Hi Everyone!
I'm hoping you all might be able to help make the right decision on my first ski purchase. I live in the Midwest, and the places I might be able to demo don't have much selection, so unfortunately I'm planning to buy without demo-ing. It's a bit scary as I don't want to get something that's too much ski for me but also want to get a ski I can grow into.
I just started learning to carve last winter, but I found it a bit difficult to practice in the limited amount of space at my local Indiana ski resort. So I've been looking at skis with short turn radii so I have time and space for more turns. I saw people recommend the Blizzard Alights when I was researching skis last winter, but I couldn't find any of the thinner models available in the right length for me, so I ended just about deciding to get the new Blizzard Phoenix R13 CA skis, which are 76 mm wide and have a 12 m turn radio at 155 cm. However, I found some 2020 Liberty V76Ws, which I saw recommended here, for half the price, which is pretty tempting.
Do you think as an intermediate skier I might struggle with the Liberty's?
Also, if I get the Blizzards, would you recommend I get 155 or 160 cm? I'm 5' 4", 120ish lbs. If I get the Liberty's I'd probably get 158 cm. I rented 160's (Soloman Aira 76) in Colorado last year and found them more difficult to turn then I was used to, but my current skis are something like 146 cm so that's not saying much. I don't know how the effective lengths compare... the Solomans say they have "16%" rocker and the Blizzards say "3 mm" rocker. Anyway, from what I've read, it seems like most advanced skiers of my size would be on at least 160s, but as I'm not advanced and want to do lots of little turns maybe 155 is OK?
I also found some 2020 K2 Disruption SC Alliance skis on sale, which seem very similar to what I've been looking at, but they're only 153 cm. Has any ever tried those skis?
Thank you in advance for any advice you might have!
I'm hoping you all might be able to help make the right decision on my first ski purchase. I live in the Midwest, and the places I might be able to demo don't have much selection, so unfortunately I'm planning to buy without demo-ing. It's a bit scary as I don't want to get something that's too much ski for me but also want to get a ski I can grow into.
I just started learning to carve last winter, but I found it a bit difficult to practice in the limited amount of space at my local Indiana ski resort. So I've been looking at skis with short turn radii so I have time and space for more turns. I saw people recommend the Blizzard Alights when I was researching skis last winter, but I couldn't find any of the thinner models available in the right length for me, so I ended just about deciding to get the new Blizzard Phoenix R13 CA skis, which are 76 mm wide and have a 12 m turn radio at 155 cm. However, I found some 2020 Liberty V76Ws, which I saw recommended here, for half the price, which is pretty tempting.
Do you think as an intermediate skier I might struggle with the Liberty's?
Also, if I get the Blizzards, would you recommend I get 155 or 160 cm? I'm 5' 4", 120ish lbs. If I get the Liberty's I'd probably get 158 cm. I rented 160's (Soloman Aira 76) in Colorado last year and found them more difficult to turn then I was used to, but my current skis are something like 146 cm so that's not saying much. I don't know how the effective lengths compare... the Solomans say they have "16%" rocker and the Blizzards say "3 mm" rocker. Anyway, from what I've read, it seems like most advanced skiers of my size would be on at least 160s, but as I'm not advanced and want to do lots of little turns maybe 155 is OK?
I also found some 2020 K2 Disruption SC Alliance skis on sale, which seem very similar to what I've been looking at, but they're only 153 cm. Has any ever tried those skis?
Thank you in advance for any advice you might have!