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Reviving my love of skiing - looking for advice on skis to buy

Chickapple

Certified Ski Diva
Hi! I'm looking to buy skis and would love any advice or recommendations that you Divas have to offer!

A bit about me and how I'll be using the skis....

I'm 5'5" about 115 lbs, just turned 50.

I grew up in Maine and skied there then and in college, then took a 20 year hiatus when I moved to Ohio and thought you couldn't ski here...but then a few years ago I found out that you can! No real mountains, haha, and the "expert" trail at our hill is barely intermediate by usual standards, but it's still a lot of fun, and it's been a blast getting my kids into skiing (my son is starting racing this year!).

We take at least one trip per year to a bigger mountain in the East (Holiday Valley, Sugarloaf, Okemo), and expect to keep doing this in future years.

I have never skied out West, although aspire to try it in future years - after my first year of Mountain Host I will get a pass that can be used at Vail resorts in the West, but we don't have the financial means to be spending a lot of time out there! So, overall, I think the correct term for my anticipated skiing will be primarily "on piste" (?).

This coming season I will be serving as a "Mountain Host" at our local hill which will involve skiing 8 hours per week on groomed trails, almost exclusively machine-made snow (it’s Ohio!). As long as the mountain is open during my shifts, I will be there, so my skiing will include icy, rainy, etc conditions.

Back in my Maine skiing days I was skiing on 190s (Atomic Arc) - when skis were long and skinny! - and I was quite solid on intermediate as well as some expert trails. Currently when we go back East I am not quite back to feeling comfortable on many expert trails, although I plan to continue rebuilding my skills and hope that I may even be able to ultimately be a stronger skier than I was in my younger days! We’ll see. I like to challenge myself, and I enjoy skiing moderately fast, but I like to remain in control and I am not a risk taker (my family makes fun of me in general for being all about safety ;P)

I have done seasonal rentals since restarting skiing here in OH, but took the plunge to buy boots last year (Atomic Hawx Prime 95x, which worked well) and now I'm taking the next step to buy skis.

I demo'd two pairs last year at Sugarloaf -

Volkl Blaze 86w, length 159
Nordica Wild Belle 84, length 156

I liked the Nordica better - seemed to turn better for me. However, I wasn't ready to commit to buying, and also wanted to look for a better deal. My local ski shop currently has a big sale to get rid of last year's gear so I hope to purchase from them within the next week. Although I'd love to be able to demo before buying, even if I waited until ski season they don't offer demos around here. So, I will have to purchase without demoing.

at the local ski shop they recommended the following, given my background and goals:

Atomic Cloud Q12
Elan Wildcat 82C
Also I think they mentioned Elan lipstick

The person helping me seemed knowledgable but I don't know much about modern skis myself so I didn't really feel confident to judge whether I could trust their advice. I would love to get the expert opinions of you Divas here!

Given all I've said, what do you think?

In addition to which skis, I’m also interested in advice on length

If I’ve left out any info that would be helpful in offering advice (hard to believe given the novel I’ve written here, haha) please ask.

Thanks so much!!!!
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Boots first!! If your boots don't fit you won't be happy and maybe not even being skiing. Find a good boot fitter in the area. A fitter, not a sales person.

We have a section in the Gearpedia section on just how a boot fit should go.

And welcome to the forum!!
 

teppaz

Angel Diva
Welcome back! I'm older (59) and also took a 20-year break from skiing. I was in the same situation in that I learned on long, skinny skis and came back to something quite different.

The switch blew my mind at first — it all felt so much easier! — but I'd had underestimated how I'd need to adapt to optimize the new skis. I wish I'd taken a couple of lessons to get help adjusting my stance (I did take lessons but a little later).

If your status as a mountain host gets you a deal on lessons, I'd recommend taking a couple to adjust to the new skis. This will help you make the most of them.
 

Chickapple

Certified Ski Diva
Thanks, Divas! And glad to know I'm in good company :smile:

I do have boots already - Atomic Hawx Prime 95x which I used last season and liked.

Lessons is a very good idea - I haven't taken any lessons since I returned to skiing and it would be a good idea. I will see what benefits I might get on that with the Mountain Host gig!
 

barbarawheeler

Diva in Training
Hi! I'm looking to buy skis and would love any advice or recommendations that you Divas have to offer!

A bit about me and how I'll be using the skis....

I'm 5'5" about 115 lbs, just turned 50.

I grew up in Maine and skied there then and in college, then took a 20 year hiatus when I moved to Ohio and thought you couldn't ski here...but then a few years ago I found out that you can! No real mountains, haha, and the "expert" trail at our hill is barely intermediate by usual standards, but it's still a lot of fun, and it's been a blast getting my kids into skiing (my son is starting racing this year!).

We take at least one trip per year to a bigger mountain in the East (Holiday Valley, Sugarloaf, Okemo), and expect to keep doing this in future years.

I have never skied out West, although aspire to try it in future years - after my first year of Mountain Host I will get a pass that can be used at Vail resorts in the West, but we don't have the financial means to be spending a lot of time out there! So, overall, I think the correct term for my anticipated skiing will be primarily "on piste" (?).

This coming season I will be serving as a "Mountain Host" at our local hill which will involve skiing 8 hours per week on groomed trails, almost exclusively machine-made snow (it’s Ohio!). As long as the mountain is open during my shifts, I will be there, so my skiing will include icy, rainy, etc conditions.

Back in my Maine skiing days I was skiing on 190s (Atomic Arc) - when skis were long and skinny! - and I was quite solid on intermediate as well as some expert trails. Currently when we go back East I am not quite back to feeling comfortable on many expert trails, although I plan to continue rebuilding my skills and hope that I may even be able to ultimately be a stronger skier than I was in my younger days! We’ll see. I like to challenge myself, and I enjoy skiing moderately fast, but I like to remain in control and I am not a risk taker (my family makes fun of me in general for being all about safety ;P)

I have done seasonal rentals since restarting skiing here in OH, but took the plunge to buy boots last year (Atomic Hawx Prime 95x, which worked well) and now I'm taking the next step to buy skis.

I demo'd two pairs last year at Sugarloaf -

Volkl Blaze 86w, length 159
Nordica Wild Belle 84, length 156

I liked the Nordica better - seemed to turn better for me. However, I wasn't ready to commit to buying, and also wanted to look for a better deal. My local ski shop currently has a big sale to get rid of last year's gear so I hope to purchase from them within the next week. Although I'd love to be able to demo before buying, even if I waited until ski season they don't offer demos around here. So, I will have to purchase without demoing.

at the local ski shop they recommended the following, given my background and goals:

Atomic Cloud Q12
Elan Wildcat 82C
Also I think they mentioned Elan lipstick

The person helping me seemed knowledgable but I don't know much about modern skis myself so I didn't really feel confident to judge whether I could trust their advice. I would love to get the expert opinions of you Divas here!

Given all I've said, what do you think?

In addition to which skis, I’m also interested in advice on length

If I’ve left out any info that would be helpful in offering advice (hard to believe given the novel I’ve written here, haha) please ask.

Thanks so much!!!!
sounds like you're and intermediate skier with not much power experience and probably skiing groomed trails with plenty of hard pack around. So unless you'll be skiing more and hitting off piste, I would recommend a ski width in the mid to upper 80s...many have enjoyed skiing on the blizzard black pearl 88cm. I also like the folks Yumi 84cm under foot( I use that for very firm to icy days); as far as length that all depends on you strength. I too any 5'5". about 130lbs and in my early 60's but I ski a lot..I live in Vermont but saddleback and sugarloaf are my favorite.and try to spend a few weeks out west as well...ski about 60 to 80 days a year..no I'm not retired.....I ski on DPS pagoda 100 and 112. 168cm long...and the Yumi, if I need to make a few hard icy runs...(which I try not to do). I also use my DPS for skinning up the mountains and skiing down...DPS pagoda by dar my favorite ski very forgiving and stable..but very pricey....
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Welcome, @Chickapple ! As you know, there are lots of great deals out there right now. Good time to shop. Good for you for becoming a mountain host, what a GREAT idea to get more exposure, find ski buddies, and put yourself in a learning environment.

Re: length, I think the 158-159 length would be minimum. You could go up into 160-165ish probably too, store sales advice notwithstanding. A longer ski would offer a more stable feel and less chatter when you pick up speed.

Tagging @contesstant here, I think she's about your height and could give lots of input on the whole topic.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Welcome, @Chickapple !

My hiatus was 10 years with no skiing, then a few decades only skiing a few days every few years. When it became clear my daughter loved to ski after her first day at ski school at age 4, that got me on skis more regularly. Our home mountain is in northern VA, so I know how much fun it can be even skiing on short slopes on manmade snow for a few months.

I have done seasonal rentals since restarting skiing here in OH, but took the plunge to buy boots last year (Atomic Hawx Prime 95x, which worked well) and now I'm taking the next step to buy skis.

I demo'd two pairs last year at Sugarloaf -

Volkl Blaze 86w, length 159
Nordica Wild Belle 84, length 156

I liked the Nordica better - seemed to turn better for me.
Since the 159cm length was fine for you, no reason to go any shorter. For context, I'm 5'0", 110 lbs, and had skis in the mid-150s, 78 under as all-mountain skis when I started skiing more than 10 days a season as an adventurous intermediate over 50. Now my skis for eastern skiing are 78 underfoot and I deliberately got short skis @149cm. My all-mountain skis are 85 underfoot and 159cm as a solid advanced skier.

Have you found the thread about he Volkl Blaze 86w?

at the local ski shop they recommended the following, given my background and goals:

Atomic Cloud Q12
Elan Wildcat 82C
Also I think they mentioned Elan lipstick
I demo'd an older version of the Atomic Cloud several years ago. My notes say "turny." the Q12 has a small Turn Radius, which would make sense on short groomers.

Ski Essentials is a well known shop in Vermont that has very good reviews. They also sell online and have good sale prices.

 

Chickapple

Certified Ski Diva
I demo'd an older version of the Atomic Cloud several years ago. My notes say "turny." the Q12 has a small Turn Radius, which would make sense on short groomers.

Ski Essentials is a well known shop in Vermont that has very good reviews. They also sell online and have good sale prices.

https://www.skiessentials.com/2023-ski-test/skis/2023-atomic-cloud-q12
Thank you for all your input, as well as these reviews which are super detailed and helpful. I appreciate your notes on the Atomic Cloud as well! I will check out more on this site.
 

Chickapple

Certified Ski Diva
Tagging @contesstant here, I think she's about your height and could give lots of input on the whole topic.
Thank you for your advice on the length, and I will be interested to hear if @contesstant has any further thoughts.

Very much appreciate all the input from everyone! I look forward to when I will have gained enough knowledge to pay it forward in this group :smile:
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I noticed the 'in training' under your name, keep posting to get access to the 'diva only' threads. Lots of interesting threads there, less public topics. I think it's 15 posts to get there.

Let us know if you buy skis, and what you chose. :-)
 

Shirl

Diva in Training
Hi - I’m 5’-6” and I have a pair of 159 cm Blizzard 88 skis. As an advanced intermediate skier, the skis have been very good in all conditions in western skiing. It cuts through the snow nicely and is very stable. I personally think that this pair of skis has made me a better skier. Previous to this I had a pair of K2 Burning Luv, which I found to be too heavy.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I don't have a lot of ski guidance for you b/c I'm only 5'1" and 100lbsish. But as a former Ohioan to a new Ohioan, hello. :smile:

I was born and raised in central western Ohio (near Dayton). Did one season of learning how to pizza at Mad River Mountain back in the 80s before my parents decided skiing was too expensive for my factory worker dad's salary. Then they signed me up for gymnastics but jokes on them I made team. Anyhow, I'm assuming you're either skiing at Mad River or the place up by Mansfield b/c not much else.

I've tried both the Wild Belle and Blaze and liked the Blaze better, but ski neither. But if you liked the Wild Belle why not get it.

(I now live in the Philly metro area and ski the Poconos)
 

contesstant

Angel Diva
It's not just about height, it's also weight, and at 115" that 159/160 length, especially on a hill that doesn't have a lot of vertical to really open things up, would be just fine. The Cloud Q12 you DEFINITELY do not want to go longer on--I LOVED that ski when I tried it two years ago, but it skied pretty true to length and is a stout ski. Super stable and great on firm groomers. I do NOT like the Blaze and have a pair of 159s I'll be selling as the season gets closer. They send every vibration up my entire body and I prefer a quieter, damper ski. I actually will be picking up a pair of the newly redesigned 2024 Black Pearl 88 as my daily ski in October or November. But you won't find them on discount until spring since they are a new release for 2024.

The Wildcat 82 is also another really good choice from what I've heard, and is probably a little more easygoing compared to the Cloud 12.
 

Chickapple

Certified Ski Diva
I don't have a lot of ski guidance for you b/c I'm only 5'1" and 100lbsish. But as a former Ohioan to a new Ohioan, hello. :smile:

I was born and raised in central western Ohio (near Dayton). Did one season of learning how to pizza at Mad River Mountain back in the 80s before my parents decided skiing was too expensive for my factory worker dad's salary. Then they signed me up for gymnastics but jokes on them I made team. Anyhow, I'm assuming you're either skiing at Mad River or the place up by Mansfield b/c not much else.

I've tried both the Wild Belle and Blaze and liked the Blaze better, but ski neither. But if you liked the Wild Belle why not get it.

(I now live in the Philly metro area and ski the Poconos)
Ah, yes! We ski at Mad River! Funny to find another person who has had the Ohio skiing experience ;P It's obviously different from an actual mountain, but it's been a great place for the kids to learn and a very welcoming community - we've been having a lot of fun there and I'm really glad to have realized we can be skiing here in OH! :smile:

As for your question on why not get the Wild Belle, it's funny I was starting to wonder that myself ;P Thank you for highlighting this to consider seriously!

They don't have them at our local ski shop and I think I was focused on the idea of getting skis there in this sale. But the more I'm getting into all the considerations and options I'm wondering if it might be better for me to either seek out the Wild Belles somewhere else since I know I liked them or buy something used so I'm not committing as much money to something I've never even tried. More thoughts on this in a sec, in response also to @contesstant.
 

Chickapple

Certified Ski Diva
It's not just about height, it's also weight, and at 115" that 159/160 length, especially on a hill that doesn't have a lot of vertical to really open things up, would be just fine. The Cloud Q12 you DEFINITELY do not want to go longer on--I LOVED that ski when I tried it two years ago, but it skied pretty true to length and is a stout ski. Super stable and great on firm groomers. I do NOT like the Blaze and have a pair of 159s I'll be selling as the season gets closer. They send every vibration up my entire body and I prefer a quieter, damper ski. I actually will be picking up a pair of the newly redesigned 2024 Black Pearl 88 as my daily ski in October or November. But you won't find them on discount until spring since they are a new release for 2024.

The Wildcat 82 is also another really good choice from what I've heard, and is probably a little more easygoing compared to the Cloud 12.
Thanks so much! It sounds like we may have similar preferences for skis because I didn't like the Blaze very much either. I appreciate the advice specific to the Cloud Q12 considering both height and weight.

In connection with my reply to @tinymoose I'm now thinking that it might make sense for me to focus on which skis to seek out, and to consider used options in the mix, rather than my previous plan of buying at our local shop's sale and choosing out of their selection.

So, if I switch gears to focus on specific skis (regardless of whether they have them at my local shop) and also the possibility of buying used, it seems like the ones rising to the top are:

Wild Belle 84
Atomic Cloud Q12

maybe Wildcat 82 (they'd also mentioned these to me at my local shop)

assuming that I could get the length that was appropriate for the ski and me, I'm interested in advice/opinions on how these skis compare, with my main considerations being:

As Mountain Host, I will be skiing weekly in Ohio in all weather conditions Ohio has to offer
We will take annual trips out East, maybe occasional forays to the West in future years
I'm currently a solid intermediate, aspiring expert - so, I want to challenge myself to further develop my skills
I enjoy challenge and pushing myself technically and athletically - learned to ski in Maine from my friends who were racers - although I'm also not a risk-taker by nature, like to remain in control

Thoughts on how three options above compare, given these considerations (and whether there are others I should be considering)?

Thank you to all who have followed this far - I am just feeling so grateful for all the support and advice from all you Divas! :grouphug:
 

scandium

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My thoughts are:

Wild Belle 84: Safe, you already know you like it. Easy turning might translate into being a ski you grow out of if you want more stiffness later. But equally, maybe you need more pairs of skis in your future.
Atomic Cloud Q12: Likely more demanding and stiffer, unlikely to be as "easy" as the Wild Belle but I suspect will be more rewarding for the stability. Possibly may demand more technical skiing and if the weather sucks it may be harder work to ski it.
Wildcat 82: I wonder if this may ski more like the Blaze 86 based on description alone. Which may not be a bad thing except you said you preferred that ski less.
 

Jake

Diva in Training
It's not just about height, it's also weight, and at 115" that 159/160 length, especially on a hill that doesn't have a lot of vertical to really open things up, would be just fine. The Cloud Q12 you DEFINITELY do not want to go longer on--I LOVED that ski when I tried it two years ago, but it skied pretty true to length and is a stout ski. Super stable and great on firm groomers. I do NOT like the Blaze and have a pair of 159s I'll be selling as the season gets closer. They send every vibration up my entire body and I prefer a quieter, damper ski. I actually will be picking up a pair of the newly redesigned 2024 Black Pearl 88 as my daily ski in October or November. But you won't find them on discount until spring since they are a new release for 2024.

The Wildcat 82 is also another really good choice from what I've heard, and is probably a little more easygoing compared to the Cloud 12.
I'm a huge fan of the Blizzard women-specific series. Many of the former race moms I ski with are on Sheevas or Black Pearls. I've been on the BP 98s for three years and enjoyed them all over the mountain--on-piste, trees, powder. For reference, I'm 64, 5'5", 120lbs--getting older with knee and shoulder issues, so skiing less aggressively each year. I'm on the hunt for new skis as well, and will likely go with the Sheeva 9 or BP 97. Every person I've met with either ski raves about their skis.
 

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