
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EmperorMA

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Adding:

Rossignol Soul 7 HD
Blizzard Rustler 11
Dynastar MFree 108
Liberty Evolv110*

Subtracting:

G3 ROAMr 108
Faction Prodigy 4.0
 
Last edited:

trailtrimmer

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Personally, I’d keep track of how many powder days vs groomer days you have over the next month and decide if you need another wide ski. There will be lots of deals to be had in a month.
 

USCskibum

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In the end, my biggest struggle was whether to go with the Evolv90, which really made the most sense, and the V82, which could possibly have served the purpose of both the V72 and Evolv90 and let me have a true two-ski quiver when paired with a mid-fat powder ski.

Now, I believe you’re right that I’ll end up needing a 3SQ as a result of going with the Evolv90.

I suppose there are worse problems to have. :)

I know you went with the Evolv 90...might want to put the Nordica Enforcer 94 on your list...just spent a few days on it and it was NICE!
 

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