• Women skiers, this is the place for you -- an online community without the male-orientation you'll find in conventional ski magazines and internet ski forums. At TheSkiDiva.com, you can connect with other women to talk about skiing in a way that you can relate to, about things that you find of interest. Be sure to join our community to participate (women only, please!). Registration is fast and simple. Just be sure to add [email protected] to your address book so your registration activation emails won't be routed as spam. And please give careful consideration to your user name -- it will not be changed once your registration is confirmed.

911 did I just buy the wrong ski?

UnbridledSpirit

Diva in Training
So I’m a beginner skier (pizza in greens) in Vermont, and after two seasons of renting I decided to make a purchase. At the recommendation of a local ski shop, I purchased the Nordica wild belle 84s, and now I’m panicking because the Nordica website says “advanced/expert”. It also states that it’s flexible and easy to initiate turns so will I be ok? Thought and opinions appreciated.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I wouldn't worry too much about the rating. As long as they're a good fit length-wise they should be fine. I demoed these last year and didn't find them particularly difficult to ski or overly stiff. They have a nice sidecut to them which makes them very turny.
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
So I’m a beginner skier (pizza in greens) in Vermont, and after two seasons of renting I decided to make a purchase. At the recommendation of a local ski shop, I purchased the Nordica wild belle 84s, and now I’m panicking because the Nordica website says “advanced/expert”. It also states that it’s flexible and easy to initiate turns so will I be ok? Thought and opinions appreciated.
This is what I just got from the Nordica site:
Nordica’s Wild Belle skis give you the confidence you need to progress your skiing—and have the time of your life. Born from decades of research and experience, the all-new Wild Belle series is tailored to the unique needs of female all-mountain skiers. These skis deliver a fun, playful, and powerful ride that’s stable at any speed. Thanks to a specially designed binding plate, the Wild Belles provide you with a more natural, centered position that enhances control. It also makes the ski especially easy to flex so you can explore the slopes like never before.

That sounds good to me! I had a pair of Wild Belles before I skied them into oblivion! It is more important how they feel to you then what any review says.

As you will figure out reading on this site, we are all in favor of having perfectly fitted boots versus perfectly fitted skis! If your boots aren’t right, it doesn’t matter what skis you are on. Tell us about your boots.

and welcome to the site!
 

UnbridledSpirit

Diva in Training
This is what I just got from the Nordica site:
Nordica’s Wild Belle skis give you the confidence you need to progress your skiing—and have the time of your life. Born from decades of research and experience, the all-new Wild Belle series is tailored to the unique needs of female all-mountain skiers. These skis deliver a fun, playful, and powerful ride that’s stable at any speed. Thanks to a specially designed binding plate, the Wild Belles provide you with a more natural, centered position that enhances control. It also makes the ski especially easy to flex so you can explore the slopes like never before.

That sounds good to me! I had a pair of Wild Belles before I skied them into oblivion! It is more important how they feel to you then what any review says.

As you will figure out reading on this site, we are all in favor of having perfectly fitted boots versus perfectly fitted skis! If your boots aren’t right, it doesn’t matter what skis you are on. Tell us about your boots.

and welcome to the site!
Thanks for the welcome! I have the apex women’s ski boot, which I wore for the first time last week. I need to get them fitted slightly better because my heel lifts just a smidge. I’m fairly overweight with a pretty wide calf, and these are the only boot that hasn’t made me want to cry in pain.
 

Lmk92

Angel Diva
My daughter started out on infinity airs (I would suggest them to any beginner - they were perfect not only for her, but for me, too - and her next pair were Wild Belles. She still talks about them, but she did often comment that they were stiff. Never stopped her and she didn't ask for a new pair until she got new boots and was forced to get new skis.
 

DebbieSue

Angel Diva
I had the older Wild Belle 84, maybe 2014. They were forgiving and fun and allowed me to advance and be confident in more types of terrain. At the time I was 5'5, 130 and I was on 154. I'm definitely more of a finesse than speed skier. I like bumps and they were fun there.
Interestingly, on the Nordica website, the current WB84 are rated as expert, but the 78 is rated beginner and the 78C in between. What's that about?
 

scandium

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I had the older Wild Belle 84, maybe 2014. They were forgiving and fun and allowed me to advance and be confident in more types of terrain. At the time I was 5'5, 130 and I was on 154. I'm definitely more of a finesse than speed skier. I like bumps and they were fun there.
Interestingly, on the Nordica website, the current WB84 are rated as expert, but the 78 is rated beginner and the 78C in between. What's that about?
Most brands seem to make a progression where you go from a beginner narrow ski to a wider stiffer ski - Rossi Temptation (now Experience) and some of the Volkl Flair series are like that.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
I also have the older Wild Belle - and still enjoy them a great deal. They apparently were brought back "by popular demand" after disappearing for a few years. Reason: these skis have a tremendous swath of utilization in terms of skier skills, one of the broadest I've ever skied. Translation: you'll be fine with them - for years. Go enjoy. :smile:
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Most brands seem to make a progression where you go from a beginner narrow ski to a wider stiffer ski - Rossi Temptation (now Experience) and some of the Volkl Flair series are like that.
I suppose the idea there is it's easier to learn how to carve/get the skis up on edge on a narrower ski.
 

scandium

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I suppose the idea there is it's easier to learn how to carve/get the skis up on edge on a narrower ski.
It seems very European in a way - the idea that the better you are, the more likely you are to progress to off-piste and ungroomed snow where the benefit of a wider ski is apparent.
 

skibum4ever

Angel Diva
I'm a big Nordica fan, and considering what my comeback ski should be. The Wild Belle 84 in a 156 appeared on my radar, but I am a bit intimidated by its description as an "expert ski". I want something forgiving and easy to turn.

I am 5"0" and 130 lb.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
I'm a big Nordica fan, and considering what my comeback ski should be. The Wild Belle 84 in a 156 appeared on my radar, but I am a bit intimidated by its description as an "expert ski". I want something forgiving and easy to turn.

I am 5"0" and 130 lb.
It should be fine. Seriously. Very compliant, happy ski. Can be taken up to the expert level, but it is fine just easy-cruising. I know this - I own them.
 

skibum4ever

Angel Diva
It should be fine. Seriously. Very compliant, happy ski. Can be taken up to the expert level, but it is fine just easy-cruising. I know this - I own them.

Thanks MSL. Good to know. If my skiing goes well in the spring, I will be looking to buy a new pair of skis when they go on sale in the late spring. I will certainly be looking at demos possibly from Mammoth.

I have heard from others that the description of ability level is often misleading.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
I have checked the specifications and construction of both the older, former Wild Belle 84 and the newer. I do not believe there is substantive enough difference to render this ski unusable by the person who owns it. In fact, the newer version may mean that it can be used for a longer period of time and at a higher level than the older model.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
26,237
Messages
497,656
Members
8,503
Latest member
MermaidKelly
Top