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Rod9301

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I really like the metal katanas and since they are not made anymore, I'm looking for a similar ski, good in all conditions.
Any ideas?
 

Philpug

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Sorry we missed this. There are not many 110mm plus charging skis out there any more, the Katana was a unique beast of a ski. Nordica Enforcer 110 or maybe the Pro. Even though the Blizzard Cochise is a few MM narrower, it has some of the DNA. Volkl Confession? Stökli SR Pro? Kastle BMX115?
 

ted

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Don't think there is any equivalent with full rocker.
Try eBay saved search, it will email you when one is up for sale.
I find lots of obscure things I'm looking for this way.
 

ski otter 2

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I have had such a search for the old Katana going for some time. Almost nothing for well over a year.

But now suddenly, two: one in 176, one in 183. Rare.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Volkl-K...139920?hash=item41ceaa4690:g:eYYAAOSwC6dZrwZZ


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Volkl-Katan...213829?hash=item2a8d1e8445:g:qnQAAOSww9xZEkDi

Like I said, it's been well over a year, maybe two years or more.

I won't be bidding on these (tho the longer one is tempting), because I gave up waiting and got the longer Katana V Werks 191 when a good deal for that came up this summer. (And I've skied the V Werks 184 a lot for the past two years.)
 
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ski otter 2

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P.S. I bought the 186 Confession 116 before last season, and skied it quite a bit all year.

Nope, it ain't no old Katana. It may have about the same speed limit or a little less (around 40 mph (?) maybe - slower than the V Werks Katana, for instance), but once going even a bit fast in really rough crud or chop later on a powder day, or on a slush afternoon in spring, the Confession starts to get tossed, unlike the Katana, either the old one or the V Werks. And the edge can catch up and grab in transitions with the Confession, on The Ridge powder faces at Loveland, at least. Not often, but just enough. (See last year's Yellow Gentian/Craig review of the Confession for his description of pretty much the exact same things. Wish I'd listened.)

On the plus side, the Confession is very damp and even restful, before you reach its limits.
 
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jmeb

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No metal, and a touch wider, but Bibby Pros rule crud, are relatively damp and easy to move around in tight spaces. Not full rocker like the Katana though.

I can't think of many (any?) 110+ skis that have a full metal layer in them anymore :(.
 

ski otter 2

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I have a pair of Bibby Pros (but only in 184) that I love because of the above^^^^^.

But that said, the shorter Bibbys, at least, for me, do not handle really rough crud - like, say, some harsh conditions of refrozen a bit underneath, or some types of really mounded up afternoon rough slush in spring - the way the Katanas (old and new) do - or I'm told, the way the Liberty Variants do. When things get rough, the Bibby's are great; when things get rougher, then both Katanas, current and old, (though the new ones less so, probably) or the Variants. Or the longest Pettitors (189/actually 191), mounted forward unless you're really big. Wish I knew many others.

The one problem with the old Katanas, to me, is they don't have much float. Nor do the Variants, except, I'm told, at speed. The V-Werks Katanas, Bibbys and Pettitors have both, float and crudbusting.

I've been wondering if the K2 Catamarans 120, which are replacing the Pettitors, will fit this role also.
 

jmeb

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But that said, the shorter Bibbys, at least, for me, do not handle really rough crud - like, say, some harsh conditions of refrozen a bit underneath, or some types of really mounded up afternoon rough slush in spring - the way the Katanas (old and new) do

Nothing really replaces metal for dampening.
 
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Rod9301

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I have a pair of Bibby Pros (but only in 184) that I love because of the above^^^^^.

But that said, the shorter Bibbys, at least, for me, do not handle really rough crud - like, say, some harsh conditions of refrozen a bit underneath, or some types of really mounded up afternoon rough slush in spring - the way the Katanas (old and new) do - or I'm told, the way the Liberty Variants do. When things get rough, the Bibby's are great; when things get rougher, then both Katanas, current and old, (though the new ones less so, probably) or the Variants. Or the longest Pettitors (189/actually 191), mounted forward unless you're really big. Wish I knew many others.

The one problem with the old Katanas, to me, is they don't have much float. Nor do the Variants, except, I'm told, at speed. The V-Werks Katanas, Bibbys and Pettitors have both, float and crudbusting.

I've been wondering if the K2 Catamarans 120, which are replacing the Pettitors, will fit this role also.
I ski the vwerks katanas in the Backcountry and the metal ones on the resort. To me they have the same float, which would make sense since they have identical shape and dimensions.
 

ski otter 2

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One has metal, the other a new-fangled carbon/3D ridge construction, much lighter.


Still, I defer to you on the old version.

I'll readjust my thinking on the old ski, potentially. (Nonetheless, not sure, a bit confused.)

I went by memory, from a few resort demos and a borrowing for the old ski, not by owning it or skiing them back to back or even in the same season. I could have sworn.........:huh:

My second source to try to confirm memory back then was a top skier I was skiing with briefly who was on his old metal versions every day as a course prep tech for the U.S. ski team, at Copper but traveling with the team. He said the old version had less float, not enough float; and that the new one solved that. He was also hoping for a higher speed limit, but wasn't sure. He was getting the new version soon.

That's when I bought the new version, after demoing it.

At about the same time (a few years back), I also read Blistergear on the two skis to confirm/gain comparison perspective on my memory of the old ski (subject to error). They thought the new version has more float - at least that was my impression. That doesn't mean it does. Or that they actually said it does. :)

They also thought the new one has excellent float. I can confirm that (except perhaps for really big skiers?).
 
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Rod9301

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I went by start haus yesterday and looked at the Nordica enforcer 110.

It has a fair amount of tip rocker.

I liked how the katanas power they chunks of snow and I'm worried that the enforcers will kick me back a bit, kind of like the dps 112 I tried and didn't like.
Will they do this?

Also, the enforcers 110 have a 15.5 m radius, and I prefer a large radius ski, so they don't hook it get deflected.
Any comments on that?

Also, it appears that all bigger skis have camber now.
I liked the full subtle rocker of the katanas, as I could slide then in a narrow down, yet the had a long effective edge on firm.

Comments here?

Thank you.
 

BC.

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My reply is directly to the OP question....(I screwed up replying to a quote)

Over the years, having owned and skied the Volkl Kendo, Mantra, Gotama, Shiro, Katana...... so am a bit familiar with how a "Volkl" skis......I was on a 193 Confession “as a shop gift” a bunch last year, esp. with the late season snow in the NE and an Easter trip to Mammoth/Squaw.

.IMO the Confession is a cross breed between the Shiro and Katana. The Confession skis a lot like my “lots of soft snow fun” Shiro..... and it totally railed crud/hard pack like the Katana....again a ton of fun. So I would say in the Volkl line, the Confession is the ski most like the Katana?

FWIW: I am 6’1 205.....the past few years I have been skiing a 193 Shiro and a 187 Brahma.

If l lived and skied exclusively in western conditions...I would consider the Volkl Confession as a 1 ski quiver....just like the OG Katana used to be.
 
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