2021 Santa Ana - 88 vs 93?

[fgor]

So, I demoed the SA93 last season, and fell in love with it. I was comparing it to my existing 2020 Black Pearl 88 (great skis, I've put 40 days on them) and loved the Santa Anas because they had more energy out of each turn. I never got to try them offpiste because the conditions weren't good for it that day (refrozen hard stuff - offpiste was all closed basically). I wasn't able to demo the SA88.

I've spotted a decent deal on the 2021 SA88. Haven't seen any equally good deals for the SA93. Would I notice much difference between these and the 93s? My existing quiver has a 70mm ski and 104mm so I'm sorted for pow days. This ski would basically be for groomers and off piste skiing i.e. when i cant take my whole quiver to the mountain and i know theres not tons of powder. If I *know* I'm going to be sticking to groomers, I ski my narrow skis, and if I *know* there's more than maybe 3-4" fresh powder, I ski the fat skis, but for all other conditions there's the BP88. Sometimes I ski my narrow skis in the morning and the BP88 in the afternoon when off piste softens up, or something I just bring the BP88 to the mountain and ski it all day regardless. The SA88 would fill the same quiver role. I ski in New Zealand so the conditions are often icy. I'm an intermediate skier. Not very sendy.

The concerns I have are that I loved the SA93 so much and I wouldn't want the SA88 to maybe feel more demanding or less energetic. I'm looking to upgrade because I believe the SA might have a better shape for off piste skiing, meanwhile for groomer skiing the SA93 was very exciting and energetic, way more so than the 2020 BP88. I'm also hoping the sheet of metal would give slightly better crud performance offpiste. Just hoping to capture that same performance in the SA88!

Sorry for the slightly rambley post! I think there are a few people who have skied the 2021 SA93 and SA88, and I know I've talked about this before, but it was quite a long time ago now it is my off season so I have no chance to demo anything.

 

[scandium]

I would like to know where this good deal is in case you pass on it! I didn't have time or inclination to demo the 88s last year (and I actually can't remember if the Nordica rep had them) but also loved the 93s. I'd be worried the 88s wouldn't get through the crud especially with only one sheet of metal.

 

[fgor]

I would like to know where this good deal is in case you pass on it! I didn't have time or inclination to demo the 88s last year (and I actually can't remember if the Nordica rep had them) but also loved the 93s. I'd be worried the 88s wouldn't get through the crud especially with only one sheet of metal.

I can't remember if the Nordica rep had them either honestly, I just asked for Santa Anas because I'd heard about them and he handed over the 93s. I liked them so much I went back for a second go on them in the afternoon! I'll let you know if I still haven't made up my mind shortly that's true, I'm not sure what the chop/crud performance would really be like but better than the BPs would be a bonus. Did you get a chance to take the 93 offpiste at all?

 

[scandium]

I can't remember if the Nordica rep had them either honestly, I just asked for Santa Anas because I'd heard about them and he handed over the 93s. I liked them so much I went back for a second go on them in the afternoon! I'll let you know if I still haven't made up my mind shortly that's true, I'm not sure what the chop/crud performance would really be like but better than the BPs would be a bonus. Did you get a chance to take the 93 offpiste at all?

I did the demo day at Porters very early (July) last year (they had both Nordica/Blizzard stuff so it was the same day I skiied the Sheevas) and popped down some ungroomed areas just off the side of the piste in the afternoon. It was 3 days since the last fresh snow so a mix of well-skiied piles of crud and solid and bumpy. I definitely think the SAs tend to go "through" rather than "over" compared to my usual daily driver (Yumis) which bounce me around a bit more but get around corners with very little effort. I couldn't head out and down the far side like you normally can with more cover.

I've also skiied my friend's SA 93s a number of times (she has the early, non-metal version) at Dobson and Roundhill including on a day where we had boot-depth fresh snow up the long nutcracker, and they're GREAT in that. Even when you start hitting other people's tracks you just go through them. That being said, I didn't think they held quite so well on piste compared to the newer versions (could have been the tune on the demos though), and I don't notice a significant difference in ease of turning although that could be because hers are 163s and I demo'd on the new 158 length. My friend bought them because she liked the feeling of "through" rather than "on" yet still being able to float a little - her home territory is Canterbury club fields as she used to ski Temple every year with the university club, so ungroomed snow performance was a priority.

Given everything I've read this season, I now really want to demo "New Black Pearl 88" vs "SA 88" just to see how they ski but honestly it's not a width I need for the quiver given that I have my Yumis - I think I'd rather a ski in the 90-95mm range.

 

[fgor]

I did the demo day at Porters very early (July) last year (they had both Nordica/Blizzard stuff so it was the same day I skiied the Sheevas) and popped down some ungroomed areas just off the side of the piste in the afternoon. It was 3 days since the last fresh snow so a mix of well-skiied piles of crud and solid and bumpy. I definitely think the SAs tend to go "through" rather than "over" compared to my usual daily driver (Yumis) which bounce me around a bit more but get around corners with very little effort. I couldn't head out and down the far side like you normally can with more cover.

I've also skiied my friend's SA 93s a number of times (she has the early, non-metal version) at Dobson and Roundhill including on a day where we had boot-depth fresh snow up the long nutcracker, and they're GREAT in that. Even when you start hitting other people's tracks you just go through them. That being said, I didn't think they held quite so well on piste compared to the newer versions (could have been the tune on the demos though), and I don't notice a significant difference in ease of turning although that could be because hers are 163s and I demo'd on the new 158 length. My friend bought them because she liked the feeling of "through" rather than "on" yet still being able to float a little - her home territory is Canterbury club fields as she used to ski Temple every year with the university club, so ungroomed snow performance was a priority.

Given everything I've read this season, I now really want to demo "New Black Pearl 88" vs "SA 88" just to see how they ski but honestly it's not a width I need for the quiver given that I have my Yumis - I think I'd rather a ski in the 90-95mm range.

Ahh, gotcha! I demoed at Hutt but yeah the ungroomed wasn't skiable at all on the day lol. I decided to pick up the 88s - it was a decent enough deal that if i don't like them and sell them on, it won't be the end of the world. The place I got them from only has the 172 left now for all the SA88 and SA93. The second best deal I found was TCB.nz, they still have one of the 158cm SA88 for $840 (flat and quite cheap shipping). They also have the 2020 (two sheets of metal) SA88 in 165cm length.

I figure since the 2021 SA93 and SA88 both have only one sheet of metal and have almost identical construction, they will hopefully perform very similarly albeit with a very slightly narrower base

Bring on June!!

 

[scandium]

Ooh the SA88 in the 158 looks like my kind of a ski - argh, decisions and budgets!

 

[fgor]

Update....! They arrived today, all mounted and ready to go! Bring on June

 

[fgor]

Update on the skis: I've had a couple days on them now, and they're great! I don't find them demanding and they definitely have that spring/energy out of turns that I felt when I demoed the SA93. They are super fun They feel very quick edge to edge, too.

I haven't had them in any fresh snow yet but they've faced icy groomers and windswept, slightly lumpy (with a firm base) offpiste really nicely.



I'm glad I got them!