Why don't I like my Santa Ana 100s?

[Snowflake2420]

Today I was out on my new Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD boots, which fit quite well. I took them out on my Santa Ana 100s 161 with MNC binding. A ski I don't use a lot. I was skiing at Loveland in Colorado that is hardpack with a few inches of skied off snow. I did not have good edge hold on icy spots. I then switched skis to my trusty Nordica La Ninas and instantly felt very confident and comfortable. I realize this is probably due to the massive amounts of rocker the La Nina has, more forward mount, but the La Ninas are much wider. I felt I could carve and get on edge easier with the La Ninas. This is also after I picked up both skis from Evo, where my edges were tuned (supposedly).

I also ski a 157cm Kastle FX 85 HP, which I've really been enjoying this early season. Are the Santa Anas just too big, is it that they have more effective edge, is the tune messed up, do they not suite my skiing style? I've skied them before and liked them ok, but they never were quite as fun the FXs or La Ninas. I've been on a pursuit to try and find a 100ish ski and now I'm thinking maybe I just accept I like the La Ninas and they work quite well as a most of the time ski for Colorado. I know there are more playful 100mm womens all mountain skis that I'd like to demo this year just for fun at a minimum.

On the La Ninas and FX I feel I can get very aggressive and drive forward in the boot where as the Santa Anas didn't seem to respond as much. I demoed the Santa Anas before purchasing. Maybe I just need to ski them more.

/End rant

 

[Tricia]

What year is your Santa Ana?

 

[Snowflake2420]

17/18 I believe

 

[Tricia]

IIRC that was the first year that the Santa Ana introduced metal.
The LaNiña has more rocker and no metal.
I'm guessing that your issue has as much to do with the snow conditions as it relates to the construction, but you are enjoying the FX HP which is has metal, so there is that.....the tune should not be overlooked.

 

[Snowflake2420]

Thanks @Tricia. I'll try another shop for a tune and see how that goes and test them out on different occasions.

 

[Tricia]

Theoretically the Santa Ana should behave better than the LaNiña in those conditions.

 

[GregK]

Agree with @Tricia on tune as the edges might have been looked at but the base might not be flat causing your issues. Might need a base grind and then edge work to be golden.

The other thing I wonder is if all the skis have the same bindings? Might be a ramp/stack height difference you don’t like.

 

[Ken_R]

I think its the tune but with each ski one has to slightly adjust one's skiing. The Santa Ana 100's should be quicker edge to edge than the La Ninas for sure though.

But the tune has a huge effect. Last season I demoed the Kastle MX99's and they were hard to ski and just cumbersome. In similar conditions they felt great this season. Night and day. I suspect that last year they were railed for sure. On the same day I also demoed the Atomic X9's and they felt imprecise and just not quick to edge enough with just moments of brilliance at certain edge angles. The bases were most likely high on those skis. You feel differences in tune in very hard snow like whats been on offer at loveland so far most days.

 

[Tricia]

The other thing I wonder is if all the skis have the same bindings? Might be a ramp/stack height difference you don’t like.

That's always a possibility.

What bindings do you have on all your skis?

 

[jmeb]

Thanks @Tricia. I'll try another shop for a tune and see how that goes and test them out on different occasions.

For issues like this I highly recommend Denver Sports Lab. Those dudes know their tunes.

 

[AmyPJ]

Today I was out on my new Atomic Hawx Ultra XTD boots, which fit quite well. I took them out on my Santa Ana 100s 161 with MNC binding. A ski I don't use a lot. I was skiing at Loveland in Colorado that is hardpack with a few inches of skied off snow. I did not have good edge hold on icy spots. I then switched skis to my trusty Nordica La Ninas and instantly felt very confident and comfortable. I realize this is probably due to the massive amounts of rocker the La Nina has, more forward mount, but the La Ninas are much wider. I felt I could carve and get on edge easier with the La Ninas. This is also after I picked up both skis from Evo, where my edges were tuned (supposedly).

I also ski a 157cm Kastle FX 85 HP, which I've really been enjoying this early season. Are the Santa Anas just too big, is it that they have more effective edge, is the tune messed up, do they not suite my skiing style? I've skied them before and liked them ok, but they never were quite as fun the FXs or La Ninas. I've been on a pursuit to try and find a 100ish ski and now I'm thinking maybe I just accept I like the La Ninas and they work quite well as a most of the time ski for Colorado. I know there are more playful 100mm womens all mountain skis that I'd like to demo this year just for fun at a minimum.

On the La Ninas and FX I feel I can get very aggressive and drive forward in the boot where as the Santa Anas didn't seem to respond as much. I demoed the Santa Anas before purchasing. Maybe I just need to ski them more.

/End rant

That version of the Santa Ana is one I've never gotten along with. They never felt playful to me--just heavy and big and they wore me out. It sounds to me like you never were that enamored with them anyway. Your last comment also makes me question what the others have--the binding ramp angles. What is your boot size? Smaller boots are more affected by binding angles. I'm in a 22.5 boot and am very sensitive to bindings with too much ramp. So, that definitely could be what's affecting the feel of lack of responsiveness you are describing. Or the tune.

Lots of great skis in that width, for sure! I'm on the hunt for something in the 100 under foot range myself this year.

 

[Josh Matta]

One other note the stock might point on these skis is comically forward especially if your other ski a Kastle.

 

[Ken_R]

That version of the Santa Ana is one I've never gotten along with. They never felt playful to me--just heavy and big and they wore me out. It sounds to me like you never were that enamored with them anyway. Your last comment also makes me question what the others have--the binding ramp angles. What is your boot size? Smaller boots are more affected by binding angles. I'm in a 22.5 boot and am very sensitive to bindings with too much ramp. So, that definitely could be what's affecting the feel of lack of responsiveness you are describing. Or the tune.

Lots of great skis in that width, for sure! I'm on the hunt for something in the 100 under foot range myself this year.

I would love to hear your take on the Volkl Secret 102.

 

[AmyPJ]

I would love to hear your take on the Volkl Secret 102.

I didn't ski it last season during testing. I'd like to get out on it as da man and also Phil both preferred the Mantra 102 to the Mantra M5 if IIRC. If I can find a pair somewhere to demo, and the conditions are right, I absolutely will. The Secret 92 I bought after demoing at Targhee last year in a foot of powder, and loved it there. Got on it at my home conditions at Snowbasin and it was too stiff for my tastes. Funny, da man got on them to make sure there wasn't a tune issue (he tuned them) or something else that was giving me issues, and he said, "that's a damn good ski" despite them being way too short for him.

If the Secret 102 is a bit softer than the 92, I could very well love them. Let's hope we have suitable conditions for testing this year!

 

[Lauren]

On the La Ninas and FX I feel I can get very aggressive and drive forward in the boot where as the Santa Anas didn't seem to respond as much. I demoed the Santa Anas before purchasing. Maybe I just need to ski them more.

I'd agree with AmyPJ, that with this comment it may be an issue with the binding delta combined with your boot ramp. Especially if you demoed them, and liked them enough to buy them. What bindings do you have on the Santa Ana's and which ones on the La Nina's.

Then you also brought up the thought of "are they too big"? Also possible. What size are your La Nina's?

For reference, I own both versions of the Santa Ana's (pre-metal version and newer construction with Titanial) and the La Nina. I have the Santa Ana 100s in a 169, and went up to a 177 in the La Nina's. The La Nina's definitely lay a good carve when you get them up on edge, but the Santa Ana is quicker on edge in groomer conditions...but you do need to drive it. If a ramp/stance issue is preventing you from driving the tips, I could see the ski losing it's playful characteristics real quick. If you own them in the same size, I could see the rocker and the softness of the La Nina creating a more maneuverable and forgiving platform.

 

[Snowflake2420]

@elemmac

I have the Santa Ana and La Niña both in 161 length. I’m only 5’1”. SAs are mounted with squire ID bindings and the La Ninas with Kingpin.

Appreciate all the responses. I’ll try a new tune as well.

with the Hawx boot my bsl did get shorter 5mm.

 

[GregK]

@elemmac

I have the Santa Ana and La Niña both in 161 length. I’m only 5’1”. SAs are mounted with squire ID bindings and the La Ninas with Kingpin.

Appreciate all the responses. I’ll try a new tune as well.

with the Hawx boot my bsl did get shorter 5mm.

The stand height of the Kingpin is 21/25mm and it’s 18/22mm on the Squire. So some difference but not TOO different to cause alarm I think.
Binding on the Kastle?

Leaning more towards the tune/base flatness. I bet there are edge high sections on the new E100 skis making them harder to turn and making them feel longer, heavier and less playful. EVO might have touched up the edges but have not done a stone grind. Same issue/symptoms have happened on both my Enforcers and countless other new skis I’ve bought.
You mentioned trying the E100s before and “liking them but not loving them” and that makes sense if you tried them with demo bindings(probably very heavy Marker demo bindings being a Nordica product). I find if I like a ski with demo bindings, I’ll love them with much lighter regular bindings and I have a foot and lots of weight on you!

Have a respected shop check for base flatness and I wouldn’t doubt a stone grind to flatten and edge work to reset the edges will transform those skis.

 

[Snowflake2420]

The Kastles have an old kastle branded demo binding not aaatacks. The only time stand height has really been noticeable was skiing on a frame touring binding.

Based on the comments I’ll drop them off with Denver sports lab.

 

[Snowflake2420]

For anyone following, I got the Santa Ana's tuned at Denver Sports Lab. I'm very pleased with the result. I still think the Santa Ana is a less playful ski than I prefer vs. a Blizzard Sheeva 10, which I recently got to demo, but the Santa Ana is much much better than before. I have edge hold without it being hooky or feeling like I'm going to catch an edge.

 

[AmyPJ]

For anyone following, I got the Santa Ana's tuned at Denver Sports Lab. I'm very pleased with the result. I still think the Santa Ana is a less playful ski than I prefer vs. a Blizzard Sheeva 10, which I recently got to demo, but the Santa Ana is much much better than before. I have edge hold without it being hooky or feeling like I'm going to catch an edge.

It IS a less playful ski than the Sheeva 10. I'm glad you are happier now that they are tuned. It makes a huge difference.