Help me choose a recreational carving ski, please.

[The Retired Skier]

I had the unfortunate luck to incur my first knee injury ever in a big mogul field a few weeks ago. I am in my early 60s and I have taken this incident as sort of a warning, as it were, that is telling me that perhaps it's time for me to slow down a bit and learn to enjoy skiing at a bit more leisurely pace and on perhaps lower-angle terrain that is mostly groomed.

I'm planning on getting narrower skis to help with the knee (narrower skis are just easier!) and to learn higher-end carving as a goal. I am looking for some suggestions on what skis I should be looking at to help with this.

I do know that I AM NOT LOOKING FOR FIS SL SKIS. It is not my intention to make things harder .... I am deliberately trying to slow down and take things easier and to get into "cruising" while getting better at carving.

I'd like to stay in the 74-82mm range underfoot as I prefer a wider platform for balance. I am not really sure why I chose these exact dimensions other than I know I do not want something with a narrow (<72mm), race-like profile and I also believe that once you're into skis >80mm underfoot that you really should be looking for all-mountain profiles. I am not adverse to all-mountain skis as long that they are very frontside-focused. I also refuse to buy anything from Head and I am not going to spend the money for Stockli anythings.

A few I have considered are:

Atomic Redster Q7
Kastle PX 81
Rossignol Forza 60 V-Ti
Rossignol Forza 70 V-Ti
Volkl Deacon 80

Anything else that should be on the radar? I am looking for easy to ski with good carving performance.

I'm 6'1" and 230 lbs so I need at least a bit of meat in a ski. Advanced-intermediate skier.

 

[dcoral]

HEAD Supershape e-Rally (78mm waist) with the Protector PR 13 GW bindings.

"The Protector PR 13 GW binding with Full Heel Release (FHR) technology offers maximum safety thanks to constant release values in forward and especially backward turning falls, thus ensuring less stress on the knees and safer skiing."

Supershape e-Rally

The Supershape e-Rally features HEAD's innovative EMC technology and strong yet light Graphene for a versatile, high-performing ski.

www.head.com

 

[Tony Storaro]

I prefer a wider platform for balance

Here we go again…

 

[DocGKR]

The Stockli SC in 177 would be a good choice. The Head SuperShape e.Speed and Magnum are also worth looking at, as are the Nordica Spitfires, Rossi Forzas and Volkl Deacons.

 

[fundad77]

Stance 80 skis as easy as it gets plus one sheet of metal gives it a pretty high speed limit. I use this for teaching and ski everything with it no problems. For $439 with bindings it's a steal.

Loading…

www.skiessentials.com

 

[PinnacleJim]

I agree with dcoral above.

 

[GB_Ski]

You don't want Head and Stockli. The Rossi Forza series will do. I personally prefer Head Supershapes to the Forza, but that's just nitpicking.

If you want to get better at carving without speed, Head Magnum is the ticket.

 

[dcoral]

I also refuse to buy anything from Head

I just noticed this sentence (after I typed my suggestion). I am curious why?

 

[Dr.T]

Also in my early 60s and wanting to slow it down a bit, work on control, technique etc. I started off this season with a new pair of Blossom Numero Uno RC with PR 13 Protector bindings and LOVE them. 71mm had absolutely no ill effects on balance. Spent 90% of my time on these skis on and off the groomed.

 

[The Retired Skier]

I just noticed this sentence (after I typed my suggestion). I am curious why?

It actually goes back to some tennis gear. De-lam on third use that they wouldn't cover. Happened more than once.

I figure there are plenty of companies out there that will stand behind their products to re-invest in a company that hasn’t in the past. Life is too short to worry about such things.

 

[oldschoolskier]

I'm going to throw something at you regarding cruising and carving and it relates to SL type skis.

I use my SL skis to work on my GS skill's at significantly lower speeds. Yes it is a shorter radius, more turns, don't have to hammer them like I'm skiing SL, just tilt them over and manage the turn with GS technique.

SL speeds around 40mph, GS technique training speed 20-30mph not maxing out the radius. At the slower speeds you can play with the input and go from a 40m turn to a 13m turn depending how much effort you want. Secondly the at the slower speed there are little or no negative effects, get above the 45mph mark these are not your ski unless you really ski SL.

Definitely considering the type of skiing you consider soft versions are a must, comfortable and predictable vs effort and performance.

So, well FIS SL is not on your list, look at what you want sometimes it takes you in a direction that may surprise you.

On a different note consider some of the in between cuts SL/GS in the mid 70 waist range, there are good skis in this range.

As to width wider increase pressure on knees carving on hardpack.

 

[Jilly]

Forza 70. Just what you're looking for.

 

[KingGrump]

I had the unfortunate luck to incur my first knee injury ever in a big mogul field a few weeks ago. I am in my early 60s and I have taken this incident as sort of a warning, as it were, that is telling me that perhaps it's time for me to slow down a bit and learn to enjoy skiing at a bit more leisurely pace and on perhaps lower-angle terrain that is mostly groomed.

So just like that, you are throwing in the towel.

With proper technique and attitude, bumps are slower and safer than groomers.

 

[The Retired Skier]

So just like that, you are throwing in the towel.

With proper technique and attitude, bumps are slower and safer than groomers.

Not giving up. Just going to ski a bit smarter from now on.

 

[The Retired Skier]

Here we go again…

I have 31 days on skis this season. Believe it or not, 19 of those days had from 4" - 30" of snow fall overnight before the day that I skied. Most of those days it continued to snow (the 30" overnight was at Jackson Hole).

Three more of those days had 1" - 3" overnight.

Hell, of the six days I got at Deer Valley, four had 4" - 9" of overnight snow plus snow on the ski day, one of which added up to 14" in 24 hours. Even their vaunted grooming fleet couldn't keep up with it. I skied my 104s for three days there because they made the most sense.

I know you love your FIS SL skis. However, they are not the best tools for the job of skiing on snow days at the big resorts of the American West. If I had a pair this year, they might not have ever come out of the ski room.

 

[Tony Storaro]

I have 31 days on skis this season. Believe it or not, 19 of those days had from 4" - 30" of snow fall overnight before the day that I skied. Most of those days it continued to snow (the 30" overnight was at Jackson Hole).

Three more of those days had 1" - 3" overnight.

Hell, of the six days I got at Deer Valley, four had 4" - 9" of overnight snow plus snow on the ski day, one of which added up to 14" in 24 hours. Even their vaunted grooming fleet couldn't keep up with it. I skied my 104s for three days there because they made the most sense.

I know you love your FIS SL skis. However, they are not the best tools for the job of skiing on snow days at the big resorts of the American West. If I had a pair this year, they might not have ever come out of the ski room.

I do believe you.

But how does that correspond with this:

and to learn higher-end carving as a goal.

Higher end carving is not something you will learn in 30” of snow, trust me on that.
To learn it you will have to ski groomers. Where, for the purposes of carving, skis around 70 and below are the best.
Stability of the skis on groomers, especially at speed is something very different from stability in other snow. In carving the general idea is to keep skis on their edges, the more base you have the more difficult it gets-the slower edge to edge, requires more input, doesn’t happen by itself etc.

No need for FIS SL, I’ll second the Forza 70 suggestion.

 

[KingGrump]

Not giving up. Just going to ski a bit smarter from now on.

Smarter? Don't know about that. Certainly taking the easy way out. Groomer skiing has its share of risk also. Especially Scuds.

Almost everyone here is looking for the magic bullet. IME, there is no magic bullet. Some skis make you think you are a better skier when you are on them. At the end of the day, you are still the same crappy skier you started the day with. Expanding your skillset is the best way to become a better skier.

Oh yeah, the most common theme of groomer skiing is the search for speed. I can tell you, speed brings lots of ill when things go wrong.

 

[Tony Storaro]

Smarter? Don't know about that. Certainly taking the easy way out. Groomer skiing has its share of risk also. Especially Scuds.

Almost everyone here is looking for the magic bullet. IME, there is no magic bullet. Some skis make you think you are a better skier when you are on them. At the end of the day, you are still the same crappy skier you started the day with. Expanding your skillset is the best way to become a better skier.

Oh yeah, the most common theme of groomer skiing is the search for speed. I can tell you, speed brings lots of ill when things go wrong.

You know what brings even more ill than speed? People. I have fallen/crashed way more often, like 100:1 due to clueless people than due to speed. You can avoid skiing fast, often you cannot avoid idiots.

 

[Rdputnam515]

Anyone throw out the Blizzard Firebird Or Tbird?

 

[trailtrimmer]

Not giving up. Just going to ski a bit smarter from now on.

The Brahma 82 And Rossi Experience 82ti should both be worth a look, they like to pull double duty on groomed and bumps. The shape of the Brahma 82 doesn't pull you into the turn like a true carver, but holds and edge and doesn't feel hooky in bumps.