SnowflakeADK
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
So heres the background:
My current go-to ski is the Atomic Foxy Mamma (last yrs Heavens Gate) in 150cm. I love this ski...BUT I used to love it more before I took 6 weeks of lessons and skyrocketed my technique and aggressiveness. Now its feeling a bit squirly at speed to me (tips chattering, flapping...generally destabalized) and I'm beginning to notice a bit of tail wash on steeper terrain. In my quiver is also a lovely pair of Line Celebrity 158cm mounted w/ Marker Griffons. Love this ski too, for its intended purposes.
Here's what my instructors say about my ability....they are labeling me as a strong level 7 to 8 skiier (by their standards) on groomed terrain. Fresh snow, bumps etc drops me down a level or so....gaining experience/comfort there though. My technique is very good and apparently my balance is "awsome"....I was told not to change a thing about that. Terrain where I feel comfortable I have become a hard charger on. So OMG somewhere along the line I became a strong aggressive skiier. Never thought that would happen.
I'm 5'2ish, and tip the scales at 180lbs. By general standards the 150 (barely reaches tip of nose) should be my ideal length. Yes and No. I think at my weight and newly "enhanced" (LOL) ability I just need more ski under me. Soooo....to compare apples to apples, today I demo'd the Heavens Gate in a 157 (approx eyebrow/forehead height).
BINGO!! Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner. Suspicions seem correct.
I'm practically SOLD on the longer length. I was floored by the difference in stability!! However, I did sacrafice "some" of the maneuverability I've enjoyed on the 150s. I did not necessarily find them "harder" to turn....just different....I wasn't able to achieve the same precision with the 157 vs 150. I'm wondering if this would improve the more I get used to the length? Thoughts, anyone? Especially from those of you have made the jump in length.
Ok....part 2.
I'm nearly certain a longer ski is in my near future. I don't think I'm going to weed the 150s out of my quiver at this stage, either. Any recs for a versatile all mountain ski w/ similar stiffness (pretty stiff and burly), edgehold as the Heavens Gate? Maybe something a "bit" wider with good crud busting abilities but a frontside/hardpack predominant nature.
I've demo'd the Volkl Fuego and it's high on the list...very similar in shape as the Foxys. I'm thinking along the lines of Tierra? And I must admit....I'm absolutely fascinated by the Aurora!! Its not an easy one to find for demo though. I'm also a bit concerned by the reviews that it could be out of my ability range. Thoughts from anyone who has had the opportunity to ski it? I understand it has a much larger turn radius than my Foxys...sounds like it's more similar to my Lines in that respect....and I'm all good w/ that too.
Edge to edge? Quick? Can you "smear" turns as well as carve? A distant concern here is that w/ my Lines at 90mm waist and Auroras at 85....too close? Logic would tell me that there wouldn't really be "overlap" so to speak as these are two completely different skis.
Would something of this nature be a good east coast ski to become my pick for most days, with the Foxy 150s and Celebrities on either side? Yes, I know the Diva mantra: DemoDemoDemo. And I intend on it. Of course I would love to score on an end of season deal too! LOL Just thinking out loud and hoping for some input/banter/opinions from the rest of you.
My current go-to ski is the Atomic Foxy Mamma (last yrs Heavens Gate) in 150cm. I love this ski...BUT I used to love it more before I took 6 weeks of lessons and skyrocketed my technique and aggressiveness. Now its feeling a bit squirly at speed to me (tips chattering, flapping...generally destabalized) and I'm beginning to notice a bit of tail wash on steeper terrain. In my quiver is also a lovely pair of Line Celebrity 158cm mounted w/ Marker Griffons. Love this ski too, for its intended purposes.
Here's what my instructors say about my ability....they are labeling me as a strong level 7 to 8 skiier (by their standards) on groomed terrain. Fresh snow, bumps etc drops me down a level or so....gaining experience/comfort there though. My technique is very good and apparently my balance is "awsome"....I was told not to change a thing about that. Terrain where I feel comfortable I have become a hard charger on. So OMG somewhere along the line I became a strong aggressive skiier. Never thought that would happen.
I'm 5'2ish, and tip the scales at 180lbs. By general standards the 150 (barely reaches tip of nose) should be my ideal length. Yes and No. I think at my weight and newly "enhanced" (LOL) ability I just need more ski under me. Soooo....to compare apples to apples, today I demo'd the Heavens Gate in a 157 (approx eyebrow/forehead height).
BINGO!! Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner. Suspicions seem correct.I'm practically SOLD on the longer length. I was floored by the difference in stability!! However, I did sacrafice "some" of the maneuverability I've enjoyed on the 150s. I did not necessarily find them "harder" to turn....just different....I wasn't able to achieve the same precision with the 157 vs 150. I'm wondering if this would improve the more I get used to the length? Thoughts, anyone? Especially from those of you have made the jump in length.
Ok....part 2.
I'm nearly certain a longer ski is in my near future. I don't think I'm going to weed the 150s out of my quiver at this stage, either. Any recs for a versatile all mountain ski w/ similar stiffness (pretty stiff and burly), edgehold as the Heavens Gate? Maybe something a "bit" wider with good crud busting abilities but a frontside/hardpack predominant nature.
I've demo'd the Volkl Fuego and it's high on the list...very similar in shape as the Foxys. I'm thinking along the lines of Tierra? And I must admit....I'm absolutely fascinated by the Aurora!! Its not an easy one to find for demo though. I'm also a bit concerned by the reviews that it could be out of my ability range. Thoughts from anyone who has had the opportunity to ski it? I understand it has a much larger turn radius than my Foxys...sounds like it's more similar to my Lines in that respect....and I'm all good w/ that too.
Edge to edge? Quick? Can you "smear" turns as well as carve? A distant concern here is that w/ my Lines at 90mm waist and Auroras at 85....too close? Logic would tell me that there wouldn't really be "overlap" so to speak as these are two completely different skis. Would something of this nature be a good east coast ski to become my pick for most days, with the Foxy 150s and Celebrities on either side? Yes, I know the Diva mantra: DemoDemoDemo. And I intend on it.
Of course I would love to score on an end of season deal too! LOL Just thinking out loud and hoping for some input/banter/opinions from the rest of you. 
Although I have to admit I HATE the grafics. Blech! What was Atomic thinking??
I've found that if I started asking harder/more specific questions, I get referred to the person w/ the most experience in the shop, though. LOL This has worked well and now there is a particular person that I will, for the most part, put my trust in. But even then, I still use my own judgement. Sometimes you don't know how to explain why something is "right" or "wrong"....you just feel it in your gut. When I purchased the Foxys last year I had a feeling I would want a bit more ski under me, based on knowledge obtained here/elsewhere. I let myself be persuaded that the length was right for me and I would be hindered by a longer ski. Well, here I am less than a year later wanting longer skis. 
but I really have improved). They hold great on ice and hardpack, but have a wide enough shovel to get through crud well. It wouldn't hurt to try them, right? :D
