Characteristics of a good crud ski

[Tricia]

Interesting Tricia. I found my Temptation 88's hard last weekend. I think it's the tip rocker. They are the old model without the "air tip". They just seemed heavy, or maybe it's the bad knees!

I am not a fan of the tip profile of the Temptation series for crud, and I also feel like its a little too stiff which makes it bounce me around in the choppy conditions.

 

[AmyPJ]

Yeah, I was going to make some sort of "crude" ski photoshop piece - now it is pointless.

You should do it anyway.

 

[Jilly]

I am not a fan of the tip profile of the Temptation series for crud, and I also feel like its a little too stiff which makes it bounce me around in the choppy conditions.

That could be it. Might try something else this weekend as those skis have already made the trip home. Maybe the QST 92?

 

[Tricia]

The QST may be the thing. Let me know how it works.

 

[Tom K.]

A few people have said no tail rocker. Anybody care to explain why?

I like the platform provided by a flat-ish back. It helps keep me from getting bucked around in the chop.

 

[cantunamunch]

Hunh. I've never felt the tails play a role in that.

I'm not trying to be snide or anything - I have no similar physical sensation to relate to and academic visualisation isn't really working for me here.

(Having trouble relating to quite a few of the posts in this thread but that's a different story).

 

[markojp]

Running length. Short isn't so great for crud.

 

[cantunamunch]

Leaving aside the completely tailless Floskis, I don't remember 155cm 9'16s or 162cm Metrons being bad?


Anyhow, it looks like we have rather disparate views of the ideal here, probably more than in any other context?

Pow skis tend to converge, big mountain skis tend to converge, SL, bump &c. skis all have relatively agreed-upon characteristics, but this is really out there.

 

[Eleeski]

I like to ski crud slowly. So maybe I don't do crud-busting. My preference might be different.

I like a light responsive ski. My skis will get bumped off line - a light ski will be easier to bring back in control.

Much crud is on the way to becoming bumps. The responsive ski will find the primordial zipper line.

If it's really cruddy, I just want to get down. Jump turns, panic redirects and just plain survival skiing are easiest on light responsive skis.

A different way to enjoy it.

Eric

 

[Don in Morrison]

Maybe it's a good thing they fixed the typo. For me it evoked images of pond-skimming on a tar pit.

 

[Philpug]

I just skied the very good Renoun Endurance 98 in the afternoon crud at Kirkwood and it did fantastic. The dampness and shape of the ski were perfect in the afternoons heavy mush in the alphabet chutes after arc'ing turns on the refrozen groomers in the morning.

 

[FairToMiddlin]

Of all the skis I own, I think I like the Head Rally the best in crud. But I wonder if something wider would be better.

Not a bad ski for it, actually. Good strength, hint of early rise in the tip, job done. I don't mind the tight radius of my Rallys in crud, from what I have seen, tip shape (and construction) has more effect than sidecut. There are plenty of sub-20 meter skis that handle crud just fine: Kastle FX85, Stockli Stormrider 95, Nordica Enforcer 93 come to mind in the non-frontside oriented narrowish skis. Oh, and the (77mm) Blizzard Latigo, almost forgot about that one.

Are you shopping? Do you mostly ski in NH?

 

[Paul S.]

Are you shopping? Do you mostly ski in NH?

Yes, I am always shopping; skis just seem to follow me home, especially at this time of year. But, I am also trying to compare my experiences with those of others more knowledgeable than I. From my current quiver, I enjoy the Head Rally and the Head Rev 85 the most in crud. I guess I am looking for a replacement for the Rev 85.

I usually ski between 60-70 days a year, mostly in the East, 15-20 days in the West.

ps: Sorry about the typo in the title (crude) - I am glad it was corrected. Thanks!!

 

[FairToMiddlin]

Yes, I am always shopping; skis just seem to follow me home, especially at this time of year. But, I am also trying to compare my experiences with those of others more knowledgeable than I. From my current quiver, I enjoy the Head Rally and the Head Rev 85 the most in crud. I guess I am looking for a replacement for the Rev 85.

I usually ski between 60-70 days a year, mostly in the East, 15-20 days in the West.

ps: Sorry about the typo in the title (crude) - I am glad it was corrected. Thanks!!

If you want something new and shiny to replace the excellent Head Rev 85, I would recommend the Head Monster 88. It is the love child of a Rev 85, and a Kastle MX88, and more versatile than either, a fantastic 85-90 ski that I think is the one to have, even over the new MX89, and the Volkl RTM 86 UVO. But you did mention in the OP that you wondered if you should get something wider (and I assume you meant more than 3mm...).

How much wider, and how much soft snow oriented? Is this to be your 'travel ski' for those days in the West? When I lived back East, my travel ski was the MX88; if I still lived back East, it would likely be the Monster 88 now. If I wanted something a little wider and optimistic-er, my short list would be the Enforcer 93 and the Stormrider 95. Want more optimism? Enforcer 100. Any more than that, and I would be stuffing the Stormrider 107 into my ski bag.

All of those skis would preserve some of the shorter-radius lovin' that the Rally and the Rev offer, they are all in the 17-19 meter range. If you want a ski that has crud busting power and Rally sidecut in a wider width, you'll have to wait for Elan to figure out how to put titanal in their new Ripstick 96... If you happen to be a close, high school buddy of Glen Plake, give him a call and bend his ear.

 

[DanoT]

Glen Plake, give him a call and bend his ear.[/B]

Glen Plake was part of Team Elan at the Western Canada ski industry ski testing at Big White, B.C. this year. I'm not sure of the details but some ski shop owners/buyers got a free 3 day heli ski trip with Plake in northern B.C. near Terrace. The Sun Peaks Retail-Rentals manager got to go and it turns out our shop is going to be a bigger Elan dealer next year. That is Ok with me as I have skied and liked the Ripstick 96. Also my favourite hard pack ski from our demo fleet this past season was the Elan Amphibio 84XTi.

In other Canadian ski news: Matt, the old Western Canada Blizzard rep is now the Marketing Manager at Red Mtn, Rossland, B.C. The new Blizzard rep put pressure on Elevation Ski and Bike at Sun Peaks to double our Blizzard order for next season. So the ski shop across the street will be the new Blizzard dealer and we are picking up Nordica. Hello to Enforcer, Nrgy. Doberman, Belle et al.

 

[Paul S.]

How much wider, and how much soft snow oriented? Is this to be your 'travel ski' for those days in the West? When I lived back East, my travel ski was the MX88; if I still lived back East, it would likely be the Monster 88 now. If I wanted something a little wider and optimistic-er, my short list would be the Enforcer 93 and the Stormrider 95. Want more optimism? Enforcer 100. Any more than that, and I would be stuffing the Stormrider 107 into my ski bag.

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't want to go any wider than 88 mm; I have some wider skis for deep western powder skiing. Out West, if it is cut up snow / chowder I have been using the Rev 85's. I will take a look at those skis you mention.
What about the 2016 Blizzard Brahma?

 

[FairToMiddlin]

The Brahma is a decent ski, but it didn't wow me. I thought that the 77mm Latigo (little brother to the Brahma) out-Brahma-ed the Brahma in terms of fulfilling the mission of a versatile 70/30 or 60/40 on/off piste ski (and is one of the best bump skis I have ever been on). The Monster 88 will feel more at home under your feet, it has the Head DNA in it, but it is a generation ahead of the Rev in terms of smoothness. The ERA 3.0 that was the marketing babble of the Rev series has been upgraded with the Monsters (graphene!), and the 17 point something radius of the 178 Monster 88 will still fire across the hill in a grinworthy way if we do our part and tip onto edge. It has less energy than the Rally and Rev, but is good on groomers, and reassuring in off-piste variable chaos. It falls in a category of skis I am mentally compiling as I age, skis that give superior performance without asking a lot in return. Other skis in that group are the rather expensive Stormrider 88, and the delightful Blossom White Out. There are a few others as well, but I'm thread drifting a bit.

I haven't looked, but I bet there are some killer deals on Monster 88s right now. I bet @James knows where they are...

 

[James]

Yes for the Monster 88 deals around 400.
Suburban: longest they have is 177
http://suburbanskiandbike.com/Head-Monster-88-2016-163cm-310555163/

REI has a 184, for 419$
https://www.rei.com/product/890796/...D=120217890000762996&lsft=cm_mmc:cse_PLA_GOOG

I could have sworn Northern Ski Works in Killington had the monsters but they're not listed online. Maybe call them. They'd be half off.

 

[Philpug]

Yes for the Monster 88 deals around 400.
Suburban: longest they have is 177
http://suburbanskiandbike.com/Head-Monster-88-2016-163cm-310555163/

REI has a 184, for 419$
https://www.rei.com/product/890796/...D=120217890000762996&lsft=cm_mmc:cse_PLA_GOOG

I could have sworn Northern Ski Works in Killington had the monsters but they're not listed online. Maybe call them. They'd be half off.

Gorsuch in Aspen had a pair of 184's for $299!

 

[Mike King]

All of my Kastle's are great crud skis: MX78, MX83, and MX98. The BMX128? Not so much. But that is a very specialized tool...

Mike