bumpsbunny
Diva in Training
New here - longtime lurker but first-time poster! Would love if some of you could lend your expertise, as I’ve spent way too many hours combing through reviews without narrowing down my list. I’m looking for a playful-ish, nimble powder ski, but worried that I’m too used to skiing a stiffer ski? Ideally I’d demo, and maybe I'll hold out to see '22 revamps, but part of me is tempted to hop on some of these end-of-season sales…
Background: 5’6”, 110 pounds, technically proficient skier. I ski Whistler every year, with the exception of this season in Utah due to COVID. I’m mostly on ungroomed terrain, and spend 80% of my time in the bumps and trees, with a few laps on the groomers to warm up or get back to the lift - ski fairly aggressively, though I’ll only really be flying on piste if I’m chasing my ski buddies (who can hit upwards of 60mph) or racing for last chair. Since I’m looking to add to a quiver and use this new ski for post-dump days, I probably won’t need to rip it at full speed and hopefully any moguls I’m using it for will be softer.
Current ski: 2020/21 Volkl Kenja 88, 159 cm (shorter length due to my preference for tight terrain and lighter weight). Absolutely love the precision and carving ability of my Kenjas, but looking for something that (1) floats (100-105mm range), (2) doesn’t slice through trees at an alarming rate, and (3) is more playful and slightly less tiring on my 7th hour of skiing variable. My main difficulty is I’m not sure how stiff the new (2019/20-on) Kenjas actually are compared to what I’m looking at, so anyone who has tried the Kendo/Kenja/Mantra line and has a powder ski they like OR has skied any of the below skis, would love your input!
Other skis I’ve skied: Every iteration of the Kenja since 2015, usually on ~169cm, but found them a little unwieldy in the bumps until I got the shorter version with the reduced metal this year. Felt the same way about the Auras and Secrets. Skied the 2019 Santa Ana 93 and even though it supposedly has two sheets of metal, they seemed way lighter than the Volkls. I prefer a more demanding and narrower ski for frontside, but I’d actually like this kind of a feel for a powder ski - I’m just not sure how the new SA104 compares. Skied Blizzard BPs in 2014 and thought these were too soft and just meh.
Weight: I don’t plan on touring, so don’t need ultra-lightweight. I need it not to blow up at speed - but since I only need to bomb it for the occasional run and already have my carving ski, I’ll give up a little bit of stability for playfulness. In addition, I tend to jump/catch air on bumps and in tougher terrain (rather than just plowing through), and am aspiring to add some more grabs/airs off natural features, so would prefer something not too planky.
Current List:
Line Pandora 104 - Heard fantastic things, but would the speed limit be too low/not enough ski for me? Also maybe too light for inbounds use only, and I heard Line skis get beaten up quickly.
Volkl Blaze 106 - Similar concerns to Pandora, minus the quality factor.
Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free - On paper, it seems like I’d like these, but wondering if they sacrifice maneuverability and are too much of a “hard charger.” Then again, I though the old Santa Ana 93s were fairly light/maneuverable.
Fischer Ranger 102 FR - Worried the tails will be too stiff and the ski may be hard to flex for my weight. But is stiffness in bumps not supposed to be tiring if you have ski with a pretty forward stance? I’ve always been confused on this point.
Rossignol BLACKOPS Rallybird (102) - Promising, but I just haven’t heard as much as I’d like about this ski.
Head Kore 99W - Either mind-blowing or awful combo of dead, chattery, and punishing, depending on which review you read, so probably won’t choose this unless someone has a strong opinion about it.
DPS Zelda A106 - Is this too carving-oriented and stiff (but is this even a problem - see above)? Are DPS skis worth the price tag in general?
Blizzard Sheeva 10 - I know Blizzard is a favorite, but I just feel their skis lack that extra “oomph” or aggression.
Sego Big Horn 106 - Kind of a wildcard and the only men’s ski on my list because it comes in a 167 cm, but maybe too freestyle-inspired and I won’t need twin tips unless I magically master some spins/flips.
Someone will probably bring up the Black Crows, but I don’t want a 97 (Camox) or 108 (Atris) and there doesn’t seem to be anything women-specific in between. Also considered Moment Sierras but they're sold out.
Background: 5’6”, 110 pounds, technically proficient skier. I ski Whistler every year, with the exception of this season in Utah due to COVID. I’m mostly on ungroomed terrain, and spend 80% of my time in the bumps and trees, with a few laps on the groomers to warm up or get back to the lift - ski fairly aggressively, though I’ll only really be flying on piste if I’m chasing my ski buddies (who can hit upwards of 60mph) or racing for last chair. Since I’m looking to add to a quiver and use this new ski for post-dump days, I probably won’t need to rip it at full speed and hopefully any moguls I’m using it for will be softer.
Current ski: 2020/21 Volkl Kenja 88, 159 cm (shorter length due to my preference for tight terrain and lighter weight). Absolutely love the precision and carving ability of my Kenjas, but looking for something that (1) floats (100-105mm range), (2) doesn’t slice through trees at an alarming rate, and (3) is more playful and slightly less tiring on my 7th hour of skiing variable. My main difficulty is I’m not sure how stiff the new (2019/20-on) Kenjas actually are compared to what I’m looking at, so anyone who has tried the Kendo/Kenja/Mantra line and has a powder ski they like OR has skied any of the below skis, would love your input!
Other skis I’ve skied: Every iteration of the Kenja since 2015, usually on ~169cm, but found them a little unwieldy in the bumps until I got the shorter version with the reduced metal this year. Felt the same way about the Auras and Secrets. Skied the 2019 Santa Ana 93 and even though it supposedly has two sheets of metal, they seemed way lighter than the Volkls. I prefer a more demanding and narrower ski for frontside, but I’d actually like this kind of a feel for a powder ski - I’m just not sure how the new SA104 compares. Skied Blizzard BPs in 2014 and thought these were too soft and just meh.
Weight: I don’t plan on touring, so don’t need ultra-lightweight. I need it not to blow up at speed - but since I only need to bomb it for the occasional run and already have my carving ski, I’ll give up a little bit of stability for playfulness. In addition, I tend to jump/catch air on bumps and in tougher terrain (rather than just plowing through), and am aspiring to add some more grabs/airs off natural features, so would prefer something not too planky.
Current List:
Line Pandora 104 - Heard fantastic things, but would the speed limit be too low/not enough ski for me? Also maybe too light for inbounds use only, and I heard Line skis get beaten up quickly.
Volkl Blaze 106 - Similar concerns to Pandora, minus the quality factor.
Nordica Santa Ana 104 Free - On paper, it seems like I’d like these, but wondering if they sacrifice maneuverability and are too much of a “hard charger.” Then again, I though the old Santa Ana 93s were fairly light/maneuverable.
Fischer Ranger 102 FR - Worried the tails will be too stiff and the ski may be hard to flex for my weight. But is stiffness in bumps not supposed to be tiring if you have ski with a pretty forward stance? I’ve always been confused on this point.
Rossignol BLACKOPS Rallybird (102) - Promising, but I just haven’t heard as much as I’d like about this ski.
Head Kore 99W - Either mind-blowing or awful combo of dead, chattery, and punishing, depending on which review you read, so probably won’t choose this unless someone has a strong opinion about it.
DPS Zelda A106 - Is this too carving-oriented and stiff (but is this even a problem - see above)? Are DPS skis worth the price tag in general?
Blizzard Sheeva 10 - I know Blizzard is a favorite, but I just feel their skis lack that extra “oomph” or aggression.
Sego Big Horn 106 - Kind of a wildcard and the only men’s ski on my list because it comes in a 167 cm, but maybe too freestyle-inspired and I won’t need twin tips unless I magically master some spins/flips.
Someone will probably bring up the Black Crows, but I don’t want a 97 (Camox) or 108 (Atris) and there doesn’t seem to be anything women-specific in between. Also considered Moment Sierras but they're sold out.