Choosing a first all-mountain ski

[SierraLuLu]

Update: I took the advice of the divas here and ended up doing a demo day. Mind you, this was in Mammoth on manmade snow, and the conditions were not ideal. However, I was able to see how my feet handled the skis on nice soft snow, a little slush, ice and a lot of spring-like corn. Because it’s so early in the season Mammoth only had demos from last year and their selection was very limited but since I was looking for last year’s skis this worked for me.

Morning ski - Salomon Lux QST 92 (161). This ski was incredibly fun. Light and poppy, great on jumps and really easy to handle. I was worried that I would find the 161 length too much but it felt just right to me. However, when skiing over rough snow I definitely felt every bump and the edges were ok, but definitely not comparable to the 74s I’m used to.

Afternoon ski - Nordica Santa Ana 93 (153). I was nervous about this ski because I don’t consider myself particularly aggressive, but I was surprised by how much I loved these. I felt like I could do anything on these skis. They were incredibly smooth and busted through rough snow. They were fun to make both tight and long turns with and I could go really fast with more confidence than I’m used to. They had a better edge than the Salomons. They were definitely heavier - something I wasn’t looking for, and I tired out quicker on them (they were NOT as pleasant going up the mountain), but they were so fun and powerful I was willing to overlook this.

I really want to buy the Nordicas now! I was considering buying several other skis than these 2 but since I liked the Nordica’s so much I don’t really see the need to buy something I haven’t tried yet.

I wasn’t able to try the Nordica’s in 161 since they were out, but since the Salomon’s felt good in that length (with a very similar profile) and since it’s been suggested I buy longer, I’m leaning towards the longer length. The rental employee thought the only disadvantage of me going longer would be trees (which I love) and of course they would be heavier and a little more cumbersome, but I think I could grow into them. Honestly the 153s didn’t feel bad though. I almost bought the demo pair they had in the shop.

Thank you for all the tips!! I’m glad I demoed, even in such a limited way. I’m looking forward to a fun ski season with some brand new awesome skis.

 

[lisamamot]

Hello!

You have a great list here. I have skied everything on your list except for the Line and Salomon. The Yumi I skied was the original model without metal and I really want to demo the new one for comparison but I am confident I will enjoy it.

I vote for a Sheeva 9 demo if you decide you want to consider an alternative ski to the Santa Ana 93. Like @MissySki it is my daily driver in New England, but I brought it to Big Sky and had a blast on it there as well. Love this ski and I sing its praises to anyone who puts the word playful in their list of wants.

The Nordica Santa Ana 93 is a solid choice too, but damper and less playful. All winds down to what you enjoy and what your priorities are.

Another vote on length here - in any of these you want to be in the 160s.

 

[SierraLuLu]

I vote for a Sheeva 9 demo if you decide you want to consider an alternative ski to the Santa Ana 93.

I really wanted to demo the Sheeva 9 but Mammoth didn’t have it. I don’t think I’ll have time for another demo day before I have to buy skis. I was ready to buy the Sheevas sight unseen if I found the Nordicas too aggressive, but the Nordicas were so much fun (I felt like I could ski anything) that I’m leaning towards buying them in the 161s and pushing away my FOMO.

 

[contesstant]

If you got a bit tired skiing the 153 Santa Ana, the 161 will be that much more tiring, especially in crud. That was one of the things I didn't care for with that ski, it was a lot of work to ski for me, but the shorter length lacked the stability I like.

 

[Analisa]

As kind of a caveat to @contesstant's comment, sometimes the tiring factor is just that the skis are longer/heavier (especially if you've been on rentals). Sometimes it doesn't. If you've got FOMO, Evo does price matching and has a 365 day return policy, so you could pick up a pair but do some more demoing before you commit with a mount.

 

[santacruz skier]

The Santa Ana 93 is on my list of skis I want to demo along with the Blizzard Sheeva 9, Elan Ripstick 88 and maybe Santa Ana 88 (last choice but could be a winner)......
I ski mostly Tahoe with annual trips other places but would be nice to have something that'll work well for Taos....

 

[SierraLuLu]

As kind of a caveat to @contesstant's comment, sometimes the tiring factor is just that the skis are longer/heavier (especially if you've been on rentals).

This was mostly in comparison to the super-light Salomon’s I tried earlier in the day (almost identical shape but 8cm longer and significantly lighter). They weren’t that tiring going downhill as they were super easy to turn, but they were definitely more tiring uphill. I’m wondering if they’d feel lighter without demo bindings though. Honestly I haven’t even thought much about bindings yet.

 

[SierraLuLu]

I ended up buying the Santa Ana’s in 161. I saved another $100 by getting Evo to price match based on some small shop selling them cheaper. There’s no way to know 100% if they’re the perfect ski but I’m super excited to try these out! This thread has been immensely helpful.

 

[ski diva]

I ended up buying the Santa Ana’s in 161. I saved another $100 by getting Evo to price match based on some small shop selling them cheaper. There’s no way to know 100% if they’re the perfect ski but I’m super excited to try these out! This thread has been immensely helpful.

Congratulations! Let us know how they work out.