Karhu Jil vs. Volkl Aura?

[alaski]

I'm really torn between these skis. Neither ski is available for demo where I live, either! Well, I can demo the Auras in a shorter length than I would buy, and they only have alpine bindings so I'd have to rent boots (I have AT boots) which wouldn't give me a good feel for the ski. And then I'd still wonder what the Jils are like!

I'm primarily an A/T skier so I need something that is excellent in the powder, but versatile enough for icy/hardpack conditions and fun for a day at the resort, too. I see a lot of you love the Auras but has anyone tried the Jils?

 

[jessie.says.that]

Alaski-

I noticed that no one replied to this, but I'm wondering if you found some info on how these skis compare, elsewhere? Or, if you ever had the chance to demo?

I'm a mostly alpine skiier trying to dial in an A/T setup, and have heard good things about the Jil. It's lighter than the Aura, right?

-Jessie

 

[skibum4ever]

I don't know about A/T or the Jil, but in addition to the Auras I have a pair of K2 Phat Luvs which are very light and I have seen several pairs fitted for A/T. The Phat Luvs are definitely lighter than the Auras.

 

[Gloria]

For AT I would go with the Jills, lighter, less sidecut and the tail is flat . It probably won't be as good as the
Aura on hardpack, but not so bad you can't handle for a few runs. I got to ski on the team last year and it was sure a fun ski. It too has the upturned tail that people don't love for the backcountry though.

 

[tradygirl]

Eh, the upturned tail is kind if a non-issue. Set your tail clip pretty tight and just check it periodically. As long as your glue is in decent shape, it's not a problem. My touring skis have an upturned, rounded tail with no clip notch and I find that even if the clip slides off a little, it's no big deal.

Second on the Jils if you're going to be mainly touring. Lighter, and very well-rounded. Check out the tele-tips review thread.

https://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=21806

 

[Gloria]

Eh, the upturned tail is kind if a non-issue. Set your tail clip pretty tight and just check it periodically. As long as your glue is in decent shape, it's not a problem. My touring skis have an upturned, rounded tail with no clip notch and I find that even if the clip slides off a little, it's no big deal.

Second on the Jils if you're going to be mainly touring. Lighter, and very well-rounded. Check out the tele-tips review thread.

https://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=21806

Good advice on the skins. You may not have an issue in that deep light snow ypu guys get, but what a lot of people don't like is the lack of anchor the turned up tail has if you need to take it off and stab it into the snow. Probably not an issue when you can sink it to the binding, if you can't they don't hold real well though.

 

[jessie.says.that]

The Phat Luvs are definitely lighter than the Auras.

Hmmm.... actually, of the 08/09 models, the Auras are a bit lighter than the PL's according to K2 & Volkl's published specs, but pretty close in weight (though they ski very differently). For example, I love my Auras but can't seem to stomach the PL's (damp, yet seem to vibrate more at speed).

For AT I would go with the Jills, lighter, less sidecut and the tail is flat . It probably won't be as good as the
Aura on hardpack, but not so bad you can't handle for a few runs. I got to ski on the team last year and it was sure a fun ski. It too has the upturned tail that people don't love for the backcountry though.

Eh, the upturned tail is kind if a non-issue. Set your tail clip pretty tight and just check it periodically. As long as your glue is in decent shape, it's not a problem. My touring skis have an upturned, rounded tail with no clip notch and I find that even if the clip slides off a little, it's no big deal.

Second on the Jils if you're going to be mainly touring. Lighter, and very well-rounded. Check out the tele-tips review thread.

https://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=21806

So, I know it's been a while, but I did end up going with the Jil's in a pretty conservative length (158 cm, and I'm 120#). Thanks for the input. I figure if they're not agro enough, there's always next season, right?

After talking to a number of people, I'd also heard that an twin vs. flat tail was a non-issue.

 

[skibum4ever]

Sorry for possible misinformation, but my Phat Luvs are several years old and definitely lighter than my 2009 Auras.

A very similarly shaped ski, but definitely they do perform very differently. However, I have spoken with many women who love their Phat Luvs. They were my first powder ski and definitely made me desire (and demo and purchase) the Auras.