Marin: I am 5' ~11" 195-200 lbs.
What PhilPug said in post #4 above is the shape and flex you should look for in a powder ski.
I have the old Rossignol Super7 in 195cm for deep powder (basically for cat skiing). They are big floppy clown shoes which will go over everything including snow covered logs. Generally you ski powder right up to the cat. For resort deep powder, once the powder gets chopped and lumped up on the trail down to the lift, they suck. On hard snow they will carve due to the camber under foot, but you really don't hook up the tip or tail in a carve. Because they are so wide, they put pressure on my inside ankle bone on the boot on hard snow. A wider ski is better in powder because it skis more on top and thus is faster on powder which allows you to ski less steep terrain. And because it is on top, it is easier to turn. Remember "Soft snow is slow snow." So, in powder you will benefit from a wider, longer, and softer ski to stay on top to stay fast.
I recently purchased the mens' DPS Wailer Alchemist 100RP in 184cm and used them for five days at Alta/Snowbird and five days at Deer Valley and one day at Kirkwood before all the resorts were shut. The Wailer is narrower than my Super7. They have a different tip shape than the Super7. They ski really well in powder but they are better in the chopped and lumpy crud down to the lift. On hard pack, they also carve way way way better than the Super7. On the Wailer, the tip and tail actually hook up in a carve. Since they are narrower than my Super7, they don't pressure my ankle bone like the Super7. But they are wide enough for resort powder.
I just bought my wife the DPS Yvette Alchemist 100RP in 163cm, which is the women's version of mens' Wailer. Due to the resort closures, she has not skied it yet. My wife also has the Rossignol W7 for deep powder skiing, but her Volkl Kenja is her daily driver. It has a stiffer and squared off tail which makes it better for carving but not as good for bumps. It also does not have the narrower tail, which the Wailer/Yvette has which is better for powder because the tail sinks in lower than the tip which avoids the all too common "apparent necessity" to lean back and burn your thighs in powder to keep the tips up. I am interested to see what she thinks of the Yvette A100RP.
They are wider than the skis you are asking about, but not as wide as powder skis can be. Just something different to consider.
What PhilPug said in post #4 above is the shape and flex you should look for in a powder ski.
I have the old Rossignol Super7 in 195cm for deep powder (basically for cat skiing). They are big floppy clown shoes which will go over everything including snow covered logs. Generally you ski powder right up to the cat. For resort deep powder, once the powder gets chopped and lumped up on the trail down to the lift, they suck. On hard snow they will carve due to the camber under foot, but you really don't hook up the tip or tail in a carve. Because they are so wide, they put pressure on my inside ankle bone on the boot on hard snow. A wider ski is better in powder because it skis more on top and thus is faster on powder which allows you to ski less steep terrain. And because it is on top, it is easier to turn. Remember "Soft snow is slow snow." So, in powder you will benefit from a wider, longer, and softer ski to stay on top to stay fast.
I recently purchased the mens' DPS Wailer Alchemist 100RP in 184cm and used them for five days at Alta/Snowbird and five days at Deer Valley and one day at Kirkwood before all the resorts were shut. The Wailer is narrower than my Super7. They have a different tip shape than the Super7. They ski really well in powder but they are better in the chopped and lumpy crud down to the lift. On hard pack, they also carve way way way better than the Super7. On the Wailer, the tip and tail actually hook up in a carve. Since they are narrower than my Super7, they don't pressure my ankle bone like the Super7. But they are wide enough for resort powder.
I just bought my wife the DPS Yvette Alchemist 100RP in 163cm, which is the women's version of mens' Wailer. Due to the resort closures, she has not skied it yet. My wife also has the Rossignol W7 for deep powder skiing, but her Volkl Kenja is her daily driver. It has a stiffer and squared off tail which makes it better for carving but not as good for bumps. It also does not have the narrower tail, which the Wailer/Yvette has which is better for powder because the tail sinks in lower than the tip which avoids the all too common "apparent necessity" to lean back and burn your thighs in powder to keep the tips up. I am interested to see what she thinks of the Yvette A100RP.
They are wider than the skis you are asking about, but not as wide as powder skis can be. Just something different to consider.
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