florentinella
Certified Ski Diva
Hi all, I have been reading various sites and posts on this forum but I'm still none the wiser... Please help me choose first skis - but specifically for New Zealand South Island conditions.
I skied Cardrona last year (Amazing!), this year we are going to Mt Hutt, Coronet and the Remarkables - will get maybe 12-15 days of skiing.
About me - I only learned to ski in my mid 40s that is 5 years ago in Europe. A year later I ended up with a knee injury - ACL - long story and I'm blaming the rental gear ...
I had a break for 2 years, but with physio and exercise I managed to ski again and have no problems or pain but I'm careful. I take my time and I just enjoy the ride rather than try to get to the bottom as fast as possible. I had a few lessons, and want to improve my technique, my turns, etc but I won't be doing any crazy fast skiing off piste...
Last year I demoed black crows vertis birdie and omg they were SOO much nicer than the rentals, so I decided to invest in my own gear even though I don't ski that much. Or maybe because I don't ski that much I actually want to fully enjoy the few days I get on the snow!
What I'm confused the most is the description the manufacturers give to the skis and whether they are truly applicable to NZ conditions. Groomed/piste vs powder/off-piste. I stick to the trails but I didn't find them (trails in Cardrona and def not Mr Ruapehu) particularly well groomed (vs what you get in Europe and I guess in North America). Do I need more of All Mountain skis rather than specifically for "groomed trails"?? And so - would they need to be wider than 88??
In a shop where I bought my boots (Salomon S Pro 90) I was recommended Belle 78 as super amazing and so easy to turn. I was also told about Black Pearls 88, and my friend swears by her Santa Ana 88. I realise these two are the most popular skis - and I'm fine with it.
I read that : "Santa Ana 88 is the Black Pearl 88's sister: Built in the same factory, by the same people as the super popular Black Pearl 88, the Santa Ana 88 is an easier to ski version -- basically. The Santa Ana 88 is going to feel more nimble than the Black Pearl 88, which comes into play if you're skiing off trail or at lower speeds. The Santa Ana 88 can still hold its own on hardpack but the speed limit isn't quite as high. If you want a forgiving ski that can hold on hard pack this is everything you'll need."
I want something easy to ski at a lower speed haha
I'm not going to have a chance to demo these skis, so just need to choose. Anything is going to ski better than rentals anyway ;) but still would like to make the right decision as this will be my only pair.
What would you recommend:
Belle 78
Black Pearl 88
Santa Ana 88
or maybe something completely different???
I'm 165cm = 5'5, and 69kg = 152lb (I was hoping to be less but it's not happening ;)
Thank you so much for any advice and recommendations!
I skied Cardrona last year (Amazing!), this year we are going to Mt Hutt, Coronet and the Remarkables - will get maybe 12-15 days of skiing.
About me - I only learned to ski in my mid 40s that is 5 years ago in Europe. A year later I ended up with a knee injury - ACL - long story and I'm blaming the rental gear ...

Last year I demoed black crows vertis birdie and omg they were SOO much nicer than the rentals, so I decided to invest in my own gear even though I don't ski that much. Or maybe because I don't ski that much I actually want to fully enjoy the few days I get on the snow!
What I'm confused the most is the description the manufacturers give to the skis and whether they are truly applicable to NZ conditions. Groomed/piste vs powder/off-piste. I stick to the trails but I didn't find them (trails in Cardrona and def not Mr Ruapehu) particularly well groomed (vs what you get in Europe and I guess in North America). Do I need more of All Mountain skis rather than specifically for "groomed trails"?? And so - would they need to be wider than 88??
In a shop where I bought my boots (Salomon S Pro 90) I was recommended Belle 78 as super amazing and so easy to turn. I was also told about Black Pearls 88, and my friend swears by her Santa Ana 88. I realise these two are the most popular skis - and I'm fine with it.
I read that : "Santa Ana 88 is the Black Pearl 88's sister: Built in the same factory, by the same people as the super popular Black Pearl 88, the Santa Ana 88 is an easier to ski version -- basically. The Santa Ana 88 is going to feel more nimble than the Black Pearl 88, which comes into play if you're skiing off trail or at lower speeds. The Santa Ana 88 can still hold its own on hardpack but the speed limit isn't quite as high. If you want a forgiving ski that can hold on hard pack this is everything you'll need."
I want something easy to ski at a lower speed haha
I'm not going to have a chance to demo these skis, so just need to choose. Anything is going to ski better than rentals anyway ;) but still would like to make the right decision as this will be my only pair.
What would you recommend:
Belle 78
Black Pearl 88
Santa Ana 88
or maybe something completely different???
I'm 165cm = 5'5, and 69kg = 152lb (I was hoping to be less but it's not happening ;)
Thank you so much for any advice and recommendations!