Frontside & moguls - what should be on my demo list?

[slow_biscuits]

AZ Snowbowl is my home mountain. But we go up to Purgatory frequently and usually do 3-4 of the other Colorado places each year. This year we’ve done Purgatory, Monarch, Breckenridge, and hitting up Vail and BC next week for spring break.

We get a fair bit of hard snow and ice at Snowbowl because of the freeze/thaw down here at this latitude. And a lot of wind that just blows off the new snow. Feels just like the East

what else did your friend try?

 

[Verve]

Feels just like the East

Haha fun! Well, maybe relevant to your search, I skied the new Volkl Blaze (the 106) yesterday and they’ve added an ash wood core to that line and wrapped the metal around more of the edge underfoot. Previous iterations of the blaze had a rep for being fragile - but the people I know who had issues were all heavier, more aggressive male skiers. As other have said, the narrower versions of the Blaze have a solid rep here and hopefully these changes have made them sturdier. I really enjoy the K2 Mindbender 89ti as well. Might be heavier than you prefer? When my friend Joanie actually got on some mid heavy skis like the Kenja she found she preferred them.

 

[slow_biscuits]

Haha fun! Well, maybe relevant to your search, I skied the new Volkl Blaze (the 106) yesterday and they’ve added an ash wood core to that line and wrapped the metal around more of the edge underfoot. Previous iterations of the blaze had a rep for being fragile - but the people I know who had issues were all heavier, more aggressive male skiers. As other have said, the narrower versions of the Blaze have a solid rep here and hopefully these changes have made them sturdier. I really enjoy the K2 Mindbender 89ti as well. Might be heavier than you prefer? When my friend Joanie actually got on some mid heavy skis like the Kenja she found she preferred them.

Thanks for this. So this newer Blaze is sturdier then? A shop was telling me the Blaze was going to be too flexible if I wanted something stiffer than the old Yumi. I’d want a waist <100. If only I could demo a couple new skis every weekend. The season is too short and my wallet is too thin lol.

 

[Verve]

Thanks for this. So this newer Blaze is sturdier then? A shop was telling me the Blaze was going to be too flexible if I wanted something stiffer than the old Yumi. I’d want a waist <100. If only I could demo a couple new skis every weekend. The season is too short and my wallet is too thin lol.

I hear you! It will be a bit stiffer than previous years but I’m not 100% sure how it would stack against the yumi and all those laminates. Sadly I can’t ski a Yumi to compare - too tall!
I did take the 104 Blaze down a fairly icy, very steep trail and found that while its edge hold can’t compare to their heavier skis like the Kenja it was competent in those conditions. As always, it’s a question of where you want to have the most fun!

 

[Beckster]

Quoting your whole post because I have multiple thoughts here...

First, at 5'9" and 170lbs, I would recommend trying some longer skis. 163 is pretty short, and this could be leading to your instability in moguls and variable terrain. Same goes for icy slopes...putting aside that 98 is pretty wide for an icy day...a short ski can lead to instability, and thus less grip on firm terrain. I'd recommend demoing some skis in the low-mid 170s length. You're probably going to have a tough time finding women's skis to demo in these lengths...don't be afraid to try out some men's/unisex skis.

With that said...what lengths did you demo previously (in the SA100, Lux and Yumi)? If they were in the same range as your Mindbender, it's not a surprise to me that you found the Lux squirrelly, and might not have been enthralled with the SA.

I few that come to mind that might fit your wants in moguls and on the frontside:
Fischer Ranger 84 or 90
Blizzard Black Pearl (or Brahma) 82
Blizzard Sheeva 9 (or Rustler 9)
Rossignol Experience 82Ti or Basalt
Salomon Stance 84 or 88
K2 Mindbender 89Ti

I 2nd your opinion about increasing the ski length, especially for the given size and weight.

 

[TiffAlt]

Thanks for this. So this newer Blaze is sturdier then? A shop was telling me the Blaze was going to be too flexible if I wanted something stiffer than the old Yumi. I’d want a waist <100. If only I could demo a couple new skis every weekend. The season is too short and my wallet is too thin lol.

The current Blaze in 86 does not have titanal, while the current Yumi does - but just around the binding platform. I think the older Yumi did not have titanal either. But metal isn't the only thing that makes a ski feel more stable and your Yumi is short - length aids in stability. With all the changes in construction over the years and in a better length for you, I wouldn't dismiss the Blaze 96 out of hand. I think it's worth a try to see how you actually feel on it.

 

[tika55]

AZ Snowbowl is my home mountain. But we go up to Purgatory frequently and usually do 3-4 of the other Colorado places each year. This year we’ve done Purgatory, Monarch, Breckenridge, and hitting up Vail and BC next week for spring break.

We get a fair bit of hard snow and ice at Snowbowl because of the freeze/thaw down here at this latitude. And a lot of wind that just blows off the new snow. Feels just like the East

what else did your friend try?

Aww Snowbowl! The first place I really loved skiing. (I lived in PHX for a while.)

 

[tinymoose]

Just keep in mind if you're talking old vs. new Yumi, the addition of the titanal band isn't really "new" at this point. It was in my 2018 Yumis so they haven't made an all-wood Yumi in some time (7+ yrs?).

 

[Trailside Trixie]

I never buy a mogul specific ski because I like to ski everything but what I do have that's decent in bumps are my Stockli Stormrider 85 motions 167 and 168, Head WIld Joy. I dont love my Renoun Z90s in bumps as I find them a bit rigid for that. My Stockli Stormrider 95s and 100s are great in bumps. I have a pair of Dynastar slalom skis that are 67 underfoot and they are great in moderate bumps. My Volks Secret 96s are pretty great in bumps also.

 

[slow_biscuits]

The current Blaze in 86 does not have titanal, while the current Yumi does - but just around the binding platform. I think the older Yumi did not have titanal either. But metal isn't the only thing that makes a ski feel more stable and your Yumi is short - length aids in stability. With all the changes in construction over the years and in a better length for you, I wouldn't dismiss the Blaze 96 out of hand. I think it's worth a try to see how you actually feel on it.

Right, I think length alone will help. Yes my old Yumis are metal-free. I’ll put the Blaze back on the list.

 

[mustski]

Both the Kendo and Kenja have gone through several iterations since then and from what I can gather, are both lighter and more forgiving now. You might want to give a newer model another chance if you can demo.

Yes, the Kenja/Kendo and Secret/Mantra lines were updated a couple of years ago and are much easier to maneuver. I'm 5'2", 135 lbs, and ski the Secret 96 as a daily driver. I have the 2023 model and haven't tried the 2025 Secret 96 but I read that they have been redesigned. They are referring to it as "4 Radius Drive Design." Apparently, it provides more ability to vary the turn radius and easy handling, I haven't had a chance to try it ... but I want to.

I don't think there are any changes to the construction of the Kenja ... *ahem* ... 2025 Secret 88.

 

[TiffAlt]

Yes, the Kenja/Kendo and Secret/Mantra lines were updated a couple of years ago and are much easier to maneuver. I'm 5'2", 135 lbs, and ski the Secret 96 as a daily driver. I have the 2023 model and haven't tried the 2025 Secret 96 but I read that they have been redesigned. They are referring to it as "4 Radius Drive Design." Apparently, it provides more ability to vary the turn radius and easy handling, I haven't had a chance to try it ... but I want to.

I don't think there are any changes to the construction of the Kenja ... *ahem* ... 2025 Secret 88.

So excited for this too. I'm on the 2023 Yumi 84 with 3D Radius and I really think it makes a difference. Psyched to see what 4D offers!!!! At least three exclamation points worth of excitement!

 

[TiffAlt]

I don't think there are any changes to the construction of the Kenja ... *ahem* ... 2025 Secret 88.

Just to add that I read in another thread here that the 4D Radius design will be added to the Secret 84 and 88. Conversely, I had read in another place that those design changes would be coming, but not as quickly as next iteration, so I guess it's still a bit of "wait and see"

 

[mustski]

Just to add that I read in another thread here that the 4D Radius design will be added to the Secret 84 and 88. Conversely, I had read in another place that those design changes would be coming, but not as quickly as next iteration, so I guess it's still a bit of "wait and see"

I read the same. The plan is to make the change in the 2026 model ... I think.

 

[Verve]

The plan is to make the change in the 2026 model ... I think.

Hmmm now I’m questioning if I got this right. I can double check but my impression from skiing the new Kendo/ Mantra was that these same tip changes were incorporated in the Secret line for 2025 as well. Seems strange not to update the womens line at the same time as these are the same skis in other respects.

Not a great photo but you can see the new Kenja/Secret 88 in the front and the Kendo/Mantra 88 in the back (and that’s the Secret 96 lurking too in teal). According to our rep, the carbon stringers are a little rerouted from 2024 to provide torsional stiffness at the part of the tip where this “4D radius” tech is also added. As noted in the other thread, I didn’t personally isolate what this turn option felt like compared to other years (felt like a small change) but it skis great all around. It’s hard to compare without seeing the same length of ski side by side (pictured is the 156) but the stringers don’t appear wildly rerouted from 2024s skis. I don’t have any info about the Yumi / Secret 84 which wasn’t available to ski that day.

If I learn differently I’ll update!

 

[Verve]

Hmmm now I’m questioning if I got this right. I can double check but my impression from skiing the new Kendo/ Mantra was that these same tip changes were incorporated in the Secret line for 2025 as well. Seems strange not to update the womens line at the same time as these are the same skis in other respects.

Not a great photo but you can see the new Kenja/Secret 88 in the front and the Kendo/Mantra 88 in the back (and that’s the Secret 96 lurking too in teal). According to our rep, the carbon stringers are a little rerouted from 2024 to provide torsional stiffness at the part of the tip where this “4D radius” tech is also added. As noted in the other thread, I didn’t personally isolate what this turn option felt like compared to other years (felt like a small change) but it skis great all around. It’s hard to compare without seeing the same length of ski side by side (pictured is the 156) but the stringers don’t appear wildly rerouted from 2024s skis. I don’t have any info about the Yumi / Secret 84 which wasn’t available to ski that day.

If I learn differently I’ll update!

View attachment 22611

aaaaaaNd I stand corrected! The Mantra M7 and Secret 96 have the tip changes / 4D story first - the narrower skis in the line seem unchanged. Sorry for confusion! Our rep was putting me on the Mantra M7 first but then we swapped for the Kendo 88 at the last minute and I got my stories mixed.

 

[slow_biscuits]

Both the Kendo and Kenja have gone through several iterations since then and from what I can gather, are both lighter and more forgiving now. You might want to give a newer model another chance if you can demo.

I demoed some 2024 Kendos (same as womens Kenja)today and WOW they really are much more nimble than the 2017 Kendos I stole borrowed from the husband.

Conditions were HARD and semi-chunky on spots in the morning, with soft not-quite slush-but-not-powdery-either in the midday and afternoon. I mostly stayed on the groomers but snuck cross trails a few time thru the trees. Crispy crusty snow back there in the shade.

These are still tanks, but they were so much more responsive than the older versions. I wouldn’t go so far as to call them playful but I had a blast bombing down the groomers on these. Hitting crud and chunks like nothing. Had fun making lots of different sized turns on them. They really wanted to go fast. Tho that may have also been the conditions. I didn’t try any moguls or anything requiring tight turns, but I think I would have been challenged there if I had.

I’d like to try the Blaze and the Secret next. And if there’s time, a Sheeva/Rustler.

 

[Trailside Trixie]

Secret 96s are great. I'm a kenja fan from 2015 to 2018. Hated the ones after that. Heard the '23 on its more to my liking so can't wait to try those.

My blazes are super fun.

 

[slow_biscuits]

Secret 96s are great. I'm a kenja fan from 2015 to 2018. Hated the ones after that. Heard the '23 on its more to my liking so can't wait to try those.

My blazes are super fun.

What changes made you hate them? Seems like I’m the opposite since I preferred these 2024s over the 2017s? I didn’t try them between 2018-2024 so I couldn’t compare. If you liked the older versions definitely try this years Kendo/Kenja.

 

[TiffAlt]

I demoed some 2024 Kendos (same as womens Kenja)today and WOW they really are much more nimble than the 2017 Kendos I stole borrowed from the husband.

Conditions were HARD and semi-chunky on spots in the morning, with soft not-quite slush-but-not-powdery-either in the midday and afternoon. I mostly stayed on the groomers but snuck cross trails a few time thru the trees. Crispy crusty snow back there in the shade.

These are still tanks, but they were so much more responsive than the older versions. I wouldn’t go so far as to call them playful but I had a blast bombing down the groomers on these. Hitting crud and chunks like nothing. Had fun making lots of different sized turns on them. They really wanted to go fast. Tho that may have also been the conditions. I didn’t try any moguls or anything requiring tight turns, but I think I would have been challenged there if I had.

I’d like to try the Blaze and the Secret next. And if there’s time, a Sheeva/Rustler.

Sounds like you had loads of fun and that's the most important thing. Can't wait to hear how you like the other skis too. I find crud very punishing, it really tires me out cause I get bounced around so much. Wonder if I should consider a more damp ski like the Kenja...