Cambridge Kate
Certified Ski Diva
After floundering around in fresh powder during a trip to Jackson Hole, I decided to ditch my Eastern skis and demo some fatties. My usual skis are Nordica Olympia Victory 74-cm-waist skis. Compared to what most people were using at JH, these were ridiculously skinny. So I went to the demo shop.
First pair: K2 Phat Luv's. Waist of something around 100 cm. They didn't have my length so we went with a giganteous 168. This was a WHOLE lotta ski. I took them to Apres Vous where there was a choice of tree-powder and groomer-easy stuff.
I was astonished by how easily they turned. I mean, these are big planks. They went THUNK when I moved them from one edge to the other. But in the powder, they slinked from side to side effortlessly. And on groomed surface they carved albeit with one size of turn only, and with some strain to the foot. Encouraged, I took them up the mountain to the Thunder lift.
Amphitheatre was plastered with wind-packed crusted powder. I figured it was a pretty good trial. I hit the crust at a good speed and sliced through it like butter. What a joy! These skis were great fun. They stayed on top of the weird snow instead of sinking in like my usual skis would have done.
I rode them down to the rental shop and traded them for....
Fischer Vision Zeal. They seemed like not enough ski - I mean, only 84 cm waist, which is only 10 cm more than my current skis. But I gave them a fair trial. And I was totally blown away!
I took them into places that I wouldn't ordinarily try.
The more I used them, the more confidence I had that I could ski anything. This is a sweet sweet ski. I think it wouldn't do for really deep powder - just not enough float. But shy of that, this ski was lively and nimble and predictable. Loved it.
Back to the demo shop for....
Dynastar Exclusive Legend Powder. Something around an 88 waist. I was warned that these would be softer than the Fischers. It seems that softer means less responsive. I commanded: Turn NOW! and they responded: Awww, do we have to? Oh, all right.... Kind of sluggish and sloppy. Even so...
they got me down this and this...
I took them back and tried out....
K2 Tough Luv's. Another 88 waist, if I recall correctly.
Maybe I was just getting tired. Maybe conditions were changing. But I loathed these skis. They seemed to have all the weaknesses and none of the strengths of their big sister Phat Luv. I slopped around on them for 2 hours but found them too soft, with no torsional strength. I just wanted to get off of them.
I could be wildly happy forever and ever with the Phat Luvs for powder days and the Fischer Vision Zeals for everything else. Honest, I'd never need another ski for the rest of my life.
But what do I do with the three pairs I already own?
Cambridge Kate
First pair: K2 Phat Luv's. Waist of something around 100 cm. They didn't have my length so we went with a giganteous 168. This was a WHOLE lotta ski. I took them to Apres Vous where there was a choice of tree-powder and groomer-easy stuff.
I was astonished by how easily they turned. I mean, these are big planks. They went THUNK when I moved them from one edge to the other. But in the powder, they slinked from side to side effortlessly. And on groomed surface they carved albeit with one size of turn only, and with some strain to the foot. Encouraged, I took them up the mountain to the Thunder lift.
Amphitheatre was plastered with wind-packed crusted powder. I figured it was a pretty good trial. I hit the crust at a good speed and sliced through it like butter. What a joy! These skis were great fun. They stayed on top of the weird snow instead of sinking in like my usual skis would have done.
I rode them down to the rental shop and traded them for....
Fischer Vision Zeal. They seemed like not enough ski - I mean, only 84 cm waist, which is only 10 cm more than my current skis. But I gave them a fair trial. And I was totally blown away!
I took them into places that I wouldn't ordinarily try.
The more I used them, the more confidence I had that I could ski anything. This is a sweet sweet ski. I think it wouldn't do for really deep powder - just not enough float. But shy of that, this ski was lively and nimble and predictable. Loved it.
Back to the demo shop for....
Dynastar Exclusive Legend Powder. Something around an 88 waist. I was warned that these would be softer than the Fischers. It seems that softer means less responsive. I commanded: Turn NOW! and they responded: Awww, do we have to? Oh, all right.... Kind of sluggish and sloppy. Even so...
they got me down this and this...
I took them back and tried out....
K2 Tough Luv's. Another 88 waist, if I recall correctly.
Maybe I was just getting tired. Maybe conditions were changing. But I loathed these skis. They seemed to have all the weaknesses and none of the strengths of their big sister Phat Luv. I slopped around on them for 2 hours but found them too soft, with no torsional strength. I just wanted to get off of them.
I could be wildly happy forever and ever with the Phat Luvs for powder days and the Fischer Vision Zeals for everything else. Honest, I'd never need another ski for the rest of my life.
But what do I do with the three pairs I already own?
Cambridge Kate
