Okay, Divas. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. I spent a couple days at the ski industry demo days at Stratton, VT, this week and got preview at the 2010’s.
My first day was Tuesday, and the weather was perfect: in the 20’s with nice soft snow. My second day there, Thursday, was absolutely frigid. Only 4 degrees when I arrived, with a wind chill well below zero. It was brutal. No more soft snow. Instead, we had “hard pack.” What I go through for you ladies.
That said, I still had a nice time.
So here’s what I saw and tried. I didn’t take as copious notes as I did last year, with the stats for each ski. This year I was much more casual (read "lazy"). So for what it’s worth, here goes:
My vital stats:
Advanced skier, 110 pounds, 5’1”
Most of the skis I skied were either 157, 161, or 163, depending on what they had available.
Volkl:
Volkl doesn’t have any new models coming out next year. However, they’re introducing a new technology called “Bio-Logic,” which they claim puts a female skier in a more neutral stance. According to the rep I spoke with, traditional bindings have the heels jacked up. When you combine that with the higher ramp angle you typically find in a woman’s boots, you end up being tipped too far forward. To combat this, Volkl has raised the toe in the binding. The result is better balance of the hamstring and glutes and more efficient muscle use. They’ve also tapered the tail angle so it releases more readily at the end of a turn. The tip is a bit wider, and they gave the ski a more consistent flex pattern.
The only new model they have for the coming year is the Estrella (not sure of the spelling), which they say is suited for aspiring intermediates. I didn’t try it, but I re-tried the Aurora, Tierra, and yes, the much loved Aura. Yes, I am still in love with the Aurora. What a ski! If I were in the market, this is the one I would buy. It feels like a Cadillac under foot: smooth, stable, and strong with that great Volkl edge. A terrific all around ski (too stiff for the bumps, though). As for the Aura, they’ve changed the graphics once again. Actually, they’re very similar to this year’s, except in a different color scheme (a silvery gray background and not as much color). I think I like this year’s better.
Atomic
The new women’s ski from Atomic is the Double Deck. And it’s really lovely: a white topsheet surrounding a raised black area, all covered with thin silver hatch marks. It’s really elegant. If you went to a black-tie ski event, this is the ski you’d bring. The technology sounds way cool, too: Simply described, it has two decks which are essentially one ski on top of another. Although the two skis are produced separately and joined together, each can move freely. The lower deck (adapter deck) adjusts to the slope while the upper deck (control deck) distributes the power generated by the skier.
Sounds great, right? Well, no. I found them very, very heavy, extremely torsionally stiff, and unresponsive. Perhaps they just need a bigger, stronger skier. A man I know tried the men’s version and loved it, so maybe it’s me.
Atomic still has the Heaven’s Gate and the Cloud series. I didn’t demo any of these this year, though last year I really liked the Cloud 9’s when I skied them last year.
Salomon:
I am completely flummoxed by Salomon. Here it was, an important event for the ski industry where all the gear companies are trying to make the best impression possible on ski shops throughout the northeast, and they had no women’s skis. What’s with that?
All this is a long way of saying I was unable to see or demo any of their women’s skis.
Head:
Yes, I have a weakness for Head skis, directly attributable to jealousy over my sister’s Head 360’s in 1969 or 1970. Actually, I had Head Monster IM-70’s a few years ago, and I really liked them.
In 2010, Head is offering the same line up with one new addition: the Perfect One, a carver with a 67 waist. It’s pretty bland looking, but a nice ski, nonetheless. The narrow waist makes it go from edge to edge very nicely, and it has good rebound. The other skis are carry-overs from this season, with new graphics. I also skied the Wild One and the Every One. The Wild One is the equivalent of the company’s Monster IM82. It’s a very stable, solid ski with an 81 waist and a vertical sidewall. Good energy to it, too. And I love the graphics. The Every One is white with the name available in either orange or blue. It’s a versatile, nimble ski that’s light and quick. I neglected to get the waist size on this; I think it’s in the lower to mid 70’s.
Elan
These take the prize for the most beautiful graphics. The Black Magic is gorgeous: black with little flecks of colors embedded throughout, and a little crystal embellishment. The '10 Black Magic is a little stiffer than this year’s model (they added wave technology). I skied them, and found them to be a good intermediate ski.
I also skied the Free Spice. This is a wider ski (88 waist); I wish I could’ve tried this in powder , but alas – no new snow. It has really cool new graphics -- kind of a splattered paint look. Other than that, the ski is the same as this year's. The Free Spice is based on the men’s 888 Alu, without the metal.
Lastly, I tried the Speed Magic. This is Elan’s top of the line. It's 67 or 70 underfoot (can't remember), and very fast and responsive. A fine carver and very lively and easy to turn.
Goode
When you walk by a booth where there’s a sign saying they have the lightest ski out there, you just have to give it a try. I couldn't resist. Goode Skis are made entirely of carbon fiber. And they ARE very light. You especially notice it when you go up the lift. But this lightness comes at a price: I found myself getting knocked around in the snow a bit. So no.
To be continued......
My first day was Tuesday, and the weather was perfect: in the 20’s with nice soft snow. My second day there, Thursday, was absolutely frigid. Only 4 degrees when I arrived, with a wind chill well below zero. It was brutal. No more soft snow. Instead, we had “hard pack.” What I go through for you ladies.
That said, I still had a nice time.
So here’s what I saw and tried. I didn’t take as copious notes as I did last year, with the stats for each ski. This year I was much more casual (read "lazy"). So for what it’s worth, here goes:
My vital stats:
Advanced skier, 110 pounds, 5’1”
Most of the skis I skied were either 157, 161, or 163, depending on what they had available.
Volkl:
Volkl doesn’t have any new models coming out next year. However, they’re introducing a new technology called “Bio-Logic,” which they claim puts a female skier in a more neutral stance. According to the rep I spoke with, traditional bindings have the heels jacked up. When you combine that with the higher ramp angle you typically find in a woman’s boots, you end up being tipped too far forward. To combat this, Volkl has raised the toe in the binding. The result is better balance of the hamstring and glutes and more efficient muscle use. They’ve also tapered the tail angle so it releases more readily at the end of a turn. The tip is a bit wider, and they gave the ski a more consistent flex pattern.
The only new model they have for the coming year is the Estrella (not sure of the spelling), which they say is suited for aspiring intermediates. I didn’t try it, but I re-tried the Aurora, Tierra, and yes, the much loved Aura. Yes, I am still in love with the Aurora. What a ski! If I were in the market, this is the one I would buy. It feels like a Cadillac under foot: smooth, stable, and strong with that great Volkl edge. A terrific all around ski (too stiff for the bumps, though). As for the Aura, they’ve changed the graphics once again. Actually, they’re very similar to this year’s, except in a different color scheme (a silvery gray background and not as much color). I think I like this year’s better.
Atomic
The new women’s ski from Atomic is the Double Deck. And it’s really lovely: a white topsheet surrounding a raised black area, all covered with thin silver hatch marks. It’s really elegant. If you went to a black-tie ski event, this is the ski you’d bring. The technology sounds way cool, too: Simply described, it has two decks which are essentially one ski on top of another. Although the two skis are produced separately and joined together, each can move freely. The lower deck (adapter deck) adjusts to the slope while the upper deck (control deck) distributes the power generated by the skier.
Sounds great, right? Well, no. I found them very, very heavy, extremely torsionally stiff, and unresponsive. Perhaps they just need a bigger, stronger skier. A man I know tried the men’s version and loved it, so maybe it’s me.
Atomic still has the Heaven’s Gate and the Cloud series. I didn’t demo any of these this year, though last year I really liked the Cloud 9’s when I skied them last year.
Salomon:
I am completely flummoxed by Salomon. Here it was, an important event for the ski industry where all the gear companies are trying to make the best impression possible on ski shops throughout the northeast, and they had no women’s skis. What’s with that?
All this is a long way of saying I was unable to see or demo any of their women’s skis.
Head:
Yes, I have a weakness for Head skis, directly attributable to jealousy over my sister’s Head 360’s in 1969 or 1970. Actually, I had Head Monster IM-70’s a few years ago, and I really liked them.
In 2010, Head is offering the same line up with one new addition: the Perfect One, a carver with a 67 waist. It’s pretty bland looking, but a nice ski, nonetheless. The narrow waist makes it go from edge to edge very nicely, and it has good rebound. The other skis are carry-overs from this season, with new graphics. I also skied the Wild One and the Every One. The Wild One is the equivalent of the company’s Monster IM82. It’s a very stable, solid ski with an 81 waist and a vertical sidewall. Good energy to it, too. And I love the graphics. The Every One is white with the name available in either orange or blue. It’s a versatile, nimble ski that’s light and quick. I neglected to get the waist size on this; I think it’s in the lower to mid 70’s.
Elan
These take the prize for the most beautiful graphics. The Black Magic is gorgeous: black with little flecks of colors embedded throughout, and a little crystal embellishment. The '10 Black Magic is a little stiffer than this year’s model (they added wave technology). I skied them, and found them to be a good intermediate ski.
I also skied the Free Spice. This is a wider ski (88 waist); I wish I could’ve tried this in powder , but alas – no new snow. It has really cool new graphics -- kind of a splattered paint look. Other than that, the ski is the same as this year's. The Free Spice is based on the men’s 888 Alu, without the metal.
Lastly, I tried the Speed Magic. This is Elan’s top of the line. It's 67 or 70 underfoot (can't remember), and very fast and responsive. A fine carver and very lively and easy to turn.
Goode
When you walk by a booth where there’s a sign saying they have the lightest ski out there, you just have to give it a try. I couldn't resist. Goode Skis are made entirely of carbon fiber. And they ARE very light. You especially notice it when you go up the lift. But this lightness comes at a price: I found myself getting knocked around in the snow a bit. So no.
To be continued......
(Although a change in weather/temps/snow such as this, in one day, truly CAN be...) Surprised at Salomon...maybe 2010's not ready yet? 
They were well-represented at NNE demos in December here (but 09s). 
