Men's Ski Recommendations for a friend

[surfsnowgirl]

We've become quite friendly with our plumber and have spent lots of time talking about skis. He isn't into gear and really knows nothing about skis. He's a super busy plumber with a family so he really doesn't have time or necessarily the interest to go down the rabbit hole of ski research.

He's 27, been skiing since he was a little boy. He's got a 4 year old that he's going to try to get on skis but he'll mostly be skiing solo or with his friends either on weekends or at night at Ski Sundown (CT) with the occasional trip to Vermont. He's coming off a 10 year old pair of narrow Armada park skis. He's not a park rat and mostly skis groomed trails but we do get the periodic powder day here so he wants something a little bit versatile but something that can handle NE hard pack/ice which is mostly what he skis on.

He weighs about 175lbs give or take. He's a solid guy.

Not looking for brand new and is fine with a year or two old demo pair. Based on poll results I'll start hunting down deals for him so he can pull the trigger.

 

[Wendy]

We've become quite friendly with our plumber and have spent lots of time talking about skis. He isn't into gear and really knows nothing about skis. He's a super busy plumber with a family so he really doesn't have time or necessarily the interest to go down the rabbit hole of ski research.

He's 27, been skiing since he was a little boy. He's got a 4 year old that he's going to try to get on skis but he'll mostly be skiing solo or with his friends either on weekends or at night at Ski Sundown (CT) with the occasional trip to Vermont. He's coming off a 10 year old pair of narrow Armada park skis. He's not a park rat and mostly skis groomed trails but we do get the periodic powder day here so he wants something a little bit versatile but something that can handle NE hard pack/ice which is mostly what he skis on.

He weighs about 175lbs give or take. He's a solid guy.

Not looking for brand new and is fine with a year or two old demo pair. Based on poll results I'll start hunting down deals for him so he can pull the trigger.

First: set up a poll if you really want a quick tally.
Second: I’d say anything on that list is fine but I’d take off the Brahma because it’s pretty stout IIRC and coming off a park ski to that….maybe not a great idea. The Wingman CTi or the Navigator, if it can be found, would be my first picks. IMHO of course.
Third: Ski Sundown is a sweet little hill. My brother lives nearby so have had the chance to spend some time there. Gun barrel is a great run and there’s some fun terrain for its small size.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

First: set up a poll if you really want a quick tally.
Second: I’d say anything on that list is fine but I’d take off the Brahma because it’s pretty stout IIRC and coming off a park ski to that….maybe not a great idea. The Wingman CTi or the Navigator, if it can be found, would be my first picks. IMHO of course.
Third: Ski Sundown is a sweet little hill. My brother lives nearby so have had the chance to spend some time there. Gun barrel is a great run and there’s some fun terrain for its small size.

Thanks. Poll is set up now. Ski sundown is a fun place. It's my local 20 minutes away mid-week nighttime hill. Bought a season pass for this coming season. I love gunbarrel. Temptor and stinger are fun as well. They have a double black as well now called Satan's stairway. I love how they light every trail and groom twice a day. They have a fabulous bar for apre ski as well.

 

[Tony S]

@surfsnowgirl, there is an Elan Wingman Ti and a CTi. Not sure which you intended to put in the poll, but the CTi is the higher end model that is more in line with most of the other choices on your list. (Note that this is not necessarily the same as saying it's the better choice for your plumber.) This trips everyone up because in most brands' lines the "Ti" is the more advanced model. In this case it's not.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

@surfsnowgirl, there is an Elan Wingman Ti and a CTi. Not sure which you intended to put in the poll, but the CTi is the higher end model that is more in line with most of the other choices on your list. (Note that this is not necessarily the same as saying it's the better choice for your plumber.) This trips everyone up because in most brands' lines the "Ti" is the more advanced model. In this case it's not.

Hi Tony, I didn't know that, thank you. The one I'd read up on, watched reviews on, etc was the ti model and that was impressive enough so that's what I had on the poll. I could throw an option up there for the CTI model as well.

 

[S.H.]

I grew up at Sundown and still try to ski there whenever I'm in the area. My parents are there almost every day. There's not a bad ski on the list IMO, but idk why you'd necessarily choose from this list for skiing at Sundown. I've been impressed with the hard snow performance of the navigator and deacon moreso than the other skis listed.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I grew up at Sundown and still try to ski there whenever I'm in the area. My parents are there almost every day. There's not a bad ski on the list IMO, but idk why you'd necessarily choose from this list for skiing at Sundown. I've been impressed with the hard snow performance of the navigator and deacon moreso than the other skis listed.

Thanks!

Sundown is a lot of fun. I did a little test driving of ski areas last winter when we moved to the area. My hands down first choice is Butternut but they don't have night skiing and I'm usually in VT on the weekends. Sundown's runs were just long enough to entertain me and it's the perfect local mid week click in place for me.

I didn't put this list together solely for sundown but more so for down the road. If he were just skiing sundown the list might look different. He's not one to buy skis often hence his current pair is 10 years old. This is more for a pair of skis for him that'll last a few years for VT and if he ventures else where but will also work at Sundown.

 

[DocGKR]

The Atomic Maverick 88Ti, Liberty Evolv 84 or 90, Volkl Deacon 84, Head Titan, K2 Mindbender 90 all come to mind as one ski options. He could probably even go down to something narrower like a Stockli AX or Head Rally and still have a great time.

 

[Uncle-A]

Interesting list you put together, not a Head or Rossi on the list. The Brahma 82 would be my best guess for the east of those you selected for you friend.
A second choice might be the Deacon 84 and that's about it for the list.

 

[markojp]

Brahma 82 or 88 in that list.

 

[Philpug]

I'll start hunting down deals for him so he can pull the trigger.

Any of those choices will do eight of ten things awesomely. Whatever you can find the best deal on. Go.

 

[Cheizz]

The Brahmas and Kendo are the most powerful in the list, the Elans are more light-footed, the Nordicas are more allround (in terms of snow conditions and skier types they ceter to), the Deacon 84 is a piste carver more than a versatile allmountain-like ski (less so than the others). Maybe this will give you/your friend some characteristics to choose from. All these skis handle hardpack, bumps, and a bit of crud/soft snow fine. But they do it in different ways and for different style skiers.

 

[Henry]

How about more choices in the 78 to 84 mm waist width? Fresh powder doesn't last long on a weekend day nor the few hours at night after a full day of being pounded. A couple-years old Head Rally (78) or Titan (84) would be a good choice, or similar skis of other brands. I'd emphasize hard snow capability for that region.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

All good thoughts.

One of the skis in my list is where we are.

He's coming off a pair of twin tips so more of a happy medium is better than a hard snow focused ski. Factors to consider are he's been skiing his whole life, buys skis very infrequently and this will be his only pair. Head rally is a fantastic ski but anything other than groomers is unfun with those things. Where he skis grooms twice a day so the snow will usually be decent. Given his situation, a good all mountain ski with hard snow chops will get him more versatility and last him a few years.

Leaning towards something 85 to 88 underfoot.

 

[Michael V]

Only out for a year or so, but I'd add the RENOUN Endurance 88 to the list. Great east coast all around ski.

 

[James]

How narrow was his Armada park ski?
Change after 10 yrs is something.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

How narrow was his Armada park ski?
Change after 10 yrs is something.

He doesn't even know the width. Just that they are twin tip park skis. His mind will be blown when he gets on something newer.

 

[SpikeDog]

He doesn't even know the width. Just that they are twin tip park skis.

And just like that, you know you have to help this poor dude. No idea what skis he's on?

 

[James]

He doesn't even know the width. Just that they are twin tip park skis. His mind will be blown when he gets on something newer.

The other thing to check is if his ski he’s been on for 10 years is center mounted or not. If it is, moving to a traditional mount will be a big difference. Imo better if you’re not spinning all the time, but it might not seem so for awhile.

 

[Wendy]

The other thing to check is if his ski he’s been on for 10 years is center mounted or not. If it is, moving to a traditional mount will be a big difference. Imo better if you’re not spinning all the time, but it might not seem so for awhile.

This is another reason why I was hesitant to recommend a charge-y ski; he’s coming off park twin tips which usually are softer and can be center mounted.