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Snowbasin Demo-day results - AM skis

tromano

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Snowbasin Demo Report

5'10” 220lbs, Level 8+?

Argent the 92 178cm. Never heard of these before but decided to give them a try. The feel is wooden and solid, not highly damped or super smooth. You feel what your skiing on and they go where you point them. Liked them on groomed trails. They had a noticeable engaged feel when you lay them over and the tips engage. But also felt solid when you just cruise on them and stay centered. Very good in mixed conditions and in bumps at low edge angles. Took them off trail into some snow that was way nastier that I expected, no weird hookiness in frozen chunder. Very nice in corn that was already forming at 10am. Horrible tune on these, no wax. Glad I got on them before the snow turned gloppy later on.

Verdict: Good 50/50 resort ski. I suspect a really good spring touring ski. Really liked them.

Augment AM77 Ti-carbon 183cm Heard some non-specific good things and wanted to try them out. Decided a 77mm width is a category I haven't been on in a decade or so and decided to explore these. Its one of the sweetest Carvers I have been on - ever? Great feel on edge when you arc them. Smooth, the whole edge engages smooothly, quickly, predictably. Lots of power. Took them into the nastar course 3 times it was rutted and nasty in there but these really skied it amazingly well and I got faster on them each trip. I feel like this is a ski was doing more of what I wanted and that would help me progress in gates by letting me focus on tactics more.

Felt odd when skied at low edge angles. Did not feel comfortable in soft corn hero bumps, these are bumps that a SL ski could be fun in. But these skis did not react positively to foot steering Wanted to carve.

Verdict: Product mislabeled, not an AM ski, its a 77mm carver. And its a really special ski. I see what people like about them.

Fischer Ranger 92 ti. 178cm. Have been a fischer fan and have some fischer PM86 in my quiver now. I wanted to see how their low 90s skis are doing. They have the fischer smooth flex and easy feel. Best bump ski of the day. Very well balanced mount point. Carving groomers, no feeling of early engagement from the tip. The mid section and tail feel like they are doing all the work. They work but are boring on groomers.

Verdict: Honestly, good pieces, but not a complete ski. Its not helping the ski to have tips this wacky and rockered and the rep told me that the FR94 is the high rocker version and the 92 TI is the low rocker ski... hmm.

Blizzi Brahma 88 189 could not find a 183 so decided to send it with the 189. Haven't spent much time on a Blizzi I retired my The Ones like about 5 years ago. The feel from this ski is different than I remember from other blizzard skis, it feels really springy and poppy but also controlled feel, more like a Volkl than a Blizzard. Going form the fischers, these felt very charger-ish but also with good energy and poppy. Not my fave bump ski, I think the length was more than I needed in bumps and I would prefer the next size down.

Verdict: Sweet fun charger AM ski.

Augment AM88 179cm Decided to try to find a real AM ski from augment. Only 1 run on these. Its a totally different ski than the am77. 100% AM charger ski. Loved to arc and go fast in any conditions. Lacked some of the finesse and refined feel on edge of the 77. Responded well to foot steering in the bumps. Vastly superior as a bump ski to the 77. Feels like a head monster 88 with both more testosterone and more polish.

Verdict: More capable but I think less special than the 77 IMO.

Salomon quest 92 185 Got on these at 145 pm was like Mr. Rogers putting on a cardigan and loafers after a day of hard work. Howdy Neighbor.

Super smooth and refined feel. Super easy to ski. Very balanced and a good-time in bumps. Good in mixed conditions. Found some firm groomers up high and they were very solid at speed in the firmest snow I could find. Legs were shot, but I couldn't resist popping fall line turns through 3' piles of congealing slop on city hill as the time hit 230pm.

I have a feeling that these will be a good choice for steeps like the cirque, lone tree, noname on non-powder days.

Verdict: what an AM ski should be: balanced, smooth, plays well with others and carvy. Charge decently hard. Has a fun side. Cash money.

Head Monster 98 184 Got back on these to end the day. Super sooth and precise with lots of strength. Love these in all conditions except steeps where they need some attentive management. Fast is fun, and these like to go fast.
 
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Tony S

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Nice reviews. I've been on a couple of the Fischer Rangers and felt exactly like you did.

Your description makes me want to try the Quest 92.
 

tch

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Interesting take on the Quest and their ability on groomers. I tried this ski directly after the Brahmas, which I loved. The Quest felt insubstantial and too soft/inconsequential on the scrapy groomers I had available. I might agree with their abilities in mixed and soft crud. Demo guys said if I like the Brahmas, I wouldn't like the Quest...and they were right. Maybe more about me than the skis directly.
 
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tromano

tromano

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@tch I liked the brahma, but the quest really resonated with me. I think the biggest difference was feel.

Yesterday was full on spring conditions with wind and clouds in and out keeping the snow from getting overheated too too much. Not sure how impressions would have been on another day.
 
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Tony S

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Salomon qst 92 185cm on order. I have been a huge fan of solly trail shoes for a decade plus. But this will be my first pair of their skis.

oooh
 
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tromano

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Any ideas on what bindings I should get? Like tyrolia attack 2 recently but also like the feel of the warden platform when I have skied them. Ideas?
 
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tromano

tromano

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Update 1 year out. I have come to think of the Solomon QST 92 as my change up ski. In the old days the change up was called a change of pace and that's what this ski is compared to the charger 90 something skis.

Tired and bruised from a day of charging hard in variable conditions? Take two of these. It's the same mechanics and dirt with a more mellow feel and slower pace of play. And the qst definitely plays at the highest level.

The feel is also up there with a Cadillac ride. I think it's a very underrated ski for what it's capable of.
 
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