Looking for advice on skis for an AT setup, after having purchased an entirely new resort set up 2 seasons ago (of course) - Yumi's, 161 length. I like to think that they did their job of re-igniting my fire for skiing, and therefore entirely justifies the $$$, particularly since for the 10+ years prior to them I was on an old (almost straight) pair of Atomic's - 149 in length (yikes).
For context, I am 5'6, 140 lbs, mid-30's, athletic but moderately out of shape. I have always been more of a... brute force skier than a finesse skier, for lack of a better way to describe it. I learned to ski by chasing my older brother down the mountain, and have never had official lessons - although it's on the list this spring if I can get the time/dog-sitter/snow. Overall, I would rate myself as intermediate - I can get down blacks anywhere I have skied so far (Sugarbush, MRG, Loon, Wildcat, Sunday River, Sugarloaf) - but generally prefer blues and single diamonds, in part to avoid ruining the trails for others because I know I'm not that good, and also because I enjoy short, playful turns over hard charging and carving at speed. I definitely feel more confident on the Yumi's than I did on the Atomics, especially on groomers and making large, sweeping turns, but still don't love speed.
That said, I enjoy glades and being out in the woods (winter hiker, cross country skier here), so I want to improve my tree-skiing skills. I have considered swapping my bindings and using the Yumi's for touring to get started, but I haven't loved them in glades yet. This might be a lack of skill, but overall, we haven't clicked in those conditions, and I like the idea of a dedicated resort, dedicated AT setup, so I've been searching.
I demo'd the DPS Uschi 94's from NEM and LOVED them, but wowzers are they pricey, and of course it was a beautiful day of powder, vs. the anticipated crud/ice/crust I generally plan to be in. I'm struggling to compare weight, vs. ski, vs 9,000 reviews that are usually done out west...
Thoughts between/in addition to:
- Elan Ripstick 94
- Rossy Spicey 7
- Nordica Santa Ana 93
- Head Kore 99W
- Faction Dictator 2.0 (super affordable, but I don't know much about them)
- Back Crow Captis Birdie (also super affordable, but I don't know enough about them)
- Salomon QST Lumen or Lux?
Any advice or suggestions from others who have touring set-ups in the ME/NH area would be greatly appreciated!
For context, I am 5'6, 140 lbs, mid-30's, athletic but moderately out of shape. I have always been more of a... brute force skier than a finesse skier, for lack of a better way to describe it. I learned to ski by chasing my older brother down the mountain, and have never had official lessons - although it's on the list this spring if I can get the time/dog-sitter/snow. Overall, I would rate myself as intermediate - I can get down blacks anywhere I have skied so far (Sugarbush, MRG, Loon, Wildcat, Sunday River, Sugarloaf) - but generally prefer blues and single diamonds, in part to avoid ruining the trails for others because I know I'm not that good, and also because I enjoy short, playful turns over hard charging and carving at speed. I definitely feel more confident on the Yumi's than I did on the Atomics, especially on groomers and making large, sweeping turns, but still don't love speed.
That said, I enjoy glades and being out in the woods (winter hiker, cross country skier here), so I want to improve my tree-skiing skills. I have considered swapping my bindings and using the Yumi's for touring to get started, but I haven't loved them in glades yet. This might be a lack of skill, but overall, we haven't clicked in those conditions, and I like the idea of a dedicated resort, dedicated AT setup, so I've been searching.
I demo'd the DPS Uschi 94's from NEM and LOVED them, but wowzers are they pricey, and of course it was a beautiful day of powder, vs. the anticipated crud/ice/crust I generally plan to be in. I'm struggling to compare weight, vs. ski, vs 9,000 reviews that are usually done out west...
Thoughts between/in addition to:
- Elan Ripstick 94
- Rossy Spicey 7
- Nordica Santa Ana 93
- Head Kore 99W
- Faction Dictator 2.0 (super affordable, but I don't know much about them)
- Back Crow Captis Birdie (also super affordable, but I don't know enough about them)
- Salomon QST Lumen or Lux?
Any advice or suggestions from others who have touring set-ups in the ME/NH area would be greatly appreciated!