Ski Selection Advice - Alps Ski Touring and Spring Couloirs (Black Crow Navis? Atomic Bent 100? What am I missing?)

[eboake]

Looking for some advice. I am in search of a ski for an upcoming April ski touring trip in the Alps. Downhill performance is a priority, I want something that give confidence on steep couloirs with variable and chunky snow, I have found that cap construction, fully carbon, and/or 3.0 kg skis are usually too light. Aside from stability I am also looking for something that is somewhat playful and can be turned sideways, often traditional touring skis have very flat tails and don't let you wash out the turn. I am 6' tall and 185lbs, aggressive skier looking for 185 cm and 98-104 underfoot.

I already own a pair of Black Crow Atris 184cm x 108 mm (50/50), Nordica Enforcer 185 cm x 100 mm (resort).

Skis that have come to mind: K2 Dispatch 101 182cm (maybe too short), Atomic Bent 100 188cm (maybe too long), Black Crow Navis Freebird 102 185cm (maybe not playful enough).

Thanks for reading and thanks for any advice!.

 

[Rod9301]

The vwerks mantra is very good for couloir skiing

 

[charlier]

For firm and variable snow. consider a Corvus. It’s a bit wide, but is an outstanding ski for steep terrain and chunky snow. Remove the Bent Chetler, the ski is soft and light - this ski will not perform well in steep couloirs.

 

[tomahawkins]

How steep? Solis steep? I’ve been intrigued by this ski.

 

[James]

For firm and variable snow. consider a Corvus. It’s a bit wide, but is an outstanding ski for steep terrain and chunky snow. Remove the Bent Chetler, the ski is soft and light - this ski will not perform well in steep couloirs.

Corvus Freebird or regular?

Looks like Freebird is about 4000gms/pair/188
Reg is 4300gms/pair/188cm
Freebird only has titanal under the bindings, reg has two sheets.

 

[charlier]

Corvus Freebird - can handle steep skiing with Zero G or stiffer Cochise boots. I would use a shorter length for my style of skiing. Although for steep couloirs, I might choose a narrower ski.

 

[Castle Dave]

Quote from Blister Reviews of Bent 100 FYI
Steep, Tight Terrain

Luke: While I never imagined that a ski bearing the Bent Chetler name would be one of my top pics for steep, consequential terrain, I had a lot of fun hopping around Taos’ West Basin on the Bent Chetler 100.

The ski’s combination of (1) a pretty low weight, (2) strong edgehold, and (3) a fairly forgiving but still supportive flex pattern all felt pretty ideal in this terrain. The Bent Chetler 100 was very easy to flick around, its tails felt like they offered a nice blend of support and forgiveness, and it didn’t feel unpredictably hooky, despite its good edgehold (and large amount of camber).

Heavier skis will definitely feel more composed at higher speeds, but for picking my way through tight, steep terrain, the Bent Chetler 100 felt like a great choice.

Sam: To me, this is what it seems like the Bent Chetler 100 was made for. Specifically for skiing a wide variety of snow types in steep, technical and consequential terrain. It has the edgehold to make due on firm / icy couloirs while being light enough to easily flick around (and to skin for your turns).

 

[tomahawkins]

Maybe Peak 98/104 SC? This is all speculation as I haven't been on them yet, but the sidecut and profile looks good for steep skiing.