Interesting. But is this also valid for heavy skiers ? I'm actually hesitating between the Rally and the V8.
I’m an advanced skier (level 7), 50 years old, 90kg, 190cm tall. I only ski on piste, short to medium turns, medium aggressive and no deep snow.
My current pair is the 13 year old Atomic Metron 10.
Is the V8 not going to be too soft ?
After spending time watching a number of Tom Gellie's videos over the past few days, my view on ski flex has been "updated". I think choice of ski flex really should be based on what kind of "energy" rebound you're comfortable with (when coming through the transition of a turn). Everyone can bend just about any ski available to consumers simply by standing on the ski. Your body weight alone is more than sufficient to bend a ski. Also note that a ski can only bend until it hits the snow. Sure it might have a bit of "purchase" into the top layer of the snow, but you can't bend a ski "through the earth". To bend a ski further you must tip it to a higher edge angle. Most of us aren't skiing bottomless powder on a daily basis.
So any discussion of what's the right flex for me really should focus on how much rebound energy can you comfortably handle. If you're a heavier skier, then the ski flex will have more "work" to do to unbend, thus a heavier skier should be able to handle a stiffer ski than a lighter skier with the same skills.
I should add that I don't love a ton of rebound in my skis. I find those skis significantly more tiring to ski all day. One of my favorite skis, the Stockli O Two, is quite "compliant", but still puts a nice "spring in my step" if I want it to ski it that way. Some skis are so stiff that they kind of force you to handle a lot of rebound in every turn. Just some food for thought.