Looking for a ski for warmer days/spring skiing east coast

[Ski Around Sue]

I've been skiing Rossignol Attraxion Echo 8's from 2011. If I recall correctly, they are full camber (127-76-108). On the hard pack, they are still a great ski but on the soft snow, they are just sorry. I know I need to learn to ski this type of snow better but I just can't do it on this ski. It is so challenging to just make it to the bottom of hills that I normally can zip down with no problem. In Eastern PA, the warm weather has the snow chopped up and it's heavy. After 2 falls the other day, I'm ready to look for a different ski for this type of day. I'm looking for an intermediate to advanced ski. I'm 5'6'' about 190 (on a good day ;-). I'm thinking something with a rockered tip and maybe tail and a wider waist than what I have? I've looked through a bunch of the threads but really don't have a feel for what might work.

No chance to demo anything around here. I'll just have to buy them. I would love to find something that I can get as a demo sale or at least a steep spring discount.

Another possibility, if it exists, is to find a ski that can do both east coast hard pack and east coast spring conditions. I'd be willing to spend more if that were possible.

I'm looking for any suggestions or thoughts you may have.

Thanks!

 

[marzNC]

I've been skiing Rossignol Attraxion Echo 8's from 2011. If I recall correctly, they are full camber (127-76-108). . . .

Another possibility, if it exists, is to find a ski that can do both east coast hard pack and east coast spring conditions. I'd be willing to spend more if that were possible.

I'm looking for any suggestions or thoughts you may have.

Thanks!

My first good skis were the Attraxion 8. What I got to replace them was the original Black Pearl, 88 underfoot. The skis that I take for northeast skiing are Head Absolut Joy, 78 underfoot. I've seen quite a few women in the northeast on the current BP88, mostly advanced skiers I think.

There are a number of good options in the mid-80s category. I find that width pretty versatile for my trips out west.

Have you demo'd any skis lately?

 

[Susan L]

Are you using temperature appropriate wax on your skis? My friend is quite new to skiing and did not realize he needed to use different wax for different conditions. He thought it was his skis, and ended up buying 4 pairs of skis in one season...

 

[Ski Around Sue]

My first good skis were the Attraxion 8. What I got to replace them was the original Black Pearl, 88 underfoot. The skis that I take for northeast skiing are Head Absolut Joy, 78 underfoot. I've seen quite a few women in the northeast on the current BP88, mostly advanced skiers I think.

There are a number of good options in the mid-80s category. I find that width pretty versatile for my trips out west.

Have you demo'd any skis lately?

The Black Pearl seems to get a lot of love here and I'll put it on my list. I'll look into the Absolut joy. I was looking at the Head Super Joy. I found demos that had been marked down to $379. But then I thought they were probably too narrow. Do your Absolut Joys handle well in soft snow?

Nowhere to demo skis around me that I know of.

Are you using temperature appropriate wax on your skis? My friend is quite new to skiing and did not realize he needed to use different wax for different conditions. He thought it was his skis, and ended up buying 4 pairs of skis in one season...

I have used an all temperature wax recently (i don't recall the name but it comes in a blue deodorant like container.}

 

[HikenSki]

I'd recommend going mid to upper 80s in width. I couldn't believe how much easier it was to ski the spring chop and soft snow when I went to a wider waist ski and one with tip rocker to ride over and thru the bumps. I went from a 77 waist to an 85 and had a lot more fun. I now have an 80 waist for hard snow days and 88 waist for crud and soft snow days. I've found I prefer a little bit of metal in my skis for some stiffness but not too much as I prefer a more playful feel. I've really enjoyed my intermediate level K2 Thrilluvit 85s for all but hard snow. I found them very forgiving and a lot of fun for bumps and side of hill soft snow.

 

[Jilly]

Like marzNC I too skied the Attraxion 8. I loved it in the soft snow. The wide tip gave the ski float and the narrower waist was great in the morning on the frozen crud. So first thing I think is you need to learn how to handle this crap. Also marzNC is a light weight, I'm heavier. This ski has bamboo, flax and linen. It's a soft ski and maybe too soft for you at your weight and ability. I moved up to the tuned down race ski after my 8's, Attraxion 12, as my daily driver.

But if you're looking for something new, the experience or experience W series from Rossi might be good to look at. 82 under foot would be good.

 

[marzNC]

The Black Pearl seems to get a lot of love here and I'll put it on my list. I'll look into the Absolut joy. I was looking at the Head Super Joy. I found demos that had been marked down to $379. But then I thought they were probably too narrow. Do your Absolut Joys handle well in soft snow?

Nowhere to demo skis around me that I know of.

I wouldn't suggest the Super Joy as anything but a carver for skiing on groomers.

I can handle my AJs in soft snow. But that wasn't true when I bought them. I'm an older, petite skier, advanced but not expert. I've been working on improving my technique quite a bit in recent years when I've been able to ski 20+ days out west plus 20+ days in the mid-Atlantic and northeast. Meaning taking advanced lessons pretty regularly from very experienced instructors. Not necessarily private lessons. Been doing the Taos Ski Week starting last season.

The Total Joys are 84 underfoot. Probably more appropriate as all-mountain skis for a "one ski quiver."

Another mid-80s model to consider is the Atomic Vantage 85. I rented them for the powder day at Jiminy Peak last spring when I caught a powder storm (20+ inches) before a visit to Boston for other reasons.

For context, my current all-mountain skis for trips out west is the Stöckli Stormrider 85. Have skied them in assorted conditions from groomers at high speed to 10+ inches of fresh powder off-piste in trees or bumped up bowls. I only ski my AJs or old BPs in the northeast and mid-Atlantic.

Last May, I used my AJs in very soft spring snow at Bachelor and Mammoth. Mostly because I treated them with DPS Phantom. Found I trusted them better than my old BPs with warm weather wax. I was not only skiing groomers with the AJs. What I've done for future late season trips is treated my BPs with Phantom 2.0 since I'm keeping them as rock skis.

If you look carefully, my ski buddy is below on the collector cat track. I didn't ski down in the brown snow but kept traversing over above the rocks to a section of white snow.

 

[marzNC]

Nowhere to demo skis around me that I know of.

What region do you ski in most often?

 

[diymom]

I'm slowly building up a diva quiver myself. I started with the Absolute Joy for my daily driver. Then after a women's K2 demo day in spring conditions I added the Thrilluvit as my soft snow ski. This year I added the Atomic Vantage x80 cti for the truly icy days (or regular hard pack days where I want to work on technique--they tell me when I am messing up.) I'm an intermediate.

The Thrilluvit is 85 underfoot., which I find to be a good soft snow and slush width for east coast skiing. I'd say look in the 85-90 range.

 

[MissySki]

I haven’t had it in spring conditions yet, but loving the Black Crows Camox Birdies for soft snow so far and assume it will be as good at plowing through and over spring crud, fingers crossed!

 

[mustski]

I love my Volkl 90eight in everything except powder above 6 inches. They are great on our variable snow in So Cal. At opening, I am often skiing super hard, slick corduroy which transitions through various stages of softening until it turns to complete slush in the afternoon. I generally knock of before the full slush, but I do ski crud regularly and they are great. They are quite nimble under foot and can smear or carve well. I hear some folks say they NEED to be driven, but I don't find that they are any harder to ski than others skis I have tried. In fact, I love them in the chop which, in the past, was something I usually avoided.

 

[Ski Around Sue]

What region do you ski in most often?

@marzNC I’m in northeast PA. Pocono mountains primarily.

 

[HikenSki]

Just got an email from Ski Essentials on their demo ski sale. Some pretty good prices on this year's skis. Had I not found a sale on a 2018 model and had store swap credit, I'd be tempted to pick up a pair. Their website is great for reviews and comparisons.

 

[Ski Around Sue]

I love my Volkl 90eight in everything except powder above 6 inches. They are great on our variable snow in So Cal. At opening, I am often skiing super hard, slick corduroy which transitions through various stages of softening until it turns to complete slush in the afternoon. I generally knock of before the full slush, but I do ski crud regularly and they are great. They are quite nimble under foot and can smear or carve well. I hear some folks say they NEED to be driven, but I don't find that they are any harder to ski than others skis I have tried. In fact, I love them in the chop which, in the past, was something I usually avoided.

Thanks! I will definitely look into the Volkl 90eight.

 

[Ski Around Sue]

The Total Joys are 84 underfoot. Probably more appropriate as all-mountain skis for a "one ski quiver."

Another mid-80s model to consider is the Atomic Vantage 85. I rented them for the powder day at Jiminy Peak last spring when I caught a powder storm (20+ inches) before a visit to Boston for other reasons.

Thanks for your input. I will look into both of these also. And the wax!

 

[Ski Around Sue]

Just got an email from Ski Essentials on their demo ski sale. Some pretty good prices on this year's skis. Had I not found a sale on a 2018 model and had store swap credit, I'd be tempted to pick up a pair. Their website is great for reviews and comparisons.

Too funny! That's actually where I saw the Super Joys for sale. I'll check prices for some of the skis mentioned.

 

[SallyCat]

A good skier can ski anything on any sk...JUST KIDDING! There's a reason we have quivers, and that reason is FUN!
You'll definitely have way more fun on something wider and with more rocker. I wouldn't even look at anything under 88mm and would really recommend something in a 97 or 98mm width.

Second vote here for the Volkl 90Eight. I've enjoyed it on really varied east coast conditions so far this year.

I also love the Nordica Soul Rider 97s for really soft spring snow. But they are not as versatile in different conditions as the 90Eights. I agree with @mustski : I find the 90Eights very nimble and easy to ski; never feel like I have to struggle to stay on top of them.

 

[Ski Around Sue]

Like marzNC I too skied the Attraxion 8.
But if you're looking for something new, the experience or experience W series from Rossi might be good to look at. 82 under foot would be good.

Thanks, Jilly. I think it may have been you and marzNC that got me interested in the Attraxion way back when!
You are right when you saw that I need to learn to "handle this crap"!!! I'll put the Rossis on my list.

 

[HikenSki]

Thanks, Jilly. I think it may have been you and marzNC that got me interested in the Attraxion way back when!
You are right when you saw that I need to learn to "handle this crap"!!! I'll put the Rossis on my list.

I enjoyed demoing the Rossi 88 a few weeks ago. It was 55, crappy bumpy slushy snow and they plowed thru it and were very easy to maneuver. I preferred the Kore 93 women's tho, which unfortunately isn't out yet but apparently moves the binding point forward vs the men's ski. I wouldn't go below 88 for width. I agree with having a two ski quiver and use the tool best for the job.

 

[Ski Around Sue]

Oh my, the Volkl 90eights are Red!!! I know I shouldn't care but red is so not my favorite. Ok, be a big girl here and do NOT worry about the color....