Lightweight carving ski suggestions for a 15 year old boy

[ksampson3]

My youngest son really likes to carve. He's in line for the hand me down skis of his older brother. Unfortunately, the two boys are built completely differently. When he picked up the pair that he was going to be handed down, his comment was "Geez, these things weigh a ton." He's 5'9" but only 125 lbs - think pencil thin cross country running body.

So what I think that I'll be looking for is a lightweight midfat ski that doesn't have two sheets of metal in it but still won't be flopping around at speed and performs really well on groomers. He'll mostly be skiing out West but isn't super interested in skiing powder and trees like his older brother is.

Thanks for any suggestions in advance.

 

[François Pugh]

Fischer WC RC4 SC in 155 cm.
Mine (165 cm) weigh next to nothing when I'm standing on them. No need to lift these up, or push them around; you just tip and rip.

 

[ksampson3]

Thanks, Francois. I took a look at the specs and found "The sidecut is 122–68–103 mm." I was looking for something a little wider underfoot. I came across a review of the Liberty v82 which checks the boxes of both being a good carver and fatter underfoot. However, I didn't see any specs for how much they weigh. Does anyone know if these are considered lighter skis "comparatively"? I see that they run the metal vertically, not horizontally, to save weight.

 

[Tony S]

When he picked up the pair that he was going to be handed down, his comment was "Geez, these things weigh a ton."

I wouldn't give too much weight to this unscientific reaction from a teen.

But for free skiing in the West, even if mostly on groomers, I agree that a narrow slalom ski might not be the ideal choice. (Sorry, François.)

Thinking.

 

[JimL]

According to the Liberty website, the 179cm weighs 1850gm. By comparison, the Head Kore 93, which is considered a light ski, weighs about 1590gm for the same length.

https://libertyskis.com/collections/2020-skis/products/2020-v82

 

[Tony S]

I wouldn't give too much weight to this unscientific reaction from a teen.

But for free skiing in the West, even if mostly on groomers, I agree that a narrow slalom ski might not be the ideal choice. (Sorry, François.)

Thinking.

Well, doh, my suggestion is a ski I fell for last spring, the Elan Wingman 82 cti. Ski Essentials and Real Skier both have spot on reviews of this ski. Google them. FWIW, here is mine.

 

[ScottB]

Check the Blister ski guide, they list the weight of all the skis. I was going to suggest the Fischer Curve Dtx. I own them and they are light for a carving ski. Not a mid fat though. The Fischer Pro Mtn 86 might work, also the Brahma without metal, I forget the name

 

[Tony S]

@ScottB, you are double the size and probably four times the age of this kid. Just saying.

 

[François Pugh]

I wouldn't give too much weight to this unscientific reaction from a teen.

But for free skiing in the West, even if mostly on groomers, I agree that a narrow slalom ski might not be the ideal choice. (Sorry, François.)

Thinking.

Yes, not the best choice as a one ski quiver for out west skiing. Good for ice coast though. For out west he would need to add a Volkl 108 or Blizzard Bonafide (or just go with a Bonafide).

 

[ScottB]

Tony, so I can't offer my opinion? Skis come in different lengths. Speaking of age, you get disqualified too. Your much closer to his size, i will have to give you that one. Anyway, I am just kidding around. If he doesn't go in trees, he is not my kind of skier, right?

 

[Tony S]

Yes, not the best choice as a one ski quiver for out west skiing. Good for ice coast though. For out west he would need to add a Volkl 108 or Blizzard Bonafide (or just go with a Bonafide).

OMG, François! He's a teenager. He likes groomers. He's not getting a quiver, much less your exact quiver, that you always recommend to everyone, regardless of ... anything. Sheesh.

 

[GregK]

Blizzard Bushwacker(Brahma without Metal) would be a nice compromise of carver and some out West versatility. About 1575g in the 166cm size. Available online in last years top sheet with Marker Griffons which is a light binding(1016g) for $440 US.

Navigator 85 would be another good option for his size too.

What ski and binding were the “heavy” ones out of curiosity.

 

[ScottB]

GregK,

Tony wants to know how old you are

Good suggestions, Navigator makes a lot of sense

 

[François Pugh]

Sorry. I missed the skiing mostly out west part (but caught your location as ice coast). Scratch the SL ski. If you want a one ski quiver that will carve ok on groomers but still be easier to handle in the deeper snow get something between 82 and 90 mm in width. Even 76 mm can be a handful in deep snow.

 

[GregK]

I’m 49 but read at a grade 6 level and have 4 pairs of twin tips so I’m qualified to give teenager ski advice.

 

[François Pugh]

FWIW, I'm 18 with 41 years experience at it, and currently weigh 132 lbs.

 

[no edge]

I’m 49 but read at a grade 6 level and have 4 pairs of twin tips so I’m qualified to give teenager ski advice.

Old folks giving advice on skis for a fifteen year old!

I'd still suggest a twin-tip and see what kind of a reaction you get from him when you offer it up. There are some great skis in that category and even if they are not true carvers, you can still learn to ski on select choices. Twin-tips can be exceptional skis especially for a kid. If it gets them excited that alone will fuel the desire to get better. You can get something light weight with great performance. Adults have preconceived notions about twin-tips, myself included. But I watched my guy become a technical skier and a bumper.

I want a pair but I'm too friggin old

 

[GregK]

Old folks giving advice on skis for a fifteen year old!

I'd still suggest a twin-tip and see what kind of a reaction you get from him when you offer it up. There are some great skis in that category and even if they are not true carvers, you can still learn to ski on select choices. Twin-tips can be exceptional skis especially for a kid. If it gets them excited that alone will fuel the desire to get better. You can get something light weight with great performance. Adults have preconceived notions about twin-tips, myself included. But I watched my guy become a technical skier and a bumper.

I want a pair but I'm too friggin old

No such thing as too old for twins!!

My Head Framewall twins(84mm underfoot) are amazing carvers, stable at very high speeds and a blast in the bumps. Very damp and solid feeling but are quite light.The slightly softer and more playful Head Caddy(84mm) would be a good option for the OP. Mount closer to the “all mountain” mount and it would be very similar to all mountain carvers discussed here but with a more playful feel. Good deals available on either the Framewall or Caddy as they have just had top sheet changes over the last few years.

 

[Marin]

Thanks, Francois. I took a look at the specs and found "The sidecut is 122–68–103 mm." I was looking for something a little wider underfoot. I came across a review of the Liberty v82 which checks the boxes of both being a good carver and fatter underfoot. However, I didn't see any specs for how much they weigh. Does anyone know if these are considered lighter skis "comparatively"? I see that they run the metal vertically, not horizontally, to save weight.

Nothing wrong with sidecut being like that for Curving Jr skis. I would go with it with out thinking at all. Good Curving ski average is 65-70mm under foot for Juniors.That skis with Fisher Rc9 or Head EVO9 bindings will be around 8-9lb , which will be perfectly fine for him.
Other opting is Volkl Junior Racetiger Skis SL11.12.13 and some LR bindings.
Or Fischer RC4 THE CURV PRO jr(I think they are 70mm under foot).

If you want to have wider then you should be looking at All mountain skis to be light weight.

 

[ksampson3]

What ski and binding were the “heavy” ones out of curiosity.

They are an old pair of K2 Amp 80 XTi with K2/Marker MXC-12 bindings. He's pretty slight and not much in the muscle department, so lugging them around would be a chore for him.

Blizzard Bushwacker(Brahma without Metal) would be a nice compromise of carver and some out West versatility. About 1575g in the 166cm size. Available online in last years top sheet with Marker Griffons which is a light binding(1016g) for $440 US.

Navigator 85 would be another good option for his size too.

Great suggestions. I skied the Bushwacker last year and I remember them being pretty effortless to turn. I was also looking at the Nav 85, but I wasn't coming up with any good deals on last year's model. All I could find were used pairs, and I'm not interested in that.

I'd still suggest a twin-tip and see what kind of a reaction you get from him when you offer it up. There are some great skis in that category and even if they are not true carvers, you can still learn to ski on select choices. Twin-tips can be exceptional skis especially for a kid.

Good advice. He's currently on a pair of twin tips but I think that he's "over it" and wants to move onto a pair of "big boy" skis. I think that he sees what his older brother is skiing on (Liberty Origin 96) and thinks that's the direction to head.

Check the Blister ski guide, they list the weight of all the skis.

I'll definitely check out the guide and start doing more research. Thanks to all that offered their suggestions.