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Old versus New?

KimarieSnow

Certified Ski Diva
Hey ladies! I need some help! I’ve been skiing since I was 3 years old. I consider myself a decent skier - but no expert. As skis have changed and become more “rounded” over the years - I truly understand the reasons for changes/updates & growth with the newer style equipment. I’m not an idiot but I am stubborn (perhaps that’s the same thing). I love, LOVE the old style skis. Long, tight profiles with crisp, sharp points for serious cutting. I’ve always had K2’s from their Comp USA RACER collection. Excellent skis for moguls! I’ve rented the newer model skis a bunch of times and they just don’t feel the same. They sorta feel too “easy” and I love a good fight. So I took to the internet and found a BRAND NEW pair of K2 Comp’s NEVER cut! The lady bought them and then never even took them out of the box. I had a little trouble finding bindings for my new skis! They don’t make very many bindings this narrow today. So I got lucky. Short of the long: I’ve been skiing on them for two seasons and just LOVE THEM!! Yesterday, I few punk kids in the lift lines cut across my skis and badly damaged the veneer… I want to cry!! There’s no fixing them as a piece is literally broken off. So what’s a girl to do? Any advice on skis with a far more narrow design and sharper features? I feel like some of the skis out there look like snowboards: one for each foot. “Modern” skis feel so weird to me. I know. I know…I’m supposed to find them easier, better…blah blah. I can transfer my bindings to new skis but I just don’t even know where to start with ski shopping. I can’t seem to find anything thin and sharp. Thanks for your help! I should change my name to “Old Lady Vintage”!C2CB038D-3C1A-4D01-9FF7-2CD66EC27B84.jpegC020049B-E0FD-4AEE-8B01-646FE89142C0.jpeg
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Please try some new fangled skis.....they are so much easier to ski. No up/down motion. Edge them and turn.

Don't go for the wide waisted stuff either. Find a front side carver.

What shape are your boots in?????
 

KimarieSnow

Certified Ski Diva
Please try some new fangled skis.....they are so much easier to ski. No up/down motion. Edge them and turn.

Don't go for the wide waisted stuff either. Find a front side carver.

What shape are your boots in?????
I just got Rossignol Pure Pro 90 boots last month… I love them. Super comfy and warm for even the longest of days. Thank YOU so much for the advice! Will check them out. ⛷
 

KimarieSnow

Certified Ski Diva
So far, so good on my boots - thank goodness. I wear size 5. Munchkin feet. They were the last I tried on, when I went boot shopping (mostly bc they were the most $$$). Yet, they were my absolute favorite and super comfortable. Yesterday, I had a 9 hour day in them! So I recommend the boots (perhaps for ladies with super tiny feet). What do you think about racing skis? They have far thinner profiles… curious, as I research skis now.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
No boot should ever feel "comfy". Snug, but not like bedroom slippers.

No to racing skis yet. Try a high end front side carver. Rossi Nova's, Dynastar Elite, Atomic Clouds, Head Epic Joy. Anything 75 and under, unless it's all mountain then 78 and under.
 

KimarieSnow

Certified Ski Diva
Lol of course! Bedroom slippers and ski boots - never in the same sentence! I meant “comfy” when it comes to ski boots. Been skiing 41 years so “comfy” boots simply means I’m not dying to take them off at the end of the day. ☺️ Great advice on skis! Will check these out for certain! Thanks again!
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
+1 to @Jilly 's advice. I have a 68mm waisted ski that is so much fun. I'm not an expert either. I think the kind of terrain you ski would also factor in. I think the fatter skis are designed to help get you into trees, off-piste.
 

newboots

Angel Diva
I have to admit that I'm impressed to meet a woman who wants to work harder on her skis! :hail:

@Jilly is not going to convince you with the argument that the new skis are easier!

Do you have the opportunity to demo skis? You could try some high-end carvers as she mentioned, which will still be easier than old straight skis, but might feel similar in performance. (I'm totally guessing here.) I am skiing some older Dynastar Glorys that are 69 underfoot (and have two sheets of steel inside - none of this superlight titanal for those babies). I love these when the snow is good; they are teaching me how to carve. (I get tense on super-icy conditions and don't tip them enough to really bite - still new at really working the edges.)

At last we have some snow! We can both get out there and find the sweet spot. Where do you usually ski?
 

KimarieSnow

Certified Ski Diva
Don’t be too impressed! As I ponder all the feedback and my overall experience with skis: I think I have been stuck. Stuck in combo of getting past the feeling of comfort with something I know so well (K2 racers have always been my “go to”) and then only having experience with rentals for modern skis. Rentals perhaps is how/where I’ve gone wrong and what’s made me not want newer style skis. I was probably given rentals for the exact opposite of what I enjoy and hence the bad experiences. As I ponder this - truthfully, I was never asked anything other than my height/weight/basic experience level during the rental processes. I bet rental facilities also don’t offer more than a basic model for everyone?! So imagine what I love: super thin, fast, carvers - then I’m testing these “oh-so-awesome modern skis” and it’s like skiing on canoes! Not great experiences lead to my sticking with vintage and hunting down “new” or never used vintage skis at all costs!

It’s also why I joined this blog to be very honest. Good advice is hard to find!

I’m learning that today’s skis are made so different - with so many varieties. I get dizzy looking at them all. So I think it’s a matter of becoming educated, asking for advice (so thank you very much) and then making a decision on something that should fix my needs. I guarantee that I’ll be kicking myself once I find my new skis, saying “why didn’t I do this years ago?!” I’ve already saved a few options I’ve seen online today (thanks @Jilly ) and I hope to visit a few shops in my area to see what I can find. Stay tuned. I’m joining your century soon! Haha!
 

KimarieSnow

Certified Ski Diva
No boot should ever feel "comfy". Snug, but not like bedroom slippers.

No to racing skis yet. Try a high end front side carver. Rossi Nova's, Dynastar Elite, Atomic Clouds, Head Epic Joy. Anything 75 and under, unless it's all mountain then 78 and under.
What do you think of Rossi Hero Athlete GS 2022s?? I know you said “no to racing skis” but it’s sorta all I’ve ever owned…6 pairs in my lifetime. I saw the Rossi Hero’s while checking out your recs and my heart started to pound (in a good way). Plus, I called my local shop and they have them! You think modern racers are too much for me since I’ve only been on vintage racers? Thank you again, you’ve given me a lot of your time and advice. I’m super grateful!!
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I'm on the Hero ST Ti, it's a tuned down slalom race ski. I don't ski long turns here in the east, so GS skis are a waste on me.

So, do you like short, long or medium turns on your old stuff? Short turns are a lot of work on those K2's!!
 

KimarieSnow

Certified Ski Diva
Medium to short turns. Perhaps that’s why my legs are in good shape at my “old lady vintage” age?! I’m like Suzanne Somers with her thigh master! What do you recommend? Meantime: I had to share this picture since I’m earning my rep here with you… don’t worry - I only wore it this once, to make my husband laugh!! One piece: CB!! Now that’s vintage!! Pic from 2019 - not 1989!! Haha!!
 

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KimarieSnow

Certified Ski Diva
"Rental" = same ski in lots of different sizes. Basically for people who are new or who ski very rarely

"Demo" = performance skis of various sorts.
For real. A girls gotta get caught up. Thank you!! Do demos typically happen at shops? When I was purchasing my new boots back in December - I felt like the sales reps were really pushy and gave me their opinion on everything instead of listening to my needs. I didn’t even bother looking at skis that day because I felt dizzy after picking out boots. Thanks again!
 

newboots

Angel Diva
@newboots - I got my instructors cert on Head Racing SR's. Straight skis. My first shaped skis were Dynastar X9's, circa 1989 and they were not as shaped as my Hero's are.

I've taught old school and shaped skis. I'll take the shaped skis anytime over the old straight skis.
I have no doubt.

I was referring to her comment in her first post that shaped skis seemed "too easy," not casting any shade on your skills or opinions! I value both quite a bit.

They sorta feel too “easy” and I love a good fight.
 
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newboots

Angel Diva
For real. A girls gotta get caught up. Thank you!! Do demos typically happen at shops? When I was purchasing my new boots back in December - I felt like the sales reps were really pushy and gave me their opinion on everything instead of listening to my needs. I didn’t even bother looking at skis that day because I felt dizzy after picking out boots. Thanks again!

UGH. I hate that at ski shops. It's so hard to be taken seriously as a woman. (Even harder to be old and gray and wanting to be taken seriously.) Lots of the women who come to the shop where I work gravitate toward me, although I freely and often admit that many of the other staff are more knowledgeable. The ski bums who populate these shops like nothing better than to hear themselves talk about skis. Any decent salesperson should do a lot of listening.

Many shops (the ones near the mountains) have demos. Also, most larger mountains should have a demo fleet, likely in their ski shop, not the rental department, although it varies.
 

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