Have Ripstick 94W, want something more edgey for frozen Sierra corduroy....

[Witsend]

... Sierra corduroy that turns into heavy, refrozen, messed up crud.

This is a "save me from myself, please" post where trying to maximize every dimension means analysis paralysis and, worse, buying paralysis!

I'm at my wit's end. I thought about an 80-82mm waist ski for those days that are icy and I do not always get the dipstick to engage; that waist range is impossible to find for demos near Olympic Valley*.

I ended up demoing the new Stance 88 (loved it), the Nela 88 (super solid, skis long for me-- the 152 felt longer than my Ripstick 94 in 154). Next time will try the Yumi.

So my two questions are: 1. do I need an 80mm waist to get more on edge and feel safer, feel more grip in icier conditions? I felt that Stance and Nela could get on edge more easily and might be fine. 2. How reliable is "I liked a ski in waist X, therefore, will like in waist Y"? For example, I liked the new Stance 88, how likely is it I'll like the current Stance 84, or, I skied the Nela 88, how likely is it that I'll enjoy the Nela 80.

Also, any other suggestions to demo or consider?

(I'm 5'2", 108 lbs, over 50. Still dealing with nervousness in blues over 15 degrees and would prefer skis that can do short radius turns for speed control and with easy curve initiation. I ski groomers, and mild ungroomed terrain when fresh snow is around)

*Should I take it as a clue that 84mm is the smallest demo ski I can find? Or is it a market preference thing instead of "the conditions warrant 84+mm"?

Thank you thank you thank you

 

[mustski]

It is a combination of market preference and current conditions. I think either the Stance 88 or the Nela 88 would be fine on Sierra groomers and crud. It's not just about edge hold, but also about how the skis do when afternoon sun softens all that stuff and turns it into gloppy, heavy crud. What you are encountering is our dreaded melt/freeze cycle. Some narrow skis bog down a bit in the heavy spring crud. I like the smoothness of the Nela 88. It's like a smooth, high end Sedan. I liked the playfulness of the Stance 88 and it can certainly hold an edge on the hard stuff. It basically depends whether you want a luxury sedan or a luxury sports car. Both skis are amazing and both will do what you need.

Most ladies feel the Neela 88 skis short whereas the Stance 88 seems to ski pretty true to length.

The one caveat is that IF you are looking to learn to carve or develop that skill set, then the 80 waist might be a good compromise. I haven't skied either the Nela 80 or the Stance 84.

 

[Witsend]

Well, a skill question would be “Do I need to know how to carve in order to be able to ski steep terrain?”.

 

[leia1979]

Demoing narrower things here is hard. I bought the Nordica Wild Belle 84 from Sierra at Tahoe's rental (not demo) center. I haven't tried Nela or Stance, but the Wild Belle is damp enough to handle crud and is well-rated for carving (I'm still working on increasing edge angle so can't really comment). It's definitely easy to turn--the one downside is it's on the heavier side, but that only bothers me on the chairlift once in awhile, not while skiing.

I also have Elan Wildcat 76 because I wanted something narrower to learn to carve. I had to buy without trying, but if I could, I'd also want to try the Wildcat 82 C or CX. The Wildcat 82 (both flavors) is supposed to be very turny (12m radius in the 158).

 

[mustski]

Well, a skill question would be “Do I need to know how to carve in order to be able to ski steep terrain?”.

I would say that carving is more useful on a firmer surface than a soft surface, but carving is a useful skill in any snow. I carve on steep groomers, but off piste I’m more inclined to slarve which I would describe as a sliding carve. On steep terrain, the more tools in your belt the better. Carving us one of those tools.

My point was that if you are just learning to carve, that is easier to learn on a narrow ski.

 

[Pequenita]

I think Tahoe skiers have had a 20-year bias towards fat skis that's only recently become less ridiculous and skinnier. If it helps in your thoughts any (or, maybe just adding more nonsense to consider), I ski a 67mm waist Jr. SL ski on firm days in Tahoe, so I like the way you are thinking wrt going to something skinnier than the Ripsticks. Palisades used to carry demo women's skis in the mid-70mm waist range - you might want to see if you can get on something like that. I'm not sure how transferable "I like x ski in this width, so I'll like x ski in a wider/narrower width" is, but I do think that one can like the feel of a brand.

 

[WaterGirl]

FWIW in mammoth with the same Sierra snow....
I bought the Phoenix 13 ti in this video from Tricia and Phill and rode it exclusively from Easter to JULY last year, some of the worst grooming I've ever encountered and a lot of early morning frozen. I was happy in the early am when everyone else was complaining it was to icy. I really enjoyed skiing this ski in so many different conditions.

I re-read your stats - maybe @SnowHot could chime in on this ski if you didn't want the metal there is a Ca version?