Help Needed: New Zealand - please help me to choose first skis

[florentinella]

Just throwing the Sheeva 9's in the mix. I was up today with the girls from our local ski shop and they were demoing the K2 MB 89 Ti and the new Sheeva 9's and one of the girls was loving the new Sheeva, verrrrry different from last years model.

haha! I know you like your Sheevas but they are in the 90 and it seems I prefer 80s, so I'm not adding them to my mix at the moment, BUT next time I see them I will demo them for sure!

 

[AJM]

haha! I know you like your Sheevas but they are in the 90 and it seems I prefer 80s, so I'm not adding them to my mix at the moment, BUT next time I see them I will demo them for sure!

I hear ya re preferring the 80's !! I'm reluctantly moving my Sheevas on as I'm now in love with my K2 MB 85s as they are so much easier on my knee's and I'm having such a great time on them. I've made a pact with my knees and wont now go over the 90 mark !

 

[BlizzardBabe]

I'm also in the knee preservation club. My daily's run from 67 to 86.
Stockli Laser MX (67)
Stockli Nela 80
Stockli Stormrider 85
Volkl Blaze 86

I also have a pair of Renoun Earhart 88's, but I've only skied them once.

 

[WaterGirl]

Yes, that's a negative for me (given my past knees injuries) so thanks for pointing it out. Also, I think I'm at the stage where I enjoy carving and learning to do it properly rather than going off piste - I think that points towards the narrower Divus then? YES.

this is interesting - and I haven't considered it... is this an entire new thing to consider?!
What does the negative delta do? Push you back? READY TO GO DOWN A RABBIT HOLE?

A very quick answer -- when demoing its always good to to check to see where your boot center mark (usually a line or mark and a letter A on the side of the boot bottom) lines up with the ski mount line(s) so that you know if you were on the center line or ahead or behind as that can influence how the ski feels. Also, different manufactures have different heights for the toe and heels of their demo bindings. (Delta) Most are about a 2-5 mm difference. Marker Squire and Griffon DEMO bindings are actually negative with the toe being higher than the heel. (only the Demos are -delta, the regular Squire and Griffon have a +delta).

Your boot also has a specific forward lean, as well as the additional variables from internal foot beds or heel/ toe lifts. These all combine to create a net forward lean which 'should' be ideal for your specific anatomy.

Taken from the Piste Office: "The different ski binding manufacturers have different binding angles so changing from one brand to another can affect your stance, posture & balance etc.The measurement is the additional height of the heel above the toe.

The manufacturers often build in this height in an attempt to help users get forward more. If you have too much forward tilt (or delta as it's correctly known), especially when combined with the forward lean of your boots it can be counter productive as you end up sticking your backside out to counterbalance."

Some people need the extra forward lean some don't. There are other threads here where Diva's have demo'd a ski, then mounted it with a different binding and didn't feel the same love for the ski. You should just be aware that the Marker bindings are different from the others in that they have the higher toe and which *may* put you in a different position. This also is magnified when you have a smaller boot sole length --say a 22 or 23 vs someone with a longer boot.

You can end up in a rabbit hole when discussing delta/ramp/ forward lean..... here is a brief discussion - a little long but describes in detail.

 

[VickiK]

@BlizzardBabe my quiver is similar:

Fischer My Curv (68)
Fischer My Mtn 80 (79 really)
Stockli Nela 88

I'd replace the middle one first ALTHOUGH as I must keep reminding myself, BOOTS should be the next update.
Am so curious about the Volkl Blaze 86--have not heard any negatives about it--but width-wise it's so close to the Stocklis and I'm still exploring/relishing them.
The Volkl Secrets sound so good too, but my knees would likely complain.

 

[BlizzardBabe]

I love my Volkl Blaze 86, @VickiK . I do, however, prefer my Stockli Nela 80's on serious eastern ice. The Volkl's perform just fine on the ice given the layer of metal under the boot, but I feel like I get enhanced stability from the Nela's at the start and finish of the turn when conditions are truly dodgy (e.g., boilerplate). The Blaze is my go-to ski for out west and I don't expect that to change any time soon. I've really liked my Stockli Stormriders (85) out west too, but realistically, they are too short for me. I mainly use them at home in the mid-Atlantic slush b/c they are tanks in that stuff. I hope you get a chance to demo the Blaze this season. It really is worth a try.

 

[Jilly]

Nothing wrong about a quiver, but......you need to learn to really ski 1 pair well. I would love to find the quote from SnowHot on that.

As for quiver's
Rossi Hero ST. CA (rock skis)
Rossi Hero ST Ti
Nordica Santa Anna 88's. (don't like, going to sell after I demo something)

 

[scandium]

Hello, I'm back. Thought to report straight away while things are still fresh in my head although I have been making notes every day. I went for 9 days / 7 skiing days to QT. For those of you who know NZ ski fields: we did 3 days at Coronet and 4 days at the Remarkables.

CONDITIONS:
Remarkables had definitely better snow - and on 3 days we got there early enough to catch the beautiful freshly made cord. Coronet was icy in the morning turning into creamy slush by lunchtime. We did Friday night skiing too but the cords didn't last long at all.

I tested/ demoed lots of skis - changing back and forth and / or taking them out again the next day if the demo guys were on the mountain again. I had 2 pairs for the whole week from a rep, hired 3 pairs from the shops to test properly, and then also demoed a few on the mountain - just to confuse myself some more

**********************​

Day 1 - Coronet
Black Pearl 88 in 159 (rep)
Very firm, I felt I needed to push/drive them forward and ski fast and aggressively, they felt too long in front. I didn't like them.

MOUNTAIN DEMO: VOLKL Kenja 88 in 156cm then 163cm, back to 156cm
Nice, easier - I preferred 156cm

Day 2 - Remarkables
Santa Ana 88 in 158 (rep)
Better than BP, but stiff and hard work, legs were sore, didn't particularly like them

Day 3 - Remarkables
Faction Dancer 1 86 in 162 (shop hire) (I tried these a month ago at Mt Hutt)
AMAZING. Stable, easy to turn edge to edge, very balanced, beautiful with fresh cord and stable in softer / mushy snow at the end of the day. I loved them!

Day 4 - Remarkables
Atomic Maven 86C in 161 (shop hire)
Lighter than Faction, softer but still stable, no chatter, super easy to carve cords, easy to turn edge to edge, softer in slush but still stable, I didn't have to work hard to turn or ski them. I was surprised to really really LIKE them! They were just right!

Day 5 - Remarkables
Volkl Kenja 88 in 156 (shop hire)
I reserved 163cm but based on that demo on day 1, I took out 156cm.
They were nice, stable, easy to turn, I did feel they wanted to be skied more aggressively than I was giving them opportunity so there was room for growth?

MOUNTAIN DEMO: K2 Mindbender 89 in 158cm (I tried these a month ago at Mt Hutt)
Nice, stable, easy to turn and ski, safe choice? This is the ski I have been recommended in 2 shops.

Day 6 - Coronet (afternoon + 1hr of "night skiing")
Black Pearl again - same again - didn't like them

MOUNTAIN DEMO: BLACK CROWS Captis 90 in 166
too "chunky" = too wide, didn't like them

MOUNTAIN DEMO: BLACK CROWS Divus 82 in 162cm
Easy, fast, super easy to turn edge to edge, felt slim but floated well above slush and mush even though they were narrowest of all I tried, felt like performance skis ? NICE, I loved them!

MOUNTAIN DEMO: Atomic Maven again
nice and easy

Day 7 - Coronet
Santa Ana again - didn't like them

MOUNTAIN DEMO: BLACK CROWS Divus 82 in 162cm (again)
same - Loved it! Quick edge to edge, easy, floaty, felt light and I could glide on them through the slush.

**********************​

RESERVATIONS:
KENJA: they were nice but are they too short for me in "the long run"? I'm 164cm tall 5'5
I felt that 163 were too long, so maybe the sizing is not for me?

FACTION:
Hate the colour (bright pink) but apparently the mens version is exactly the same construction just a different top sheet so I could go with Red/Orange... which is also not really my colour ....
Also, I'm wondering if they are not too advanced for me - given the brand's background - are they for much more aggressive skiers? - I'm not aggressive nor fast...

MAVEN:
are they too soft and would I outgrown them too quickly? I cannot change skis in 2-3 years - they should last me at least 5 years before I can mention to my hubby I want new ones

K2: nothing, they were nice but they didn't really stand out - I just can't remember them well ... and I couldn't remember them after my previous trip neither ...

BLACK CROWS:
too narrow? But then - it's only 4mm vs Faction...
I only tried them for 6 runs, so was that a good enough test?

**********************​

So that's where I'm after 7 days and 9 pairs of skis . What do you think?
I'm attaching photos from the run keeper I use - so you can see my runs and the speed - or lack thereof!

I think if you can get on the Black Crows again it might help you decide!

 

[BlizzardBabe]

Nice job @scandium ! It sounds like you are really narrowing it down. Your write up makes me want to demo the Black Crows and the Faction (I like pink )