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Can we talk skinny skis?

B

B.E.G.

Guest
And by skinny skis, I mean 75-80mm waists, which, for some, may be pretty funny :smile:

I have a pair of Black Pearls that I love and am keeping, because really, they're just great. However, I think their versatility is helping me get away with some bad technique habits. I'd like something skinnier, easier to turn, more frontside oriented but not true carver skis. I spend most of my time on groomed runs anyway, and I'm a fairly solid intermediate.

I have plans for lessons this season too, but I wouldn't mind adding a skinnier ski to complement the BPs.

A couple that I've heard good things about are the Belle to Belle (I'm seeing that the shovel and tail are thinner on the 2015s than prior versions?) and the new Blizzard Cheyenne. Anyone demo/ski those and have thoughts? Any others I should look at?
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
3 Pairs in my quiver are all below 75. Love them for the skiing I do. I have the Temptation 88's for any snow we get or a trip out west.

There is a demo day coming up on Saturday. Blizzard should be there this time. I want to try the Black Pearls and see what everyone is raving about. I'll see the Cheyenne is there too. Not to sure about Nordica being there.
 

powderfan

Certified Ski Diva
I have several pairs in my quiver as well. Besides really skinny racing skis, I have the Head I Peak 78, which is a very good all-round ski on groomed runs, in bumps and some other circumstances as long as it is not knee-deep powder. Head has a very nice new series for women; Joy. You could have a look at the Absolute Joy. I haven't skied it yet, but I've heard really good things about the Joy-series.

Have a nice time demoing.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Hey there B.E.G.! I'm still having plenty of fun on the BPs.

As you may remember, I had Rossi Attraxion 8s that were 75 underfoot, with a wide shovel. The Rossi Unique line is the replacement. You might also check out the narrower Temptations given where you are skiing.

Hopefully I get to check out the Cheyenne and the Absolut Joy at the Massanutten demo days in early Jan.
 

Liquid Yellow

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
B.E.G, I really loved my Dynastar Idylls, they had a 78 waist. I'm not sure what the latest version of them is, but worth having a demo at least.
 
B

B.E.G.

Guest
Jilly - can't wait to read your demo notes. They're always so helpful!

Powderfan- I've been hearing a lot about Head's new Joy line. I really want to give them a try, especially as they're supposed to be so light now since they're using graphene.

Marznc - hey there! Long time no "see" (my fault for being absent from SkiDiva all year). I might check out the Unique line. I liked the Temptation line (I had the 82 for a while, and in fact, it still lives in BF's closet, unmounted) but it felt a little heavy to me.

Liquid Yellow - one of these days I'm just going to buy a pair of Dynastars. Can't find a demo to save my life but so many good reviews.

So Cheyenne is probably out for me. Shortest size they come in is 156. My BPs are 152 and I find that size to be comfortable so I don't want to go longer. Plus I think I should be in high 140s anyway for skinnier skis.

Head Absolut Joy is on my list to find, and I also want to see what Line has for skinnier skis, though finding demos, again, not easy.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
If you wanted to go really skinny (sub 70) there are always junior race skis. :wink: I found that my Fischer Jr. GS skis are very damp and stable at speed (things I love about my Kenjas), and I didn't get nearly as tossed around in crud as I thought I might. Just a thought. You can usually get good deals on jr. race skis, just no chance to demo. I know I found that going from my Kenjas to the race skis that I think the Kenjas let me fudge more than I realized with my balance. Took a few runs to get used to the narrower skis and feel balanced in my turns.

Also, just my opinion on the Idylls, I felt that I got really tossed around in crud (they're very lively) on them, so depending on what characteristics you tend to like in skis I'd keep that in mind. I think SkiBam had a similar experience to me on them? Not sure if that has to do with us being lightweights? I've basically come to the conclusion that I like damp skis to counteract my lack of mass to power through crud. I don't want to feel every lump and bump, thanks anywho.

Glad to see you on the forum again! :smile:
 

maggie198

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Both the Cheyenne and Belle to Belle are nice, easy turning skis. Not difficult to flex at all. I liked the Cheyenne a lot, it was rather soft flexing for a skinny ski. I tried it in a 162ish size and felt it skied short, and lacking in enough stability for me. I really wanted to try it in a 170. I know you are very petite, but I think you should give the 156 a try. They will be easier to get on edge than the BPs anyway, and I dont think you'll notice the couple cms difference.

I liked the Belle to Belle a lot too, another fun and easy to turn ski. I think it's rather similar to the Rossi Temptation line, though. The Heads were easy as well, though I tried the wider Total Joy. I demoed all three after taking out my Hells Belles on the first day of the season for a couple of runs. Though I love the HBs, my poor out-of-shape legs were pooped after a run or two. I limped my way over to the demo tents to see if I could possibly ski something a little narrower, and perhaps easier on my legs, and thereby extend my skiing time that day. I was pleasantly surprised that the Cheyennes and Joys were so much less strain on the quads.

Lol, remember, I'm the one who kept telling you the BPs would probably be better for you than the Kenjas.... :wink: Try the 156 Cheyenne!
 

SkiBam

Angel Diva
Also, just my opinion on the Idylls, I felt that I got really tossed around in crud (they're very lively) on them, so depending on what characteristics you tend to like in skis I'd keep that in mind. I think SkiBam had a similar experience to me on them? Not sure if that has to do with us being lightweights? I've basically come to the conclusion that I like damp skis to counteract my lack of mass to power through crud. I don't want to feel every lump and bump, thanks anywho. :smile:

Yeah, I agree with tinymoose about the Idylls. Definitely didn't feel totally stable on these - I'm an advanced skier and like to go fast and want to feel really secure when I do. I've just bought (and skied on one day) the Salomon Bamboos which, while maybe not the lightest ski around, feel great to me. Stable, easy to get on edge and quick turning. Would still like to try the Belle to Belle (I think that's it - I get the names mixed up) and the Unique 8, if I can find them in my size to try. Also Junior race skis would be fun to try - and maybe I will.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
It's indeed too bad - Dynastar did no one any favor when it revamped the original Exclusive Legend (which started up in 2005) into the Exclusive Legend Idyll. Having owned both -- they were not the same ski. :frown:
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yeah, I agree with tinymoose about the Idylls. Definitely didn't feel totally stable on these - I'm an advanced skier and like to go fast and want to feel really secure when I do. I've just bought (and skied on one day) the Salomon Bamboos which, while maybe not the lightest ski around, feel great to me. Stable, easy to get on edge and quick turning. Would still like to try the Belle to Belle (I think that's it - I get the names mixed up) and the Unique 8, if I can find them in my size to try. Also Junior race skis would be fun to try - and maybe I will.

It's too bad you can't really demo race skis. If you get a chance, though, jr. race skis are a blast! And cheap! I always assumed that my Kenjas were great in crud b/c they're wide, but I think it's more of a damp factor than a width factor. While my race skis aren't quite as crud friendly as my Kenjas, they really surprised me with how stable and sturdy they were, and how much they plowed through. And the edge grip on my race skis is definitely superior to my Kenjas, although part of this may be the tune.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
It's indeed too bad - Dynastar did no one any favor when it revamped the original Exclusive Legend (which started up in 2005) into the Exclusive Legend Idyll. Having owned both -- they were not the same ski. :frown:

Despite the eh experience I had with the Idylls, I'd still really like to try the Elite Pro. I really think, based on descriptions, I'd like them. I feel like a bit of an anomaly on here, because despite being a lightweight, I tend to like my skis stiff and damp.
 

Tammy

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
It's too bad you can't really demo race skis. If you get a chance, though, jr. race skis are a blast! And cheap! I always assumed that my Kenjas were great in crud b/c they're wide, but I think it's more of a damp factor than a width factor. While my race skis aren't quite as crud friendly as my Kenjas, they really surprised me with how stable and sturdy they were, and how much they plowed through. And the edge grip on my race skis is definitely superior to my Kenjas, although part of this may be the tune.

@B.E.G. Junior race skis rock for us more petite skiers-- if you're looking for a narrow-waisted ski. I have the Nordica Dobermann GS jr. skis (163cm) and they are a FUN ride at speed. They are on the stiff side though. I was actually able to ski Cascade cement powder in these babies and still have fun with them. If you have a chance to go to a ski swap next season, I'd look for some jr. slalom skis.

I also have a pair of 155 cm Elan Speed Magics in my quiver and I use them for practicing carving techniques. I also used them last year for a few sessions in a slalom training course (I totally suck at slalom-- my feet just aren't that fast yet). They're older Elan skis with full camber and they're just a lot of fun for carving!

Good luck with the demos.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
The Elite Pro is a much different ski. This is tuned downed race ski. I would put it right with my Attraxion 12's. I demo'd it last year and it was on the list for my replacement ski. Dollars talked, so the Dynastar's didn't happen. But it was close.
 

num

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I don't have any suggestions for 75-80 mm waists, but I'm watching with interest as I'm a fan of narrow waisted skis (around 70mm for me).

When a ski walks in with an itty bitty waist, and a round thing in your face...:smile:
 
B

B.E.G.

Guest
I don't think I want to go as narrow as a race ski just yet; I'd still like something that will be versatile enough for changing conditions, though I'll bring out the BPs whenever we have snow (fingers crossed!).

I was reading reviews for the Head Super Joy (75mm) and Absolut Joy (79mm). Lots of rave reviews for the Super Joy but nothing really for the Absolut.

That kind of leads to the question of - is upper 70s too much overlap with my Black Pearls? Would 70-75 give me narrow but more versatile (versus sub-70) and not overlap too much with the 88 underfoot BPs? I feel like I should focus my search a little more in terms of waist widths before springing for demos.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
That kind of leads to the question of - is upper 70s too much overlap with my Black Pearls? Would 70-75 give me narrow but more versatile (versus sub-70) and not overlap too much with the 88 underfoot BPs? I feel like I should focus my search a little more in terms of waist widths before springing for demos.
Are you looking at the turn radius too? Seems like that's a factor that would make a difference regardless of width underfoot.
 

canski

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hey, my 'powder' skis - K2 Explorer - way back about 15 years ago - had a 74 waist! Not exactly as light weight as others (115) - have always liked stiff and damp. Mid 70's should be fine.
 

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