Powder days are overrated

[Tony S]

159?

Last i heard, children were not allowed on this forum without parents.

This is one reason women and smaller people get fed up with the ski world. You have no idea how big the poster is.

 

[KingGrump]

159?

Last i heard, children were not allowed on this forum without parents.

Not too narrow....too short.

Size queens?

 

[Tony S]

I was on Ripstick 96 Black Ed. Might have done slightly better on my Sky 7s

Meh. Probably not. The Ripstick should have served fine, unless you are huge or they're too short.

 

[EricG]

Skiing powder, especially wetter snow can be difficult. Bigger more appropriate skis could have made It more fun, but you need to be able to handle the bigger boards. I just got back from UT and we had some great backcountry days and one awesome inbounds day. I will say learning to ski powder is easier in a big bowl than in the trees.

I found myself struggling a bit the trees this last trip when the knee deep snow was so heavy and the trees were tight & steep enough that I couldn't get my hop turn working. The snow was just so heavy I didn't have the strength to get the skis up & out. I had to traverse a bit so I didn't tumble. Its just part of life, but I was prepared to get ridiculed since I didn't straight line it.

It just time time an practice. Dont get frustrated.

 

[SSSdave]

Nothing new. Same situation over decades however with the advent of snowboards and then wide skis, far more snow enthusiasts can join the experience because yes otherwise it is an advanced skill that requires experienced balance. As someone that has been skiing decades at Tahoe, especially Kirkwood where fresh snow conditions are common each winter, I still see many on wide skis that from their form and lack of dynamic turning tracks, are a long ways from enjoying the visceral sensation at the level of more skilled skiers regardless of how much they are yelling and smiling that is more about expectations about how one is supposed to act looking like having a good time. If anyone doubts how it really feels amazing, magical at that skilled level, they can watch youtube videos and no I do not mean those usual commercial videos of experts descending at mach speed hucking all over as that is mostly for audience show, nor any point-of-view GoPro type videos.

 

[raytseng]

the big skis definitely will help you pick it up easier. Like 110+ and taller than your head.
Treat it just as temporary crutch so you can have fun and work on the skills.
It'll let you can ski the lowangle without getting stuck, which you can straightline and work up to the turn progression. Whereas with smallef skis you need steeper stuff to keep moving and you may feel you are forced to do turns which you're not ready for yet.

 

[hull22]

Skiing powder, especially wetter snow can be difficult. Bigger more appropriate skis could have made It more fun, but you need to be able to handle the bigger boards. I just got back from UT and we had some great backcountry days and one awesome inbounds day. I will say learning to ski powder is easier in a big bowl than in the trees.

I found myself struggling a bit the trees this last trip when the knee deep snow was so heavy and the trees were tight & steep enough that I couldn't get my hop turn working. The snow was just so heavy I didn't have the strength to get the skis up & out. I had to traverse a bit so I didn't tumble. Its just part of life, but I was prepared to get ridiculed since I didn't straight line it.

It just time time an practice. Dont get frustrated.

What are some of the best easiest to use wide powder skis? Good time of year for ski deals.

 

[Steve]

@Rod9301 Is 159 really that short for a small woman? Are you assuming the poster is a man?

 

[EricG]

What are some of the best easiest to use wide powder skis? Good time of year for ski deals.

Im going to hypothecate on your weight & size based on your BP's, but something like the Rossignol Soul 7 is one of the easiest to ski and learn soft snow skills. Or something like the Armada Trace 108 (not to be confused with the tracer)

 

[Slim]

@hull22
Soul 7 is definitely up there. Super popular with intermediates and rentals because they are so easy to ski. Discontinues this year.
Wider versions of the K2 Pinnacle series (106 and 116?) or the women’s version of those skis, if they are still around, they were discontinued last year.
Rustler 10 And 11.

Check out the Blister buyers Guide from this season and last, they will sort by ’easy and more forgiving”, and look in both powder and the wider end of all mountain categorys.

If you are not very heavy for your height, I would not go to long. Yes, long is good for float, but wide will give you float too. Since most of the time the best powder is in the trees, if you aren't looking for high speeds, I would keep them at a normal length.

 

[BC.]

Size queens?

Come on now boyz....an adult (who knows what ability/height/weight?) on a 159 in 2 ft of powder....who says they are struggling in powder....is 3 things:

-ability (which I would never mention to someone I don’t know)

-wrong skis for the job....Blizzard BP88 is popular among women skiers in many different conditions for a reason.

-wrong size....(too short)

I’m going with too short for the skier/conditions they were in.....she couldn’t get her speed up enough to get the gliding through/on top of the snow....that makes skiing in fresh deep(er) snow so much fun.

 

[ForeverSki]

Not too narrow....too short.

The suggestion to rent powder (and longer) skis is a good one and I’ll remember when I run into another powder day.

 

[Philpug]

The Volant Chubb was an incredible powder ski when that came out...and it was....wait for it....88mm underfoot! And to make a blanket statement without knowing how short (or tall) someone is, really doesn't help other readers make a choice.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Falling in powder is a joy tho, much better than on ice

I have quite limited experience with powder (zero days this year) but I vividly remember the feeling from last season. Everything was moving soooooo sloooow that I had to move to the steepest parts to get the things moving a bit. And then when I edged the ski like normally on the groomers, some spectacular falls ensued
But no matter how much I suck at it, I loved it and next season will go hunt for powder to the best of my abilities of course.

 

[Brad J]

I learned how to ski powder in the 80’s on 203 straight ski’s which really makes skiing powder very easy on today’s equipment

 

[KingGrump]

Come on now boyz....an adult (who knows what ability/height/weight?) on a 159 in 2 ft of powder....who says they are struggling in powder....is 3 things:

-ability (which I would never mention to someone I don’t know)

-wrong skis for the job....Blizzard BP88 is popular among women skiers in many different conditions for a reason.

-wrong size....(too short)

I’m going with too short for the skier/conditions they were in.....she couldn’t get her speed up enough to get the gliding through/on top of the snow....that makes skiing in fresh deep(er) snow so much fun.

Nah, it's not the arrow.
A bigger arrow will only exasperate the existing condition with the skier in question.

Full disclosure: I've skied with @ForeverSki .

 

[James]

The Volant Chubb was an incredible powder ski when that came out...and it was....wait for it....88mm underfoot! And to make a blanket statement without knowing how short (or tall) someone is, really doesn't help other readers make a choice.

What width was that Volkl Snow Ranger?
Wasn’t that an early “powder ski”?

 

[Philpug]

What width was that Volkl Snow Ranger?
Wasn’t that an early “powder ski”?

The Snow Ranger was wopping 77mm underfoot.

 

[Tom K.]

There are some dues to be paid before being granted entry to the Fun World of Powder!

Flip this capital "L" around, and you'll have the graph of powder enjoyment vs. time. You just have to keep banging away at it, and suddenly it will happen. But the hassle parts you mentioned are definitely real, esp on the weekends.

Then he took us into the trees. I linked turns in the shallow powder, while one by one, my wife and friends fell over! I was so happy...

Great example of the old golf saying: "every swing makes someone happy"!

 

[Tony S]

What are some of the best easiest to use wide powder skis? Good time of year for ski deals.

Im going to hypothecate on your weight & size based on your BP's

Eric, you're mixing up OP hull with forever ski. FS is the one with the BPs.