SIA 2016: Reports from the Floor

[Alexzn]

Does come short enough....158 for the MX88. But there are few more loyal out there to Aura/Mantra lovers especially if they ski at Squaw, to try to convince them that anything less than 98mm is acceptable it very tough..near impossible.

It's not just that. I really feel that old Mantras/Auras, which were really popular for a lot of wrong reasons, were really good skis for the right person, and Aura in particular filled a niche that no one else cared to serve. MX88 is an amazing ski and is certainly worth its price, (even if the cost per centimeter becomes even higher in 158 size .

But nominally there is nothing else to replace the old Auras. Even to this day its practically a required piece of gear for a strong charging female skier at Squaw. I actually starting to believe that Blizzard missed some opportunity there by not making a metal Samba. Of course this is a small group and, being at Squaw, highly skewed, so I am sure the Blizzard MBAs crunched the numbers and decided it was not worth it.

 

[Josh Matta]

They just have to make a shorter bonafide.

The crazy thing is I wonder how much a one off would cost. They have all the molds to make a 159 Bonafide.

 

[Tricia]

It's not just that. I really feel that old Mantras/Auras, which were really popular for a lot of wrong reasons, were really good skis for the right person, and Aura in particular filled a niche that no one else cared to serve. MX88 is an amazing ski and is certainly worth its price, (even if the cost per centimeter becomes even higher in 158 size .

But nominally there is nothing else to replace the old Auras. Even to this day its practically a required piece of gear for a strong charging female skier at Squaw. I actually starting to believe that Blizzard missed some opportunity there by not making a metal Samba. Of course this is a small group and, being at Squaw, highly skewed, so I am sure the Blizzard MBAs crunched the numbers and decided it was not worth it.

You're right about it being about numbers. Remember when Blizzard made the metal Dakota for women? They couldn't sell it. I(and several other women I know) liked it a ton, but the general masses of women didn't buy it so it went away after a couple seasons.
I have to stop and remember that we can get skewed by our environment and the type of people we hang out with. How many metal sambas would they sell if they made them? Probably not as many as we might think. Meanwhile, the new Samba has carbon and has a really amazing feeling to it.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I still don't understand, we are saying that the Aura is no longer acceptable because of rocker, but saying that Blizzard should have made a metal Samba - which would have rocker... The ski you are looking for must exist, but what is it?

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Stockli SR95?

 

[Philpug]

I still don't understand, we are saying that the Aura is no longer acceptable because of rocker, but saying that Blizzard should have made a metal Samba - which would have rocker... The ski you are looking for must exist, but what is it?

Well the new Aura is zero camber and at least the Samba has some camber underfoot but, yes I agree. I also don't think metal is the defining factor/ingredient in the way a ski performs.

 

[Tom K.]

I also don't think metal is the defining factor/ingredient in the way a ski performs.

Agree completely, but a very hard argument to make with long-time expert skiers, IME.

I wish I'd kept my old Enforcers a month longer, so I could have skied them back-to-back with my Hell & Backs.

 

[Alexzn]

I still don't understand, we are saying that the Aura is no longer acceptable because of rocker, but saying that Blizzard should have made a metal Samba - which would have rocker... The ski you are looking for must exist, but what is it?

There is rocker and then there is rocker, right? It's such a generic term now that it all depends on the particulars. Both Volkl and Blizzard went after a rockered all mountain designs about the same time. Suffice to say Blizzard won that battle big time, as almost everyone copies Flipcores' design and shapes and the new Mantra/Aura is now an oddity largely coasting on brand reputation.

 

[Uncle-A]

Did Blizzard discontinue the Latago model? I looked at the photos from the show and did not see it in any of the photos.

 

[Philpug]

Did Blizzard discontinue the Latago model? I looked at the photos from the show and did not see it in any of the photos.

The Latigo is still in the line for 17, like the rest of the series, a complete carryover.

 

[Uncle-A]

The Latigo is still in the line for 17, like the rest of the series, a complete carryover.

Thanks, I am trying to find a demo day in the NE for the Latago, and the Brahma.

 

[Philpug]

Going back and re reading this thread, it refreshed my memory of some of the upcoming skis for this season.

They just have to make a shorter bonafide.

The crazy thing is I wonder how much a one off would cost. They have all the molds to make a 159 Bonafide.

A 159 Bonafide? They would sell tens of them. The market/demand is just too small.

 

[Read Blinn]

I'm excited about what's out this season. I want to demo the MX 84, having demoed its big brother (why they didn't have the 84 that day is beyond me — a New England mountain, after all).

Wonder if @Uncle-A ever found a Latigo demo.

 

[Philpug]

I'm excited about what's out this season. I want to demo the MX 84, having demoed its big brother (why they didn't have the 84 that day is beyond me — a New England mountain, after all).

Wonder if @Uncle-A ever found a Latigo demo.

There are a lot of reasons they didn't have the 84 when you went to test them. They were in very limited supply and very well the ski was not ready to be skied or was damaged.

 

[Read Blinn]

There are a lot of reasons they didn't have the 84 when you went to test them. They were in very limited supply and very well the ski was not ready to be skied or was damaged.

All possible — probably limited supply is the answer. The tech was as perplexed as I was.

 

[markojp]

Monster 98 in a 163, would that work?

That thing would be a beast.