What skis...

[Alfachick]

Hi there, thought this would be the best place to pose this question...

I am looking to buy a new set of skis this season, as my old ones are, well 10 years old and getting a bit knackered, also their dated design makes them harder to ski than some of the more modern stuff out there. The skis i have at the mo are Fischer something or others, cant even find them on the net. They are 1st gen carvers, with hardly any waist.

I would say that I am a competent intermediate, as in I enjoy most French red runs, and can 'get down' blacks. I do a lot of skiing in Scotland where the conditions arent so great.
Prefer sking on piste but would like to do a bit more off piste as it could be quite fun. My current skis just submarine in powder.

I have been looking mostly at K2 skis as they seem to offer good value for money and look ace

So here are the contenders at the moment...
K2 Burning Luv
K2 Free Luv
K2 One Luv

Also had a look at the new range of Fischer skis...
Koa 78
Koa 84
Koa 75

So if anyone has any experience of any of these skis or recomendations then all info would be much appreciated.

Cheers

[Beardy10]

I know nothing about ladies skis but have a look at Volkl.....they make fantastic skis. For what you describe you want a freeride ski/big mountain ski, the key thing for you is finding skis that are stiff enough to let you carve whilst having the profile to let you enjoy powder. I know the Volkl skis have that characteristic as I have some and that's exactly why I bought them.

I'd say something like this http://www.volkl.com/ski/ski_WM_kenja.php would work well for you.

If you have a trip planned try and find a ski shop that stocks the skis you want.....most will let you rent a couple of pairs of skis and get the money back against the
the new pair when you buy them. You might pay a bit more but money well spent to get the right ski, an awful lot depends on you as a skier.

[theboymoon]

Kenja's are an awesome choice!

They might be a little bit more offpiste biased than you are looking for BUT as a 'one ski does it all' they are one of the best out there.

I've just bought a set for my good lady and trust me the earache i will get next week if she doesn't like them will not make my life worth living. I sleep well at night at the moment

not cheap mind!

[Marcellus]

The only way to answer the question is to try all (plus any others you can get your hands on) of them and then buy the ones that feel the best to you.

Quite a few times I've tried a pair of skis that someone has described as "absolutely incredible" only to be dissappointed by them.

[chippy17]

I am a half decent skier having lived in the alps for a few years and the conclusion I came to is unless you are living there I would rent the latest skis each year as skis seem to move on quite quickly. Boots on the other hand do not seem to have changed for decades so I would invest in the best pair of boots you can and they will still be valid 10/20 years later...

eta last time I went I found this the best way as during the two weeks I changed the skis 3 times, 1 pair were for carving 1 pair for slalom etc, enjoyed doing that a lot

Edited by chippy17 on Wednesday 1st December 09:42

[Alfachick]

I think the Kenjas would be too wide for me to be honest. I don't do much off piste but would like a ski that 'encourages improvement' in that area if you know what I mean.

I buy my own skis as I do a LOT of skiing in Scotland (lucky enough to live close to a couple of areas) and the rental skis at the places here are ste. Like really really awful, no edges, 10-20 years old, and generally shagged. Also I don't want to waste my time waiting to get a pair when I could be on the hill
As the skiing in Scotland is often 'varied' and not often powder I do need something more piste orientated, that can also handle 'crud' and sheet ice on the same turn!

So any other suggestions?

[Alfachick]

Marcellus said:

The only way to answer the question is to try all (plus any others you can get your hands on) of them and then buy the ones that feel the best to you.

Quite a few times I've tried a pair of skis that someone has described as "absolutely incredible" only to be dissappointed by them.

I think this is the answer, but where can I do that in the UK? Do Ellis Brigham in Aviemore let you do that?

Cheers

[Mr E Driver]

I got some new Atomic 10/20 a few years ago and I absolutely love them, only thing is they don't make them any more but I'm sure there is a more up to date version available

eta Linky

http://www.atomicsnow.com/en/ProductFinder.aspx?mo...

Edited by Mr E Driver on Wednesday 1st December 11:43

[Marcellus]

Alfachick said:

Marcellus said:

The only way to answer the question is to try all (plus any others you can get your hands on) of them and then buy the ones that feel the best to you.

Quite a few times I've tried a pair of skis that someone has described as "absolutely incredible" only to be dissappointed by them.

I think this is the answer, but where can I do that in the UK? Do Ellis Brigham in Aviemore let you do that?

Cheers

Ah didn't realise that you were looking for a "UK only" ski... in which case I'd recommend grass ones

In all seriousness I don't know where would loan you skis to try, perhaps consider approaching a shop and striking a deal whereby you agree to hire a few pairs for a day and then if you buy any of them they refund yoru hire costs.

[Beardy10]

Alfachick said:

I think the Kenjas would be too wide for me to be honest. I don't do much off piste but would like a ski that 'encourages improvement' in that area if you know what I mean.

I buy my own skis as I do a LOT of skiing in Scotland (lucky enough to live close to a couple of areas) and the rental skis at the places here are ste. Like really really awful, no edges, 10-20 years old, and generally shagged. Also I don't want to waste my time waiting to get a pair when I could be on the hill
As the skiing in Scotland is often 'varied' and not often powder I do need something more piste orientated, that can also handle 'crud' and sheet ice on the same turn!

So any other suggestions?

Maybe something like this....more piste orientated but wide enough for off piste too.

http://www.volkl.com/ski/AT_tierra.php

I agree about hiring, it can take major chunks out of the day and often even if you book a set of skis they don't always have them and you end up with some random pair.

[Beardy10]

Alfachick said:

Marcellus said:

The only way to answer the question is to try all (plus any others you can get your hands on) of them and then buy the ones that feel the best to you.

Quite a few times I've tried a pair of skis that someone has described as "absolutely incredible" only to be dissappointed by them.

I think this is the answer, but where can I do that in the UK? Do Ellis Brigham in Aviemore let you do that?

Cheers

Do you live near and indoor ski slopes ? Not ideal but I know for example the Snow and Rock at the one nearest me lets you demo skis

http://www.snowandrock.com/store-hemel-hempstead/c...

[chippy17]

Alfachick said:

I think the Kenjas would be too wide for me to be honest. I don't do much off piste but would like a ski that 'encourages improvement' in that area if you know what I mean.

I buy my own skis as I do a LOT of skiing in Scotland (lucky enough to live close to a couple of areas) and the rental skis at the places here are ste. Like really really awful, no edges, 10-20 years old, and generally shagged. Also I don't want to waste my time waiting to get a pair when I could be on the hill
As the skiing in Scotland is often 'varied' and not often powder I do need something more piste orientated, that can also handle 'crud' and sheet ice on the same turn!

So any other suggestions?

fair enough, I guess skiing in say Wengen (where I last went) the standard of rental skis is a bit higher, I insisted on the best they had and asked them to wax and edge them before I used them...

[davemac250]

I might be a little out of date on the latest and greatest but have spent many, many hours selling, repairing, fitting and hiring out skis over the years, from starting out my working carrier as a ski bum running a ski hire place in the Zillertal.

Choice of skis is a very personal thing.

Your weight (I won't ask - ) will have a huge effect on how the ski behaves and feels for you.

Binding choice and exactly where it is fitted can also change the feel of a ski more than you could imagine.

For lighter people Head skis have always rated highly, I really like how they feel mid to late turn with a progressive feel and you transfer weight. Strangely they tend to be heavier skis as well, which is something you should bear in mind.

Elan skis have come on in leaps and their Magfire range is raved about - I hated them and found them very vibey - to the point the soles of my feet really hurt. A friend cannot stop banging on about his.

Volkl Ladies skis are also good, but, personally I think they are for more advanced skiers and tend to come across as race orientated.

Most places (in the Alps at least) will let you rent a pair by the day and the costs you build up are taken from the purchase price.

My last choice to consider are Salomon - I have a pair of Streetracer 10's at the moment - which are well past their best, admittedly and for an all purpose ski they have been fantastic. The only downside and one that has been voiced in other threads is that they seem to wear out very quickly. Oh and they are bloody expensive!

[130R]

SCOTT skis are really good IMO, so the Lola or Rosa are worth a look.

[R TOY]

Interesting to see what skis people are liking at the mo,
I'm thinking my Rossi B3's are getting fairly battered and i'm wondering what to replace them with. The newer range seem to be the catchily named 'S86' or 'S3.98', or the SC80 Bandits ! Anyone using these ?
Probably swaying towards the S86 for more of an 'all mountain type ski' but will no doubt pay the price on hard/icy stuff over the Sc80
Hope to give some a trial run soon as poss

eta.. Mrs Toy tried some Volkls last year and really liked them, sorry cant remember model but were women specific!

Edited by R TOY on Thursday 2nd December 23:25

[Marcellus]

I've got some SC80s and I think they're slightly off piste biased... lovely ski mind and don't really appear to suffer on piste either.

[tjg123]

some how ended up buying these today, only went in to look at goggles...
2009 Line Chronic Cryptonites and marker squire bindings

Edited by tjg123 on Friday 3rd December 19:32

[tonym911]

If Volkl skis are as good as Volkl tennis rackets then I heartily recommend them. My Volkl racket cured my tennis elbow.

[DJC]

Do you get Olins ladies skis?

If you do I cant recommend a pair of Olins highly enough.

[R TOY]

Marcellus said:

I've got some SC80s and I think they're slightly off piste biased... lovely ski mind and don't really appear to suffer on piste either.

Thanks for feed back
Think Rossignol rate them at 40%on 60%off piste similar to the B3. They have a slightly narrower waist than B3 but a wider tip so i assume this gives a tighter turn radius.
Thing i like about the B3 is the lightness and flex of the ski, a lot easier to work in deep snow but they do suffer on ice and hard pack, but then thats not what i look to ski on..