Do most skiers use the wrong skis

[Cheizz]

Even though half of Elan's Amphibio skis literary have written 'Right' on them... I still think they're a mistake.

 

[mdf]

Darling, you would look smashing in those.

Would he remember to pull them down over his eyes?

 

[dbostedo]

Would he remember to pull them down over his eyes?

Those kinds of goggles aren't meant to be seen covering your eyes. They're meant to be on your head in the club after the lifts close.

 

[SkiSVLikeAgassi]

I think I could be happy on at least 2, and probably 3, lengths of any given ski. How do you know which are wrong?

Well, the short answer is, as long as you're having fun, then no ski is wrong for you.
I certainly don't enjoy a given ski "equally" in different lengths.
But I have a very narrow one-dimensional approach to skiing, so that eliminates a lot of variables for me...

 

[Marker]

I have a pair of Elan Amphibio skis... so you're correct, and I didn't realize, but I objectively do have at least one right ski.

Not if you have it on the wrong (left) foot (speaks from experience with Elan Amphibio XTi 88).

 

[Marker]

Wrong sport.
Going to have to send you for Grump training.
Now look at the ads you’ve caused-
View attachment 135214


Well this is why we avoid those. You’re back to - Who’s on left? - . A majority end up with - I don’t know - on both.
So they’re 50-100% wrong.
It’s also clearly the answer to the OP question.

I've never had the right ski on the left foot except intentionally to probe the differences...

 

[Marker]

Even though half of Elan's Amphibio skis literary have written 'Right' on them... I still think they're a mistake.

Do you mean they are "wrong"?

 

[Ogg]

Do you mean they are "wrong"?

Yes. Amphibio design is just wrong, IMO, but I am a bad combination of frugal and hard on my equipment. I want to have a second chance if I blow out an(other) edge.

 

[Quandary]

I like them too, but if I could ask some things of them, it would be

• to do a higher proportion of mainstream skis in their reviews - the ones that actually sit on the racks of most retailers.
• And I’d ask that they do more reviews of sub 100mm skis. It’s poor that there are no featured reviews of skis like the Völkl Kendo, Nordica Enforcer 88, K2 Mindbender 90ti, etc. These might not be the skis that Blster gets excited about, but that’s the segment most relevant to most skiers.*

* Yes some are covered in the buyers guide but there’s no long form review. Whereas there are many extensive reviews of niche boutique skis I’ll never have use for, and would struggle to find somewhere to buy.

The reason they are successful is because they don't review those skis. A reader can find reviews of the main stream "consumer" skis anywhere.

 

[Quandary]

I don't know this as fact, but I strongly suspect Blister reviews what they can get for free. I do remember reading they reached out to Stöckli for some of their skis to review and they were never sent any. So fault their connections, not their desire. Of course they could always go out and buy what they want, but again, I think their moto is "free is for me"

So you actually think any of the traditional reviewers buy the skis they review? Freeskier, Powder, Skiing, Ski Magazine (God rest there souls) paid for the skis and gear they review(ed)? Not a chance in the world.

 

[dbostedo]

Not if you have it on the wrong (left) foot (speaks from experience with Elan Amphibio XTi 88).

But it's still the right ski even on the left foot.

 

[Marker]

Yes. Amphibio design is just wrong, IMO, but I am a bad combination of frugal and hard on my equipment. I want to have a second chance if I blow out an(other) edge.

I beg to differ, they were/are the right ski for me. And I'm hard on my skis. What's wrong with a fully cambered inside edge...

 

[Marker]

But it's still the right ski even on the left foot.

Depends on which definition of right you are referring to.

 

[James]

Would he remember to pull them down over his eyes?

Now they’re not showing up! If I could put a light lens in them, I’d consider it. The thing in the middle might be too annoying.

 

[Ogg]

I beg to differ, they were/are the right ski for me. And I'm hard on my skis. What's wrong with a fully cambered inside edge...

Nothing, until it finds a rock that compresses it or tries to remove its from the ski entirely then you really have no option to make it the outside edge and keep skiing it.

 

[Marker]

Nothing, until it finds a rock that compresses it or tries to remove its from the ski entirely then you really have no option to make it the outside edge and keep skiing it.

Sure, but I think the compromise to get full camber is worth it and it has paid off for me. We all have different priorities and needs, so labeling any ski as wrong requires going beyond most of what I've read here.

The whole too-wide thing is such a red herring. Most folks I see on wide skis don't ever get them on edge and probably never will have the intention to do so. Lots of smearing and skidding, but that's their call. I can get my Ranger 115 on edge in soft snow, but I don't use them on packed or icy groomers except if forced to to get back to the lodge. Being a Fischer, they carve pretty well. For Killington, they are the right ski for me on an admittedly small number of days.

 

[Philpug]

Even though half of Elan's Amphibio skis literary have written 'Right' on them... I still think they're a mistake.

Elan is making a really well constructed ski, yes Amphibio is a bit nicer but I am not sure it is a mistake but I am not sure it's needed either.

 

[James]

Found them. Absurdly expensive. Nothing wrong here... I like the comment on the page that whoever designed these has never skied, but went to Burning Man.
These would go great with my -I don’t know- skis.

 

[AngryAnalyst]

The reason they are successful is because they don't review those skis. A reader can find reviews of the main stream "consumer" skis anywhere.

I would actually dispute the claim Blister doesn’t review mainstream skis. It’s true they also, and more unusually, review “boutique” skis. I personally find a lot of value in that content and probably a majority of the reviews they post are of boutique skis because there are a lot of boutique ski models. That said, they do have reviews of a lot of Nordica, Blizzard, Volkl etc product. Unless someone is saying they want Blister to stop reviewing niche skis because it’s somehow burdensome to see the reviews of those models I don’t quite understand the criticism you are responding to.

I do think it’s fair to observe Blister doesn’t review as many carving skis as they do skis in some other categories.

I also think the bigger issue, as a buyer of boutique skis, is that boutique skis are really hard to demo. I am virtually indifferent to the “standard” ski magazine reviews of any ski, but I can definitely find a Brahma to demo way more easily than a Moment Commander.

 

[François Pugh]

My memory is a little vague, but I seem to recall noticing their reviews were pretty decent when it came to wider skis, but less so at the narrower more race-like end (for them, from what I've seen) of the spectrum. I would not really be interested in a Blister review of a true carving ski; I think they should just stick to reviewing the skis that are more suited to their conditions and the way they ski. That's just my opinion though. You are welcome to your's.