- Joined
- Apr 30, 2017
- Posts
- 44
Hi; long-time reader @ EpicSki, first time poster here. I appreciate what I’ve read, thanks!
I’m looking for 1-2 ski recommendations for next season. I’m a 6’4” 205 lb 52 year old late blooming advanced+ Squaw skier (some Alpine Meadows). For decades I only got in 3-24 days/year. I started at age 18 with terrible form but these past couple years I’ve skied about 75 days each year. I like buying skis and currently own:
• pre-rocker Vokl Mantras
• Kastle FX-94
• Atomic Automatic 118
I’ve demo’d many others but generally they are wider than 88mm under foot and am wondering if my west coast quiver should get narrower.
I love skiing trees, uneven or unique terrain and enjoy working on skills in bumps and chutes…as long as the conditions are right (at least kinda soft). Some of my favorite terrain at Squaw is under appreciated stuff between Squaw Creek and Red Dog)
Crazy perhaps but I spent every one of my 75 days this year on the 117m-wide Atomic Automatics in ALL conditions because to me they are ridiculously fun and easy to ski in ALMOST all conditions...
…except pre-spring icy hardpack.
Those have been strictly groomer days for me, where I like going fast, working on staying forward and practicing turns or spinning round and round while I wait for my wife (but I don’t want a ski for it’s ability to ski backwards)
I've done a lot of ski research and am hoping that one of you brilliant hardware matchmakers could make the right introduction for me.
Can you recommend for me, 1 or 2 top notch skis for me for those pre-spring icy hardback days? I want GRIP with FUN and to:
a) develop my skills while skiing groomers faster than I can on my Automatics or FX94s (is that a race ski with a flat tail? )
b) ski bumps or non-groomed expert terrain in hard-pack conditions (is that a narrow shorter ski without a flat tail? )
I feel like I’ve wasted money buying some skis that I like but don’t love. I want a classic* top notch ski, even if it means spending more to get it. I spent a lot of time skiing and think it’s worth it to be on something super fun.
* what feels like one — it doesn’t need to have a classic reputation.
Some skis that sound like the might work for one or both of my requests above include:
• Stockli SX or other Stockli - I’ve never skied a Stockli but I’d like to!
• Kastle MX78 MX88 — I’ve read SO much about the MX88 - I’d love it if these could fit the bill but I wonder if they’re too wide for the conditions I am targeting.
• Vokl RTM 84
• ?
I dont know why but I really dislike Vokl Kendos. I like the Cochise but I don’t like other Blizzard skis. I loved my FX 94s at first but my Automatics replaced that. Maybe I like them because they are so forgiving in difficult conditions but I want to have fun developing skills with a narrower ski in hardpack conditions before my 8 yo ski-team kid surpasses me.
Thanks in advance!
Cheers
I’m looking for 1-2 ski recommendations for next season. I’m a 6’4” 205 lb 52 year old late blooming advanced+ Squaw skier (some Alpine Meadows). For decades I only got in 3-24 days/year. I started at age 18 with terrible form but these past couple years I’ve skied about 75 days each year. I like buying skis and currently own:
• pre-rocker Vokl Mantras
• Kastle FX-94
• Atomic Automatic 118
I’ve demo’d many others but generally they are wider than 88mm under foot and am wondering if my west coast quiver should get narrower.
I love skiing trees, uneven or unique terrain and enjoy working on skills in bumps and chutes…as long as the conditions are right (at least kinda soft). Some of my favorite terrain at Squaw is under appreciated stuff between Squaw Creek and Red Dog)
Crazy perhaps but I spent every one of my 75 days this year on the 117m-wide Atomic Automatics in ALL conditions because to me they are ridiculously fun and easy to ski in ALMOST all conditions...
…except pre-spring icy hardpack.
Those have been strictly groomer days for me, where I like going fast, working on staying forward and practicing turns or spinning round and round while I wait for my wife (but I don’t want a ski for it’s ability to ski backwards)
I've done a lot of ski research and am hoping that one of you brilliant hardware matchmakers could make the right introduction for me.
Can you recommend for me, 1 or 2 top notch skis for me for those pre-spring icy hardback days? I want GRIP with FUN and to:
a) develop my skills while skiing groomers faster than I can on my Automatics or FX94s (is that a race ski with a flat tail? )
b) ski bumps or non-groomed expert terrain in hard-pack conditions (is that a narrow shorter ski without a flat tail? )
I feel like I’ve wasted money buying some skis that I like but don’t love. I want a classic* top notch ski, even if it means spending more to get it. I spent a lot of time skiing and think it’s worth it to be on something super fun.
* what feels like one — it doesn’t need to have a classic reputation.
Some skis that sound like the might work for one or both of my requests above include:
• Stockli SX or other Stockli - I’ve never skied a Stockli but I’d like to!
• Kastle MX78 MX88 — I’ve read SO much about the MX88 - I’d love it if these could fit the bill but I wonder if they’re too wide for the conditions I am targeting.
• Vokl RTM 84
• ?
I dont know why but I really dislike Vokl Kendos. I like the Cochise but I don’t like other Blizzard skis. I loved my FX 94s at first but my Automatics replaced that. Maybe I like them because they are so forgiving in difficult conditions but I want to have fun developing skills with a narrower ski in hardpack conditions before my 8 yo ski-team kid surpasses me.
Thanks in advance!
Cheers