A friend I ski with occasionally wants new skis and asked me for ski advice yesterday. He is different enough from me I didn't know what to suggest. Want to help?
He is 59, 6' tall, 200 lbs, works out regularly, has skied for decades, and gets about 40-50 days per season. He has no interest in working on technique or learning about skis, just looking to have some fun. He skis at Park City, Deer Valley, Powder, Solitude & Snowbird. He always seems to keep up with the herd but it isn't what I'd call pretty, just no fear of speed. I don't think I've seen a carve from him but he turns left and right and he can stop. He doesn't tour.
I set him up with a good boot fitter last year but I don't know what he got. I think something 120ish in flex and he did tell me that he was adamant with the fitter he did not want a "performance fit", he wanted comfort.
His current gear includes some old Salomon X-scream series (The yellow ones c. 2003) that I think he is ready to retire, some old Salomon twin tips c. 2010, and a pair of Kastle XX110's he bought on a recommendation from the ski wall at a shop last time he wanted new skis. I'm guessing the guy got a bonus on those. He calls the XX110s his "powder skis".
He asked me what I would recommend for a low tide "all mountain" ski ( firm to less than <6" days).
I came up with Fischer 102 FR, K2 Mindbender 108 TI, and ON3P Woodsman 102. All in the mid 180's length. Right track? Wrong track?
He is 59, 6' tall, 200 lbs, works out regularly, has skied for decades, and gets about 40-50 days per season. He has no interest in working on technique or learning about skis, just looking to have some fun. He skis at Park City, Deer Valley, Powder, Solitude & Snowbird. He always seems to keep up with the herd but it isn't what I'd call pretty, just no fear of speed. I don't think I've seen a carve from him but he turns left and right and he can stop. He doesn't tour.
I set him up with a good boot fitter last year but I don't know what he got. I think something 120ish in flex and he did tell me that he was adamant with the fitter he did not want a "performance fit", he wanted comfort.
His current gear includes some old Salomon X-scream series (The yellow ones c. 2003) that I think he is ready to retire, some old Salomon twin tips c. 2010, and a pair of Kastle XX110's he bought on a recommendation from the ski wall at a shop last time he wanted new skis. I'm guessing the guy got a bonus on those. He calls the XX110s his "powder skis".
He asked me what I would recommend for a low tide "all mountain" ski ( firm to less than <6" days).
I came up with Fischer 102 FR, K2 Mindbender 108 TI, and ON3P Woodsman 102. All in the mid 180's length. Right track? Wrong track?