• Women skiers, this is the place for you -- an online community without the male-orientation you'll find in conventional ski magazines and internet ski forums. At TheSkiDiva.com, you can connect with other women to talk about skiing in a way that you can relate to, about things that you find of interest. Be sure to join our community to participate (women only, please!). Registration is fast and simple. Just be sure to add [email protected] to your address book so your registration activation emails won't be routed as spam. And please give careful consideration to your user name -- it will not be changed once your registration is confirmed.

Hard snow ski recommendations

HikenSki

Angel Diva
Hello all, hope everyone is well. I’m excited for the upcoming season, though it will be very different than years past, not just due to COVID but to also having a three month old son who we can’t just leave with food and water and a litter box for the weekend.

Last year I picked up the Kore 93w skis I had demoed in spring 2019 and loved for soft snow, bumps, and powder. I always have a blast on them. What they do not excel at is hard snow, that early morning icy crust, hard groomed snow typical of the mid Atlantic. They don’t bite, chatter, and just are tough to carve due to their width. I had some Blizzard Quattro 8.0Ca skis that were great for hard snow and a few bumps but I was over powering them as my skills improved and started to feel uneasy on them, not confident. I would like to find a ski in the 80-84 waist range that can handle hard snow, maybe a few bumps as conditions get chewed up. Once conditons really get chewed up and I get tired, I switch to the Kores because I can poke around, slarve, meander through the bumps without thinking too hard or getting bucked around. My biggest issue is I’m 5’10, 180lbs, so many women’s skis aren’t long enough or beefy enough to handle my weight and strength. I’m looking at 170-174 length.

Any ideas? Demoing isn’t really an option right now and when I’ve looked at demoing, choices are few for women’s skis, my desired length, or brands.
 

HikenSki

Angel Diva
They are pricey, but the Stockli Stormrider 85 would fit the bill, they’re a really great ski that seem to excel pretty much everywhere while giving a super smooth ride.
That is one ski I REALLY want to check out, even if it is pricey. Just wish I could demo it somewhere before committing. Urgh
 

Olesya Chornoguz

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
What is this regarding? Who is asking for hard snow recommendations?
I am sorry somehow I wasn't seeing the original post by @HikenSki , not sure why:
Here is abit about me: Advanced skier, 6'1", weight is somewhere between 186-188 right now. Like to ski all kinds of terrain, groomers, bumps, trees/off piste whatever is available if the snow is soft.

All mountain skis that I have found work for me:
From women's skis Kenjas are good.

From men's/unisex that I either own or demoed and liked:
Volkl Kendo is similar to Kenjas, at least to me it skied very similar
Armada Invictus, good ski for hard snow
Elan Wingman 86 Cti
Kastle FX85 HP 2019, the new version I think is a bit different

Honestly I don't demo women's skis very much anymore, they are too short. I need 177+ cm length and that's rare in women's skis.
 
Last edited:

Olesya Chornoguz

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
That is one ski I REALLY want to check out, even if it is pricey. Just wish I could demo it somewhere before committing. Urgh
I have demoed the wider Stocklis (Edge, 100 mm wide and Stormrider 105) and found them to be a bit soft for my taste, but I think we all have different preferences though. And I am not sure if Stormrider 85 is stiffer then 105.

Here are my old ski reviews from 2019:
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/demo-day-at-alta-april-2019.23867/
And even older from 2015. I was advanced intermediate at that point:
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...ski-demo-at-massanutten-va.18995/#post-281635

Blizzard Brahma were also a lot of fun, at least in 2015, ski a bit similar to Kenjas. I prefer damper skis that plow through crud and junky snow.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I demo'd the Brahma 82 last fall. I don't think it would be stiff enough. I'm 30 lbs lighter, god I love to say that for a change.

I tuned down race ski might be interesting too. The Nordica SLX (or is it SLC?) or the Blizzard Firebird SRC. I like Rossi, so maybe the Hero ST Ti? or the Master or the MT Ti for a longer turn radius.
 

contesstant

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Salomon S Force Fever. I skied these during industry testing last winter, partly because my husband, who is an L3 instructor, has the men's version, the S Force Bold, and he freakin' LOVES them. He skis them in all conditions, moguls, crud, powder, you name it.
Holy cow, I LOVED them. I was worried they'd be too much ski for me, but despite their relative stiffness and their square tail, I was able to finesse them really easily. Their edge hold was incredible. I skied them in a 156, which was a bit short for me. I think I'd have liked the 163 better.

Whatever you do, don't hesitate too long. Supply issues are already occurring. ETA at your stats, you could go with the S Force Bold, too. There is also an S Force 11, which is not quite as stiff as the S Force Bold.


https://www.powder7.com/Salomon-S-Force-Fever-W-Skis-163cm-Used-2021/for-sale
 

Olesya Chornoguz

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I demo'd the Brahma 82 last fall. I don't think it would be stiff enough. I'm 30 lbs lighter, god I love to say that for a change.

I tuned down race ski might be interesting too. The Nordica SLX (or is it SLC?) or the Blizzard Firebird SRC. I like Rossi, so maybe the Hero ST Ti? or the Master or the MT Ti for a longer turn radius.
I am sure they changed since 2015. The ones I demoed in 2015 were 88 mm and quite stiff, at least as stiff as Kenjas if I remember correctly. But that was 2015 model.

I find at my weight/height/skill level the really narrow/race like skis like Head iMagnum I used to own are not very versatile and not very forgiving in chopped up snow and bumps, only great on very firm conditions. I remember trying to ski bumps on Magnums or chopped soft snow and even though I could do it it was not fun.

To each their own of course and yes the step down from race skis type of skis are excellent in hard snow/icy conditions, and hard groomers. I personally found I can handle icy groomers ok on 85 mm skis if they are stiff enough and i can take them into bumps and be comfortable when the snow softens up in spring or I go into bumps.

My current all-muntain skis are Kastle FX85 HP 2018-19 model designed by Chris Davenport. I love them in almost all conditions in the East and no new snow conditions out West. I think the newer model may not have metal anymore so may not be as stiff.

I was also recommended Nordica Navigator as a fun all-mountain ski that is forgiving but not too soft. I have not demoed them though, so not sure how they ski.
 
Last edited:

HikenSki

Angel Diva
Wow, thanks for the suggestions! I’m torn between a true carver at 78-82 width or a narrow all mountain like the Brahma 82 with tip rocker and some flexibility when it comes to snow conditions.

I did demo the Salomon Aira 84 Ti two years ago. I wasn’t wowed by it but it also wasn’t the correct length. I’ve skied the Kanjo (brother to the Yumi) and liked it for soft snow but wasn’t a fan on the hard stuff. I’ve thought about the Astral or Navigator but am worried they will be too soft and I’ll overpower them. While I already have a mid-fat with the Kore at 91, I had also really liked the Rossi 88Ti I demoed, which I’ve read much prefers hard snow and has a higher speed limit. Also of interest is the new Kenja (hubby has the new Kendos and loves them on the hard snow - calls them rockets). I don’t know if I want both a stiff 88 and a softer more playful 91...

I’ve taken a look at the S/Force line. The bold may be a bit too stiff for me however the Force 9 could work. Other contenders would be the Head V Shape 10, Liberty V82, Dynastar Speedzone 82, Wingman 82CTI. Would love to check out the Kastle lines too.
 

Olesya Chornoguz

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yes, I think that is the main question: is whether you emphasize the hard snow performance vs. versatility in softer snow and bumps because they are usually trade off between those two IMHO. Another ski that I have not personally skied but heard is narrow but versatile with good hard snow performance is Liberty V76. @nopoleskier has a pair and loves them, she recommended them to me and I have considered getting them as my hard snow skis in addition to the Kastle FX85 HP.
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
....hard snow, that early morning icy crust, hard groomed snow typical of the mid Atlantic....
I would like to find a ski in the 80-84 waist range that can handle hard snow, maybe a few bumps as conditions get chewed up....
My biggest issue is I’m 5’10, 180lbs, so many women’s skis aren’t long enough or beefy enough to handle my weight and strength. I’m looking at 170-174 length.

The length sounds good for you.

I''m wondering why you want a hard snow ski that's 80-84 in the waist for icy snow when you plan on changing skis in the middle of the day. If you change skis, why don't you just go ahead and get a dedicated hard snow ski? Meaning a waist below 80, perhaps even the low 70s.

I ski a 78-waisted ski as my daily driver. Talk about carving! It holds its edge on very hard icy snow with tenacity. I'm talking about the "snow" that was wet and warm yesterday afternoon, and still wet when they groomed it last night, then it froze solid overnight. This is the stuff your pole tip won't penetrate. My 78s work well for me in hard-snow New England bumps and in soft snow that's not deep.

What will get skis to grip on ice is you edging them with sufficient platform angle (another discussion), you doing that with good timing, and you avoiding pivoting them out of their groove in the ice. The narrower the waist, the easier it is to get any ski up on edge. The other things are independent of the ski's anatomy.

A second ski factor important for grip on ice is torsional stiffness. A ski's tip and tail need to not twist away from the snow once you get that ski up on edge and establishing its groove in the ice. If you want it to grip on truly hard snow, you need a ski that's torsionally stiffer than all-mountain skis tend to be (waists 80+). But finding specs on torsional flex for a ski is hard to do; manufacturers don't tell. Frontside skis (narrow waisted) labelled for advanced/expert skiers will tend to have less twistiness than skis labelled for "advancing" intermediates, so that will be your best bet.

If you buy a frontside carver, it will probably come with bindings. Skis without bindings are usually not meant to be used as frontside hard-snow carvers.

I'd suggest avoiding skis with rocker in them. That will delay your edging. You need stiffly cambered skis that will press the tips and tails down into the snow when you get them up on edge.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
A second ski factor important for grip on ice is torsional stiffness. A ski's tip and tail need to not twist away from the snow once you get that ski up on edge and establishing its groove in the ice. If you want it to grip on truly hard snow, you need a ski that's torsionally stiffer than all-mountain skis tend to be (waists 80+). But finding specs on torsional flex for a ski is hard to do; manufacturers don't tell. Frontside skis (narrow waisted) labelled for advanced/expert skiers will tend to have less twistiness than skis labelled for "advancing" intermediates, so that will be your best bet.
If @HikenSki intends to mainly use the narrower skis in PA/VA/WV then she won't really be on "ice" as exists in New England. When it does rain or melt, it rarely is followed by a quick hard freeze. Daytime temps are often in the 30s even in Jan-Feb. New snow from the snow guns can typically be mixed in by groomers as soon as the temps are cold enough for another round of snowmaking.

I agree that skis in the 70s underfoot are better for "hard snow" than mid-80s. There really is very little ungroomed terrain in the Mid-Atlantic. The skis I've used the most at Massanutten have been 75-78 underfoot. I went a little shorter on my current narrow skis since the runs only take 2-3 min to finish before another 7-min lift ride. Very few high speed lifts in the region.
 

bsskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yes, I think that is the main question: is whether you emphasize the hard snow performance vs. versatility in softer snow and bumps because they are usually trade off between those two IMHO. Another ski that I have not personally skied but heard is narrow but versatile with good hard snow performance is Liberty V76. @nopoleskier has a pair and loves them, she recommended them to me and I have considered getting them as my hard snow skis in addition to the Kastle FX85 HP.

@Olesya Chornoguz Do you have two 85's in your quiver? The Stockli and the Kastle?
 

Abbi

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hello all, hope everyone is well. I’m excited for the upcoming season, though it will be very different than years past, not just due to COVID but to also having a three month old son who we can’t just leave with food and water and a litter box for the weekend.

Last year I picked up the Kore 93w skis I had demoed in spring 2019 and loved for soft snow, bumps, and powder. I always have a blast on them. What they do not excel at is hard snow, that early morning icy crust, hard groomed snow typical of the mid Atlantic. They don’t bite, chatter, and just are tough to carve due to their width. I had some Blizzard Quattro 8.0Ca skis that were great for hard snow and a few bumps but I was over powering them as my skills improved and started to feel uneasy on them, not confident. I would like to find a ski in the 80-84 waist range that can handle hard snow, maybe a few bumps as conditions get chewed up. Once conditons really get chewed up and I get tired, I switch to the Kores because I can poke around, slarve, meander through the bumps without thinking too hard or getting bucked around. My biggest issue is I’m 5’10, 180lbs, so many women’s skis aren’t long enough or beefy enough to handle my weight and strength. I’m looking at 170-174 length.

Any ideas? Demoing isn’t really an option right now and when I’ve looked at demoing, choices are few for women’s skis, my desired length, or brands.

don’t limit your search to women’s skis only. When I was younger, taller, a lot heavier and stronger I was on men’s skis more than women’s skis. Of course the technology has improved but a lot of the skis are similar and not limiting yourself will get you into the length you need.
 

Olesya Chornoguz

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@Olesya Chornoguz Do you have two 85's in your quiver? The Stockli and the Kastle?
No I do not have 2 skis that are 85 mm wide. The post you quoted was in regards to Liberty V76 skis. They are 76 mm wide hard snow skis that I was told by other are versatile enough to be fun in soft snow. I do not own them, I have considered buying them.

I currently have 85 mm Kastle FX85 HP the older metal version and Nordica Enforcer 104 Free (104 mm) as my soft snow skis.

I have never skied Stokli Stormrider 85. I have demoed wider Stocklis and didn't love them, too soft and not damp enough for me, see post #10.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
26,233
Messages
497,561
Members
8,503
Latest member
MermaidKelly
Top