Andy Mink
Everyone loves spring skiing but not in January
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OK, I'll toss this out there since these have been money from Tahoe to Utah to Montana: Lusti CWR+ 95. Now, I know I have a few (dozen) pounds on you but this ski is so easy. Even the CWR 87 would be outstanding. They have *almost* as much smooth feel as the Stöckli Stormriders but come into a turn much more easily.Short Version
In search of what you might call a western daily driver. Something in the 95 - 100mm space, roughly. Usual suspect Bonfides, Mantras, Enforcers too planky for my taste.
I've been spending a lot of time on the Stormrider Motion 85 and I've become addicted to the measured rebound, cushy snow feel, and versatility of this ski. I'm looking for the equivalent in a more off piste design. Stormrider 95 does not appear to be it.
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Full Version
In search of what you might call a western daily driver. Something in the 95 - 100mm space, roughly. Usual suspect Bonfides, Mantras, Enforcers too planky for my taste.
I live in Maine, but increasingly I'm skiing in the west because, well, I have to plan most of my skiing in advance and for weekends, and New England weather is just the pits for skiing most of the time.
Me: 5' 7" 140+ lbs, 59+ yo. I'm either a finesse skier (according to flailers and actual chargers) or a charger (according to the timid and actual finesse skiers). I can generally hang, skills wise, but notice I am slowing down when I try to ski with fast young guns. I have a quiver, from race skis to a 108 powder ski that hasn't seen snow in three full seasons now.I like skis that I can bend at will. Technical strengths are arcs on firm snow and slow flow turns on steeps. Weaknesses include high speed travel in crud, where I tend to get tossed around by turbulence. I handle bumps and trees well as long as I don't try to keep pace with the young and crazy.
Currently the ski that fills this niche for me is a 2019-20 Elan Ripstick Black @174cm. There is a lot to like about this ski. In particular it can pull off a surprisingly rewarding medium radius carved turn on the groomed for a ski this wide. My criticisms of it are very much in the minor quibbles department, so I'm not going to trade it out "just because." In challenging terrain and snow conditions I sometimes wish for a quieter feel, a little less pop, a hair less torsional stiffness. I won't go on.
What's motivating me to look for a replacement is that I've been spending a lot of time on the '19-'20 Stormrider Motion 85, and - much as it kills me to admit this with all the Stockli fever around here - I've become addicted to the measured rebound, cushy snow feel, and versatility of this ski. I'm looking for the equivalent in a more off piste design. If you want to call this the Mercedes feel (as opposed to BMW), as someone recently did, I'll own it.
Yes, the Stormrider 95 is the obvious candidate. But. I tried the plaid version a few years ago @175cm and it didn't work for me. Too much GS, not enough compliance for bumps and steeps. I haven't tried any of the newer models, and am put off by reports that the 21-22 model (blue) has been beefed up. Plus I am emphatically smack between sizes on this ski. 166 is too short for this purpose; 175 probably too much ski as noted just above. Currently I'm thinking Nela 96 @172. Not wild about the excess of pink, but could probably live with it. Not big on paying full retail, especially for Stockli.
Other ideas? Out of the mainstream thoughts welcome if based on first-hand experience. (E.g., anyone skied a Folsom?)
