Funny ... I was thinking that small companies are going to refuse to sell Olesya their skis!Why are you killing them???
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Least hyped ski you've loved
- Thread starter SnowHot
- Start date
WaterGirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Volkl Step - stiffer than the Pyra but same ski/ dimensions. Ride this as my front side ski and love it more than anything I demo'd in a narrower ski last year [Including some of those very popular skis ;)]. Purchased w/ out demo online new w/ bindings + free ship $250.
Also enjoyed Head Collective (same as Mya 10) and Wildfire.
Also enjoyed Head Collective (same as Mya 10) and Wildfire.
HellaRuby
Certified Ski Diva
I bought those skis and hated them. But I'm glad you liked them!
Yeah, I had to learn the expensive way that I couldn't really flex the Kenjas all that well given my size.
Same boat on the Kenjas. I think not being able to flex them contributed to my injuring myself :( Although I picked up a pair of Aureena' s end of season much shorter than my usual length and was able to them ski them without issue. They were lighter and more forgiving. They don't get much love around here. Already looking for upgrades back to normal size once I get back to normal.
tinymoose
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Sorry you got injured on them! Yikes. Don't know what happened to you, but that sucks. Hope you're back up to speed soon! I was lucky that other than a bit of knee ache from the width and the $$$ spent I never had any other ill-effects from the Kenjas. Could ski them OK and in control, just couldn't work much of the length of the ski b/c of the stiffness. Only place I could sorta bend them was directly underfoot.
MaineSkiLady
Angel Diva
As some of you know, I’m the Dynastar fan around here - but that goes way farther back than this forum (like 40 years). Dynastar has been under the radar for decades, now Rossignol’s “red-headed stepchild.”
Bottom line: the brand did some major pioneering in developing high performance women-specific skis, in conjunction with Jeannie Thoren.
My least hyped/most loved was a 2002 Dynastar, Intuitiv 69 L - one of the first women-specific of the line. In 2004, Dynastar finally hit it out of the park with the Exclusive Legend, which was one of first truly high-performance women’s skis. It was a top-rated ski for years - and seldom discussed.
Dynastar, however, was always overshadowed by K2, their T9 line and the birth of the “Luv” skis.
IMHO, nothing in that K2 line-up was ever as good as the original Exclusive Legend. That line-up diversified - and regrettably got “dumbed down” with the Idyll in 2009 (although the Eden was high performance; I still have a pair).\
I do fear the brand may vanish altogether, although they still make a big splash with racing skis.
Bottom line: the brand did some major pioneering in developing high performance women-specific skis, in conjunction with Jeannie Thoren.
My least hyped/most loved was a 2002 Dynastar, Intuitiv 69 L - one of the first women-specific of the line. In 2004, Dynastar finally hit it out of the park with the Exclusive Legend, which was one of first truly high-performance women’s skis. It was a top-rated ski for years - and seldom discussed.
Dynastar, however, was always overshadowed by K2, their T9 line and the birth of the “Luv” skis.
IMHO, nothing in that K2 line-up was ever as good as the original Exclusive Legend. That line-up diversified - and regrettably got “dumbed down” with the Idyll in 2009 (although the Eden was high performance; I still have a pair).\
I do fear the brand may vanish altogether, although they still make a big splash with racing skis.
Olesya Chornoguz
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
LOL to be fair Ramp were a close out sale. But yeah maybe I am sticking to big brand skis from now on, so I guess my next skis will be Volkl, if I win the lottery it will be Kastle. ;) Well my next powder skis will most likely be Volkl so there is that.
tinymoose
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
They're a niche out here, too, because of the price tag.
surfsnowgirl
Banned
Nah. Just join the used Kastle club.
That's the only way I was ever able or willing to join the Kastle club. Ski shop end of season demo sale. Taller and shortest skis get taken out less so better chance of getting a mint pair of demos
SnowHot
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Similarly with the Bonafide and not the Samba.
The Cochise and not the Dakota
SnowHot
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
How big are you?
I can't imagine someone liking the Step and also liking Collective and Wildfire.
Very different flex pattern and tenacity.
WaterGirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hmm a little smaller than you.
Samba is my ski 80%
Have you tried the Step? I like it in the half pipe better than the Samba
Wildfire not my favorite but it handles everything.
Collective felt like could drive it many ways. I've also skied Venturi on powder day.
Step is stiffer version of Pyra which is what my DD rides on free team. For $250 w bindings how could I pass up? really use early season and in pipe, but it's light and carves well.
Samba is my ski 80%
Have you tried the Step? I like it in the half pipe better than the Samba
Wildfire not my favorite but it handles everything.
Collective felt like could drive it many ways. I've also skied Venturi on powder day.
Step is stiffer version of Pyra which is what my DD rides on free team. For $250 w bindings how could I pass up? really use early season and in pipe, but it's light and carves well.
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SnowHot
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I have not tried the Step, but I've sold a ton of them, and I've flexed it in a variety of lengths. The Step is a jr ski or tweener ski, so its meant to be nimble and soft, which isn't usually embraced by someone who likes the other skis you mentioned.Hmm a little smaller than you.
Samba is my ski 80%
Have you tried the Step? I like it in the half pipe better than the Samba
Wildfire not my favorite but it handles everything.
Collective felt like could drive it many ways. I've also skied Venturi on powder day.
Step is stiffer version of Pyra which is what my DD rides on free team. For $250 w bindings how could I pass up? really use early season and in pipe, but it's light and carves well.
Oh, and the Step and Pyra are the same construction, just different graphics for boys and girls. Some shop guys think the boys version is stiffer so you may have been informed by someone who has that thought process.
marzNC
Angel Diva
Confirmed with Frank that Kicker is shutting down. They are still filling pre-season orders from the website. One of the factors was that they lost the Ski Center as a retail outlet when it closed for good last spring. Pretty hard to start a business when all the core people were still working day jobs.
WaterGirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hmmm, we are not talking about the same ski. The LEDGE and PYRA are the same ski (Adult and Junior version) but different top sheet.
DD has both, but the Adult version - 147 and 155. I understand that the Ledge, Pyra, Step and other Volkl skis are available in junior sizes (Shiro, Gotama etc) as well as Adult. The JR skis top out at 148 and run in 10 cm increments. Adult skis start at 147 and run in 8cm increments (or similar i.e. Wall starts at 161).
The Step I have is 2014 version in 163 - The Wall and the Step have carbon, the Ledge and Pyra do not. Here is a blurb for the 2014 skis....."Like the Wall, the metal-free, carbon-reinforced Step is a center-mount design with a symmetrical sidecut that doesn't care which direction it's going, backward or forward. But while the Wall has camber, still the choice of competition park athletes, tip and tail rocker give the Step a looser, less edgy feel for those who prefer that. All are metal-free, wood-core constructions, denser underfoot for good binding retention, lighter at the extremities for whippy swing-weight. Some (Wall, Kink, Step) have carbon reinforcement.
Agreed I like a stiff ski that I can drive different ways.
Not sure how someone like Julia Krass can compete in the Olympics with the Ledge if its a soft flexing tweener ski.
And wasn't this a thread about Least Hyped Skis?
Julia Krass
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SnowHot
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
You're on the Tweener ski. They have a Jr ski and a Tweener ski called the Step.Hmmm, we are not talking about the same ski. The LEDGE and PYRA are the same ski (Adult and Junior version) but different top sheet.
DD has both, but the Adult version - 147 and 155. I understand that the Ledge, Pyra, Step and other Volkl skis are available in junior sizes (Shiro, Gotama etc) as well as Adult. The JR skis top out at 148 and run in 10 cm increments. Adult skis start at 147 and run in 8cm increments (or similar i.e. Wall starts at 161).
The Step I have is 2014 version in 163 - The Wall and the Step have carbon, the Ledge and Pyra do not. Here is a blurb for the 2014 skis....."Like the Wall, the metal-free, carbon-reinforced Step is a center-mount design with a symmetrical sidecut that doesn't care which direction it's going, backward or forward. But while the Wall has camber, still the choice of competition park athletes, tip and tail rocker give the Step a looser, less edgy feel for those who prefer that. All are metal-free, wood-core constructions, denser underfoot for good binding retention, lighter at the extremities for whippy swing-weight. Some (Wall, Kink, Step) have carbon reinforcement.
Agreed I like a stiff ski that I can drive different ways.
Not sure how someone like Julia Krass can compete in the Olympics with the Ledge if its a soft flexing tweener ski.
And wasn't this a thread about Least Hyped Skis?
Julia Krass
The one you're on is a "better" version, but still not a ski that I usually see someone on who also likes those other skis.
It just goes to show you have a "playful" side and a GRRRR side!
SnowHot
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Phil and I did a lot to promote them. They were trying hard to produce hard snow skis that weren't tied to a specific binding. Good people with good ideas. Tough business.
@Olesya Chornoguz When we ski together again, I'll try to have some of the Kicker skis we tested so you can try another if you'd like.
WaterGirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@SnowHot - well I always like to have fun. I'm all about trees and steeps and if I have to spend time early season on groomers I'd rather be trying to ride switch or play in the pipe.
I'll check w/ P3 to see what they have to say about it being a "tweener" ski.... if your BLS is close to 275 your welcome to click in next time your in Mammoth LOL.
I'll check w/ P3 to see what they have to say about it being a "tweener" ski.... if your BLS is close to 275 your welcome to click in next time your in Mammoth LOL.
