I got up to Nub's Nob this weekend and got in a half day of demoing. I am a beginner on skis after snowboarding for 10 years. I would say I am a level 5 skier, I am 5'6" and 160lbs. Here are my impressions:
Volkl Attiva Luna 156cm:
These were FUN. They had lots of pop, turned easily at a variety of speeds and in different snow conditions. I would be very happy on these skis, I came back in grinning after demoing them.
Volkl Attiva Tierra 156cm: I think these were just a little too beefy for me at this point. Easy to put on edge, but they seemed to want to go faster than I am comfortable going, and they didn't "pop" for me like the Luna's did.
Rossignol Attraxion III 154cm: I thought these were similar to the Luna, but were damper, and maybe a little noodly. I enjoyed these, but just wasn't thrilled. I did notice that the bindings were fairly flat to the skis, maybe that was part of it?
Dynastar Exclusive Sensation 158cm? (might have been 153's): I didn't care for these. I found it hard to get the tails around in steep powder, which I think may have been because of their more forward mounting point. They felt a little noodly to me. Something about these skis really didn't work for me, I can't quite figure out why but I fell a couple of times on these skis, and felt clumsy in general.
I ran out of time, but in talking to the guys at the Tech Center suggested the Dynastar Exclusive Fluid or Fluid Limited as skis that might have some of the same qualities that I enjoyed in the Luna. I also got a suggestion to try some twin tips, which I hadn't really considered before. I would like to get up there for another day of demo's before I buy. The guys at the Tech Center were knowledgeable and friendly, and they have a good variety of brands and models to demo.
The only thing that I wonder about is how my impressions might change on the icy hardpack that is typical of my local bump. I know Volkl's have a reputation for being good in icy conditions, has anyone skied the Luna's in icy conditions?
Volkl Attiva Luna 156cm:
These were FUN. They had lots of pop, turned easily at a variety of speeds and in different snow conditions. I would be very happy on these skis, I came back in grinning after demoing them.Volkl Attiva Tierra 156cm: I think these were just a little too beefy for me at this point. Easy to put on edge, but they seemed to want to go faster than I am comfortable going, and they didn't "pop" for me like the Luna's did.
Rossignol Attraxion III 154cm: I thought these were similar to the Luna, but were damper, and maybe a little noodly. I enjoyed these, but just wasn't thrilled. I did notice that the bindings were fairly flat to the skis, maybe that was part of it?
Dynastar Exclusive Sensation 158cm? (might have been 153's): I didn't care for these. I found it hard to get the tails around in steep powder, which I think may have been because of their more forward mounting point. They felt a little noodly to me. Something about these skis really didn't work for me, I can't quite figure out why but I fell a couple of times on these skis, and felt clumsy in general.
I ran out of time, but in talking to the guys at the Tech Center suggested the Dynastar Exclusive Fluid or Fluid Limited as skis that might have some of the same qualities that I enjoyed in the Luna. I also got a suggestion to try some twin tips, which I hadn't really considered before. I would like to get up there for another day of demo's before I buy. The guys at the Tech Center were knowledgeable and friendly, and they have a good variety of brands and models to demo.
The only thing that I wonder about is how my impressions might change on the icy hardpack that is typical of my local bump. I know Volkl's have a reputation for being good in icy conditions, has anyone skied the Luna's in icy conditions?
