Hi, am new to Ski Diva want help on past beginner ski purchase!

[TeeJay]

Any advice is welcome, I have looked at the forums on here and elsewhere taken notes of all possible skis that might be good for me but would love to hear your opinions as you gals are so helpful. I have been skiing since I was 2, but have gone back and forth from boarding to skiing and haven't gone more than 3 or 4 times a year. Now at 42, my kid/tween K2 skis with the red and blue stripes far behind me, I wanna get back in, go more often and stop renting! I know everyone says demo, but I have not seen a lot of demo possibilities here in Ontario.

Stats: I'm 5’7 1/2” 130lbs 43.

Conditions, location, : East Coast hardpack usually lots of ice, machine made snow and sometimes slush in Ontario and sometimes Quebec. Out with kids most of the time but they are getting pretty good and turning into teenagers that don't need me to ski with them!

How I ski: I am all over the place, pretty confident. Like to go fast and bomb down the hill sometimes and other times I like to look for finesse, ways to improve, complete some good turns and take it easy. I like trails and like to turn. Meaning I'm not as into steep, double blacks or moguls especially on ice but I can manage any hill.

What I’d like in a ski: Controls on turn, a ski that helps me improve, good edge for ice/hardpack but also a ski that is really fun to ski, gives me confidence where ever I go. Wanna buy one pair of skis that will do me for a while. I want a ski that is challenging but forgiving, won't leave me tired at the end of the day.

Length: Would love any recommendations.

Ski list so far:
Black Pearls. --not sure about east coast skiing on these
Rossignol Temptation 88 --better than BP on east hardpack?
Nordica Hell's Belles or Belle to Belle
Volkl Kenja or Aura
Atomic Affinity Storm
Any others?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and tips!

 

[mustski]

Welcome to the forum. I grew up in Montreal but am a Southern California transplant now. I'm sure the east coast divas will chime in soon. Here is what I have to offer. Take the Auras off the list. I ski these and love them, but as a one ski quiver for the east coast, they are not a good idea. Although they are great on hard pack, they're not a good choice for icy days. All the other skis are great choices. Of the group the Belle to Belle and the Affinity Storms have the narrowest waist and will probably be the best choice on icy days. That said there is a lot of Diva love for the BPs, the Kenjas, the 88s, and the Hell's Belles. I am looking for a new frontside ski and all of those (except the BPs) are on my demo list. In fact by Tuesday, I hope to have demoed them all! In the meantime, some of our resident experts will chime in and give you their opinions.

 

[Jilly]

Welcome to our world!! As you next to my avatar - I'm an Ontario skier too.

Rossi 88 is one ski in my quiver. I just demo'd the Storm last weekend and would put it on a list.

Over all I wouldn't go much fatter in the waist for our skiing. As for demo's - have you checked the Rossi website and some resort sites. I know that Calabogie's had a demo day and I'm sure some of the Barrie/Collingwood areas would too.

 

[Mrs Hutchins]

Welcome, TeeJay!

My Kenja's grip on ice like no ones business! And that's practically all I ski! It's a very energetic, lively ski that responds well, and you can take it anywhere on the mountain. It gave me all sorts of confidence and upped my game dramatically.

As for length? I'm about the same stats as you and I'm on a 163, which I find to be a great length. Its not too long that I can't get in and out of bumps and trees, but it's not too short that I have a lot of chatter when skiing at a clip.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Nordica Wild Belle would be better suited to conditions you say are typical where you are (same here), 84 wide, similar performance characteristics to Affinity Storm. Hell's Belles, at 90, are better suited to softer conditions, Wild Belle has shorter turning radius, more nimble.

 

[Jilly]

From the Rossi site:

 

[Jilly]

Check Skiis and Bikes or Sporting Life, if you're in the GTA. They may charge, but you would get the price off if you buy.

 

[TeeJay]

Hey thanks, so fun to put a question out there to strangers and get such great advise.

Thanks for the Rossi demo list, I looked up ski stores and hills and couldn't find much for demoing. Will also check Skiis and Bikes and Sporting Life. Didn't know they demo. Saw they do at Sportschek but selection is limited. Didn't know to look at the ski company sites.

And Mustski, let me know how your demoing goes, I am guessing if you can get the demoing in now, you can get a good price at the end of the season.

So I can narrow/change my list a bit. The only pricey ski is the Atomic Affinity Storm, its $799 in Toronto, and of course thats a factor if skis are otherwise similar. I give them points for pretty factor. (As a side note I must say as a designer, I wish you could choose your own graphics! - maybe that's my million dollar idea!)

Black Pearls
Rossignol Temptation 88
Nordica Wild Bell (perhaps Belle to Belle)
Volkl Kenja
Atomic Affinity Storm

Let me know if you gals have any other advise. Any other skis I should check out. And thanks again for info you've given me so far.

 

[TeeJay]

Also just checked the width on all of those as you are saying not to chose anything wider than 84 mm

Black Pearls 76-85mm
Rossignol Temptation 88 86-95mm
Nordica Wild Bell 76-85mm (perhaps Belle to Belle 76-85mm)
Volkl Kenja 86-95mm
Atomic Affinity Storm 76-85mm

So I guess the Rossi Temptation 88 and Kenja are a bit wide.

 

[Serafina]

Have I got a ski for you...

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/2011-volkl-tierras-for-sale.17053/

unsurpassed hard snow grip, excellent woman's ski

 

[contesstant]

Have I got a ski for you...

https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/2011-volkl-tierras-for-sale.17053/

unsurpassed hard snow grip, excellent woman's ski

These would work well! I also saw the Atomic Affinity Storm on sale for around $400 WITH bindings today on Sierra Trading Post, with coupon code for 45% off.

 

[segacs]

Contesstant, remember that those US web deals are usually not all that useful to us Canadians. What with shipping, taxes, duties and the exchange rate, you're generally right back up to where you started.

And welcome to the forum, TeeJay. I can't give you ski advice, really -- lots of other people here with much more knowledge than I have -- but if you're ever skiing in Quebec, let me know.

 

[contesstant]

Oh geez, sorry! I think I have Utah on the brain!

 

[Jilly]

Ah, the Atomic is more expensive than the Volkls?? Let me check my local shop for their price. Also check the resources guide at the top of the page. Corbetts, Sporting Life have websites. There is also Asogear on Ebay. I live in Atomic town. The Canadian warehouse is 2 blocks from my house. That's why I ask about the Volkl vs the Atomic.

 

[TeeJay]

Thanks Serafina.. ummm for some reason when I click on your link I am told "You do not have permission to view this page or perform this action." Have to figure that one out.

Segacs we hope to visit Tremblant this year will let you know!

And Contesstant thanks for the tip on Atomics at Sierra. I have read that some people find deep enough US discounts to make the over border shopping worth while, but I don't even see those skis on there -the deal must be already gone!

 

[Jilly]

Well Tremblant - not only Segacs, myself and SkiBam....you will get the local's tour. We're getting light snow here right now.....But it's bloody cold!!

 

[TeeJay]

Jilly the Atomics are the priciest of the bunch from initial research, At Skisandbikes
Atomic Storm is $890.00
Volki Kenja is $699.00

I just read another thread the the Atomics Storms are skis that you need to put some muscle into... not sure where that was, somewhere on skidiva though.

 

[segacs]

Have you looked at any of the more frontside-leaning all-mountain skis as well? Might be worth comparing the mostly all-mountain skis you have on your shortlist to something like the Rossi Attraxions (or whatever they're calling them these days), or the Blizzard Vivas, or the Salomon Bamboos or whatnot. Just 'cause, well, ice ice baby.

FWIW: https://skicanadamag.com/assets/data/1314ski_list.html has specs on almost every current ski out there.

 

[Serafina]

Thanks Serafina.. ummm for some reason when I click on your link I am told "You do not have permission to view this page or perform this action." Have to figure that one out.

Segacs we hope to visit Tremblant this year will let you know!

And Contesstant thanks for the tip on Atomics at Sierra. I have read that some people find deep enough US discounts to make the over border shopping worth while, but I don't even see those skis on there -the deal must be already gone!

Sorry about that TeeJay. Forgot that the Gear Swap forum is in the "Divas Only" section. Once you've made a few more posts you'll get access to those forums. SkiDiva puts a restriction on those forums for a minimum number of posts to make sure that those forums aren't infested with spambots.

Anyway, the link goes to a pair of Volkl Tierras that I have up for sale. It's an excellent ski for your conditions. The current version of the ski is the Charisma, which would also be a very good choice for hard snow and ice.

 

[Jilly]

If you want to look at more front side stuff - Rossi Unique, Salomon Bamboo, Atomic Cloud, Dynastar Elite to name a few.

The Bamboo is more all mountain than the rest.

@Serafina, there could be problems to get those across the border.