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

[florentinella]

T

Gnomes have a feature on their website that helps you choose a ski, its on their home page right at the bottom called "Ski Finder Form", you basically answer some questions about ability, where you ski etc etc and they get back to you with suggestions x

Thank you! I have done that

 

[AJM]

T

Thank you! I have done that

What ski's did they suggest ?

 

[florentinella]

I would strongly suggest you try and get "demo rentals" to get an idea of what you like rather than purchasing an unknown ski online! Or just buy the skis you already liked. It's better than getting stuck with something you hate, unless you get such a good deal online (>50% off) that you can resell easily for the same price. All of the ski fields you have named can offer this, or you can ask at ski stores for their demo fleet.

Overall, wider is harder on knees but the sidecut, skiier style etc also play a role in this. I would definitely not suggest a 150cm ski for you as it is likely to be unstable and too short, even if you want to go slower it will likely be a hinderance to your confidence. Around high 150s to low 160s is probably better. I ski in the mid-150s for nearly everything, on the same fields you mentioned, and I'm about 55kg at the moment.

Thank you!!! I think this is what I'm going to do. The advice from all ladies here has been fab, and I have learned so much already. But you are totally right - I don't want to be stuck with skis I hate... I just didn't think I'll be able to demo them! Thank you, such a simple and brilliant advice!!!

 

[Magnatude]

Thank you!!! I think this is what I'm going to do. The advice from all ladies here has been fab, and I have learned so much already. But you are totally right - I don't want to be stuck with skis I hate... I just didn't think I'll be able to demo them! Thank you, such a simple and brilliant advice!!!

Excellent decision, and what I'd recommend too. Mt Hutt, Coronet and Remarks all have quality performance rentals, though the brands are fairly limited -- they don't have Black Crows, and I'm not sure about Blizzard and Nordica. They do (well, did last year) have Heads, Volkls and K2s, which all have decent skis that might fit your bill.
However, the shops in town (Qtown, Wanaka, Methven, etc) also have rental versions of most of the skis they sell, and generally if you buy skis at the end, they'll subtract the rental cost, plus adjust your new bindings to fit, which you'd need to pay for otherwise. I'd potentially contact the shops soon though to see what they'll have in stock when you're here -- with the state of the economy, they (and their suppliers) might have ordered conservatively.
Another option might be to rent for the duration of your holiday, which makes getting around airports etc much less hassle.
Either way, wide skis and bad knees often aren't the best mix, so definitely wise to stay at or under that 88mm waist limit.

 

[florentinella]

Excellent decision, and what I'd recommend too. Mt Hutt, Coronet and Remarks all have quality performance rentals, though the brands are fairly limited -- they don't have Black Crows, and I'm not sure about Blizzard and Nordica. They do (well, did last year) have Heads, Volkls and K2s, which all have decent skis that might fit your bill.
However, the shops in town (Qtown, Wanaka, Methven, etc) also have rental versions of most of the skis they sell, and generally if you buy skis at the end, they'll subtract the rental cost, plus adjust your new bindings to fit, which you'd need to pay for otherwise. I'd potentially contact the shops soon though to see what they'll have in stock when you're here -- with the state of the economy, they (and their suppliers) might have ordered conservatively.

Yes, I need to investigate what they will have as demos and rentals...

Another option might be to rent for the duration of your holiday, which makes getting around airports etc much less hassle.

I have three ski trips (fingers crossed) this year - hence wanted to finally get my own skis so I don't have to worry about rentals, what's available and ski on what I know without surprises ;)

Either way, wide skis and bad knees often aren't the best mix, so definitely wise to stay at or under that 88mm waist limit.

Got it ;)

 

[florentinella]

What ski's did they suggest ?

So this is going to be an interesting one. To sum it up - with the skis I selected as "potential" (see my first post) it looks like I'm punching above my weight, and everyone so far recommended more beginner skis. This is judging by the descriptions on various sites (and the price points).

So I contacted 4 shops today and they all recommended skis under 88! Here they are - in no particular order:
Head E Total Joy 85
Atomic E Cloud Q9
Rossignol Experience 82 in 159cm*
Head Absolut Joy 80**
Atomic Cloud C9 Revoshock 73***
Rossignol Experience 80C in 158cm
K2 Mindebender 85 in 156cm

What do you think??

* This is second time these are recommended (also by the shop where I got my boots)
** I wouldn't go with these as they are white this year - I had white rentals once, and I really didn't like the fact I couldn't see the skis properly in the snow
*** The description for these on one of the websites is : "The ultimate mum ski"

 

[AJM]

So this is going to be an interesting one. To sum it up - with the skis I selected as "potential" (see my first post) it looks like I'm punching above my weight, and everyone so far recommended more beginner skis. This is judging by the descriptions on various sites (and the price points).

So I contacted 4 shops today and they all recommended skis under 88! Here they are - in no particular order:
Head E Total Joy 85
Atomic E Cloud Q9
Rossignol Experience 82 in 159cm*
Head Absolut Joy 80**
Atomic Cloud C9 Revoshock 73***
Rossignol Experience 80C in 158cm
K2 Mindebender 85 in 156cm

What do you think??

* This is second time these are recommended (also by the shop where I got my boots)
** I wouldn't go with these as they are white this year - I had white rentals once, and I really didn't like the fact I couldn't see the skis properly in the snow
*** The description for these on one of the websites is : "The ultimate mum ski"

I agree with the "Ultimate Mum Ski" !!! on the Atomic Cloud C9's , I gave them a go last season just for fun and couldnt get them back to the rep quick enough ..... he laughed and said he knew I'd hate them
I havent tried any of the others but I do have a friend who tried the Total Joy's a couple of seasons ago and really liked them, she's a lower end intermediate and wanted something she felt confident on to venture off to the side of groomed runs etc. She ended up getting the Fischer RC1's as she couldnt get the Total Joys and she loves them.

My friend Leith at Gnomes has recommended the K2 Mindbender 85's to me as possible alternative for me if I'm unable to ski my Sheevas due to my injury. But as I mentioned I have the RC1's on standby.

I have friends who are on the Rossi Experience 82s and again they love them, I tried them last season but wasnt wowed ..... I dont think I was in the right mindset and couldnt wait to get back on my Sheevas. I'm now used to a wider ski and the stability underfoot so to be honest I'm a little scared of narrower skis but with my now "new normal" as a skier with bad knees I may have to get over that .

I guess to sum it up I would be leaning towards the following for you.
Head E Total Joy 85
Rossignol Experience 82 in 159cm*
K2 Mindebender 85 in 156cm

I agree that your original choices may not have been the most suitable for you, the BP's want someone who can drive them and they can be quite polarising .... you either love em or hate em. I had an earlier model which I loved but hated the recent models.
I didnt particularly like the Santa Anas's either and I have absolutely zero experience of the Belles.

Its always overwhelming buying new ski's and esp hard if you cant demo first sometimes you've just got to do your research and take the plunge.
Footnote - I would be making the decision to buy sooner rather than later due to diminishing stock levels. There's only so many brought into the country and they tend to sell out quickly.

 

[Jilly]

The Head Joys and the BP's either love em, or hate em. I haven't tried the Cloud Q9, but the C9 is quite a ski. If it's too stiff go down the line to the 7.

 

[florentinella]

So this is going to be an interesting one. To sum it up - with the skis I selected as "potential" (see my first post) it looks like I'm punching above my weight, and everyone so far recommended more beginner skis. This is judging by the descriptions on various sites (and the price points).

So I contacted 4 shops today and they all recommended skis under 88! Here they are - in no particular order:
Head E Total Joy 85
Atomic E Cloud Q9
Rossignol Experience 82 in 159cm*
Head Absolut Joy 80**
Atomic Cloud C9 Revoshock 73***
Rossignol Experience 80C in 158cm
K2 Mindebender 85 in 156cm

What do you think??

* This is second time these are recommended (also by the shop where I got my boots)
** I wouldn't go with these as they are white this year - I had white rentals once, and I really didn't like the fact I couldn't see the skis properly in the snow
*** The description for these on one of the websites is : "The ultimate mum ski"

****EDIT****

I only ask as Gnomes ski shop in Darfield are super helpful and if you got in touch with them I'm sure they could get you on the right ski .... ask for Leith...

Note from Leith : Demoing is great if you understand the differences between skis and can adjust your skiing quickly to suit the slight differences between skis, other wise demoing skis can just be a waste of time and make it more confusing.
I'm thinking she might have a point It's all very well to test various options - but perhaps I might not be able to feel the difference as my technique is not there yet? And maybe testing say something say 78 in 165cm vs 90 in 150cm might feel different for me, but testing a ski in 80 vs 82 in the same length from the same brand is pointless...
Agh... this is all so confusing

But to complicate things further, I called two more shops, and they recommended:
Black Pearl 82 in 152cm (ideally in 159cm but they don't have it in stock)
Black Pearl 88 in 153cm (they have both 82 and 88 but apparently 88 will more versetail on softer snow...)

So all in all:
- brands: I'm considering Rossignol Experience and Black Pearl
- seems that Rossignol has been recommended (by 2 different shops) longer 158/159cm
- Black Pearl has been recommended (by 2 different shops) shorter 152/153cm
- recommended widths are 80 82 88 - is there much difference between 80 and 82? I assume there is a difference between 80 and 88?

Shortlist:
Experience 80 in 158cm, weight single ski=1.6kg, radius = 13m, CARBON
Experience 82 in 159cm, weight single ski=1.6kg, radius = 13m, BASALT
Black Pearl 82 in 152cm, weight single ski=1.455kg, radius = 11.5m, TITANAL
Black Pearl 88 in 153cm, weight single ski=1.530kg, radius = 12m, TITANAL

From what I'm reading:
Ti will be heavier and stiffer, which will make it more stable at high speeds and more responsive under aggressive use. The C will be lighter and less stiff, making it more maneuverable and easier to control at lower speed.

Any thoughts???

 

[scandium]

OkSo this is going to be an interesting one. To sum it up - with the skis I selected as "potential" (see my first post) it looks like I'm punching above my weight, and everyone so far recommended more beginner skis. This is judging by the descriptions on various sites (and the price points).

So I contacted 4 shops today and they all recommended skis under 88! Here they are - in no particular order:
Head E Total Joy 85
Atomic E Cloud Q9
Rossignol Experience 82 in 159cm*
Head Absolut Joy 80**
Atomic Cloud C9 Revoshock 73***
Rossignol Experience 80C in 158cm
K2 Mindebender 85 in 156cm

What do you think??

* This is second time these are recommended (also by the shop where I got my boots)
** I wouldn't go with these as they are white this year - I had white rentals once, and I really didn't like the fact I couldn't see the skis properly in the snow
*** The description for these on one of the websites is : "The ultimate mum ski"

I think that it's still a bit of a gamble until you've demoed a bit more. I have had demo rentals that I hated, tried skis that "should" have suited my skiing style at the time and been meh, and been pleasantly surprised by skis I thought were "too advanced".

Of that list, I would lean towards the Rossi Exp 82 and Mindbender 85, so they should be names you look out for on demo lists. I've heard the Head Joy series can be a bit polarising so would also be best to try first.

 

[AJM]

I'm with @scandium , I'd be looking at the Rossi Exp 82 in the 159 and the Mindbender 85. Personally I would be staying away from the BP's and the lengths they have are too short for you anyway. The BP's have been a best selling ski for several seasons now and I personally think they are a victim of their own success and media hype. I'm a strong intermediate and ski all over the mountain and I hated this latest version despite loving the previous models, they really like to be skied and dont take any prisoners, I sold them pronto and replaced the with the Sheevas. The BP 88's are one ski I wouldn't buy before trying.

As for the difference in widths they will all ski differently but yes there is a big difference esp on knees, even though its only a few mm's between each width you mentioned, once that couple of mm's transfers up the leg it make a huge difference on how knee's can cope.

Have you done any online research on the ski's you've shortlisted or ones we've mentioned ? I find online reviews invaluable in narrowing down my choices along with opinions on this forum.

 

[Soujan]

Note from Leith : Demoing is great if you understand the differences between skis and can adjust your skiing quickly to suit the slight differences between skis, other wise demoing skis can just be a waste of time and make it more confusing.
I'm thinking she might have a point It's all very well to test various options - but perhaps I might not be able to feel the difference as my technique is not there yet? And maybe testing say something say 78 in 165cm vs 90 in 150cm might feel different for me, but testing a ski in 80 vs 82 in the same length from the same brand is pointless...
Agh... this is all so confusing

That's exactly how I feel. When I was a beginner to low intermediate, I couldn't tell the different between skis. I didn't feel the difference sidecut or sidewall construction makes. It was a waste for me to demo. When I did demo back then, I ended up spending $900 on something I thought I loved. Total regret buy and waste of money. I probably used that ski less than 10 times and it now just sits in my basement.

I needed to improve my skills before I was able to tell the difference Now I figured out what type of ski I liked. It took years for that to happen.

 

[marzNC]

I'm thinking she might have a point It's all very well to test various options - but perhaps I might not be able to feel the difference as my technique is not there yet? And maybe testing say something say 78 in 165cm vs 90 in 150cm might feel different for me, but testing a ski in 80 vs 82 in the same length from the same brand is pointless...
Agh... this is all so confusing

Shortlist:
Experience 80 in 158cm, weight single ski=1.6kg, radius = 13m, CARBON
Experience 82 in 159cm, weight single ski=1.6kg, radius = 13m, BASALT
Black Pearl 82 in 152cm, weight single ski=1.455kg, radius = 11.5m, TITANAL
Black Pearl 88 in 153cm, weight single ski=1.530kg, radius = 12m, TITANAL

Agree that it would be hard to tell the difference between skis that are similar in width and length. However, I found that I could tell whether a pair of skis were fun or took work to make turns when I was an intermediate just starting to think about buying a good pair of skis. I wasn't thinking about materials.

What I've done at some demo days is check out the same model in different lengths. The differences are obvious, even during one run on a groomer.

Getting a good length is probably more important than the materials for skis you are considering. Low 150s is shorter than what I had as an intermediate and I'm a few inches shorter as well as lighter.

 

[florentinella]

Hi everyone, remember me? I was asking for some advice on buying skis - see my original post from May. I did something very naughty - and bought skis without testing them (on the basis that if I hate them - I can bring them back and change them to something else...) I was just impatient, and also thought I might not be able to feel the difference and demoing will make it just so much more confusing! How wrong was that advice!!!
So I ended up buying Rossignol Experience 82 in 158cm - these were coming up again and again so decided it was a good & safe choice.
I just spent 5 days in Mt Hutt (NZ). Finally put them on - and hated them immediately! But I just blamed it on my abilities (or lack there of) thinking - I'm just not a very good skier so obviously they feel a bit blahhhh...

But then there was a demo stand with K2 Line - so tried K2 mindbender 96C in 160cm
My first thought was OMG - they went like knife through soft butter in comparison but they did feel a bit chunky - too wide.

I tried K2 mindbender 89Ti in 164 - they were too long (I'm 165cm)

And lastly I tried K2 mindbender 89Ti in 158 - I only had one run on them as it was the end of the day so here I'm getting confused - they felt good - but I was wasn't thinking "WOW this is it"...

The next day I rented Head Total Joy 85 in 158 - they were ok, but nothing special, so not for me.

The following day I demoed Fischer RC One GT82Ti in 159. They were heavier, but super stable - and I loved them!

By then I was hooked on demoing so got very excited when the following day there were more demo stands I tried Salomon QST lux 92 in 160cm - they were supposed to be easy but I found them too chunky.

The same guy had FACTION Dancer1 86 in 162. I didn't particularly like the colour (bright pink) but I loved the skis and didn't want to give them and go back to my Rossignols ....

Obviously this is day 4 so either I was getting better at skiing or better at demoing

On the last day (day 5) I tried Black Crows Captis (green & pink) 90 in 160 - they were nice but wobbly in front. I was really disappointed as last year I demoed Black Crows Birdies Vertis (blue) 85 in 159 and I thought I loved them then ...

So lastly, I tried Black Crows Captis 90 in 154 and these were definitely too short.

*******************************

Not sure if anyone can make sense of this, I'm confused, and obviously ideally I should have tried 3 skies I liked on the same day one after the other but I didn't.... I have figured that what I do like is more stable skis with Ti, so my shortlist is - in no particular order:

*** Fischer RC One GT 82Ti in 159
*** FACTION Dancer1 86 in 162
*** K2 mindbender 89Ti in 158

On the way back I stopped at Gnomes (a very respectable ski shop) and spoke with Leigh to get some advice. She was surprised I liked Faction Dancer as these are supposed to be more free ride/ off piste skis???

Unfortunately, out of these three they only stock K2, so she suggested these as a perfect fit - stiffer (than Rossignol) as it has Ti but have the carving profile. I asked about a few other brands whilst there - Nordica and Blizzard but she didn't recommend these as Nordica Santa Ana - need to ski them harder, and Blizzard Black Pearl as more beginner ski? I'm not sure if I got that right ...


Anyway, what do you ladies think??? I'm confused and terrible at decision making ...

 

[AJM]

Hi everyone, remember me? I was asking for some advice on buying skis - see my original post from May. I did something very naughty - and bought skis without testing them (on the basis that if I hate them - I can bring them back and change them to something else...) I was just impatient, and also thought I might not be able to feel the difference and demoing will make it just so much more confusing! How wrong was that advice!!!
So I ended up buying Rossignol Experience 82 in 158cm - these were coming up again and again so decided it was a good & safe choice.
I just spent 5 days in Mt Hutt (NZ). Finally put them on - and hated them immediately! But I just blamed it on my abilities (or lack there of) thinking - I'm just not a very good skier so obviously they feel a bit blahhhh...

But then there was a demo stand with K2 Line - so tried K2 mindbender 96C in 160cm
My first thought was OMG - they went like knife through soft butter in comparison but they did feel a bit chunky - too wide.

I tried K2 mindbender 89Ti in 164 - they were too long (I'm 165cm)

And lastly I tried K2 mindbender 89Ti in 158 - I only had one run on them as it was the end of the day so here I'm getting confused - they felt good - but I was wasn't thinking "WOW this is it"...

The next day I rented Head Total Joy 85 in 158 - they were ok, but nothing special, so not for me.

The following day I demoed Fischer RC One GT82Ti in 159. They were heavier, but super stable - and I loved them!

By then I was hooked on demoing so got very excited when the following day there were more demo stands I tried Salomon QST lux 92 in 160cm - they were supposed to be easy but I found them too chunky.

The same guy had FACTION Dancer1 86 in 162. I didn't particularly like the colour (bright pink) but I loved the skis and didn't want to give them and go back to my Rossignols ....

Obviously this is day 4 so either I was getting better at skiing or better at demoing

On the last day (day 5) I tried Black Crows Captis (green & pink) 90 in 160 - they were nice but wobbly in front. I was really disappointed as last year I demoed Black Crows Birdies Vertis (blue) 85 in 159 and I thought I loved them then ...

So lastly, I tried Black Crows Captis 90 in 154 and these were definitely too short.

*******************************

Not sure if anyone can make sense of this, I'm confused, and obviously ideally I should have tried 3 skies I liked on the same day one after the other but I didn't.... I have figured that what I do like is more stable skis with Ti, so my shortlist is - in no particular order:

*** Fischer RC One GT 82Ti in 159
*** FACTION Dancer1 86 in 162
*** K2 mindbender 89Ti in 158

On the way back I stopped at Gnomes (a very respectable ski shop) and spoke with Leigh to get some advice. She was surprised I liked Faction Dancer as these are supposed to be more free ride/ off piste skis???

Unfortunately, out of these three they only stock K2, so she suggested these as a perfect fit - stiffer (than Rossignol) as it has Ti but have the carving profile. I asked about a few other brands whilst there - Nordica and Blizzard but she didn't recommend these as Nordica Santa Ana - need to ski them harder, and Blizzard Black Pearl as more beginner ski? I'm not sure if I got that right ...


Anyway, what do you ladies think??? I'm confused and terrible at decision making ...

Mmmmm Leiths a friend of mine and I'm suprised she said the BP's were a more beginner ski as that has definately not been my experience on them not has it been reviewed as such by many reviewers. I ditched them a season or so ago as they were just too much hard work and planky. I switched to the Blizzard Sheeva 9's based on the many positive reviews from fellow Divas and have absolutely loved them. I ski them here in Canterbury in all sorts of conditions from icy hardpack through to powder and they've been fantastic.
With the BP's you either love em or hate em ...... I did love the previous model but hate the newer ones.
Good luck on your decision making xx

 

[florentinella]

thanks

Mmmmm Leiths a friend of mine and I'm suprised she said the BP's were a more beginner ski

Thanks! - as I said, I'm not sure if I got that comment right... She was recommending BP88 to someone else just before me and it sounded perfect - so I thought it will be a good fit for me too, but then she didn't recommend them and said Mindbender 89 will be the right one... I have read about BP88 and I know many people love them and I was so keen to demo them but they were not available on the mountain. I know from this forum and other reviews they are definitely not beginner skis! Maybe she said I'm more of a beginner skier

 

[scandium]

It sounds like you might still want to demo more.
You got the non-metal Rossi Experience 82 I assume, not the metal?

Regarding the K2 Mindbender - if you can get the 89Ti as a demo rental, it could help you decide. Sounds like you might need more time not just one run. I like that ski in softer snow and hate it on harder snow.

Did Black Crows not have the longer Captis available? I was on the 160 and I am lighter/shorter than you - sounds like the longer length would have been better.

The Dancer is interesting, I liked it on-piste more than I thought I would given its heritage, I think they have some metal but are still super chill/forgiving without losing stability. I still haven't skiied BP88 properly but the brief demo I had I thought it feels more like a Kenja now (i.e. better, from my point of view, but stiffer and needing more driving)

 

[florentinella]

It sounds like you might still want to demo more.
You got the non-metal Rossi Experience 82 I assume, not the metal?

Yes, non metal.

Regarding the K2 Mindbender - if you can get the 89Ti as a demo rental, it could help you decide. Sounds like you might need more time not just one run. I like that ski in softer snow and hate it on harder snow.

interesting. I just don't remember it well, it didn't wow me.

Did Black Crows not have the longer Captis available? I was on the 160 and I am lighter/shorter than you - sounds like the longer length would have been better.

Yes, they had 164cm. I thought that would be too long given I'm 164cm. They were very wobbly - chattering - is this the term??

The Dancer is interesting, I liked it on-piste more than I thought I would given its heritage,

what do you mean "heritage"? It seems to be a boutique brand ? not much info / review on Dancer 1

I think they have some metal but are still super chill/forgiving without losing stability. I still haven't skiied BP88 properly but the brief demo I had I thought it feels more like a Kenja now (i.e. better, from my point of view, but stiffer and needing more driving)

I didn't demo BP or Kenja. I was also recommended to try Atomic Maven 86C but it doesn't have Ti just Carbon. One thing I know for sure I want skis with Ti. Black Crows don't have Ti.

 

[Jilly]

Yes, they had 164cm. I thought that would be too long given I'm 164cm. They were very wobbly - chattering - is this the term??

This can be a sign of a too short ski. Go back a try it.

 

[scandium]

Yes, non metal.


interesting. I just don't remember it well, it didn't wow me.

Yes, they had 164cm. I thought that would be too long given I'm 164cm. They were very wobbly - chattering - is this the term??

what do you mean "heritage"? It seems to be a boutique brand ? not much info / review on Dancer 1



I didn't demo BP or Kenja. I was also recommended to try Atomic Maven 86C but it doesn't have Ti just Carbon. One thing I know for sure I want skis with Ti. Black Crows don't have Ti.

I would still try the Maven. I like skis with metal usually and was very surprised by the Maven, if the rep had told me it had some titanal in it I would have believed them! I normally prefer skis with metal as well, so I understand your skepticism. I actually went to the Atomic stand looking for their piste skis (Redster etc) which they did not have that day.

The Captis skis short in my opinion, I am surprised the reps did not suggest you go longer based on your impression. Usually I have skis that are mid-150s as I am 158cm. I would not have wanted to go shorter than the 160cm that I tried. The reason I think you skiied it too short is that you shouldn't feel of instability and chatter on that ski based on your feelings with the other skis you tried, unless they are too short for you.

My impression of Faction is freeride and park skis with a bias to touring/big mountain, they used to partner with Candide Theroux who is a very good freeride skiier. The Dancer is the most piste focussed of their ski line but because I know the brand for freeride, I thought it would not be the sort of ski I enjoy.