First Powder ski advice

[Viking9]

The best powder skiers that I see always have one thing in common, a RIDICULOUS amount of tip and tail rocker.

 

[peterm]

@Maxgun what length are your Dynastars? Those who've recommended a ski length have suggested 185+ but are you going to be comfortable on something that long? If you want to ski something closer to 180 then a 181 Salomon QST 106 would be worth a look.

 

[raytseng]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I am probably requiring an all mountain ski in all honesty.
The confusing thing is really, when some skies are described as having Additional stiffness and strength for advanced skiers, but knowing that as a heavier intermediate skier, I may be too much for the lighter floaty skies like ripsticks etc. Had some good advice on here though so food for thought

You do need to watch out for the stiffness that is advertised. when they say for super advanced skiers they are not talking just about weight, whar it means is they expect you to be using those skis for exteme skiing you see in ski movies, dropping cliffs and making jumps and just straight lining moguls, that's where the extra stiffness (as well as binding 3+/aggressive skiing) comes into play.

If you're skiing powder more as an intermediate and get too beefy of a ski, and are not skiing extreme, yes you will float but you also wont feel a thing and youll just feel you are on two lifeless planks and wonder what the fuss is about

 

[François Pugh]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I am probably requiring an all mountain ski in all honesty.
The confusing thing is really, when some skies are described as having Additional stiffness and strength for advanced skiers, but knowing that as a heavier intermediate skier, I may be too much for the lighter floaty skies like ripsticks etc. Had some good advice on here though so food for thought

The stiffer stouter skis are marketed to "experts" because the "experts" need those skis to make hard turns that require high forces. At 220 lbs, you need those skis to make normal turns. You need to apply 11/8 of the force a 160 lb skier needs to make the exact same turn. You won't be able to buy as easy and forgiving a ski as a lightweight would, but you will learn quickly if you make the commitment.

Super stiff skis don't work all that well in powder, but that's why they don't make super stiff powder skis. Wider skis for softer snow are softer. I also recommend you go to at least 100 mm.

 

[Maxgun]

@Maxgun what length are your Dynastars? Those who've recommended a ski length have suggested 185+ but are you going to be comfortable on something that long? If you want to ski something closer to 180 then a 181 Salomon QST 106 would be worth a look.
[/QUmy Dynastars are 177 , seem about right for me in that style and width

 

[Maxgun]

My Dynastars are also 177. The Qst range does look very interesting and have heard good things about them

 

[Eric@ict]

I’ve got Icelantic Nomads 105. Great all over the mountain.

 

[AlexisLD]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I am probably requiring an all mountain ski in all honesty.
The confusing thing is really, when some skies are described as having Additional stiffness and strength for advanced skiers, but knowing that as a heavier intermediate skier, I may be too much for the lighter floaty skies like ripsticks etc. Had some good advice on here though so food for thought

Many modern powder ski constructions are not as affected by stiffness. It used to be super important to have the right ski bending stiffness so that you could bend the ski while pressuring it down in the powder and use that deformed shape to turn. Now, with rocker, you can have a much stiffer ski and still be able to turn it in powder. The added stiffness also makes them great at higher speed.

Torsional stiffness is not as important in powder as the soft snow provides a wide base of support.

Take all this with a grain of salt however, as I understand that you will be using this ski for all-mountain use... so if you want to use it on groomers, different stiffness will give different feels.

Most manufacturers "advanced" models have an increased torsional stiffness. This makes the ski more precise, but also more hooky if you can't control it.

If you give me a few skis that you are considering, I can plot their bending and torsional stiffness profiles. That will give you an idea of how they compare. Unfortunately, it is hard to get that information from manufacturers as their scales [when they have one] are variables [between the different manufacturers, but also between different ski lengths].

 

[BMC]

High all, looking for advice on a First set of wider skis for an intermediate level skier. Many I've looked at seem to sound like they are aimed more towards the higher intermediate and advanced level skier.
I'm not looking to go full freeride or right off piste, as haven't the experience. But thought about something that would suit down the sides and on-piste if there's a few inches of fresh snow on top.
I currently ski Dynastar legend 84's. And These cope ok for most conditions, and with a nice dusting on top, or when it gets soft. But wondered if there were some wider skis that anyone could recommend that are suitable for my ability and weight
I'm 5'11 and 220lb,
Thanks

Nordica Enforcer 104 Free. It will provide great differentiation from your current ski, will ski all mountain or powder, but isn’t a pure powder ski.

 

[Henry]

Max, ski "feel" is like beer flavor. They're all great, but some are more to your, or my, liking than others. So...rent powder skis. Rent them until you find the ONE that puts the biggest smile on your face. Pick a rental shop with lots of locations, preferably some on the mountain. Make a run on that great powder day, go into the shop, and switch skis. Keep trying until you find the right one for you.

 

[DocGKR]

I am 6' 210 lbs. The Nordica Enforcer Free 104's in 186cm are perfect for typical resort powder use up to 18" or so for most folks of the OP's size, as they work reasonably well in a variety of conditions, not just fresh snow. If you need something for skiing deeper snow, then the Nordica Enforcer Free 115 in 191cm will work great for someone your size. The Blizzard Rustler 11 in 188cm is also quite nice in deep resort powder.

 

[Flo]

At your size you can go pretty wide but no need to go crazy wide if yoy are mostly gonna be skiing powder at a resort.

One of the best (fun, easy, capable) resort powder skis is the DPS 112RP https://www.backcountry.com/dps-ski...Mx3nzANUhJQoGBtLYv5i9rUd5QTySoXBoChbsQAvD_BwE 189cm is ideal for your size in this particular ski

If you like longer turns these are awesome, I own a pair. 185cm length and mount them back 3cm from the rec line and have fun even is its just a 3" "powder" day. https://www.black-crows.com/us/en/p...yPPBo6Hzodi3O3GYzXM_eOhkoNSB7zRhoClmUQAvD_BwE These skis let you enjoy powder even on lower angle green and blue runs.

A ski that surprised me at how easy it was to ski in powder and just how fun it was while still being capable was the Icelantic Nomad 115 in the 191cm length. This is was a ton of fun even in powder moguls. https://www.evo.com/skis/icelantic-...FEMZoqcQ3lJ4WGPML0tiUtzLcoQXDrmBoCmQ0QAvD_BwE I would buy these skis right now... need to hold back gimme strength...

Agree. I think that at 200lbs+ you need something in the 100-110mm range. Keep in mind that if you go with a ski too soft you will loose some versatility and performance in crude / chopped snow. For instance, I tested the Nomad 95mm and found it too soft for me and I am 160lbs. I think that a ski like the Rustler 11 would be a better fit for you. Depending on what you set your priorities and from narrower to wider skis I would look at Fisher Ranger 102fr, Enforcer 104 free, Rustler 10, QST106, mfree 108, Wildcat 108.