Gearheads UP - 2016 guides are out

[MaineSkiLady]

Backcountry, Powder, SKI 2016 gear guides have all hit the newsstands.
Some interesting stuff in SKI, re: their "winners."
Will post more tomorrow when I have time.
Anyone with subscriptions should be receiving SKI soon. Powder has been out since mid-Aug.

@Jilly - any info on Ski Canada?

(PSA: please support the American coated paper [i.e., magazines] industry. Our livelihood depends on it.)

 

[surfsnowgirl]

My work subscribes to ski and skiing, someone at work brought copies over to me the other day. Sitting in my backyard looking through them now.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Some interesting omissions, such as the exclusion - for the first time in years - of Volkl Aura as one of the top skis. Very few Salomon, a few more but still low-count Rossignol. Was surprised and delighted to see Dynastar back in the game. Hope to demo Glory 84 in Dec.

Surprised at the high score of Head Total Joy, a ski which scrambled my brain for feedback, never mind outlining every last detail of my meniscus.

 

[Jilly]

Heading to Chapters at lunch to see if anything is there yet.

 

[tinymoose]

Our buyers guide arrived yesterday.

ETA: Looking at it now...

Dynastar Elite scored very well for Groomed Snow. Best in Test and Best Value!

New Kenja took Best in Test for Mixed Snow East.

 

[VickiK]

@MaineSkiLady - I will look for the magazines at my usual retail locations (the supermarket or Barnes & Noble). They've become harder to find, but it's still possible. Thanks for the heads up.

This is another sign that Winter Is Coming! Woo-hoo!

 

[Jilly]

Bank run...so I stopped at chapters. .nothing except Powder. Ski Canada is out usually just after Labour Day.

 

[MissySki]

Have to keep an eye on the mail.. I skipped it yesterday so I'm hoping mine is in my mailbox now even

 

[BeSki]

So.....got my SKI Canada Buyer's Guide in the mail yesterday and have digested and dissected it cover to cover. Rossi, Dynastar and Armada did not participate, so no chance of comparing the ratings for those skis with SKI Magazine :-(

This issue tested three categories: Big Mountain, Slalom and Expert All-Mountain. For those of you who are not familiar with the testing, they do not rank the skis and do not name a winner. They do , however, state what the ski is best in.

Notes: Big Mountain
Blizzard Samba: best in edge grip, stability
Elan Spectrum 95 Carbon: best in edge grip, stability, long radius (tie)
Head Big Joy: best in stability, long radius (tie)
K2 Fulluvit 98 Ti: initiation
Kastle BMX 105: initiation
Nordica Santa Ana: edge grip, long radius (tie)
Salomon Stella: short radius
Stockli Stormrider 100: edge grip
Volkl 100Eight Pink: agility

Expert All-Mountain
Blizzard Viva X8: edge grip
Elan Twilight 90 Carbon: initiation
Head Total Joy: stability
K2 Ooolaluv85 Ti: long radius
Kastle FX85 HP: initiation, stability (tie)
Line Soulmate 86: initiation, long radius (tie)
Nordica First Belle EVO: agility
Salomon Gemma: initiation
Stockli Scale Gemma: long radius
Templar Duchess: edge grip
Volkl Yumi: initiation

On-Piste Cruisers and Adventure All-Mountain are coming next issue, to be followed by Easy Cruisers in December and Powder next year.

 

[BeSki]

MSL, I too am surprised to not see the Aura listed. Maybe it wasn't in the tests because it is not a " new" ski for 2016? I think the all rocker was new for 2015. The Kenja has tail rocker for 2016, so I guess that makes it"new".

Volklgirl, seriously, you give more information sometimes than the magazines do!

 

[Jilly]

So Ski Canada is still doing the multiple issues to get you to buy it! Glad I don't need new skis this year.

 

[BeSki]

Correction: Stockli Scale Gamma :-)

 

[MaineSkiLady]

MSL, I too am surprised to not see the Aura listed. Maybe it wasn't in the tests because it is not a " new" ski for 2016? I think the all rocker was new for 2015. The Kenja has tail rocker for 2016, so I guess that makes it"new".

I thought the Aura had been re-worked - yet again. Wasn't it a fully rockered ski last year or the year prior - and now they have returned it to rocker-camber-rocker? Either way, it's not on the list, apparently in no publication?

I need to hunt down SKI Canada, which, happily, is available up here (all of 70 miles from the border ). Most of these reviews eventually do make it to their website - not right away, though.

Blizzard Brahma #1 Mixed Snow East for men. Hey, does that model sound familiar, for "someone else" you might know?

 

[BeSki]

Yeah, I saw that!

 

[WaterGirl]

Templar Duchess: edge grip - see its a new company, very nice graphics, anyone get to try?

btw someone should tell them they misspelled "length" multiple times on all of the binding mounting PDFs

 

[mustski]

I thought the Aura had been re-worked - yet again. Wasn't it a fully rockered ski last year or the year prior - and now they have returned it to rocker-camber-rocker? Either way, it's not on the list, apparently in no publication?

According to the Volkl website, it's still a fully rockered ski. I don't know if they changed anything else. That might explain why it's not in the magazines this year. I don't think the "new" Aura was anywhere near as successful as the previous models. Of course, last season's poor snow in a good part of the west may have played into that.

 

[SheSki]

So I have this book by Everett Cutler called "Why We Ski, Poems for Skiers", available on Amazon. The poetry isn't super sophisticated but the I love (and share) the sentiments in the poems, which start with describing the anxious-to-start pre-season and finish with closing day. There's one titled "First Ski Magazine" that seems apropos.

It's summertime, in this Western clime
When the first ski mag arrives.
In California's heat, it's a welcome treat
That electrifies our lives.

When the sun beats down and the land is brown
Snow is farthest from our mind,
But when we can see those places to ski
Can winter be that far behind?

It's exciting to peer at the latest gear
And read of the brand-new chairs.
We'll do the exercises to reduce our sizes,
But cringe at the rise in fares.

It's only September and so long 'til December,
The prospect leaves one quite sober,
But we know we can cope, for the book makes us hope
That the snow will come in October.

 

[WaterGirl]

For the jacket and pant sluts Mountain Force has its new collection up -- now all I have to do is win the lottery.
https://www.mountainforce.com/en/collection/women-1.php

 

[santacruz skier]

For the jacket and pant sluts Mountain Force has its new collection up -- now all I have to do is win the lottery.
https://www.mountainforce.com/en/collection/women-1.php

Ha... I have a Mountain Force Delight jacket that is on its way from Sierra Trading Post to be delivered Tuesday... Reg price $800 - STP price w/ discounts $150.... It is a size 34 (euro sizing xsmall that runs small) so hope it will fit.

 

[santacruz skier]

For the jacket and pant sluts Mountain Force has its new collection up -- now all I have to do is win the lottery.
https://www.mountainforce.com/en/collection/women-1.php

Actually, check out STP b/c they do have other mountain force pants/jackets, mostly euro size 38 and larger (38 is 4-6 I think).. With coupons very cheap..