Demo Day 12/29/07

[skigirl]

Demo Day 12/29/07
Conditions: Well this is going to be hard to describe! It rained hard from 9pm until 5am. When I got to the hill and took my first run on my own skis it was Solid, ungroomed, bullet proof ice at 35 degrees!! The whole hill set up after it stopped raining. As the day went on it did soften to spring conditions, yes spring conditions in December. The conditions made for an interesting demo day. East coast Divas I am sure you can relate, west coast Divas you are so lucky you never ski on anything like what we had this morning!!

My background: Ski Instructor for 25 years.

First ski of the day on the ice: Nordica Olympia Speed in a 146cm with a 10.8 meter radius. This ski was fun! It still had it's factory edge on it and it held very well on the ice. This is a very quick and fast slalom ski that loves to rail down the fall line. I also tried this ski again later in the day when the snow got soft and mushy and it was still fun! This ski only wants to do short turns down the fall line. It's not for the faint of heart. I had a blast on this ski but I would not want to ski it all day.

Second ski of the day still on ice: Fischer Vision Vapor in a 155cm with a 14 meter radius. This ski held great on the ice. It is really happy doing GS turns. It railed very nice GS turns on the ice. Very stable, easy to turn, and smooth.

Third ski of the Day on a mixture of ice at the top and softer snow half way down: Fischer Vision Exhale in a 145cm with 12 meter radius. This is a great ski for intermediates. This ski is very easy to turn and will do many different turn sizes and shapes. It was good on the ice. It was great in the soft snow at the bottom. This ski does have a speed limit but is a lot of fun.

Forth Ski of the Day on the mixture of ice and soft snow: Rossignol Attraxion 5 in a 146cm with a 10 meter radius. This is a very easy to turn user friendly ski. It would be a nice intermediate ski but I did not consider it a High End ski because it was slow. It was very smooth and stable but slow. It did not mind any of the conditions I skied it in. It was also willing to do different turn sizes.

Fifth ski of the day, still some ice on top and getting heavier as you head toward the bottom: Nordica Olympia Fire Fox in a 154cm with a 12 meter radius. This ski held a nice edge on the ice and it was very nice in the heavy soft snow too. This ski was happy doing any turn size I asked it too. It was not as quick as the Speed but it was much happier doing a variety of turns sizes unlike the Speed that only wanted to rail short turns down the fall line.

Sixth ski of the day, still a little ice and a lot of soft heavy snow: Nordica Olymipa Conquer in a 154cm with a 14 meter radius and 84 under foot. This is not and ice ski, but I did not expect it to be. I did not like this ski in the conditions I skied it in. It is smooth and easy to turn but I was a bit disappointed at how it skied in the heavy stuff. It is a heavy ski and just too wide for my taste. I liked the Speed in the soft stuff better.

Seventh and Final ski of the day, a little ice and a lot of heavy stuff: Fischer Vision Breeze in a 155cm with 14 meter radius. This is a really nice ski. This ski was happy on the ice and in the heavy stuff. It is very easy to turn and is happy doing any size turn you ask of it. It is very smooth and stable at any speed and any turn size. It had a 14 meter radius but I could still get it to come around quick when I asked it too. This ski is my over all pick for a nice ski to ski on all day in any conditions.

Over all impressions: The most fun of the day goes to the Nordica Olympia Speed! This ski had my hair on fire!! WOW!!

My choice for the best high end ski to ski all day goes to the Fischer Vision Breeze.

Best intermediate ski Choice goes to the Fischer Vision Exhale.

I wish that they had the Fire Fox, the Breeze and, Vapor in shorter lengths. :(

Sadly they closed up shop at 2pm and I ran out of time to do more. I am sorry about that. :Cry:

Get out an Demo when you can.

 

[num]

Sounds like tons of fun, despite the conditions. I'm so ready for a major demo day.

 

[SnowEssie]

Hi skigirl,

Terrible conditions but still it sounds like you had fun trying. You wanted to continue more than you were happy they stopped! So still jealous of you.
About your end remark on the skilengths I was already wondering cause you have tested anything from 1.46 to 1.55 what is your own height and weight? (If possible can you write it down in metrical sizes as well?) I am a bit disappointed you preferred the Breeze over the Vapor because I prefer the looks of the Vapor . If I understand correctly you only used the Vapor on ice and not in heavy stuff like you did with the Breeze right?
Can anyone tell me what GS turns are? My English (ski) vocabulary is not up to these abbreviations yet. (Although by now I get that DH is the husband? )

 

[skigirl]

Hi skigirl,

Terrible conditions but still it sounds like you had fun trying. You wanted to continue more than you were happy they stopped! So still jealous of you.
About your end remark on the skilengths I was already wondering cause you have tested anything from 1.46 to 1.55 what is your own height and weight? (If possible can you write it down in metrical sizes as well?) I am a bit disappointed you preferred the Breeze over the Vapor because I prefer the looks of the Vapor . If I understand correctly you only used the Vapor on ice and not in heavy stuff like you did with the Breeze right?
Can anyone tell me what GS turns are? My English (ski) vocabulary is not up to these abbreviations yet. (Although by now I get that DH is the husband? )

GS means Giant Slalom turns or long turns. The Vapor is a very nice ski. I did ski it in a bit of the softer snow at the bottom and it was fine. All the Fischers that I have skied have been good in all conditions. The Vapor is much stiffer than the Breeze and it really prefers long turns. If that is what you like than you may like it.

The Breeze was willing to do a larger variety of turn styles with less work.

I am 5'2" and about 120lbs. If you ask goolge for 120 pounds in KG it will give it to you. I like short snappy slalom skis. I like to turn fast and often. I tested the lengths that they had. I tested the 155cm because that was the only length they had. Yes I would like to test the Vapor and the Breeze in shorter lengths because I like the 146cm to 152cm range. I don't like anything longer than 152cm. My new boots have made me really like the 146cm range now!! I may be buying more skis. :Cry:


I hope this helps. I am off to ski now. I will answer any more questions when I get home.

My favorite Fischer is still The Vision 70.

 

[abc]

A lb is about 2.2 kg, so 120 lb is around 55kg. 5'2"...mmm, about 157cm. (I lived in both world so conversion is something I do mentally all the time)

skigirl, since we're on the subject, I'd like to pick your brain on another ski size issue. When you say you "like the 146cm to 152cm range" and then your "new boots have made me really like the 146cm range now"... you seem to have developed a strong preference to length.

So, how would you describe the difference when the length is "too long" vs. "just right" when you're out on the snow? This is an issue I'm currently trying to grapple with...

 

[SnowEssie]

Sure off skiing again, just rub it in!

So you are 1.57m and 55 kg. (Thanks abc) Since the sizes of the skis do not always represent their actual length can you tell me how it was with the Vapor and the Breeze? You tested both in a 1.55, were you barely longer than the skis or have you not checked that? I am 1.75m and 65 kg myself which is 5 ft 9" and 144 lbs I think. So I was thinking of the Vapor 1.65. The Breeze only goes up to 1.60. Like abc I think the sizing issue is difficult.

If I remember correctly I read somewhere you are an expert skier? Too bad I cant say that for myself , but I am already happy I can call myself advanced (yes I think I am honest here). In the SkiPressWorld Skifinder the Breeze is meant for intermediate and Vapor for advanced so I am bit surprised.
Ok so GS understood now. The thing is short turns are not my strongest point so a ski that makes that easier would be better if I am honest.
I had so hoped your review would confirm what I wanted but I now doubt is creeping in again:mad:

 

[num]

Hi skigirl,

I am a bit disappointed you preferred the Breeze over the Vapor because I prefer the looks of the Vapor .

The vapor does have a might nice topsheet.

 

[skigirl]

SnowEssie, where do you ski? What kind of skier are you? Do you like short turns or long turns? At the weight you are 65KG/ 144lbs I would tell you to ski on a 150cm to a 155cm. Do Not buy a ski because you like how the top looks!!

abc and SnowEssie: If it helps any my husband is also an instructor and a great skier. He is 210lbs, he skis on a 160cm, that is down from a 170cm last season. The better we get at this technology the shorter we both keep going. We both like slalom skis. I can tell the difference between a 155cm ski and a 152cm ski. That is because of the many years of training that I have. It is a lot easier for me to put a skier on the right length if I have seen them ski. If I have not seen them ski I can only give a range to go with based on their weight and level skier they say they are.

I keep going shorter the better I get on this technology for a few reasons. My new boots have allowed me to ski more on my inside ski than my old ones did. This means that I need a shorter ski so I can track better and faster, if the skis are too long they will not track correctly. The other thing that is happening is that because I am putting more weight on my inside ski I am not putting as much weight on my outside ski so I need shorter skis to be able to bend them. Skis got shorter because they got wider, we still ski on the same amount of surface area as our old straight skis. We used to only ski on the downhill ski on old straight skis. Now we ski on both skis. We can only put so many pounds or KG per square inch or CM into a ski. So if I am putting more of my pounds per square inch into my uphill ski I no longer have those pounds to put into my downhill ski so I need to reduce my surface area so I can get the same performance as before. This translates to shorter skis.


The Vapor was a nice, stable, fast, and smooth stiff GS type ski. The Breeze was also smooth, fast, and stable but more versitile.

I hope this helps.

 

[Native Vail Gal]

EXCELLENT review of Demo Days! :D

You have a wonderful way of making a tough day sound FABULOUS!!!!!!!!

 

[SnowEssie]

Hi skigirl,

Thanks a lot for your elaborate reply. I totally understand your technical explanation about surface, pressure, skiing both skis etc. But I have a hard time imagining myself on a 1.50 ski. Of course I know I should not go for the looks of the ski but I might decide to rent instead of buying if I dont like the looks. If there going to be mine I want to be able to like the looks as well. On a positive note I can say the Vision Breeze is starting to grow on me as well!
I ski in Europe (I'm from the Netherlands) so I dont know whether that tells you anything? It will be Wengen, Switzerland and Fieberbrunn, Austria most of the time. Wengen will be mainly piste (preferably blacks) and a little bit beside the piste but not really off-piste in the sence that you have to hike first. Fieberbrunn will be mainly off-piste, the kind that requires some hiking here and there; and if off-piste is impossible it will be moguls, blacks and some carving afternoons. I will ski in mist and snow as well as sunny wheater conditions The conditions in both places will vary enormously. I've been on black piste when it snowed so hard they could not groom it which meant literally knee-deep in snow on the piste! There will be slush, there will be ice,you name it I will probably come across it in either or both of these places. So this is why I really want an all-mountain ski.


In november issue of the Dutch ski-magazine they wrote that any girl who was gonna buy an all-mountain should go around 1.77m! I thought that was either insane or a huge misprint. (Dutch people are longest in the world but my 1.75m is still larger than average). The Fischer website product finder only asks for height and not weight which I think is odd because I guess they know that weight is important at least as much. So all of this leaves me more confused than ever
I really appreciate the serious reactions you give. So please let me know what you think.