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Best for NE groomer and NE chop
- Thread starter GA49
- Start date
The grand prize is one afternoon skiing with me.
Second prize is two afternoons skiing with me.
Demo and see how you like it. It’s a good option though.
At the risk of sounding like our resident Zen Master, aka @KingGrump , Superstar and Outer limits are states of mind as much as anything. Their reputation precedes them so it’s not hard to psyche yourself out. Easy? Hell no, especially when it’s been skied off and there are shorter runs better suited to learning terrain like this but… if you can make it down in control with reasonable technique, consider that a milestone as it will only get easier. You learn to ski terrain like that by skiing terrain like that.
That applies to resorts as well. Skiing regularly at Killington forces you to become a better skier than skiing in the Poconos where I started. You can ski all day on the easier trails but the difficult ones tempt you with their siren song. Lessons help too.
They don’t call it the beast for nothing.
I grew up about 90 minutes away , but until I got my license, it might have well have been Vail. First time on either Limits or Superstar- after 40 plus years I can’t remember.- was an amateur mogul contest. Team driven there in a van , coach , peer pressure , 16 y.o. , no chicken-ing out but I had started Psyching myself out before we left. Coach psyched me up , you’ve done this before a hundred times , something like that. I finished in the back third instead of the middle third as I usually did but the confidence I got out of it made me feel much different than when I arrived. That confidence allowed me to ski Tuckerman’s a year later and likely some other places I forgot about.
Yes, agreed, lessons, good fundamentals, sharp edges and a sharper attitude and you can get there.
^ IMHO This
The boobie prize is three?
No... last place doesn't get to ski at all... but still has to hang with @KingGrump
@James was saying the same for me. I may pick up an FIS SL next season but for now the MX74 will have to do.
Was able to demo a few today, 2024 variants
1. Volkl Blaze 82 (2nd place) - very easy- turning pretty easy, whether up on an edge or not. Held up to some solid groomer trail (the trail like wooden planks when edging on them).
2. Volkl Blaze 86 (4th place) - not as easy to get on edge. Felt like I was scrub turning even when I didn't want to
3. Elan Ripstick 88 (1st place) - best of the 4, easy to get on edge and super easy to turn
4. Elan Wingman 80 (3rd place) - OK, but a little hooky on the back which is most likely pilot error.
Out of the 4, if I had to buy today, it would be the Ripstick 88s...they were just super easy IMO and hold a good edge insofar as I was able to test them since I'll getting over an injury.
I was thinking the wingman 80s would have been the winner (before riding them all), but turn seemed required a definite edge engagement--which to be fair super easy, but almost a one-trick-pony feeling--again I am sure my skill level has a lot to do with that. I was able to just sweep them around when consciously shifting my weight forward and maybe that's the point of the narrower ski anyway.
Being able to just spin the skis when a surprise pops up is important and the Wingman 80s could catch an edge once in a while when going down the slope. Again I'm being very careful so that of course add some noise into the whole evaluation anyway.
Still some more to demo int he next couple of weeks.
1. Volkl Blaze 82 (2nd place) - very easy- turning pretty easy, whether up on an edge or not. Held up to some solid groomer trail (the trail like wooden planks when edging on them).
2. Volkl Blaze 86 (4th place) - not as easy to get on edge. Felt like I was scrub turning even when I didn't want to
3. Elan Ripstick 88 (1st place) - best of the 4, easy to get on edge and super easy to turn
4. Elan Wingman 80 (3rd place) - OK, but a little hooky on the back which is most likely pilot error.
Out of the 4, if I had to buy today, it would be the Ripstick 88s...they were just super easy IMO and hold a good edge insofar as I was able to test them since I'll getting over an injury.
I was thinking the wingman 80s would have been the winner (before riding them all), but turn seemed required a definite edge engagement--which to be fair super easy, but almost a one-trick-pony feeling--again I am sure my skill level has a lot to do with that. I was able to just sweep them around when consciously shifting my weight forward and maybe that's the point of the narrower ski anyway.
Being able to just spin the skis when a surprise pops up is important and the Wingman 80s could catch an edge once in a while when going down the slope. Again I'm being very careful so that of course add some noise into the whole evaluation anyway.
Still some more to demo int he next couple of weeks.
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Haven't been on these, but seen them in action on other people. These are more of the same of the skis you already own (I'm unaware of a Blaze narrower than the 86 though so not sure what ski you're talking about), except lighter and more easily deflected in the cut up stuff. Definitely won't be easy for working on carving, if that's what you actually want to do. Not what you're looking for.
Don't think there is a Wingman 80, but if you're talking about the 82, sounds like the tune was off. Unless you're super parked on the back of your boot, but then you shouldn't be able to skid any ski.
Once again, you have enough other skis that you should not worry about "one trick pony." You are in fact looking for a one trick pony at this time. You've got some stiff boots. Get one of the kinder gentler sport carvers out there. Any of the ones that pop up when you use Tony's ski selector settings will do. And no, not that Brahma 82 you mentioned above.
Edit: I swear I'm not just being mean to you for no reason. I'm recognizing myself when I was returning to the sport (except the opposite—I only had a railroad tracks turn in my arsenal and it scared the shit out of me on steep terrain), and trying to tell you the things that would have helped me progress faster.
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Might get both front side carver and easy all mountain ... May dump the BCs... Ski OK for me, but not as enjoyable. I the end there's a net loss of $$ of course but worth getting the right feeling skis.
Do you think the Elan Wingman (maybe 78s would be good for this)? I'm not blindly purchasing a ski in a list without trying it out first--or some ose variant like I did with the wingman 82 CTIs (typo above)
LOL, dude I spent a long time in the military. Your idea of mean and my idea of mean are likely very very different. Keep hammering away, some of it is actually pretty funny. And it's worth it to get the right ski. I'm here to solve a problem, not get warm fuzzies from compete strangers.
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- Dec 20, 2015
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Split the difference with the Wingman 86? A little wider than the 80 and a bit more groomer-oriented than the Ripstick.
Hmm... Didn't think of that. Thanks for that feedback.
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2015
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I'm skiing some older Head Monsters that are 77mm waisted I think. I got them at a neighbor's moving sale and the are just about the perfect ski for the east. I have 9 days at Sugarbush on them and am really pleased by how they handle pretty much everything in every condition you are likely to encounter there.
I have been on a 93mm "all mountain" type of ski for lots of seasons and also have some 107's for powder and west when there is snow out west.
My only advice is you are better off going narrower than wider for you intended usage. I don't know your age, but as for me, the narrower skis definitely are easier on my creaky old knees.
Take my advice with several grains of salt though... I see from your posts you like to really analyze these things and I am pretty opposite of that.
I have been on a 93mm "all mountain" type of ski for lots of seasons and also have some 107's for powder and west when there is snow out west.
My only advice is you are better off going narrower than wider for you intended usage. I don't know your age, but as for me, the narrower skis definitely are easier on my creaky old knees.
Take my advice with several grains of salt though... I see from your posts you like to really analyze these things and I am pretty opposite of that.
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- Joined
- May 31, 2018
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- 716
It's generally kind of hard to demo skis before your boots are dialed in. Is there a reason you're trying to solve both problems simultaneously?
Not sure where you're skiing, but I know Aspen East near Killington (and probably other shops at other mountains) used to demo Head Supershapes and other similar performance carving skis. If you can call around to shops near wherever you ski, you may find options that are more specialized than the narrow all mountain skis you've tried so far. I believe the analogous Volkl line is the Deacon (the non-foam core rental versions).
Not sure where you're skiing, but I know Aspen East near Killington (and probably other shops at other mountains) used to demo Head Supershapes and other similar performance carving skis. If you can call around to shops near wherever you ski, you may find options that are more specialized than the narrow all mountain skis you've tried so far. I believe the analogous Volkl line is the Deacon (the non-foam core rental versions).
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- Dec 2, 2015
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@Crank is right.
Take your boot and put it in your current ski. See where the edge of your foot is. It’s best to stay near that. Going wider will encourage sliding and tail pushing. Though you can do that narrow too, but you have fewer excuses.
The usual is everyone will just recommend more and more of a compromise, all over ski. There’s no such thing over probably 82
You’ll end up 88-92 in the East, 92-98mm West.
In the end, one can not improve just as much on a narrow ski. It’s not the ski in itself.
However, when a ski gets beyond your foot in width, around 84mm, tipping of the foot is cumbersome on firm snow. When it’s narrow, even cat tracks are fun gliding, tipping, learning.
Take your boot and put it in your current ski. See where the edge of your foot is. It’s best to stay near that. Going wider will encourage sliding and tail pushing. Though you can do that narrow too, but you have fewer excuses.
If that’s actually the goal, see above.
The usual is everyone will just recommend more and more of a compromise, all over ski. There’s no such thing over probably 82
You’ll end up 88-92 in the East, 92-98mm West.
In the end, one can not improve just as much on a narrow ski. It’s not the ski in itself.
However, when a ski gets beyond your foot in width, around 84mm, tipping of the foot is cumbersome on firm snow. When it’s narrow, even cat tracks are fun gliding, tipping, learning.