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Atomic Cloud 9 vs K2 Luv Machine

skimom2019

Diva in Training
Hi everyone! I found this forum when searching for reviews of the Atomic Cloud 9 and the K2 Luv Machine. I’ve found great reviews of both skis. I’m 36 years old and I’ve been skiing since I was 3, but I’m far from an expert. I only make it up for about 3-6 ski days a year. I mostly ski Mammoth and Tahoe, so Sierra Cement. I’m least comfortable on ice and hard pack, so I’d love a ski that helps me in that area. I ski mostly blue-blacks and blacks, depending on my company, and stick mostly to groomers although I love moguls too. Any thoughts on which ski would be better for me? Both are on sale at my local shop, in my length, where I have a gift card. FWIW, I’ve been renting for many years, and I’ve loved the K2s I’ve demoed in the past. Thanks in advance!
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I found this forum when searching for reviews of the Atomic Cloud 9 and the K2 Luv Machine. I’ve found great reviews of both skis. I’m 36 years old and I’ve been skiing since I was 3, but I’m far from an expert. I only make it up for about 3-6 ski days a year. I mostly ski Mammoth and Tahoe, so Sierra Cement.
Welcome! Good for you for continuing to find a way to get on the slopes, even for just a few days.

Which Luv Machine? Looks like there is a 72mm and one slightly wider at 74mm. I get the impression that the 72Ti is popular for cruising European groomers (piste) at high speed. But not sure skis as narrow as mid-70s are the best choice for Mammoth and Tahoe.

It helps to have some idea of your stats, meaning height and weight. Then Divas who are in your size category can help more.

Both are on sale at my local shop, in my length, where I have a gift card. FWIW, I’ve been renting for many years, and I’ve loved the K2s I’ve demoed in the past.
Which K2 model(s)?
 

skimom2019

Diva in Training
The K2 is the 74ti. I am quite short - 5’1 and about 120 pounds. Now that I have a chance to own my own skis again, I sure wish I took notes over the past 10 years of demos. All I can remember is really enjoying some K2s several years ago, but I can’t remember the model.
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
Welcome to the forum!

I believe K2 is discontinuing the Luv line for next season; they’re replacing it with the Mindbender line, which comes in different widths and stiffnesses. I’m not sure how they compare to the Luv Machine, or if that even matters to you.

I also think 74 seems narrow for Tahoe and Mammoth.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
The K2 is the 74ti. I am quite short - 5’1 and about 120 pounds. Now that I have a chance to own my own skis again, I sure wish I took notes over the past 10 years of demos. All I can remember is really enjoying some K2s several years ago, but I can’t remember the model.
Ah, in that case @santacruz skier could provide some input. She and I are both older petite skiers. But she's been an advanced skier in CA a lot longer. I've only been skiing out west regularly in the last 10 years or so since I live in the southeast. I've liked the K2 skis I've demo'd in recent years, along with Rossignol and the Head Joy line.

My first pair of "all-mountain" skis that I used out west as an advanced intermediate were 75 underfoot but had a wide shovel so they were also good in fresh snow as I started exploring off-piste. I demo'd those skis in Tahoe before finding a pair on sale during the summer. However, most of my skiing at that point was in the Mid-Atlantic where there isn't any ungroomed terrain. Given what I've learned in the last decade, I would be looking for skis around 80 underfoot if I was planning on mostly skiing groomers at Mammoth and Tahoe. Note that my current all-mountain skis are 85 underfoot.

What length are you considering? Have you already bought boots?
 

skimom2019

Diva in Training
I am done skiing for the season so I could definitely delay my purchase to get more options for K2s in the fall, but I’m not sure my preference for K2s is very well founded, and I’d love to catch the gear on sale now! I’ll be buying the boots along with the skis when I do buy. I didn’t write down the lengths but both were in the range that the guy at the shop recommended for me. The K2 is slightly longer.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I am done skiing for the season so I could definitely delay my purchase to get more options for K2s in the fall, but I’m not sure my preference for K2s is very well founded, and I’d love to catch the gear on sale now! I’ll be buying the boots along with the skis when I do buy. I didn’t write down the lengths but both were in the range that the guy at the shop recommended for me. The K2 is slightly longer.
Yep, always tempting to get what's on sale and be done with shopping. What did the guy at the shop ask you about your skiing?

Reason I asked about length is because there have been women who are buying gear for the first time who . . . well, haven't been getting the best advice from a ski shop sales person.

For context, I'm 5'0", 112 lbs, advanced. My narrower skis are 148cm and my all-mountain skis are 159cm. There is a range of lengths that work for me, depending on ski width and design. My first all-mountain skis before I improved enough to feel like an advanced skier were 154cm.

By the way, for reasons that aren't clear K2 measures length slightly differently than most brands. Although in general the difference of 4cm or less isn't that significant.
 

skimom2019

Diva in Training
I can’t remember now what he asked vs what I gratuitously offered, but I conveyed that I am an experienced skier but as I’m older and a mom now, I’m a more cautious skier and I stick mostly to blue-black and single black groomers, but do enjoy a little variety and some moguls, but my Achilles heel has been icy snow. I can go back in and write down the lengths. It was a bit of info overload as I was talking to the guy and narrowing down the options.
 

contesstant

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I skied the Luv Machine 74 Ti last winter for ski testing, and REALLY liked them. They are definitely not going to be a great all-mountain ski for Tahoe, but if you like to stick to mostly groomers, they are a fine choice.
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Wow a 74mm ski is awfully narrow for Tahoe unless you truly stick to groomers only. If you like k2, take a look at their new mindbender series or if you want to find one on sale, take a look at the thrilluvit at 85 mm or the fulluvit at 88. I think that's a more appropriate all mountain ski. Especially in Tahoe where groomed runs can turn into chopped up cement in no time.
I'm around your height but almost 20 lbs lighter and my narrowest ski is 97. That being said, I am interested in buying a narrower ski (not under 85) for the occasional groomers and moguls. I might even recommend the Blizzard Black Pearl 88. Also understand the new Nordica Santa Ana 88 is a great ski.
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hi, Welcome to the forum! I'm from the east and yes I love my Atomics cloud 11's (2017/model) 71mm but they are race carvers for groomer zoomers, a pay attention ski, fast ski. The 9's are a level down, @Mary Tee skied mine and the 9's at Mont Tremblant. Yes, they can go in moguls and trees and some powder but for out west with deeper, softer snow and ugh Sierra cement I have Renoun Z-90's they became my 1 ski quiver last year.

I hope you can demo, skis are all so different. (marry your boots, date your skis a diva mantra, lol)
I demo'd a few of the K2 mind benders, nice ski, I skied the Thrillofit (think it was thrill was green) at Mammoth in July 2yrs ago they were fine in the spring corm.
 

mustski

Angel Diva
I ski SoCal and Mammoth pretty regularly and do not recommend a ski that narrow. If you go vacation during a week when it’s snowing, the groomers won’t be groomers. They’ll be chopped up piles of heavy snow. It’s the same in spring- early morning, slick, hard pack and lots of heavy piles by late morning. What would be best is a ski with a waste somewhere in the 80-90 range that can also hold an edge. The ones that come to mind that I have tried are the Black Pearl 88, the Volkl Yumi, the Volkl Kenja. There are many more and I’m sure others can chime in about the Heads and Fischer’s. I think a ski with a 70 something waste is a great groomer sooner but it eon’t Work well in soft snow. As for ice, it’s really not fun for any one. It’s more of a technique issue.
 

volklgirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
70-something seems awfully narrow, unless you have another, wider ski at your disposal. Even here in the midwest, most people without a quiver are on 80-90-something skis for versatility.
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I just demoed liberty 76.. Very. Nice ski. It was stable carved well and worked well in spring conditions. Liberty makes wider skis too. 82 and 100. Suggest Add to your demo list
 

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