Question: Head Great One vs. Atomic Seventh Heaven

[Neige Fille]

I'm new to this site and was thrilled to have found it. I have been demoing various all mountain skis and am a bit torn between the two above. The guys at the shop really like the Great One because "it rips" but Seventh Heavens just seem a lot easier. I'm in reasonably good shape for a soon to be 40 yo but I live on the East Coast and only get 10-15 days in a season (I don't ski on the East Coast anymore). I agree with the guys that the Great Ones have a lot of muscle but I'm not sure a lot of muscle is what I need given my situation. I tend to ski everything and generally leave most of the guys I ski with in the dust but I get easily bored on groomers and tend to prefer hanging out in bumps and trees. I also tried the K2 Lotta Luvs and was pretty agnostic about them. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Jilly]

Haven't skied either, but I've looked a people skiing the 7th Heaven aka Sugar Mama (2007). They look like they ski easy. Check into the SkiPress review on these. They were the only women's ski to make the cut.

 

[Neige Fille]

Question: Head Great One vs. Atomic Seventh Heaven

Thanks Jilly. The reviews were helpful and confirm what I was getting out of the demo process. One technical question, and it's embarassing to ask, I'm having trouble appreciating the distinction between Freeride and Multi-condition high performance skis. Is there a significant difference or is this mainly a marketing thing? I'm taking the Atomics out again tomorrow to see how it runs in a bit off fresh powder (we're supposed to get 1-3 in tonight).

 

[Jilly]

From SkiPress (I have the hard copy!):

Multi-conditional: No ski handles all terrain and all snow conditions perfectly, but many skis handle many things extremely well. These skis are wider underfoot than the groomers, with a waist ranging between 70-82mm, for better snow flotation. But sidecuts are typically big - sometimes with a tip-to-waist tapef of more than 50mm- so there's no problem carving turns on firmer snow.

Freeride: Freedom's just another word for everything to ski. Freeriders don't like limits, they like possibilities. When they look at a mountain, what they see is a ventricular network of possible lines, both on and off the trail network. Freeriders need a ski that allows the freeedon to explore-wide enough for off-piste powder, but best with all-terrain capabilities. But freedom also means choice. Different freeride models, from all-terrain midfats to superfat powder boards, allow skiers to choose their priorities. However you define freedom, there's a ski out there for you.

IMO - Freeride is an out west ski, not a east ski. I'm on multi-conditional the Rossi Z5 and the Nordica Conquer.

 

[angieskibunny]

Hi there!
I've taken the Seventh Heaven's out 2 days now - 1 in 35cm of fresh powder and the other after a few days with no new snow. Had an amazing time on both days, am just going to try out a couple of others but they're looking like they're winning at the moment. Seemed really light, lots of fun, handled anything i skiied on and felt really stable. Easy to ski on and really enjoyable.
Am going to compare on the weekend with the Volkl Attiva Sol and see the difference - all the volkls seem a lot heavier though, despite the wood core.
I'm finding definitions and reviews a bit confusing and contradictory at times, the best way to tell is demo them! good luck girls, look forward to hearing what you decide.