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

[Ski Around Sue]

@Jilly That's great information! Thanks.

So here is my list so far -

Rossignol Experience Ti88 W
Blizzard Black Pearl 88
Blizzard Sheeva 9
Volkl Secret
Nordica Santa Ana 93
Head Total Joy
Salomon QST 92
Elan ripstick 86
Atomic Vantage 95 W
Volkl90eight (as a possible 2nd ski)

I'm trying to find a one quiver ski if possible.

Jilly, based on your comment about the Vantage 90 being too stiff with the Ti, maybe the Rossi wil also be too stiff?

Also, all I see for the 2019 Vantage is a 97 - did they make it a bit wider thes year or am I not searching correctly?

I found a place in the Poconos where I can demo the Experience Ti88, the Secret, the Santa Ana, the Ripstick and the Total Joy. They also have Salomon QST 92 but its the men's and the shortest they have is a 169. I'm going to give it a go. I'll report back!

 

[HikenSki]

I tried both and found the 90 too stiff. The 95 has the carbon mesh, but the 90 has Ti.

I demoed the 90s and found them way too stiff in the spring crud on a 55-degree day last month at Whitetail in PA. They felt like they would have been great on hard snow as a carver but they were too much work for me, plankish. Took them back after one run. The shape seemed like it would work but just too stiff for me. Took out the womens Kore 93 right after and it was night and day. Had I been able to buy them on the spot, and had the money to do so, I would have! The Rossi 88Ti came a very close second. Due to budget limitations and the fact that the Kore W isn't yet available, I ended up going with the K2 Alluvit 88. Got out after a little powder last week and really liked them. Looking forward to using them in the spring conditions coming up here soon.

 

[Jilly]

Yes. Atomic changed it this season to 97.

 

[TeleChica]

IMO, I think it's a lot to ask in a ski to do both hard pack and spring conditions well. For skiing spring conditions I think you'd want rocker and at least 90 plus underfoot, plus the right wax. It makes it so much easier. I'll be interested in seeing what you find.

 

[marzNC]

Thanks for the Vantage thoughts. There are some instructors near me who love the Atomic Vantage 77 as their main ski for carving.
What do you think about the Vantage 90 as opposed to the 95? That seems like it may be more useful for me here in Pa.

I had a lot of fun on the Vantage 85 at Jiminy Peak a year ago after 20+ inches of fresh snow. Good on groomers for me as well. For mostly skiing in the mid-Atlantic, my skis have been 75-85 underfoot. Did ski my old BPs (88mm) a few times but only when there was fresh snow since I was driving and that make it easy to add in another pair of skis.

 

[Serafina]

IMO, I think it's a lot to ask in a ski to do both hard pack and spring conditions well. For skiing spring conditions I think you'd want rocker and at least 90 plus underfoot, plus the right wax. It makes it so much easier. I'll be interested in seeing what you find.

^^^this. Rocker front and back, can't emphasize that enough if you want gear that's going to help you and not be something you have to work against. If you want just two skis in the quiv, go with a rockered fatty for pow and spring slush, and an all-mountain for everything else.

 

[SallyCat]

Mid-fat twintips is how I roll with that stuff. I've use K2 Kung Fujas with a 102 waist, and Mr. S. rolls on Rossi S3s with a 98 waist. The fat waist keeps you floating on the slush, and the rockered tips and tails keep you from hanging up in the piles. Beauty is that they also work for western powder (although not the really deep stuff where you want a waterski to float).

Consider checking out park skis for this purpose.

That's how I roll, too. Nordica Soul Riders with a 97mm waist. Super fun skis perfect for spring slush!

 

[SallyCat]

plus the right wax

^YES^. Spring skiing is a little more effort all around (but so worth it!) and that includes waxing.
Fwiw, I use Purl waxes mostly, and in the spring I use a combination of Purl yellow and Purl Black Graphite. Just drip 'em both on and melt away. I also carry a Zardoz puck for use in the afternoons.

(Dog knows I'm not sponsored by or affiliated with any company, I just like Purl, and their $25 1-pound bricks of wax will last you an eternity. )

 

[marzNC]

^YES^. Spring skiing is a little more effort all around (but so worth it!) and that includes waxing.
Fwiw, I use Purl waxes mostly, and in the spring I use a combination of Purl yellow and Purl Black Graphite. Just drip 'em both on and melt away. I also carry a Zardoz puck for use in the afternoons.

For those who have found skis they intend to use for at least a few years for spring skiing, DPS Phantom may be worth considering. Assuming not that interested in waxing after every ski day and/or adding wax a couple times during a ski day. Phantom works fine for recreational skiing in a wide temperature range, but how my treated ski perform when temps are over 40 or over 50 when sticky snow is to be expected is a key reason I've invested in Phantom to treat a couple of pairs of skis.

 

[Serafina]

For those who have found skis they intend to use for at least a few years for spring skiing, DPS Phantom may be worth considering. Assuming not that interested in waxing after every ski day and/or adding wax a couple times during a ski day. Phantom works fine for recreational skiing in a wide temperature range, but how my treated ski perform when temps are over 40 or over 50 when sticky snow is to be expected is a key reason I've invested in Phantom to treat a couple of pairs of skis.

Never heard of Phantom before, but that looks really interesting, especially for my fat skis. I don't use them often, but when I need them, I need them now and not after killing a half-hour waiting for them to get waxed in the shop (I do not have the space, etc. to do this at home). Ran into trouble with this just recently when we had one of our very rare-for-this-season snowfalls that laid down powder. I'd had the storage wax off in November, but my pow skis have been parked on my porch since then, and what was left of the old storage wax oxidized or something, because my skis were sticking to the snow like mad. One run was exhausting, and I had to drop the sticks off to get the wax refreshed. Thank heavens I had my all-mountains up with me too, but after that experience I'm extremely interested in anything that cuts down the need for fresh wax.

Does the Phantom mean you don't need a storage wax too?

 

[JaneB]

I love the Elan Ripstick 86

 

[marzNC]

Never heard of Phantom before, but that looks really interesting, especially for my fat skis. . . .

Does the Phantom mean you don't need a storage wax too?

Everything that I know or hear about DPS Phantom goes into this thread:
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...ps-phantom-2-0-if-keeping-skis-3-years.23209/

Some people still put storage wax on their bases and edges for the summer, but it's not really necessary for the bases. I didn't do anything to my carvers last summer (4+ years old). The glide was fine on Day 1 of this season and every other day since (7 days in northeast Nov-Dec, 4 days at Massanutten in Jan, 2 days in northeast in Mar) with no need to wax.