• Women skiers, this is the place for you -- an online community without the male-orientation you'll find in conventional ski magazines and internet ski forums. At TheSkiDiva.com, you can connect with other women to talk about skiing in a way that you can relate to, about things that you find of interest. Be sure to join our community to participate (women only, please!). Registration is fast and simple. Just be sure to add [email protected] to your address book so your registration activation emails won't be routed as spam. And please give careful consideration to your user name -- it will not be changed once your registration is confirmed.

Powder hacks?

MissySki

Angel Diva
I wouldn't take a ski that wide to ski out west without another in the bag.
The Sheeva 11 is a solid choice, though, considering your love for the 9 and the 10 when you tried them.

Oh agreed, that would strictly be a backup if I decided to take 2 pairs. However, I usually prefer to just travel with one pair because it’s just easier to drag my single sport tube around! Have you tried the Sheeva 11?
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Also as mentioned, the Sheeva 10 at 102 mm is a super fun ski. Think I would be happy with both the Sheeva 9 and the Sheeva 10.
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
Or...you could open up a whole new line of gear purchasing by learning how to snowboard, too :rotf:
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Also as mentioned, the Sheeva 10 at 102 mm is a super fun ski. Think I would be happy with both the Sheeva 9 and the Sheeva 10.

I like the 10, but I have skis in the high 90s and so I doubt that the 102 will float me significantly more which is what I’m hoping to achieve to mask my horrible powder skiing a bit :rotf:
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Or...you could open up a whole new line of gear purchasing by learning how to snowboard, too :rotf:

I’ve tried snowboarding once, it did not go well! Lol I actually do want to try again though, perhaps at one of the terrain based learning resorts like Killington this time..
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
I like the 10, but I have skis in the high 90s and so I doubt that the 102 will float me significantly more which is what I’m hoping to achieve to mask my horrible powder skiing a bit :rotf:
I was used to the Blizzard Samba a stiffer ski without much rocker (98 mm) so Sheeva 10 construction at 102 worked very well for me.. Two very different skis... BF skis the Rossi soul 7's in everything. Think they are 106. I'm quite petite 5'1 <105 so not a lot of mass... but I haven't tried any wider skis but have skied heavy deep powder... and not that well! Tahoe gets big storms and not the light fluffy stuff.
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
I’ve tried snowboarding once, it did not go well! Lol I actually do want to try again though, perhaps at one of the terrain based learning resorts like Killington this time..

What size shoe do you wear? I do, in fact, have a two-sport quiver... :rotf:
 

contesstant

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Oh agreed, that would strictly be a backup if I decided to take 2 pairs. However, I usually prefer to just travel with one pair because it’s just easier to drag my single sport tube around! Have you tried the Sheeva 11?
I haven't. I typically don't care for skis much over 100mm wide plus conditions rarely warrant it when testing. Now at Targhee, that could be a different story. Although I've been happy with my Sheeva 10s there in powder (and I also am not great in powder--at all!) I just giggle and laugh because it IS fun. Also, not all powder is created equal. We've had some "powder" days here that the snow was just WAY too dense, and even my friend, who was a former ski racer, has been known to quit on those days. I'd rather wait for it to cut skied up a little when it's like that, honestly.
 

AltaEgo

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Fatter skis will make it easier. And you can "practice" outside powder. Powder skiing involves more turning of the feet than carving. You can practice by skiing on a flatter ski and turning both feet to change direction, rather than relying on the edges. But the three dimensional powder experience is a unique feeling. The hardest thing for me is staying relaxed and not rushing things.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Fatter skis will make it easier. And you can "practice" outside powder. Powder skiing involves more turning of the feet than carving. You can practice by skiing on a flatter ski and turning both feet to change direction, rather than relying on the edges. But the three dimensional powder experience is a unique feeling. The hardest thing for me is staying relaxed and not rushing things.

I’ve been working a lot on getting off of my edges and using more rotary turning for working on bumps and trees. Hopefully it’ll eventually translate to powder too! I have the same issue with patience in powder.. the skis don’t turn fast enough which freaks me out, and then I try to force the turn to happen anyway which quickly exhausts my legs. I’ve had more luck in powder when on trips west, though still not “good”, but since it’s lighter I can at least fumble around in it for quite awhile. Heavier snow in the east is pretty hopeless for me when it gets too deep though. That doesn’t happen too often, but I’d like to be able to ski it when it does come!
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
Size 8-8.5. I think it’s so awesome when people can do both!

Dang! Well unfortunately my feet are smaller or you’d be welcome to raid my gear closet and borrow snowboard stuff. I’m hoping to spend more time on skis this season so I can move more efficiently and feel legit about calling myself a skier.
 

mustski

Angel Diva
I am a terrible powder skier also. In SoCal, it’s tracked out in 15 minutes so I only get to practice when I get lucky during a trip, including Mammoth. That said, I have a pair of Volkl Ones which have a 116 waist and are full rocker and they make powder much easier. I’m still incompetent but I have more fun and don’t have to work as hard.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
That said, I have a pair of Volkl Ones which have a 116 waist and are full rocker and they make powder much easier. I’m still incompetent but I have more fun and don’t have to work as hard.

That’s my goal exactly, having more fun and not having to work as hard! :clap:
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
I haven't. I typically don't care for skis much over 100mm wide plus conditions rarely warrant it when testing. Now at Targhee, that could be a different story. Although I've been happy with my Sheeva 10s there in powder (and I also am not great in powder--at all!) I just giggle and laugh because it IS fun. Also, not all powder is created equal. We've had some "powder" days here that the snow was just WAY too dense, and even my friend, who was a former ski racer, has been known to quit on those days. I'd rather wait for it to cut skied up a little when it's like that, honestly.

Dense is the definition of most of our bigger powder days in the east unfortunately haha. There are plenty of people who still look amazing in it and stay out all day, I’m so envious of them as I struggle! It does give me hope that it’ll someday click, but who knows since it certainly hasn’t yet.. :noidea:
 

elemmac

Angel Diva
That said, I have a pair of Volkl Ones which have a 116 waist and are full rocker and they make powder much easier. I’m still incompetent but I have more fun and don’t have to work as hard.

This was actually the first ski that made me enjoy and feel semi-competent in powder. I had demoed it in 3 ft of freshness and didn’t want to give it back. DH bought a pair a few years ago, and soon wish he bought the next size up. He was thinking about selling them this year in the local swap, but I decided I would sell my powder skis (La Nina’s), and remount his to my boot instead.

@MissySki - Doesnt look like Völkl is making them anymore, but you might be able to find a good deal on the Ones from a few years ago or last years Bash 116 (same ski).
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Thoughts on lengths for an east cost powder ski like this? Would I stick to my usual of somewhere in the 160s with the increase in width, or do I need to go longer too?

@elemmac which ski swap do you guys do? Wachusett’s down here doesn’t usually have fat skis.
 

elemmac

Angel Diva
Thoughts on lengths for an east cost powder ski like this? Would I stick to my usual of somewhere in the 160s with the increase in width, or do I need to go longer too?

@elemmac which ski swap do you guys do? Wachusett’s down here doesn’t usually have fat skis.

I would start with something slightly longer than your all-mountain skis (or equivalent to the upper range of skis you’re comfortable on). I was very happy with a shorter wide ski for a few years, then as I progressed and started getting a bit faster in powder I moved to a longer ski. For reference, I ski low to mid 160s for hard snow skis, mid-high 160s for all-mountain skis (sometimes very low 170s). My first wide (110mm) ski was a 166, and was happy on it for a few years, then moved to a 177. The 177 is a push for me, and I want to migrate a bit smaller (or at least something that feels smaller).

We go to the Philbrick’s ski swap in Dover, NH. It’s generally slim pickings for wide skis. Gould Academy in Bethel does a swap that I’d like to check out one of these years, but it starts on a Friday...so always have figured I need to be there on Friday to get the best pick of the litter.
 

mustski

Angel Diva
The other advantage to the Volkl One - and I assume the Bash - is that they are still quite competent on the groomers. Often, we have to ski a groomer home at the end of the day so it's good to have a ski that can handle that also.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
26,235
Messages
497,578
Members
8,503
Latest member
MermaidKelly
Top