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Long and heavy charger skis

GregK

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M102 doesnt really have that annoying carbon sound a deacon v-werks has, or m6
Think you meant to say “You think the carbon tipped Mantra skis are bad? The Deacon V-Werks are even worse!” Lol

Instantly notice any ski with carbon tips as they all have a similar sound. I’m so used to skis using rubber dampening in tips now that skis without it seem loud.
 

AngryAnalyst

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Think you meant to say “You think the carbon tipped Mantra skis are bad? The Deacon V-Werks are even worse!” Lol

Instantly notice any ski with carbon tips as they all have a similar sound. I’m so used to skis using rubber dampening in tips now that skis without it seem loud.

I'm with you on this one, the M102's biggest weakness in my opinion is suspension. It could be the case they're damp relative to most skis, but the M102 is still the most ping-y ski I use regularly in the conditions I use it in.
 
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chris_the_wrench

chris_the_wrench

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Still looking for a ski to complement my new bonafides for this coming year. Anyone know if the pro-rider has been phased out? Still on the dynastar website but this review states its been replaced by the pro 108.


Anyone know if the pro rider will be available, anywhere, this fall? I cant find any in stock, anywhere, not even at full price.
 

GregK

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Still looking for a ski to complement my new bonafides for this coming year. Anyone know if the pro-rider has been phased out? Still on the dynastar website but this review states its been replaced by the pro 108.


Anyone know if the pro rider will be available, anywhere, this fall? I cant find any in stock, anywhere, not even at full price.
The article is correct and the Pro Rider/MPro 105 being replaced by the MPro108. Hear the MPro 108 is much lighter, shorter turning radius(2 iirc) so definitely more accessible but less of a charger now.

Maybe contact Dynastar and they could maybe search out dealers who ordered any of those skis and then contact the dealers to see if they still have any. I did that years ago to find some leftover stock of replaced Head skis when the Kores came out.

Edit-Just saw this come out. Looks like the weight is down about 150-200gr and radius lower but should still be on the higher suspensions out there. Just not the run away king anymore. Was thinking it was going to be well under 2400gr by early reports but it’s over that. And shorter versions too which is great.

 
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chris_the_wrench

chris_the_wrench

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Maybe contact Dynastar and they could maybe search out dealers who ordered any of those skis and then contact the dealers to see if they still have any. I did that years ago to find some leftover stock of replaced Head skis when the Kores came out.
I contacted Dynastar and they got back to me with a few places but none had the pro-riders in stock. If anyone sees the pro-riders/mpro 105 in stock, please post up. Not really interested in the 2023 model, yet..

thanks
 

Brian Finch

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I contacted Dynastar and they got back to me with a few places but none had the pro-riders in stock. If anyone sees the pro-riders/mpro 105 in stock, please post up. Not really interested in the 2023 model, yet..

thanks
Guy on TGR had some Red / Black that he was going to sell new. Ithaca area- send me a PM & I’ll see if I can connect ya.
 

AEV4EV

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Couldn't find my old log in information.

What's new in this category for 2023?

I was loving a pair of 2015 Mantras in 191cm last season. I found em for $150 with bindings, barely used on craigslist, and they are on the of the best skis I've ever tried. Mini Katanas, they are very fast and very maneuverable. I have been keeping my eyes out for more!
 
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chris_the_wrench

chris_the_wrench

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I was loving a pair of 2015 Mantras in 191cm last season. I found em for $150 with bindings, barely used on craigslist, and they are on the of the best skis I've ever tried. Mini Katanas, they are very fast and very maneuverable. I have been keeping my eyes out for more!

I loved my Mantra M5's and Mantra 102's, unfortunately durability wasn't that great. Were the 2015 the top sheet with pretty much all red and white lettering?
 

BC.

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Couldn't find my old log in information.

What's new in this category for 2023?

I was loving a pair of 2015 Mantras in 191cm last season. I found em for $150 with bindings, barely used on craigslist, and they are on the of the best skis I've ever tried. Mini Katanas, they are very fast and very maneuverable. I have been keeping my eyes out for more!
AEV…glad to see you back…
 

AEV4EV

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I loved my Mantra M5's and Mantra 102's, unfortunately durability wasn't that great. Were the 2015 the top sheet with pretty much all red and white lettering?

Yes the all red ones were 2015. They rock, one of the best skis I've ever skied. They made them through 2018, but I can't find them anywhere on craigslist, KSL, eBay etc.. I'm so glad mine have a ton of life left in them. I'd like to grab a pristine set (or two) as back up though.

AEV…glad to see you back…
Did you ever ski the full rocker Mantra? I think I remember talking to you about how I didn't understand why they did that rocker profile on a 100mm all mountain ski, but after skiing them they feel like mini katanas. So good. ELP rocker, 28m radius in 191. They float well in powder for their width and weight, but then hold an edge and ski moguls like a 98mm-ish ski should. If you truly carve them, the long turn radius definitely shows itself, but with the rocker profile you can slarve super tight turns and wiggle through bumps with ease (at least under my 225lb self). I got rid of my Dynastar Menaces because the Volkls are almost as good in moguls, but obviously much more stable. The Mantras became my daily driver last season, they can handle any snow condition or terrain very well. They can even ski switch OK too. Probably the most versatile ski I've ever skied.

They aren't the most charger, they lack the upper limit stability of a Head Monster, Pro Rider, or even a 2014 Katana, however they aren't too far off. I would still consider them a long and heavy charger ski fit for this thread..

On another note, I did not LOVE my 2022 Armada Declivity X 192cm. They are long, fairly heavy, and they do charge, but something was off about them. I think it was the taper profile up front and also the flex. I may sell them this fall, although I probably should give them another shot. They do excel in powder, while also doing pretty well on firm snow for their width, but something didn't click for me. I bought some new in plastic Bodacious in case I sell the Declivity X, however 186cm because 196cm is slightly too long for me to be used as a "versatile" ski.
 
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BC.

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Yes the all red ones were 2015. They rock, one of the best skis I've ever skied. They made them through 2018, but I can't find them anywhere on craigslist, KSL, eBay etc.. I'm so glad mine have a ton of life left in them. I'd like to grab a pristine set (or two) as back up though.


Did you ever ski the full rocker Mantra? I think I remember talking to you about how I didn't understand why they did that rocker profile on a 100mm all mountain ski, but after skiing them they feel like mini katanas.
Yes…that Mantra was my “trip ski” back when I used to take more trips. Most memorable Tahoe (solo) trip where a local grabbed me in a lift line and asked if I wanted a “tour”…skied the hell out of those Mantras on that trip with my new ski bud.....great, versatile ski.

That Mantra, Gotama and eventually Shiro led me to my love of Volkl skis over the years…and yes, I still currently have your 2014 Katanas…lol.
 

AEV4EV

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I'm so upset that supercharger fat skis are so rare now. 2010-2018 was a golden era for charger fat skis. When a larger company does redo something now, for example the Cochise 106, it seems they go hard with the neutering shears. I never thought a company like Blizzard or Volkl* would come to this. *Some of my charger buddies also say they don't like the 3D radius of the new Volkls as much as just good ol fashion 25-30m standard long radii Volkls. Head doesn't even offer anything anymore, the Kore series is nowhere close, I miss Monsters so bad. Dynastar has been holding strong, and I bought a pair of M Pro 105s a couple years ago at retail price, just to show my respect for them keeping up the good work. Looks like the new M pro 108 will work too, but I can't say the same for other companies.

I saw the past few years leading up to this, but it's really getting bleak and it makes me sad about charger skis future. A big part of that is I do feel like a lot of skis are just made a bit cheaper now as well, not just lighter weight. I would rather see them hike the price up a bit, and make things burly. I'd pay the higher retail price, versus not enjoying the neutered skis still at 7-800$. I absolutely loved how the older Moment and On3p skis used feel, and even these boutique brand skis just seem a bit more "cheap and plasticky" now, as well as more lightweight. Not nearly as bad though, most do ski just as well, like say the Wildcat vs Bibby comparison, and it's just how they feel "in hand". I am noticing something across brands for sure though. Let me know if I'm crazy, and direct me to the brands that are built all burly (funny enough, Rossignol might be one of them with some of the Black Ops skis, while they weren't like that during 2012-2017). I'd love to change my mind on this, maybe I'm just looking in the wrong corners of the market. I probably should have built a nice custom Praxis Rx again

It must be pretty bad when such large companies (Vokl, Head, Blizzard) can't even offer small batches of super charging skis for the small amount of customers that do want them. I thought they were big enough, and had enough cash money to do whatever they want, but those days are over? I'm about to dedicate a few years in Miami finishing my degree in engineering, and only ski a month every year or so, but I really hope when I finish my degree, there is a glorious return of beast skis. Maybe by then, when I'm 34-35, I'll have toned it down a bit and can enjoy the lighter skis more too.

Feel free to roast this and point out where I'm wrong, I won't take offense. I want to be wrong on this matter.
 
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ski otter 2

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Yeah, I like your post on this.

(I too would like to know of any new developments in this direction.)

Especially for bigger, heavier guys, what you say seems true big time. (For smaller guys, the Black Ops and Sender Squad 112 do the trick, in addition to the Dynastar M Pro 105.)

It may be that the Sender Squads would work for you too, dunno. It is a ski that has the same stability going 20 MPH faster than almost all other skis - casually and relatively safely - same high stability on almost anything, but without the same demand - a very forgiving ski, for such a beast. I never charge bump fields any longer, but on that ski, I can and do on the shorter or more irregular ones. Actually, that ski will carve long turns through them almost as if the bumps aren't there, for me, better more obviously at that than a Faction CT 3.0 194, because it better gets in a groove carving, at least for my profile.

I still think of getting those Rossi super charger skis, but I'm an old guy, and want to encourage myself to mostly not ski so fast, however it might be made easy.

The other options for burly man skis I know of are not as versatile for all mountain, but on groomers they are high performance, high speed: various race skis and mostly longer near race skis. All one needs to do is go to either FIS SL lengths and radii, or to at least GS lengths and radii, to get a more awake and powerful ski - but only on groomers, really. Gad, a good GS ski @ 188/30 or higher, or an SG ski, with its really burly flex, are a challenge, and charge with stability that won't quit, with amazing control.
 

Tom K.

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I've got no skin in the "pure charger" game anymore, but if I were shopping, this might be my first stop:


And wider, but still chargey:


Posted previously, but what the heck, it's summer........
 
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AEV4EV

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oOo those R99s look super nice! I hadn't heard about that new company, that's intriguing. I prefer something slightly wider, however that is really close. I need to try some more praxis designs too, and just customize them super beefy.

I definitely gotta get on Black Ops Squads. Some buddies really liked it for exactly what you mention Ski Otter. Big Guys too, although not that you have to be big to enjoy it, so I hear. That's another ski I wish I had demoed this past season.

It really is more my size dictating these desires. I know a lot of skiers much better than I, that are also significantly lighter than me, that do well on some of the skis I complain about. I get on some of these skis and I feel like I cannot have a good time, like I can feel them buckling underneath me and I have no confidence in going fast on them. I'm nothing to write home about in terms of ability, I'm just a normal expert you find all over the country, that's just big and (fairly) young.

I didn't ski much after Christmas. I kinda gave up after mid January with 30 days cuz my boots were killing me, and headed down to Miami for a change of scenery. Didn't get to my demo list at all. Now I regret it because I'll "only" be getting 20-30 days a year for a while now. I shoulda just bucked up for the Zipfit liners I was eyeing.
 
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chris_the_wrench

chris_the_wrench

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I know very little about these skis, but I always come back to this model and the 45.3 m radius! I dont ‘need’ a 113mm ski too often so its not really of interest to me.

i kinda wonder if chargey kinda skis are going to be more of a custom niche from the companies like wagner, etc… Id love to see volkl pump out a legit katana again, but from a bean counters perspective it probably doesnt pay. I get it.

To add on I kinda wonder if pro big mtn skiing will become like mtb and road cycling in late 90s. Lance was riding litespeeds painted like treks and dh riders were riding intenses painted like ‘main stream’ brands.

random thoughts on a 90 degree day…
 
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slow-line-fast

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Retro question, how do recent generations of this kind of ski compare with Rossi Bandit XXX? I was on those back in the day, and recall they were the most stable ski at speed I had ever been on (in their intended snow condition). Lots of fun. They had no rocker so modern skis would certainly outperform them, but wondering about the stability side of things.

I’m not currently on or looking for this kind of ski, as I am mostly touring (so, not heavy). Just curious.
 

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