Tell me your experiences with these "resort powder" skis.

[EmperorMA]

As usual, recommendations are starting to skew towards the advanced group.

Black Ops - no
The much maligned, by advanced skiers, Rossi Soul7 hd might be the ticket. The PNW is the wild card here. The cement skiers should weigh in.

I have been told by folks around here that the Black Ops 98 is great for what I want, but too close to my Evolv90 to make the purchase worthwhile in a two-ski quiver. I agree that the new Black Ops skis for next year are more ski than I am looking for.

I am unsure if the Rossi Soul 7 HD holds up well enough in our thick, wet snow, however.

The Enforcer 104 is hard to beat; the Liberty Evolv 100, Fischer Ranger 102fr, Line Sick Day 104, Renoun Endurance 104, J Skis Metal 106, ON3P Woodsman 108, are also worth considering.

I am thinking Enforcer 104 is at the top of the list. It just gets too much praise and seems to check the most boxes.

Things to consider:
1) Our "powder" is typically more the maritime variety.
2) The resort he will be skiing is relatively low angle. (Snoqualmie and Mission)
3) OP is a bigger guy and if I remember correctly a self described intermediate that had a long vacation from skiing until recently.

Apologies to the OP if any of this is incorrect.

All correct. Wet, heavy "powder" followed shortly by crud and heavy chop. Mostly on intermediate groomers and edges with an occasional foray onto the odd groomed black diamond run or ungroomed black diamond run in good conditions. Just cruising with the wife, not trying to kill myself. I weigh about 230 right now but am heading down to about 210.

I also want something at least somewhat rockered in the tails, as the flat tails of the Evolv90 got real grabby and difficult to release in deeper, heavy chop.

 

[PNWRod]

As usual, recommendations are starting to skew towards the advanced group.

Black Ops - no
The much maligned, by advanced skiers, Rossi Soul7 hd might be the ticket. The PNW is the wild card here. The cement skiers should weigh in.

Right. As a PNW skier I want to be on top of the cement not in it. My bad knee thanks me for it at the end of the day.

 

[PNWRod]

I also want something at least somewhat rockered in the tails, as the flat tails of the Evolv90 got real grabby and difficult to release in deeper, heavy chop.

Correct. For cement I find that one tips the ski on edge and follows and you want twin tips to let that ski come around and release.

 

[EmperorMA]

What skis that you owned or skied have you liked? Which one didn’t you jive with? Imho, unless you have a “type” of ski you like - trying to define the “what ski” over the interwebz from strangers is like asking “ what boots should I buy”? Answer is always “the red ones”.

ive jumped (read bought) on powder skis that literally were supposedly “the best” and immediately put them back in the car after one run and went with my old 95mm skis on a 2ft blower day in the Wasatch. These “the best“ skis were enough different from my preferences that I never skied them again and sold them.

I guess my point is - try before you buy or at least know - you might be passing them down. Only caveat would be - staying in a brand/model. Ie. If you liked the E93, you most likely would be pretty safe doing e104 or whatever there next bigger ski is. just my experience - but I get stuck in my ways - I have a ski “type“and a binding “type”

YMMV

I have no idea what I like because I haven't skied in 20 years until the last couple of weeks. My third time on my Liberty Evolv90 skis will happen Saturday. The first two times on those told me I have groomers pretty well covered when it hasn't snowed in a couple of days or more and I am OK in untracked fresh snow up to 6" deep, but that changes as it gets skied off and cut up into heavy chop. The flat tails of the Evolv want to grab when going through chop, and I want to get on top of it to eliminate that.

 

[James]

I have to ask why you say no to the Black Ops 98?

Good to hear about the Black Ops.
I was saying no because of his proclaimed skill level and the width, 98. He’d then have a 90 Evolve, and a 98 Black Ops. For a two ski quiver.

Heh, 20 yrs ago, you wouldn’t have much choice in ski design. Now we’ve gone all goldilocks.

 

[zircon]

I haven't skied in 20 years until the last couple of weeks. My third time on my Liberty Evolv90 skis will happen Saturday ... The flat tails of the Evolv want to grab when going through chop, and I want to get on top of it to eliminate that.

Honestly, save your cash for now and take a few lessons instead. I know this is the hardgoods forum but this is probably going to help you more than going out and buying a new wider ski right now. Lots has changed in 20 years, and at 3 days into using your brand new Evolv 90s, you're still in the "getting to know you" phase of dating your skis. Ski them a lot. Get back into it. Then decide what you like in a modern ski and revisit the topic.

 

[EmperorMA]

Honestly, save your cash for now and take a few lessons instead. I know this is the hardgoods forum but this is probably going to help you more than going out and buying a new wider ski right now. Lots has changed in 20 years, and at 3 days into using your brand new Evolv 90s, you're still in the "getting to know you" phase of dating your skis. Ski them a lot. Get back into it. Then decide what you like in a modern ski and revisit the topic.

Lessons are definitely planned. My wife and I both bought season passes for the rest of this year and all of 2020-2021 and are even going to a clinic week next season at an out-of-state resort, so we are committed.

Unfortunately, I am not wired for saving money. I have no issue buying something and then selling it if it doesn't work out for me. Fly rods, skis, backpacking gear, even off-road tires. I don't necessarily enjoy the loss on investment, though, so taking advantage of upcoming sales can help mitigate those losses if I happen to choose poorly. A good sale might even let me try two different skis and keep the one I like most.

I am also not one for learning one thing then trying to learn another when I know that I can learn both at the same. I jump right in. As an example, when only about 10 years old and being taken on my first-ever water skiing trip, after watching everyone in the boat skiing on one ski and being told to put on two skis for my first try, I asked, "Why do I have learn on two skis? Is there any reason to not learn on one ski? I can see no reason to learn on two skis then discard that learning and start all over again learning on one ski." I got up on one ski on my third attempt and have being skiing that way ever since. ;-)

 

[markojp]

As usual, recommendations are starting to skew towards the advanced group.

Black Ops - no
The much maligned, by advanced skiers, Rossi Soul7 hd might be the ticket. The PNW is the wild card here. The cement skiers should weigh in.

This is why we keep saying Enforcer 104.

 

[markojp]

I am not sure the ON3P offerings are all that "forgiving" for my needs, either.

Liberty... if you're skiing the factory tune, have them redone.

 

[EmperorMA]

Liberty... if you're skiing the factory tune, have them redone.

Wher eis a good place to have that done in the Seattle area?

 

[givethepigeye]

I have no idea what I like because I haven't skied in 20 years until the last couple of weeks. My third time on my Liberty Evolv90 skis will happen Saturday. The first two times on those told me I have groomers pretty well covered when it hasn't snowed in a couple of days or more and I am OK in untracked fresh snow up to 6" deep, but that changes as it gets skied off and cut up into heavy chop. The flat tails of the Evolv want to grab when going through chop, and I want to get on top of it to eliminate that.

thats kind of my point. Save your $ for now, go ski. Hard for us to recommend - I know I like metal laminate, fairly damp skis. I didn’t know that when I had not skied a bunch of stuff. But if somebody had suggested a Soul7, I would have had buyers remorse. Good ski, but not my cup of tea.

current skis = Kastle MX83, Stockli SR95 and Stockli SR115. <- so there is a “type” of ski I prefer, besides ones that cost too much (the mx83’s were fairly cheap used tho)

 

[EmperorMA]

Right. As a PNW skier I want to be on top of the cement not in it. My bad knee thanks me for it at the end of the day.

What are your bad knees thanking for skiing these days?

 

[PNWRod]

Wher eis a good place to have that done in the Seattle area?

That is what I want to know for South of Seattle. Last time I had them done at the local ski shop....

 

[EmperorMA]

That is what I want to know for South of Seattle. Last time I had them done at the local ski shop....

I am equal distance from Sturtevant's and Gerk's.

 

[PNWRod]

What are your bad knees thanking for skiing these days?

For fresh cement or big snow days the Moment Wildcats. Lately skiing primarily the AR's for daily drivers and Moments for big wet snow days.

 

[zircon]

Lessons are definitely planned. My wife and I both bought season passes for the rest of this year and all of 2020-2021 and are even going to a clinic week next season at an out-of-state resort, so we are committed.

Unfortunately, I am not wired for saving money. I have no issue buying something and then selling it if it doesn't work out for me. Fly rods, skis, backpacking gear, even off-road tires. I don't necessarily enjoy the loss on investment, though, so taking advantage of upcoming sales can help mitigate those losses if I happen to choose poorly. A good sale might even let me try two different skis and keep the one I like most.

I am also not one for learning one thing then trying to learn another when I know that I can learn both at the same. I jump right in. As an example, when only about 10 years old and being taken on my first-ever water skiing trip, after watching everyone in the boat skiing on one ski and being told to put on two skis for my first try, I asked, "Why do I have learn on two skis? Is there any reason to not learn on one ski? I can see no reason to learn on two skis then discard that learning and start all over again learning on one ski." I got up on one ski on my third attempt and have being skiing that way ever since. ;-)

Not so much a thing of learning two things at once. More that the technique you learn with the flat tailed 90s will be infinitely more useful and transferrable to what you learn with tail rockered one-oh-somethings than the other way around. Easier to slide sideways can also mean not fully internalizing the skill that lets you slide sideways.

People frequently use flat tailed skis in heavy chopped up snow all the time, so the tail grabbing too much is likely either a tuning issue or a technique issue (or both). As a recovering terminal intermediate, when I get hung up on the tails in heavier snow on my more cambered skis, it's usually a "me" problem. I'd still spend your money on some demos. You don't know what you don't know about modern skis at this point and you definitely run the risk of trying and buying two of the wrong ski this way.

 

[givethepigeye]

Just looked at the evolv 90 on Blister, that tail, while not a twin tip, isn’t what I would call “flat” looking at the profile.

 

[hespeler]

I own the Rustler 10 in 180 and the Enforcer 110 in 185 (same construction as the 104).

I got the Rustler as an Eastern tree and pound bumps all day ski. Sounds like you read Blister’s review on the ski. I don’t think the Rustler is that hooky and I disagree that you can’t keep it in a drift. You definitely can. Does it need to be on edge? Yeah sort of but not in a bad way. It’s kind of on the light side and won’t tolerate bombing down the fall line too long. Not a bad thing for an intermediate. That said you can crank out some relaxed GS turns with a little tip chatter that doesn’t really bother me too much. On really firm snow or set-up crud? No. Not the ski to be on. Maybe on the 188 and if the PNW is cement at times than that would be the length to ski. The Blister review may be a bit more accurate in 188.

The Enforcer? What can I say? I love the ski. And the “Free” collection has the tail turned up a bit from the traditional 100 which makes it really playful for the sides of the trail where you want to ski. And for a 110 ski, it’s actually fun to carve so I have no doubt the 104 will do just fine on firmer snow.

Truth is I can do everything I need on the Enforcer so the Rustler is really a specialty, luxury ski. And I think the Enforcer is very accessible for an intermediate.

 

[martyg]

Those 90 underfoot skis are just fine as a powder ski for in-bounds PNW. If anything, I’d recommend a carver that drives easy to complete your two ski quiver.something 80ish, or less, underfoot. Most of the L3’s and the one DCL at Baker are on something in the 90 underfoot realm as a powder ski.

If your goal is to increase you skill set, a new pair of skis won’t do it. Book lessons. Look up Anne Healzer at Stevens. Burrel Julle (sp?) was mainly out of Baker, is a clinician, and travels around. John May at Hood. Once they see what is going on, they can recommend a ski that will help you capture specific sensations to assist you on your journey. The instructor that you vibe with is going to be your best Source of The Truth on a ski recommendation.

That dude-bro working in the shop? Well, you don’t even know if they have any technical ability, much less a deep understanding of the mechanics of skiing.

Enjoy.

 

[EmperorMA]

Those 90 underfoot skis are just fine as a powder ski for in-bounds PNW. If anything, I’d recommend a carver that drives easy to complete your two ski quiver.something 80ish, or less, underfoot. Most of the L3’s and the one DCL at Baker are on something in the 90 underfoot realm as a powder ski.

If your goal is to increase you skill set, a new pair of skis won’t do it. Book lessons. Look up Anne Healzer at Stevens. Burrel Julle (sp?) was mainly out of Baker, is a clinician, and travels around. John May at Hood. Once they see what is going on, they can recommend a ski that will help you capture specific sensations to assist you on your journey. The instructor that you vibe with is going to be your best Source of The Truth on a ski recommendation.

That dude-bro working in the shop? Well, you don’t even know if they have any technical ability, much less a deep understanding of the mechanics of skiing.

Enjoy.

Thanks.
Do you know of anyone at West, Central, Silver Fir or Alpental? I have season passes there through 2021 and can be in any of their parking lots in 45 minutes.

I have heard great things about Anne Healzer but I just don’t see traveling 2 to 2.5 hours to get up to Stevens when my entire family has season passes at The Summit.

EDIT: Adding that I probably will add a forgiving, relaxed carver 74-82 in the future, as we’ll also ski a few times a year at Mission Ridge, where family lives six miles from the parking lot. Blizzard Brahma 82, Head i.Rally or i.Titan, K2 Iconic 84, Liberty V76 or V82, Rossignol Hero Elite Plus and Salomon S/Force Bold are all possibilities.