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

[VickiK]

I might need to check out the newest Black Pearls. I liked the originals. There've been so many changes.

 

[Jake]

I might need to check out the newest Black Pearls. I liked the originals. There've been so many changes.

I had the Sambas originally and then the BP 98s. I'm going to demo the new BP94 and Sheeva 9 before I make the big purchase. I've been told I'm going to love the Sheevas.

 

[AJM]

I've been told I'm going to love the Sheevas.

Aaaaagh I miss my Sheeva's

 

[santacruz skier]

I had the Sambas originally and then the BP 98s. I'm going to demo the new BP94 and Sheeva 9 before I make the big purchase. I've been told I'm going to love the Sheevas.

Loved my orange Sambas! Also love my Sheeva 9 and Sheeva 10's...

 

[Nedgirl]

Welcome back to skiing! I've worked as a ski instructor at Winter Park for nine years, so have skied a few skis and talked to a lot of women ski instructors. I have not skied the Wild Belles, but have heard a lot of good things about them from other women skiers. I have skied both the Elan Wildcat and Ripstick -- they are a pretty agressive ski that do both carve well on the piste, but I feel they require a more advanced skier, so I'm not sure I'd recommend them for you coming back to the sport.

In terms of length, I would stay in the 156 - 159 range, depeding on the amount of rocker in the ski. A ski with more rocker will ski shorter, but given your petite frame, I wouldn't go longer than that.

 

[tinymoose]

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!

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.

Did you ski there before the old lodge burned down? I appreciate Peak Resorts did a sort of homage to it in the rebuilding but still not the same cozy, retro vibe.



Also, Holiday Valley has a great women's clinic with Lisa Ballard. I did it this past season. They set gates on the afternoon of the second day (my motivation to go).

 

[mlb]

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!!!!

Hi Chickapple and welcome to ski Diva. A while back I too inquired about a ski purchase on this forum and got lots of good advice and recommendations. Happy to say that I was able to demo many suggested skis but in the end, landed on a pair of Atomic Cloud 14's. I think that I'll be skiing my 4th season with them. I am 5'2", 110lbs and 64 years old. I am an advanced skier and my home mountain is Killington, VT. There are some glorious packed powder days but frequently the conditions are hard pack, with plenty of ice patches. Sounds a little like your conditions in Ohio. I recommend to not only select your ski based on height, weight, and ability, but it's also good to consider the surfaces and mountain conditions that you will ski frequently on. My atomic is a carving ski, 75mm under foot, 152 cm in length and great for thin conditions, crud and is pretty stable for those fast groomers. I love it for most of the conditions that K throws out but, it sinks in deeper snow. I have a wider ski, a 94mm Nordica Santa Ana for 6 or more inches of snow. Give the Atomic Cloud line a try, another might be a Volkl Flair (76mm) in a 161cm or the Stockli Montero. I hope that you have fun and success with your exploration.

 

[Chickapple]

Thanks, everyone, for for the additional thoughts - just wanted to follow up to say I still haven't pulled the trigger ;P However, all of the advice here has been soooooo helpful in narrowing things down. I'm interested if you all have any further thoughts given where I'm at now:

I've mostly narrowed it to the Wild Belle 84 or Atomic Cloud Q12, but also maybe Blizzard Black Pearl 88

Taking into account what @contesstant and @scandium said and checking out the fantastic ski test and review information at ski essentials.com that @marzNC recommended (super helpful!), here are my considerations:

If I decide to go for the Wild Belle, I'm thinking I will try to find them used, since I may outgrow them and/or want to get additional skis. I found a pair used on Sidelineswap in 162 cm that seem pretty good, asking price $299.

If I decide to go for the Atomic Cloud Q12 I would also be up for buying used although haven't been able to find any yet. But, last I checked I could get them new at our local shop for $500 including bindings and poles. I need to double check what length they have available. It sounds like I should not go too long - 152 or 159?

If I decide to go for the Blizzard Black Pearl 88, I would definitely want to go used or a very good deal, since I've never tried them. But, my son demo'd them last year and liked them a lot, and they seem to be a very popular ski that a number of people have also mentioned here. It seems like they have a bunch on sideline swap. For length, 153, 159, or 165?

If anyone has thoughts or advice on any of these and/or comparing them, I always value your opinions!
(as a recap: I'm 5' 5", about 115 lbs, solid intermediate aspiring expert, enjoy challenge and pushing myself technically and athletically, but am not a risk taker by nature; skiing in all conditions in OH)

Thank you!

 

[Chickapple]

Yikes, I hadn't reloaded my page when I posted above, so missed many of the additional comments, thank you all!

Reading through those, I think I'm still on the same page as what I posted, although based on what @Nedgirl recommended for length (156-159), not sure if the used Wild Belles I found at 162 cm would be too long? But maybe I could go to 162 on that one, not sure.

 

[Chickapple]

Did you ski there before the old lodge burned down? I appreciate Peak Resorts did a sort of homage to it in the rebuilding but still not the same cozy, retro vibe.

oh! I didn't know it was like that before - looks cool! Too bad about the fire. Thanks for the history

 

[Chickapple]

Did you ski there before the old lodge burned down? I appreciate Peak Resorts did a sort of homage to it in the rebuilding but still not the same cozy, retro vibe.

View attachment 23583

Also, Holiday Valley has a great women's clinic with Lisa Ballard. I did it this past season. They set gates on the afternoon of the second day (my motivation to go).

Oh, this is super useful - I will look into this when I'm there!

 

[AJM]

If I decide to go for the Blizzard Black Pearl 88, I would definitely want to go used or a very good deal, since I've never tried them. But, my son demo'd them last year and liked them a lot, and they seem to be a very popular ski that a number of people have also mentioned here. It seems like they have a bunch on sideline swap. For length, 153, 159, or 165?

If you decide to buy the BPs used just be aware that they have gone through quite a few changes in the last few years, I loved my first ones then hated the next model, they then made them a bit friendlier the next season and now for the 2025 model they are different again. I've just got up so my brain isnt quite awake enough but perhaps @SnowHot could jump in and elaborate further.

 

[contesstant]

Yikes, I hadn't reloaded my page when I posted above, so missed many of the additional comments, thank you all!

Reading through those, I think I'm still on the same page as what I posted, although based on what @Nedgirl recommended for length (156-159), not sure if the used Wild Belles I found at 162 cm would be too long? But maybe I could go to 162 on that one, not sure.

Wild Belle 162 should be fine. That's a pretty good deal that you might consider jumping on.

 

[Chickapple]

Thanks so much! I appreciate the read on my options.

Some additional info for my final decision, and two questions to finalize things:

Wild Belle - got additional info from the seller. the skis are the 20/21 season year, asking price is $299 with $30 shipping, she said she is willing to negotiate.

Atomic Cloud Q12 - They are new from last year (2024) and I learned that the price is down to $379.95 which includes poles and mounting.

Given the above, I'm inclined to go for the Atomic, as I'd have to negotiate way down on the Wild Belles for it to make sense given that I'd have to pay to get them adjusted to my boots and also buy poles (I don't have any).

Wondering if there might be other considerations I'm not seeing in this comparison?

If the Atomics, they have 152 and 159 in stock so looking for any additional advice on length. Based on previous advice here I'm leaning towards 159 - but wondering if there would be a reason to consider 152 based on @contesstant's comment:

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.

If it helps for reference:

as a recap: I'm 5' 5", about 115 lbs, solid intermediate aspiring expert, enjoy challenge and pushing myself technically and athletically, but am not a risk taker by nature; skiing in all conditions in OH

I looked back at my photos from last year and found that the skis I had for my seasonal rental were Volkl Deacon 74, length 156. They were old but worked fine for me. Not sure how this ski would compare with the Atomics.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[VickiK]

I looked up both to see the specs. They're very similar! I didn't get into the details of materials and construction. The difference in the lengths--159cm vs 156cm--is negligible.

Atomic Cloud Q12

https://www.skiessentials.com/2024-ski-test/skis/2024-atomic-cloud-q12

Specs: 130/83.5/115 mm, TR approx. 13m
Given the smaller turning radius, sounds like your notes from a while ago calling this ski "turny" would apply to the newer model. A very good deal since the price includes the bindings & poles. It's always nice to have a brand new ski. Note that @contesstant said she wouldn't go any longer, but I doubt she'd go shorter. You will get more stability, and as you gain confidence and get your skills back, it'll last you longer. The ease of adjusting a system binding plus the newer model year could make this ski easier to sell than the 2021 Wild Belle.

Nordica Wild Belle

The Best Women's Carving Skis of 2022: Nordica Wild Belle DC 84

This ski is proof that a wider-waisted ski can hold its own in the carving department.

www.skimag.com

Specs: 133-84-112, TR approx 14m
Sounds like a good deal if you can negotiate down to cover the cost of adjusting the bindings. It'd be harder to sell them, because it would likely involve yet another binding re-mount (assuming this is not a system binding). Personally I wouldn't buy a ski that has already been drilled 2 times. However, it's major plus that you know you like them. RE: length, you probably could go up to 163cm, but I don't know if that is a different price/seller.

Sorry, all this doesn't make your choice easier.

 

[Chickapple]

Thanks so much! I hadn't considered the issues with redrilling and resale. I'm pretty sure that the current Wild Belles have an integrated binding system, and it kind of looks like that's the case with the 2021 used ones I'm looking at. I attached a photo, if you can tell from that?

Bummer of an update on the price for the Atomics. I had decided to go for those and called the ski shop to ask them to hold for me until tomorrow. I talked to a different guy and he told me that the guy I'd talked to earlier gave me the wrong price - they are actually $499 (which includes bindings, adjusted, and poles). That's the price I had originally thought, so it makes sense, but is a bummer! But still I think it might still not be a bad deal - on sideline swap the atomic cloud q12s that are there are 2023 and listed from $500-$600 (altho who knows what they'll actually sell for).

I'm still kind of leaning towards the Atomics on the assumption that even at $499 and getting the seller of the Belles down to $250 I might be able to at least break even in the long run, considering higher resale value for the Atomic and the additional cost of shipping, binding adjust, and poles for the Wild Belles (~$100). In addition, there's the ease of buying new and having everything taken care of (bindings, poles) vs. dealing with shipping and getting bindings adjusted, buying poles, plus inherent uncertainty of buying used online.

That's where I'm at now, if anyone has further advice!

Either way I'll update to close the book here when I finally land this plane, haha ;P

 

[contesstant]

Buy the new skis considering the price is not that different, especially considering the used pair are coming up on 4 years old.

 

[Jilly]

Thanks so much! I hadn't considered the issues with redrilling and resale. I'm pretty sure that the current Wild Belles have an integrated binding system, and it kind of looks like that's the case with the 2021 used ones I'm looking at. I attached a photo, if you can tell from that?

Bummer of an update on the price for the Atomics. I had decided to go for those and called the ski shop to ask them to hold for me until tomorrow. I talked to a different guy and he told me that the guy I'd talked to earlier gave me the wrong price - they are actually $499 (which includes bindings, adjusted, and poles). That's the price I had originally thought, so it makes sense, but is a bummer! But still I think it might still not be a bad deal - on sideline swap the atomic cloud q12s that are there are 2023 and listed from $500-$600 (altho who knows what they'll actually sell for).

I'm still kind of leaning towards the Atomics on the assumption that even at $499 and getting the seller of the Belles down to $250 I might be able to at least break even in the long run, considering higher resale value for the Atomic and the additional cost of shipping, binding adjust, and poles for the Wild Belles (~$100). In addition, there's the ease of buying new and having everything taken care of (bindings, poles) vs. dealing with shipping and getting bindings adjusted, buying poles, plus inherent uncertainty of buying used online.

That's where I'm at now, if anyone has further advice!

Either way I'll update to close the book here when I finally land this plane, haha ;P

That's not a system binding. The toe and heel would be joined on a track.

I'm with @contesstant buy the new ones....I found some for sale in Canada - $1000.00. Not sure what the exchange rate is...

 

[diymom]

That's not a system binding. The toe and heel would be joined on a track.

Actually, it is a system binding. Not all system bindings use full tracks now, just adjustable heel and toe pieces. I can see the markings on the toe piece for adjusting according to BSL, and there's a little lever on the left side of the toe piece. On the heel piece the lever is silver and on the right side of the binding. It looks like it is a Marker TP2 Iight 11, and is gripwalk compatible. So no remount needed, just adjusting according to BSL and possibly a release test.

 

[Jilly]

It's probably a demo binding.