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

[slow_biscuits]

@MissySki 36 inches fresh snow sounds like a lot for your area? And it's probably dry not sierra cement like we get. However, I can always tell if I'm sitting back in powder - major quad burn ! You need the Sheeva 10's for that kind of powder!

Lololol 100% missed you were talking to missyski not me sorry I wasn’t wearing my glasses hahaha

 

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Oh no no no no, sitting back makes it impossible to drive the ski with any control. I’m so comfortable and relaxed in powder and crud but I’m not an instructor. So in order to advise my eager and inquiring friends, I started watching YouTube powder skiing tutorials in order to pick up some easy tips. Every tutorial I watched started with a „trampoline bouncing“ excercise on a moderate slope. If you gently bounce on a trampoline you must keep even pressure on your feet and your knees forward in order to keep balanced. Each bounce will transfer weight into the camber of the ski and automatically drive the ski into a turn. Then all you need is some hip/core movement to control the direction. Second tip is „speed is your friend“. Let the simple trampoline bounce and your velocity carry you through each turn. The faster you drive the ski into the snow, the easier it is for the ski to turn and to arch a full stop when necessary. Don’t force the turn and don’t round out the turn. It should be a relaxing floating sensation as you bounce left then right. Start on a gentle slope until you get that feeling.
Also on YouTube, an instructor remove one of his skis to make a demonstration. He tilted the ski with the tail in the snow to show how one would have to fight hard to turn the ski. Then he angled the ski‘s tip into the powder to demonstrate the ease of a tip driven powder turn.
I can honestly say that these 2 simple tips (tramp bounce and speed) changed 4 of my ski pals powder skiing this season. Check out YouTube powder and crud techniques. You‘ll be loving the fluff in no time!!

Thank you! Appreciate this. Makes sense why my bouncy little hop turns felt easier than leaning on the tails.

 

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OK Ski Divas, I would LOVE your thoughts. I'm planning to hit the women's demo day at Loveland in April and want to make a list of skis to try. Currently I ski the K2 Mindbender 98ti 163 cm as my only ski. I'm 5'9", about 170 lb and strong (powerlifter). I absolutely adore these skis in powder and in good groomed conditions but I don't love them in other situations. I'm considering getting one (or two?) additional skis for different conditions.

I ski mostly Ikon pass resorts in CO (Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper). I'd call myself an advanced intermediate. I can make it down anything but it might not be graceful.

Would like to find some skis that work better in:

- Moguls: My kids love moguls and I don't hate them. I'm much better this year having upgraded from an 85 flex to a 105 flex boot. However, I still feel like they are a bit tiring to manage and I get cooked out about halfway down a black mogul run.
- Ice: In early season conditions I had no bite on the Mindbenders and took a lot of icy falls. Possibly need to improve my form too but I'm not averse to buying skills.

Things I have demoed in the past and liked/disliked:
- Nordica Santa Ana 100 (older version): This was OK. I didn't hate it but also felt it was not as fun as the Mindbender 98ti.
- Salomon QST Lux 92: I hated this ski. I'm not sure why. Used for a weekend in decent early season conditions. It felt squirrely and not fun to me.
- Volkl Yumi: Used in good mid-season groomed conditions at Keystone. This was a few years ago when my skills were less good. Really really loved this ski.

Skis on my radar:
- Nordica Santa Ana 88: Seems to be a good all-rounder but I'm hesistant due to my meh feelings for the 100.
- Volkl Kenja: Lots of recs for this one.

So @tika55 what did you demo? Did you find something you love?

 

[tika55]

So @tika55 what did you demo? Did you find something you love?

Nothing yet, demo day next week!

 

[slow_biscuits]

I’ve demoed a few skis but unfortunately not everything I wanted due to time/availability. However I’ve narrowed what I want a bit. Considering buying something without demoing and hoping for the best

to summarize- my situation was really similar to @tika55 (the OP). I’m 5’11”, athletic, 170 pounds. I’m on 2017 metal-free Volkl Yumis at 161cm that I love, but skills have outgrown. Mostly ski the southwest and southern Colorado. I like to charge hard but I’ve also started taking on bumps and trees more this year. I really like the short Yumi for that. I borrow my husband's 2024 Kendos (170cm) for when I want to blast or groomer zoom, so looking for something not too stiff to complement that, but still has good edge hold because we get icy hard pack here. I want something mid 80 to mid 90 waist. I always err on the side of a shorter ski because I prioritize quick turns over stability at speed.

Nordica Santa Ana 93 at 174cm - didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. It was fine. Didn’t wow me. Felt really damp. Maybe just because I’m used to overdriving my short Yumis and feeling every bump?

Volkl Blaze 88 at 172cm - liked it ok but had deep, heavy, wet snow that day, wasn’t great for that. I couldn’t really tell what it would do on groomers as nothing was groomed that day. Concerned it won’t be “bitey” enough for carving our hard pack, but not sure. Didn’t love the boring graphics either.

Volkl Kendo 88 at 170 cm- bought this ski, but technically it my husband’s lol. Don’t want a Kenja or anything too similar because I can ski this when I want.

I want something less directional/burly than the Kendo, while retaining the great edge grip. I want something that gives me more feedback than the Santa Ana, but sturdier than the Yumi. I want a shorter turn radius so I can keep progressing in trees and bumps. I don’t care too much about float because 80% of my time is on groomers, and 15% moguls, or trees and it’s rarely deep. Though it would be nice to have something that’s decent on shallow powder, which is why I’m looking at all-mountain skis. I’ll look into a wider powder ski later.

Here’s what I’ve narrowed to:

Sheeva 9 - would buy based on reputation but can’t find it anywhere on sale. Found a good price on a Rustler 9 but there’s metal under the binding plate on the Rustler 9 while the Sheeva 9 has fiberglass. Feel like I’d prefer the Sheeva construction?

Nordica Unleashed - supposed to be more flexible than the Enforcer, so might retain some of what I like about my Yumis? Supposed to still be a decent carver?

Salomon Stance 88 or 90 - sound like a solid carver that does ok in trees/bumps? Less burly than the full metal skis. Would keep me happy on groomers but still be ok to keep me progressing elsewhere?

Fischer Ranger 90 or 96- I’m intrigued by this ski and I like the understated top sheet graphics. Sounds like what I’d like from reviews. Bases are extruded. Not wild about that.

Volkl Kanjo - more flexy than the Kendo, but comes in longer lengths than the Yumi which tops out at 168. Don’t love the top sheet this year. Liked last years orange sheet but can’t find any in a 175cm.

Mindbender 90c - not 100% sure about all carbon?
Mindbender 89ti - too similar to the Kendo?
Concerned about quality issues with K2 recently? Also are the bases extruded?

I know this is a lot. If you’ve read this far and have advice I’d love to hear it!

 

[slow_biscuits]

I’ve demoed a few skis but unfortunately not everything I wanted due to time/availability. However I’ve narrowed what I want a bit. Considering buying something without demoing and hoping for the best

…

Ok yea, I’m replying to myself …

I decided I had analysis paralysis and just went looking for the best deals I could find.

I found last year’s Secret 96 and Kanjo 84, new, at great prices. So ….of course I bought both . Might be lucky enough to use one or both this year - but if not, they’ll be waiting for me in December.

 

[Seaglass Skier]

I’ve demoed a few skis but unfortunately not everything I wanted due to time/availability. However I’ve narrowed what I want a bit. Considering buying something without demoing and hoping for the best

to summarize- my situation was really similar to @tika55 (the OP). I’m 5’11”, athletic, 170 pounds. I’m on 2017 metal-free Volkl Yumis at 161cm that I love, but skills have outgrown. Mostly ski the southwest and southern Colorado. I like to charge hard but I’ve also started taking on bumps and trees more this year. I really like the short Yumi for that. I borrow my husband's 2024 Kendos (170cm) for when I want to blast or groomer zoom, so looking for something not too stiff to complement that, but still has good edge hold because we get icy hard pack here. I want something mid 80 to mid 90 waist. I always err on the side of a shorter ski because I prioritize quick turns over stability at speed.

Nordica Santa Ana 93 at 174cm - didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. It was fine. Didn’t wow me. Felt really damp. Maybe just because I’m used to overdriving my short Yumis and feeling every bump?

Volkl Blaze 88 at 172cm - liked it ok but had deep, heavy, wet snow that day, wasn’t great for that. I couldn’t really tell what it would do on groomers as nothing was groomed that day. Concerned it won’t be “bitey” enough for carving our hard pack, but not sure. Didn’t love the boring graphics either.

Volkl Kendo 88 at 170 cm- bought this ski, but technically it my husband’s lol. Don’t want a Kenja or anything too similar because I can ski this when I want.

I want something less directional/burly than the Kendo, while retaining the great edge grip. I want something that gives me more feedback than the Santa Ana, but sturdier than the Yumi. I want a shorter turn radius so I can keep progressing in trees and bumps. I don’t care too much about float because 80% of my time is on groomers, and 15% moguls, or trees and it’s rarely deep. Though it would be nice to have something that’s decent on shallow powder, which is why I’m looking at all-mountain skis. I’ll look into a wider powder ski later.

Here’s what I’ve narrowed to:

Sheeva 9 - would buy based on reputation but can’t find it anywhere on sale. Found a good price on a Rustler 9 but there’s metal under the binding plate on the Rustler 9 while the Sheeva 9 has fiberglass. Feel like I’d prefer the Sheeva construction?

Nordica Unleashed - supposed to be more flexible than the Enforcer, so might retain some of what I like about my Yumis? Supposed to still be a decent carver?

Salomon Stance 88 or 90 - sound like a solid carver that does ok in trees/bumps? Less burly than the full metal skis. Would keep me happy on groomers but still be ok to keep me progressing elsewhere?

Fischer Ranger 90 or 96- I’m intrigued by this ski and I like the understated top sheet graphics. Sounds like what I’d like from reviews. Bases are extruded. Not wild about that.

Volkl Kanjo - more flexy than the Kendo, but comes in longer lengths than the Yumi which tops out at 168. Don’t love the top sheet this year. Liked last years orange sheet but can’t find any in a 175cm.

Mindbender 90c - not 100% sure about all carbon?
Mindbender 89ti - too similar to the Kendo?
Concerned about quality issues with K2 recently? Also are the bases extruded?

I know this is a lot. If you’ve read this far and have advice I’d love to hear it!

My seasonal rental is the 2020 84 Yumi 161cm. Few inches shorter, but an overall similar build. I'm out in Taos NM learning bumps, trees and steeps this year. I almost pulled the trigger on the 2024 Yumi because I absolutely loved them in steeps and bumps. Nothing else I tried was as playful, confidence building and downright fun as the Yumis!

While I could whirlybird all day in the Yumis, I was wanting more by the end of the season. They are squirrelly on hard pack and granular made me want to opt out less than optimal days (especially granular and very hard packed). I wanted more feedback, stability and edge on the front side. I wanted bite for hard pack and responsiveness for guiding the ski into short turns, but without being directional forced.

I was almost going to resort to a two ski quiver, one more frontside and the Yumis for fun and exploration. But, at the suggestion of my wonderful instructor, I tried the Stockli Montero AW 158 and fell in LOVE. I had no intentions of getting such an expensive ski but these skis blew me out of the water. To me, they are the Yumi big sister.

I’ve demoed a few skis but unfortunately not everything I wanted due to time/availability. However I’ve narrowed what I want a bit. Considering buying something without demoing and hoping for the best

to summarize- my situation was really similar to @tika55 (the OP). I’m 5’11”, athletic, 170 pounds. I’m on 2017 metal-free Volkl Yumis at 161cm that I love, but skills have outgrown. Mostly ski the southwest and southern Colorado. I like to charge hard but I’ve also started taking on bumps and trees more this year. I really like the short Yumi for that. I borrow my husband's 2024 Kendos (170cm) for when I want to blast or groomer zoom, so looking for something not too stiff to complement that, but still has good edge hold because we get icy hard pack here. I want something mid 80 to mid 90 waist. I always err on the side of a shorter ski because I prioritize quick turns over stability at speed.

Nordica Santa Ana 93 at 174cm - didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. It was fine. Didn’t wow me. Felt really damp. Maybe just because I’m used to overdriving my short Yumis and feeling every bump?

Volkl Blaze 88 at 172cm - liked it ok but had deep, heavy, wet snow that day, wasn’t great for that. I couldn’t really tell what it would do on groomers as nothing was groomed that day. Concerned it won’t be “bitey” enough for carving our hard pack, but not sure. Didn’t love the boring graphics either.

Volkl Kendo 88 at 170 cm- bought this ski, but technically it my husband’s lol. Don’t want a Kenja or anything too similar because I can ski this when I want.

I want something less directional/burly than the Kendo, while retaining the great edge grip. I want something that gives me more feedback than the Santa Ana, but sturdier than the Yumi. I want a shorter turn radius so I can keep progressing in trees and bumps. I don’t care too much about float because 80% of my time is on groomers, and 15% moguls, or trees and it’s rarely deep. Though it would be nice to have something that’s decent on shallow powder, which is why I’m looking at all-mountain skis. I’ll look into a wider powder ski later.

Here’s what I’ve narrowed to:

Sheeva 9 - would buy based on reputation but can’t find it anywhere on sale. Found a good price on a Rustler 9 but there’s metal under the binding plate on the Rustler 9 while the Sheeva 9 has fiberglass. Feel like I’d prefer the Sheeva construction?

Nordica Unleashed - supposed to be more flexible than the Enforcer, so might retain some of what I like about my Yumis? Supposed to still be a decent carver?

Salomon Stance 88 or 90 - sound like a solid carver that does ok in trees/bumps? Less burly than the full metal skis. Would keep me happy on groomers but still be ok to keep me progressing elsewhere?

Fischer Ranger 90 or 96- I’m intrigued by this ski and I like the understated top sheet graphics. Sounds like what I’d like from reviews. Bases are extruded. Not wild about that.

Volkl Kanjo - more flexy than the Kendo, but comes in longer lengths than the Yumi which tops out at 168. Don’t love the top sheet this year. Liked last years orange sheet but can’t find any in a 175cm.

Mindbender 90c - not 100% sure about all carbon?
Mindbender 89ti - too similar to the Kendo?
Concerned about quality issues with K2 recently? Also are the bases extruded?

I know this is a lot. If you’ve read this far and have advice I’d love to hear it!

My seasonal rental is the 2020 Yumi 161cm. I'm 5'7" but an overall similar build. I'm out in Taos NM learning bumps, trees and steeps this year. I almost pulled the trigger on the 2024 Yumi because I absolutely loved their playfulness and performance in steeps and bumps. Nothing else I tried was as playful, confidence building and downright fun as the Yumis!

While I could whirlybird all day in the Yumis, by the end of the season I was yearning for more on less than optimal condition days (especially fields of very hard packed ball bearings). I wanted more feedback, stability and edge on the front side. I wanted bite for hard pack and responsiveness for guiding the ski into short turns, but without being directional forced.

I was almost going to resort to a two ski quiver, one more frontside and the Yumis or something similar for the back. But, at the suggestion of my wonderful instructor, I tried the Stockli Montero AW 158cm and fell in LOVE. I had no intentions of getting such an expensive ski but these skis blew me out of the water. To me, they are the Yumi big sister! 80 width, smooth ride, bite so well into hard pack, light and nimble, easy shorter turns. Beautiful ski!

 

[slow_biscuits]

My seasonal rental is the 2020 84 Yumi 161cm. Few inches shorter, but an overall similar build. I'm out in Taos NM learning bumps, trees and steeps this year. I almost pulled the trigger on the 2024 Yumi because I absolutely loved them in steeps and bumps. Nothing else I tried was as playful, confidence building and downright fun as the Yumis!

While I could whirlybird all day in the Yumis, I was wanting more by the end of the season. They are squirrelly on hard pack and granular made me want to opt out less than optimal days (especially granular and very hard packed). I wanted more feedback, stability and edge on the front side. I wanted bite for hard pack and responsiveness for guiding the ski into short turns, but without being directional forced.

I was almost going to resort to a two ski quiver, one more frontside and the Yumis for fun and exploration. But, at the suggestion of my wonderful instructor, I tried the Stockli Montero AW 158 and fell in LOVE. I had no intentions of getting such an expensive ski but these skis blew me out of the water. To me, they are the Yumi big sister.

My seasonal rental is the 2020 Yumi 161cm. I'm 5'7" but an overall similar build. I'm out in Taos NM learning bumps, trees and steeps this year. I almost pulled the trigger on the 2024 Yumi because I absolutely loved their playfulness and performance in steeps and bumps. Nothing else I tried was as playful, confidence building and downright fun as the Yumis!

While I could whirlybird all day in the Yumis, by the end of the season I was yearning for more on less than optimal condition days (especially fields of very hard packed ball bearings). I wanted more feedback, stability and edge on the front side. I wanted bite for hard pack and responsiveness for guiding the ski into short turns, but without being directional forced.

I was almost going to resort to a two ski quiver, one more frontside and the Yumis or something similar for the back. But, at the suggestion of my wonderful instructor, I tried the Stockli Montero AW 158cm and fell in LOVE. I had no intentions of getting such an expensive ski but these skis blew me out of the water. To me, they are the Yumi big sister! 80 width, smooth ride, bite so well into hard pack, light and nimble, easy shorter turns. Beautiful ski!

That is good to know! I really love those Yumis. Wish Volkl would have kept them similar and offered a little longer lengths. Or made a Men’s version. Supposedly the Kanjo is the closest thing to Men’s Yumi but I suspect it’s not gonna be the same. I mean- as a fellow Yumi lover you understand what’s so great about them. I don’t think anyone around here does Stockli rentals but I’ll BOLO for that on the next trip.

 

[Seaglass Skier]

That is good to know! I really love those Yumis. Wish Volkl would have kept them similar and offered a little longer lengths. Or made a Men’s version. Supposedly the Kanjo is the closest thing to Men’s Yumi but I suspect it’s not gonna be the same. I mean- as a fellow Yumi lover you understand what’s so great about them. I don’t think anyone around here does Stockli rentals but I’ll BOLO for that on the next trip.

Same. I really considered the Kanjo (tried Kendos and Wingman's, they often are quick to put me in a men's ski) but was having trouble finding them to demo. The Montero AW is long in usable length so 158cm was surprisingly perfect for me at a little over 5'7" intermediate when I was originally looking for something along with 164cm line, which I love since it makes them even more maneuverable for moguls and trees. I tried them at Le Ski Mastery in Taos on closing day. Hopefully you will come across some on your next trip!

 

[TiffAlt]

I was almost going to resort to a two ski quiver, one more frontside and the Yumis or something similar for the back. But, at the suggestion of my wonderful instructor, I tried the Stockli Montero AW 158cm and fell in LOVE. I had no intentions of getting such an expensive ski but these skis blew me out of the water. To me, they are the Yumi big sister! 80 width, smooth ride, bite so well into hard pack, light and nimble, easy shorter turns. Beautiful ski!

WAIT WAIT WAIT!

Are these also good for a variety of conditions then? Because I love my Yumis for all those things you listed, but like you, sometimes wish for more bite on hardpack - which I'm thinking is a more torsionally stiff ski. In other words, are these now your one ski quiver, because OMG if that's true... AHHHHHH my wallet is gonna hate me again...

I'm guessing they ski long btw? I ski the Yumi in 154 - would I be looking at 150 in the Montero AW? I'm 5'2

 

[Seaglass Skier]

WAIT WAIT WAIT!

Are these also good for a variety of conditions then? Because I love my Yumis for all those things you listed, but like you, sometimes wish for more bite on hardpack - which I'm thinking is a more torsionally stiff ski. In other words, are these now your one ski quiver, because OMG if that's true... AHHHHHH my wallet is gonna hate me again...

I'm guessing they ski long btw? I ski the Yumi in 154 - would I be looking at 150 in the Montero AW? I'm 5'2

Yes they are my one ski quiver now!!! Perfect for anything I took the Yumis into with the same light all day feel, easy ability to slip and slide steeps/moguls/trees but waaaay more bite, hold, smoothness on hardpack. Plan to use them for Taos and Colorado for everything but pow day skis.

In my mind I figured they replaced two skis but with less maintenance and upkeep
And yes, they ski long! I went off both the suggestion of the shop owner and this Stockli chart I'm attaching.

 

[slow_biscuits]

Yes they are my one ski quiver now!!! Perfect for anything I took the Yumis into with the same light all day feel, easy ability to slip and slide steeps/moguls/trees but waaaay more bite, hold, smoothness on hardpack. Plan to use them for Taos and Colorado for everything but pow day skis.

In my mind I figured they replaced two skis but with less maintenance and upkeep
And yes, they ski long! I went off both the suggestion of the shop owner and this Stockli chart I'm attaching.

Ok so I just looked them up. The sticker price have me a heart attack

The graphics look really cool.

They top out at 166! What the heck. TALL WOMEN EXIST. Even going by their own size chart (intermediate = body size - 10cm), I’m 180cm, it recommends 170. . This is why I never upgraded my Yumi from 2017 to a newer Yumi.

 

[Seaglass Skier]

Ok so I just looked them up. The sticker price have me a heart attack

The graphics look really cool.

They top out at 166! What the heck. TALL WOMEN EXIST. Even going by their own size chart (intermediate = body size - 10cm), I’m 180cm, it recommends 170. . This is why I never upgraded my Yumi from 2017 to a newer Yumi.

Yes, they need to extend the lines further! Tall women need skis too! Hard enough to find a ski match without having to worry about length too.

 

[Verve]

Ok so I just looked them up. The sticker price have me a heart attack

The graphics look really cool.

They top out at 166! What the heck. TALL WOMEN EXIST. Even going by their own size chart (intermediate = body size - 10cm), I’m 180cm, it recommends 170. . This is why I never upgraded my Yumi from 2017 to a newer Yumi.

The AR is actually quite similar to the AS, the unisex ski. Sometimes the “lightweight” thing on women specific skis is just marketing catering to what their research suggests the women’s market responds to and sometimes it’s a nod to the construction changes ski manufacturers have to make to give skis in shorter length enough flex to perform like their unisex equivalents. But I’m with you tall women exist.

 

[slow_biscuits]

We got 25” in 48 hours so we get a great final weekend of skiing in and got to try out my new (2022-2023 models, great deals) skis! Yesterday nothing was groomed. Today we got both groomed and ungroomed runs in. Heavy, wet snow.

Kanjo 168 - not quite as quick-turning as my trusty Yumis, but still light and responsive. Couldn’t find any 175s but actually really pleased with the 168s. Nice on bumps. Nice on groomers. Snow was very soft spring conditions today but think they’re going to do well on harder snow too.

Secret 98 170- OMG I am so happy with these! I demoed the Santa Anas in similar conditions (deep, choppy, heavy, wet) earlier in season and didn’t love them. The Secrets are so much more fun. Still damp but not AS damp as the Santa Anas, which I’m happy about. The Secrets are a little on the heavy side, but still quite maneuverable and easy turn initiation. Also super forgiving and fun at slower speeds. Don’t feel like I have to drive them all the time like the Kendos. They were really fun letting loose on the groomers- really stable and surprisingly quick edge to edge. Big long turns at speed on steep groomers were a blast. Not carving skis but they were surprisingly easy to rip. Curious to see how they do in harder/icier conditions but it’s a Volkl so I feel pretty confident it’s gonna be OK. They were a little harder to turn at slower speeds, and less agile than the Kanjos or Yumis but that’s to be expected. But they do smear well, and are really forgiving. Went down some deep and steep bumps with my daughter and they were cool when I needed to just side-slip my way down some of it.

Very happy with these and looking forward to next year!!