Powder Skis

[tika55]

I'm thinking about changing up my quiver a bit and interested in what people are liking for powder skis in Colorado. Just got Volkl Kenja 88 170cm for groomer days and LOVE them. I got on my old skis, K2 Mindbender 98ti 161cm, for a powder to chop day and they felt SO sluggish. Granted it was really wet powder (my kid was barely moving on it). I'm 5'9" and 160lb, advanced intermediate, so maybe these are just too short and need to go? I would like something for groomer days and something for the powder to afternoon moguls days. I ski the most days at Winter Park.

 

[Cpnwgsp]

Love my Blizzard Sheeva 11s for powder days. Go for 105 or wider underfoot especially if you have something else to cruise groomers

 

[HuntersEmma57]

I'd like to hear more input on this topic. Thanks, tika55.
What I ski in Utah (Voile Superchargers (105 underfoot) and Voile V8s (114 mm) don't get the job done in Colorado.
Our son just moved to Aspen and I'd like to learn more about how to handle the rapidly changing snowpack conditions.
The Voile Superchargers slayed Day 2 of the Pre-Thanksgiving Storm here in Aspen while everything was still soft - espcially the bumps. But once it started setting up (which seems to happen super quickly in CO IMHO), I didn't have enough firm crud busting capability.
The next 2 days, I tried out my new Blizzard Black Pearls 171 cm 97 underfoot and while they performed well enough on the groomers and the few remaining soft traverses, I didn't like them at all on firm off piste/bumps. Maybe too long for CO? I'm 5'5" advanced/expert.
Since we take the bus to the lifts, I can only bring one pair of skis. So what goes from first run to the end of the day in CO?
We have no manmade snow at Powder Mtn, so I'm used to big and floaty. I was an Eastern skier for 15 years so I carve well. It's beens hard to find one ski that get me rope to rope in Colorado. Is there a mythical one-quiver ski?

 

[beane]

I got Salomon QST echo (106) late last season and while i only used them a couple times, they were super fun.

 

[tika55]

The next 2 days, I tried out my new Blizzard Black Pearls 171 cm 97 underfoot and while they performed well enough on the groomers and the few remaining soft traverses, I didn't like them at all on firm off piste/bumps.

Yes, this is exactly my problem. What's good for morning powder is not great for afternoon firm bumps. I guess that's why things get so quiet after lunch on a powder day. I drive to the slopes so in theory I could bring two pairs of skis but in practice I'm usually not going back to the car to switch mid-day...

 

[snoWYmonkey]

161cm? Sounds very short for a mid sized ski waist wise. I am 5'4" 145# and my 98s are 172 and my qst 106s are 172cm and my QST blanks are 178 long.

Honestly, I find that about 90 to 95 underfoot is the widest I feel good on in bumps post powder morning frenzy. I will switch out at lunch if I bring anything over 100 out in the morning to ski bumps. Though, I find that stiffness and build are also very critical to fun mogul skiing. My 72 underfoot carvers are nightmare inducing in big firm bumps.

Go ski some mid fat to fat skis, possibly in the mid 170s on groomers and bumps. Most likely they will be great in pow. It seems like the snappiness is important for you, so getting that dialed in will be key to your joy!

 

[beane]

Yes, this is exactly my problem. What's good for morning powder is not great for afternoon firm bumps. I guess that's why things get so quiet after lunch on a powder day. I drive to the slopes so in theory I could bring two pairs of skis but in practice I'm usually not going back to the car to switch mid-day...

I would push back on powder day afternoons being "firm bumps"... probably more like soft bumps, in which case you'd want something you can maneuver around? The echo's are pretty light b/c they're a touring ski so not too crazy hard to swing around and not crazy stiff.. Agree with @snoWYmonkey that switching out midday is also a good option..

 

[pinto]

Maybe take a look at the Kästle ZX100? I haven't been on it but I ski the ZX108, and they are just fun and playful but also "Kästle enough" to deal with afternoon snow just fine. The 108 is too wide for a OSQ but the 100 might be just the ticket.

I feel like Voiles are pretty soft, and no, I wouldn't want to ski them in crud, but this is just an impression because I've never been on them, either. (Some help I am!)

[I should point out that I was replying more to @HuntersEmma57, as I am an Aspen skier as well.]

 

[HuntersEmma57]

Maybe take a look at the Kästle ZX100? I haven't been on it but I ski the ZX108, and they are just fun and playful but also "Kästle enough" to deal with afternoon snow just fine. The 108 is too wide for a OSQ but the 100 might be just the ticket.

I feel like Voiles are pretty soft, and no, I wouldn't want to ski them in crud, but this is just an impression because I've never been on them, either. (Some help I am!)

[I should point out that I was replying more to @HuntersEmma57, as I am an Aspen skier as well.]

I did see a lot of skiers on Kastles at Aspen, so will take a look. Yes, Voiles are very light, soft backcountry skis. The Supercharger is my dream ski and super super agile in the trees/tight technical drops. In powder. I was disappointed in the Blizzard Black Pearls, but I suspect they were just too long for the tight bumps. Or a good chace it was operator error. I haven't skied real bumps in the several years.

 

[Bookworm]

Take a look at DPS, too. i have the 98 Pagoda. Not sure if they make them anymore, though. DPS did a full demo day once at Alta (I think they might do them every year) and I got a chance to try everything I was interested in for free. SInce you're in Utah, you may have an easy way to demo. I'm not a great powder skier, but I really like them in all but very hard conditions.

 

[HuntersEmma57]

Take a look at DPS, too. i have the 98 Pagoda. Not sure if they make them anymore, though. DPS did a full demo day once at Alta (I think they might do them every year) and I got a chance to try everything I was interested in for free. SInce you're in Utah, you may have an easy way to demo. I'm not a great powder skier, but I really like them in all but very hard conditions.

Not a DPS fan. I bought and sold my first pair of Wailers within 2 weeks. They have a really short tail I could did not get that to work for me. I even tried remounting them. Half my ski pals here ski them and love them. I'm the outlier. Possible that I'm not an aggressive enough skier for them. Demo is highly recommended.

 

[tika55]

I would push back on powder day afternoons being "firm bumps"... probably more like soft bumps

Maybe not always but I have definitely had these in CO. Possibly I'm just bad at bumps so they all seem firm to me.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

I've definitely experienced big frozen bumps where the soft snow is scraped off of them by afternoon, especially if it comes in super light and cold.

 

[tika55]

161cm? Sounds very short for a mid sized ski waist wise. I am 5'4" 145# and my 98s are 172 and my qst 106s are 172cm and my QST blanks are 178 long.

Honestly, I find that about 90 to 95 underfoot is the widest I feel good on in bumps post powder morning frenzy. I will switch out at lunch if I bring anything over 100 out in the morning to ski bumps. Though, I find that stiffness and build are also very critical to fun mogul skiing. My 72 underfoot carvers are nightmare inducing in big firm bumps.

Go ski some mid fat to fat skis, possibly in the mid 170s on groomers and bumps. Most likely they will be great in pow. It seems like the snappiness is important for you, so getting that dialed in will be key to your joy!

You are awesome, thank you!! I didn't really have a word for what I like but snappiness is it. I was just trying to describe to my husband why I hated the Santa Ana so much and this is why. Zero snap. (He loves his Enforcers.