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Worst Skis Ever?

Dave Marshak

All Time World Champion
Skier
Joined
Nov 17, 2015
Posts
1,454
The worst ski I ever had was a second year shape ski from a well regarded brand. (I won't say what it was because I got a shop deal on it.)
It was a version of a very good race carver with a softer construction. (I wanted that to help improve in moguls.) It was long and shapely, with too much surface area at the ends, not enough under foot. In soft snow or powder, it would bend like a noodle, but when it released all that energy, you had to have it pointing exactly in the right direction, which I never did. It was also to soft to carve well. All in all, the most disappointing ski I ever had.

dm
 

noncrazycanuck

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Posts
1,463
elan spitefire 2000 ish
I always thought i could ski a 2x4 but apparently not.
Brand new ski straight out of the box and something had to be seriously wrong with it .
Tried everything but could not make them turn. Couldn't even keep them on the run,jammed them into bumps, snow walls, skied off drops unintentionally
even fell off a cat track into a snow well. By second run I was convinced i was not going to make it back to the demo hut uninjured.
Only successful turns were in the air, lots of laughter from buddies
It got worse after they demoed same model at another hill and today still claim to have rather liked it.
 

squill

Getting on the lift
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Joined
Mar 21, 2017
Posts
126
Speaking of 2x4s, I forgot to nominate the 1st generation (brown) Black Diamond Verdict. Too heavy for long tours, tip dive galore in powder, squirly in variable, chattered on hard snow, and carved a nice polished turd for a turn. I called them "BD Bricks."
 

Crudmaster

tinyurl.com/pungjgt
Skier
Joined
Aug 21, 2016
Posts
159
Location
Seattle, Crystal Mountain
I'm glad that others have already mentioned the Atomic Metron B5. I don't mind heavy skis since they often give a smooth, damped ride over rough snow. But not so, the B5s. Short, heavy and they transmitted all the shocks of rough snow into your legs.

I also want to include the Salomon Pocket Rockets. They were one of the few light skis at the time for hiking, but way too feeble for good skiers.
 

snowplow86

Booting up
Skier
Joined
Apr 25, 2017
Posts
7
Nishizawa WeeWill and Tactics
Atomic Metron
Fritzmeier Duo
Lange Softstyle
Graves
Volant
The Duret version of the Stein Ericksen ski
Sarner Crac
Fischer Watea
All the 70's crap- K2 Cheeseburgers, Rossi Smashes, Olin Mark IV's, Molnars, Century's, Head Yahoos, etc. etc.
 

snowplow86

Booting up
Skier
Joined
Apr 25, 2017
Posts
7
Except Olin Ballet. Mine still work well. 2 carved turns per bump when you want (1/3 tune), predictable spins, decent at speed. The Geze bindings are still within DIN torque specs. Fun times still!
 

pchewn

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Posts
2,607
Location
Beaverton OR USA
Yeah, those Graves skis were awful. My brother bought a pair after breaking too many other skis. You had to phone in a reservation 2 days in advance to make a turn on those I-beams....
 

markojp

mtn rep for the gear on my feet
Industry Insider
Instructor
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Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,602
Location
PNW aka SEA
Speaking of 2x4s, I forgot to nominate the 1st generation (brown) Black Diamond Verdict. Too heavy for long tours, tip dive galore in powder, squirly in variable, chattered on hard snow, and carved a nice polished turd for a turn. I called them "BD Bricks."

Huh.... I actually really like(d) them, both teley and AT. Never had any of the symptoms you describe above.
 

squill

Getting on the lift
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Mar 21, 2017
Posts
126
Huh.... I actually really like(d) them, both teley and AT. Never had any of the symptoms you describe above.

Really? I got the 190 on proform and they had a ton of camber (like 1.5") and were likely factory B's. I was pressed to turn them with Rid-Stiff cartridges and Candy Cane T-races but I'm a buck sixty soaking wet.
 

crgildart

Gravity Slave
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Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
16,325
Location
The Bull City
There are no bad skis only bad...... fits. Someone's going to love what 99% of others truly hate. As long as it doesn't fall apart or blow up every ski can have a purpose and work well for that purpose or person..
 

markojp

mtn rep for the gear on my feet
Industry Insider
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6,602
Location
PNW aka SEA
Really? I got the 190 on proform and they had a ton of camber (like 1.5") and were likely factory B's. I was pressed to turn them with Rid-Stiff cartridges and Candy Cane T-races but I'm a buck sixty soaking wet.

I outweigh you by 40lbs which explains much. The brown BD Zealot on the other hand, now tjat was planky for me mounted teley.
 

Crudmaster

tinyurl.com/pungjgt
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Aug 21, 2016
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159
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Seattle, Crystal Mountain
Perhaps the Volants skied ok- but they were a manufacturing nightmare- bending and delaminating by the score.

Skied OK??? They were the dampest ski ever made then and were amazing in crud and tough snow. Nothing could touch them at that time. Yes they also were bending and delaminating.
 

pchewn

Skiing the powder
Skier
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Posts
2,607
Location
Beaverton OR USA
You must be referring to lignostone. That's what they used to make hardened wood edges for our cross country race skis back in the 60s and 70s.

Ahhh yes. The Lignostone hardwood edges. And of course applying the pine tar with a torch and trying to keep the wood from catching on fire.
 

quant

Don't worry; just go down.
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
398
Location
East Bay, N*, Heavenly, Kirkwood, & PCMR
There was a company that was making all wooden skis about 10 years ago...@Cantunamunch might remember the name..I can't at the moment. They sent me a pair..the skis both broke on the FIRST run. The edges were a lingendood..or something and they could only make them so long and they put the edge seem right under the heel peice and neither ski made it a run before breaking at the seam.

Lightning Boards?
 

slowrider

Trencher
Skier
Joined
Dec 17, 2015
Posts
4,534
Yep had a pair. It was like skiing on broken toothpicks. Polycarbonate edge and only went part way up the tip. Suck. Ok in pow and sorta carvey in soft groom . But hard snow nope.
 

John Webb

mdskier
Skier
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
5,779
Location
Nevada City CA
K2 Stein Erikson's were their most expensive ski 20 years. They stunk worse than any other ski I ever tried. Soft, floppy and washed
out on turns. A free demo at Deer Valley!! no less. I couldn't wait to get down after one run to get rid of them. !
Oops, just noticed this thread got dug from the prehistoric pile.

Volkl P50's are the other extreme (stiff like rails)-won't turn at all. Bad but not that bad.
Volkl P4's (the original race model before they started calling everything a P4) OTOH were great and almost indestructible.
 

Jay

Booting up
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Joined
Nov 18, 2019
Posts
16
Location
Massachusetts
Realskiers has an interesting article on their take of the 10 worst skis ever made. Number 4 on the list were Graves. I had a pair given to me in 1979 by a marketing guy at the company. They were manufactured in New Hampshire and I remember visiting the company on the way back to Boston from a ski trip. I can attest that they were the most unpleasant boards I've ever strapped onto my feet. Built like a tank and skied like one as well.

Did anyone have the chance to ski any of these on the list?...

http://www.realskiers.com/NEWSLETTERS/worst-skis.html
Ridden lots of skis but for me the worst I’ve ever skied have been rossignol rpm’s, any of the parlor line (awful), and every single k2 ski I’ve ever tried. Not trying to offend anyone but any of these skis were just putrid in terms of performance.
 

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