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The One Oh Somethings.

Philpug

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My experience this time of year is that most of the industry buzz if focused on that new "halo" skis in that "One Oh Something" category. Manufacturers seem to be so focused on a segment of skis that is more wrong that right for most skiers. Personally I break down the segment two ways, either a powder ski for a smaller, lighter skier, male or female and the 11/10th size all mountain ski for a bigger guy. Yes, a lot of these skis are good skis but in most cases there are better options for the skier. Yes, these skis can get on edge and carve, but at a cost. They float in powder, but at a cost. Sure there is a cost for every ski but I really don't think these skis are projected properly and I think the expectations are set way too high. Every ski is a compromise but I think this segment for 90% of the skiers that own them and expect them to be a one ski quiver the cost is just too high.
 
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markojp

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I don't disagree at all. In the end, it's why I never could find true love of either the vagabond or what the heck was the metal version called? The only ski in this group that looks intriguing is the Kastle BMX 105 which other than the waist dimension, seems to be very similar to the enforcer. Blizzard? id rather have a Bodacious than a Cochise. The 1-oh's are a popular choice for the free ride development crowd though.
 

Ron

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For lighter powder and trees, at 10-something (which speaking here is a 105-108) width ski can be ideal. Looking at the design of the ski beyond the width is really key. Ski's like the Soul7, RMU Apostle or Sali Q105 are ski's whose float belies their width. Tapered tips and tails progressive rocker designs make these skis decidedly powder ski's. I look at the 10-somethings at an evolving segment that still has some ways to go but all 10-somethings are not built the same. I look at the 101-103 range as kind of lost. I am not sure of its real application. skis like the Enforcer can do anything those skis can do.
 

Jake M

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My 1-oh-something is a Head 105 Collective which is primarily for the "pow days" here in the East, the trees in the West (shout out to Steamboat!!), and getting on the groomers afterwards back to the lifts. It's not really a "powder" ski in the purest sense, at least not for me. It's more of a soft snow/tree-biased ski that can handle groomers surprisingly well (particularly Western ones). It is actually quite adept on the groomers for its width (and tip/tail rocker), certainly not in the same caliber as my Rossi E98, but it also needs less gas to be fun. I can lollygag around with it when I'm with the kids and just float/mash through most anything. For the East, it's definitely a "fat" trip ski. Pair it with a GS-ish ski and I've got pretty much most days covered.

It's not just the width, it's certainly also the flex, shape, and intended use.
 

Monique

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Are we including one-oh-oh, like the Santa Ana?
 

Ron

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My 1-oh-something is a Head 105 Collective which is primarily for the "pow days" here in the East, the trees in the West (shout out to Steamboat!!), and getting on the groomers afterwards back to the lifts. It's not really a "powder" ski in the purest sense, at least not for me. It's more of a soft snow/tree-biased ski that can handle groomers surprisingly well (particularly Western ones). It is actually quite adept on the groomers for its width (and tip/tail rocker), certainly not in the same caliber as my Rossi E98, but it also needs less gas to be fun. I can lollygag around with it when I'm with the kids and just float/mash through most anything. For the East, it's definitely a "fat" trip ski. Pair it with a GS-ish ski and I've got pretty much most days covered.

It's not just the width, it's certainly also the flex, shape, and intended use.

Great example of why not all 1-0-something are not the same

Are we including one-oh-oh, like the Santa Ana?

No, that's a 1-0-Nothing :huh:
 

David Chaus

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Funny, I have the Rev 105 as a wider all-mountain ski, and I'm thinking of adding a one-oh-something with a different flex and shape as a powder and crud ski. I'm gathering a demo list: BMX 105, Q105, Stormrider 107, Volkl 100eight, Fischer Ranger 108, K2 Pinnacle 105, Nordica Nrgy 107. I might go wider, up to 115 or so, but if a one-oh-something will do the job for a lightweight like me (5'10", 145lbs) I'll take it.
 

Ron

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@David Chaus - agreed! I have skied 2 feet of blower with soul7's and Q105's. I really think I dont need much more than that even at my 170#. As good as Patron's are, I would like to have a sub 110 ski as a dedicated pow stick
 

Mike Thomas

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I am finding that the 9-oh category is quickly becoming my 'dead zone'... I just don't find most of them all that great at anything. If I am going to ski a clunky feeling ski, it might as well float well, the mid 100s do (for me). I see the value in versatility, it's nice to just slap your skis on and go without really worrying about conditions and the shapes of the 90ish skis tend to be what I am looking for. I want to have a 'freeride' feel that can carve, not a carving ski that can be skied all-mountain. So I ski them, but I think I would be happier with a mid-80s everyday ski and a ski right around 110 for soft days in the eastern trees. It's funny, as gear evolves my skiing changes, as my skiing changes what I want/ value from my gear changes... it's a moving target that constantly makes me want different gear.
 

Monique

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It's funny, as gear evolves my skiing changes, as my skiing changes what I want/ value from my gear changes... it's a moving target that constantly makes me want different gear.
Gee, it's almost like the manufacturers want you to want new gear every season ....
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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I am finding that the 9-oh category is quickly becoming my 'dead zone'... I just don't find most of them all that great at anything. If I am going to ski a clunky feeling ski, it might as well float well, the mid 100s do (for me). I see the value in versatility, it's nice to just slap your skis on and go without really worrying about conditions and the shapes of the 90ish skis tend to be what I am looking for. I want to have a 'freeride' feel that can carve, not a carving ski that can be skied all-mountain. So I ski them, but I think I would be happier with a mid-80s everyday ski and a ski right around 110 for soft days in the eastern trees. It's funny, as gear evolves my skiing changes, as my skiing changes what I want/ value from my gear changes... it's a moving target that constantly makes me want different gear.
You are a big boy, you fit into my point exactly, you are that 11/10th size guy. The One-Oh-Something IS the 98-100mm ski for someone your size. There are no rules, only guidelines for how to pick gear. It is crazy how much of a moving target it is and how it can change almost yearly.
 

Superbman

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I've never owned a one-oh something. Closest I came was the Icelantic Nomad SFT, which sold as a 105, but measured a solid 111mm across the waist.

I keep thinking about the ski that'll collapse the fatter end of my quiver and the mid range into one versatile ski….105ish sounds right.

But, I think that the shape evolution and material revolution has just made those mid to high 90's waisted skis the most versatile on the planet, reasonably good in firm snow and crud with float to match what only chubby skis could offer 5 and 6 years ago.
 

Ron

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Yes, of course the industry wants you to buy new gear; all business's want you to do that. Nothing wrong with it either. That drives innovation and that results in better products for us to ski on, wear and enjoy. Bring on more please!
 

Monique

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Yes, of course the industry wants you to buy new gear; all business's want you to do that. Nothing wrong with it either. That drives innovation and that results in better products for us to ski on, wear and enjoy. Bring on more please!

Fully agreed!
 

jmeb

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I've found I quite like the 1-0-somethings for two purposes:

1. Resort ski for days with fresh snow but not a foot of fresh. As a mostly weekend skier powder turns don't last more than a few hours before it is primarily chowder or crud. I find my metal laden 1-0-something floaty enough in the morning, and powerful enough in the midday and afternoon. Compromise yes, but not as big as compromise as wandering down to the switch them out.

2. One ski quiver for touring. Floaty enough for midwinter, enough edge purchase for spring corn.

Generally I agree -- they're a compromise both ways. The only conditions I think they are best-in-class in is crud/chowder/wind-scour with soft spots.
 

Monique

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I've found I quite like the 1-0-somethings for two purposes:

1. Resort ski for days with fresh snow but not a foot of fresh. As a mostly weekend skier powder turns don't last more than a few hours before it is primarily chowder or crud. I find my metal laden 1-0-something floaty enough in the morning, and powerful enough in the midday and afternoon. Compromise yes, but not as big as compromise as wandering down to the switch them out.

2. One ski quiver for touring. Floaty enough for midwinter, enough edge purchase for spring corn.

Generally I agree -- they're a compromise both ways. The only conditions I think they are best-in-class in is crud/chowder/wind-scour with soft spots.

*looks at quiver*

Santa Ana (100) for resort skiing with some fresh - check
Line Celebrity 100 (uh, 100) for touring - check

I have other skis, but these do cover a majority of my ski days.
 

Chickenmonkey

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I am 145 lbs and ski 95 mm Liberty Sequences as my everyday ski. Last Year I skied them on a few mini-pow days (2-6 inches new each day) at Bachelor and they did everything my old 105 mm Obsetheds did in the fresh and still dealt with bumps and groomers better.

Any more new snow than that and I am on a bigger ski anyway.
 

FairToMiddlin

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Well, this is a hornet's nest... or Pandora's something-or-other?

I honestly believe that a HUGE population of passionate skiers are well served to pursue a quiver that consists of a mid 70s-80s high performance all-rounder (like the Latigo for mellow-to-bump focused, or perhaps a Dynastar Course Pro for the ex-racer, Anger Management crowd), and a 95-98 versatile ski (Motive 95/Stormrider95/Bonafide/Enforcer, with the occasional NewMantra bloke that is either hardcore for Volkl, or doesn't live in the same ski area planet that I do). That covers 99% of both east and west coast skiing, with the remaining 1% dealt with using fitty bucks to demo a fattie for a hero blower snowgasm pow day.

Where the 1 oh something fits in is... admittedly tough. It is either for the eternal optimist, or the out of town visitor that thinks that the one in five, 20% of the time the West has in-bounds pow is right when they are flying in (see the aforementioned eternal optimist), OR when an advanced skier knows the goods are coming, but understands that they have a handful of runs before things are tracked out and you have to live with your choice in crud and chopped up groomers back to the lift.

I'm not a hater of the 1 oh something, I'm a lustful dreamer: the ski I gaze upon most in my garage is 104 underfoot, and I love the way it pulls across the hill in end-of-day groomers. and floats in first-chair untracked, and makes me giggle like Drahtguy in HeroBumps, and...
 
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Drahtguy Kevin

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Where the 1 oh something fits in is... admittedly tough. It is either for the eternal optimist, or the out of town visitor that thinks that the one in five, 20% of the time the West has in-bounds pow is right when they are flying in (see the aforementioned eternal optimist), OR when an advanced skier knows the goods are coming, but understands that they have a handful of runs before things are tracked out and you have to live with your choice in crud and chopped up groomers back to the lift.

This is gold.
 

fatbob

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I probably prove your point as well as a 11/10 guy but I disagree I think. I'm sure it's not a magic bullet but for big or powerful guys they can be a tremendous tool as long as you have some 3D snow. The versatility is they won't be unbearable on piste and you are more likely to find 20m ish radii in this category for a bit of help in piste carving.

I don't really mean any disrespect here but it's surely up to the consumer to educate themselves, demo and make their own mind up rather than being told by a shop guy that 95-100 is the sweet spot and the 10Xs are overhyped. Any ski is about what compromises you are going to make in the course of the day or run and a realistic assessment of what you are prepared to trade. Me I'll happily trade that piste performance for variable snow smiles any day. Some people who like getting the hammer down would find that unacceptable - that's fine. At least we're not in the bad old days (I realise for some of the readership the golden age ;)when skis were basically GS or SL and various softer punter versions thereof.


Anecdotal evidence I know but I talked to a bunch of people last season skiing on Soul 7s as they were pretty ubitiquitous. No one had a bad word to say about them and certainly no one was saying "I wish they were 10mm skinnier". So they might not know but if the public are having a good time...."cost" is kinda irrelevant. Telling them they are wrong just feels mean.
 
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