Help with Powder Skis

[Pshaw05]

Hi Everyone. I’m an east coast skier who has been spending a little more time out west over the years. I’ve been renting, but I’m considering buying this year, as my trips out west are lasting longer. I currently ski the Nordica Santa Ana 88s in the east. Love them. Last year I skied the 93s in Vail. They were also great, but I’m looking for something a bit wider. I’ve been thinking

SA 98 or 104
Sheeva 10s
Fischer Ranger 102

Thoughts on any of these or recommendations for others to add to the list? I ski blues and blacks. I tend to stay out of the bumps but do like to ride through the trees sometimes. Thanks!

 

[Pshaw05]

The title should be POWDER skis, not power. I’m looking for powder ski recs thanks!

 

[Jilly]

Changed. Had me wondering though.

 

[contesstant]

Hi Everyone. I’m an east coast skier who has been spending a little more time out west over the years. I’ve been renting, but I’m considering buying this year, as my trips out west are lasting longer. I currently ski the Nordica Santa Ana 88s in the east. Love them. Last year I skied the 93s in Vail. They were also great, but I’m looking for something a bit wider. I’ve been thinking

SA 98 or 104
Sheeva 10s
Fischer Ranger 102

Thoughts on any of these or recommendations for others to add to the list? I ski blues and blacks. I tend to stay out of the bumps but do like to ride through the trees sometimes. Thanks!

Do you want more playful, or more chargey and stable?
Playful=Sheeva (they have gotten fatter this year--a 9 is now 96 under foot, which might suit you well.) Pre-2024 Sheevas skied pretty darn short. Not sure about the current version. You can likely hunt down a pair of 2023s or previous for a deal.
More chargey but familiar feeling since you have the 88s--the Santa Ana 98. I sold mine last year and am kind of regretting it. I bought the 93s which I love, but those 98s were special.
Haven't skied the latest Ranger 102.

 

[Basil]

I have the Ranger 102 and I took it on a trip to Sun Valley last year. I really like them, but I haven't skied any of the others on your list.

 

[santacruz skier]

I have the Sheeva 10 and skied all over Tahoe last season. I’m 5’1 around 105 and have the 156’s.

 

[santacruz skier]

I have the Sheeva 10 and skied all over Tahoe last season. I’m 5’1 around 105 and have the 156’s

 

[mustski]

Those are all good choices and will compliment your SA 88 well. I would lean towards the wider waists (over 100) since you are looking for a Western powder ski. A little extra float is helpful on deeper days. What did you rent when you were out west?

 

[Pshaw05]

Changed. Had me wondering though.

Thank you

 

[Pshaw05]

Do you want more playful, or more chargey and stable?
Playful=Sheeva (they have gotten fatter this year--a 9 is now 96 under foot, which might suit you well.) Pre-2024 Sheevas skied pretty darn short. Not sure about the current version. You can likely hunt down a pair of 2023s or previous for a deal.
More chargey but familiar feeling since you have the 88s--the Santa Ana 98. I sold mine last year and am kind of regretting it. I bought the 93s which I love, but those 98s were special.
Haven't skied the latest Ranger 102.

Thank you. So I’m not totally sure. Prior to my SA88s I had the volkl flair SCs. Went to vail skied SA 93s loved them so much that I came home and bought the 88s. I actually thought the SAs were “playful” compared to my volkls, but I also really liked the stability at speed.

 

[Pshaw05]

Those are all good choices and will compliment your SA 88 well. I would lean towards the wider waists (over 100) since you are looking for a Western powder ski. A little extra float is helpful on deeper days. What did you rent when you were out west?

Thanks! I rented the SA93s, which were fun, but definitely more of an all mountain ski.

 

[skibeauty]

I am also an east coast skier, found that 88 underfoot has been fine for most powder conditions, with 98 underfoot for deeper powder.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

While I can't speak to any of the skis, I am enamored with the 23-24 Sheeva 10 tribute to Hilaree Nelson, with the graphics and children's book and focus on conservation all in her memory. That would make me want to demo that ski. https://gearjunkie.com/news/blizzard-hilaree-nelson-tribute-skis

 

[mustski]

^^^ That makes me want to BUY the skis! Good stuff!

 

[maddy13]

Hi there, I own the Sheeva 10s, and don’t love them most of the time. How far West are you thinking? I’m in the PNW, and own the Sheeva 10 from last year. They do fine in 6 inches or so of fresh snow, but get totally bogged down if the powder is deep. They also are also just bad in chop.

Unless the conditions are optimal, I have to swap the Sheevas for my old Auras to handle PNW snow.

 

[mustski]

^^^ Thus is actually a good question - Colorado, Utah, New Mexico powder are completely different animals that Sierra Cement or the PNW concrete. Our snow can be really wet and heavy. I’m not a great powder skier so over 10” and I pull out my Volkl Ones which have 116 waist.

 

[ceestan]

I also have the Sheeva 10 (2022 version) and don't love them for deeper powder. They do ski very short as someone already noted and they're a really hooky ski. I'm selling mine right now. I swapped them for the Nordica Santa Ana 110 and like them much better. (I also own the Santa Ana 93 for not-powder.)

Have you considered the Black Crows Atris Birdie? I demo'd these, and sized up a bit, and really enjoyed them. They're more playful than the SA 110. I ultimately chose the SA 110 for the added dampness/stability so I can stay out longer in the afternoon after the powder gets skied out. But if you're skiing the Rockies rather than Cascades or Sierras, that might not be as needed.

 

[Basil]

While I can't speak to any of the skis, I am enamored with the 23-24 Sheeva 10 tribute to Hilaree Nelson, with the graphics and children's book and focus on conservation all in her memory. That would make me want to demo that ski. https://gearjunkie.com/news/blizzard-hilaree-nelson-tribute-skis

Those are so pretty and such a good cause! Wish I could buy them just to put them on the wall and look at them

 

[SnowHot]

Hi Everyone. I’m an east coast skier who has been spending a little more time out west over the years. I’ve been renting, but I’m considering buying this year, as my trips out west are lasting longer. I currently ski the Nordica Santa Ana 88s in the east. Love them. Last year I skied the 93s in Vail. They were also great, but I’m looking for something a bit wider. I’ve been thinking

SA 98 or 104
Sheeva 10s
Fischer Ranger 102

Thoughts on any of these or recommendations for others to add to the list? I ski blues and blacks. I tend to stay out of the bumps but do like to ride through the trees sometimes. Thanks!

Sounds like you're looking for more of a playful powder ski than a charger by these notes.

These are all good skis, but depending on the kind of powder you're skiing the Sheeva can be deflected a little more than the other two.
The SA 98 is a good choice as its got a bit more stout to charge through the chopped powder and the 104 is even more of a crud buster but won't turn as quickly in the trees if that's what you're looking for, but in that realm, my personal favorite is the Fischer Ranger 102.
The tail follows the tip nice in chopped powder and handles crud better because we all know the true powder lasts about a minute n a half.

Have you considered the Volkl Secret 102 as well?

I have other recomendations but would like to hear more from you on where you ski and how deep the powder is that you tend to find.


I tend to not like a ski much over 104

 

[GuloGal]

Chiming in - my sister skis the Ranger 102 in BC, she says its all she needs width-wise. We grew up racing in Ontario. She says she likes how it carves up groomers as well as floats well in powder.