Hi All -
Just wanted to share thoughts on some skis I demoed this past week in Beaver Creek, Co. I'm 5"4, 117 lbs. and an advanced skier. I was looking for all mountain skis that can rip and be stable on groomers, but have some pep and energy, especially in the bumps! I am not a super fast skier, although sometimes I'm forced to zip to keep up with the hubby and kids, so I didn't want anything that felt unstable or chattery.
Keep in mind in reading the below, that I'm on the lighter side, which I affects the level of stiffness I like when hopping around in bumps.
Black Pearls 88 160cm- Fantastic, stable, damp carvers. Ripped it on the groomers, slicing like butter. Did not love them in the bumps and sank in snow (maybe not surprising for 88s, but they seemed to have less width and shovel than some of the others I tried). But overall, I really liked them and I can see why there are so popular. I think they are just too stiff for me, and I like a more playful ski, so decided to try some others....
Stockli Nela 88 (160) - Amazingly damp, stable ski that ripped the groomers, cut through chop and felt like they could blast through cement, without feeling planky. They are definitely in a class of their own, although I will say the BP felt similar in the sense the were also damp and great carvers (at a much lower price). When I skied these, I understood what folks meant by the term "confidence building". They are so stable that they just propelled me to blast down the mountain (or at least that's how I felt). Having said that, they felt long in the bumps and just to much work on that terrain.
K2 Mindbenders 89ti 158cm- Second choice. Great carvers and very stable. A little more flex - which made them a little more playful and better in the bumps. Pretty decent float for a narrower ski. Great ski - there were the skis I was going to buy until...
Elan Ripstick - 162 - These were the surprise for me and the last ski I tried. They are definitely somewhat softer than above skis (no metal, just carbon), but still felt very stable and anchored while carving the groomers. As I mentioned, I am not a high speed skier, but I did test them on really hard packed, in some cases slightly icy, conditions, and they felt solid. They also have a ton of energy and I loved the way they felt with both short, poppy turns and longer carves. These skis had the balance between stability and playfulness that I was looking for. Also tried these in the Black version at 93 underfoot, but did not find them as agile or quick edge to edge (not surprising since the blacks have a different construction).
I also tried the Santa Ana 93s, which I also liked, but skied a little short for me and the longer size was just too long, Atomic Mavens in a 93, which were a nice ski, but didn't thrill, and the Sheeva 9, which didn't feel super stable, but the length I tried may have been too short.
-Yvonne
Just wanted to share thoughts on some skis I demoed this past week in Beaver Creek, Co. I'm 5"4, 117 lbs. and an advanced skier. I was looking for all mountain skis that can rip and be stable on groomers, but have some pep and energy, especially in the bumps! I am not a super fast skier, although sometimes I'm forced to zip to keep up with the hubby and kids, so I didn't want anything that felt unstable or chattery.
Keep in mind in reading the below, that I'm on the lighter side, which I affects the level of stiffness I like when hopping around in bumps. Black Pearls 88 160cm- Fantastic, stable, damp carvers. Ripped it on the groomers, slicing like butter. Did not love them in the bumps and sank in snow (maybe not surprising for 88s, but they seemed to have less width and shovel than some of the others I tried). But overall, I really liked them and I can see why there are so popular. I think they are just too stiff for me, and I like a more playful ski, so decided to try some others....
Stockli Nela 88 (160) - Amazingly damp, stable ski that ripped the groomers, cut through chop and felt like they could blast through cement, without feeling planky. They are definitely in a class of their own, although I will say the BP felt similar in the sense the were also damp and great carvers (at a much lower price). When I skied these, I understood what folks meant by the term "confidence building". They are so stable that they just propelled me to blast down the mountain (or at least that's how I felt). Having said that, they felt long in the bumps and just to much work on that terrain.
K2 Mindbenders 89ti 158cm- Second choice. Great carvers and very stable. A little more flex - which made them a little more playful and better in the bumps. Pretty decent float for a narrower ski. Great ski - there were the skis I was going to buy until...
Elan Ripstick - 162 - These were the surprise for me and the last ski I tried. They are definitely somewhat softer than above skis (no metal, just carbon), but still felt very stable and anchored while carving the groomers. As I mentioned, I am not a high speed skier, but I did test them on really hard packed, in some cases slightly icy, conditions, and they felt solid. They also have a ton of energy and I loved the way they felt with both short, poppy turns and longer carves. These skis had the balance between stability and playfulness that I was looking for. Also tried these in the Black version at 93 underfoot, but did not find them as agile or quick edge to edge (not surprising since the blacks have a different construction).
I also tried the Santa Ana 93s, which I also liked, but skied a little short for me and the longer size was just too long, Atomic Mavens in a 93, which were a nice ski, but didn't thrill, and the Sheeva 9, which didn't feel super stable, but the length I tried may have been too short.
-Yvonne
