• 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.

Help Needed: Santa Ana’s 93 VS 88?

MonBro

Diva in Training
I’m really glad to have found this forum! I think I’ve read almost all the threads about Santa Ana’s now haha. Im stuck in my own thoughts and need input with choosing skis.

I have decided to buy my first pair of skis (!!) since I plan on skiing more often this and next session. Right now I think that I would enjoy a pair of all-mountain skis and I’m choosing between Nordica’s Santa Ana’s 88 and 93. I’m an intermediate sker and ski mostly on-piste but I’m trying to challange myself and ski more off-pist and love it! I really want a ski that can work in all conditions and make me feel safe. My biggest issue skiing is feeling insecure skiing fast when it gets uneven and bumpy in the slopes.

I’m 5’9 (175 cm) and weight about 170 lbs (77 kg) so I’m both tall and heavy.

I hade the opportunity to demo the SA 93 in 169 and the Line Pandora 94 in 165 cm last week, the only two all-mountain skis they had really. I tried them in ice-patchy/soft piles pist (typical swedish January pist). The Pandora was too soft for me but I really liked the SA 93 but feelt like sometimes I out-speeded the ski and they vibrated too much. Maybe it was the length. Thats why I’m also considering the SA 88 even if I haven’t tried them.

Reading online on Nordicas website I felt like the Astrals could also be a good fit for me since I’m not an advanced skier but I wonder whats the ”real” construction difference? Would the Astral be too soft for me since I didn’t like the Pandoras?

And the lengths, uuurrrgh! Read in a thread in here that the Santa Ana 93 will come in the 88 lengths next season, does anyone have a link where I can read about that? I feel that the 169 are too short and the 177 feels too long so 172 would be perfect, but I don’t know.

Should i wait for next season and buy the SA 93 172, take a chance with the SA 88 172 or just buy the ski i tried (and liked) SA 169?

HELP.
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hi there, welcome! I cannot comment on the SA's, but I'm sure divas will soon start chiming in. It's certainly a fun if daunting task to pick new skis--so many good ones out there.
 

contesstant

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
When you say you "out-speeded" the ski and they vibrated too much, what exactly do you mean? What are you currently skiing on, including length? Where do you ski?

My advice to those who are confused about which of these two to buy is to go with the one that the length works better for them. A 172 in the 88 would be a pretty appropriate length for you, for sure. I own the 88 in a 165, and am myself 165cm, and it's about perfect. The 169 in the 93s I skied a few times two years ago were a bit much for me. The extra length and width just made them a little slower to turn.
 

lisamamot

Angel Diva
I am tall (5'9"/140). I have always struggled with the Nordica Santa Ana lengths, so I feel you! Years ago I agonized over the Santa Ana 100 169 and the Santa Ana 100 177 (I could only demo the 169 but 177 sounded sooooo long); the 169 felt too short, but this was also before they added metal (I bought the 177 and with that construction it was the right choice for me). The current Santa Ana lineup (93 and 100) has two sheets of metal, the 2021 will reduce that to one and will also change up the lengths so I am looking forward to that as I think with my specs the additional length and less metal will be spot on.

I thought I hadn't been on the Santa Ana 88, but I just checked my demo album on my phone and I did demo the 165 last spring! I don't have any notes that I can find, but it wasn't memorable for me that day - good or bad, but I also demoed the Stockli Stormrider Motion 85 168 and the Nordica Astral 84ti 165 - I had huge love for both. The Nordica Astral 84 I would size up on, but it is so, so much fun - that said, it has a flatter tail and much less metal and with your specs and desire to be off-piste you will likely be happier on a Santa Ana with the additional tail rocker and stronger construction.

I find I like a ski that is more commensurate with my height and the Santa Ana 93 169 with that much rocker still feels short to me on groomers, although the shorter length is a bonus in bumps and tighter spots. Arghhhh.

So, long story short, I agree with @contesstant that the current Santa Ana 88 172 could be a great fit for you. I understand it is so hard to take the plunge without demoing though - any chance you can get on a Santa Ana 88?
 

bsskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I rode the SA 93 on 3 of my 8 ski days in Big Sky. Definitely a fun ski! Wish I had tried the SA 88 but I’d jumped on the familiar BP 88 for the Women’s Clinic, and last 2 days tried a Volkl Yumi for the first time.
 

Mary Brosnan

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I was convinced from all the reading I’d done that the SA 88 was going to be the ski for me this year. I demoed several pairs of skis in December and really clicked with the SA 88s. The ski shop encouraged me to try one last pair and I got on the HEAD Kore 93s and fell in love. I know your question is about sizing but I would encourage you to try a few more pairs before deciding.
 

LauraVa

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I recently bought the Santa Anas 88 in 165. I'm 5'4" and currently around 160lb. I would always recommend demoing, but I am loving these skis. I've had them out in rain softened groomers that quickly became very chewed up and they shined. They were also great on more firm snow. They are the perfect balance between stable and playful for me. Love them. I would recommend trying these in the 172 if you have the opportunity.
 

contesstant

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I was convinced from all the reading I’d done that the SA 88 was going to be the ski for me this year. I demoed several pairs of skis in December and really clicked with the SA 88s. The ski shop encouraged me to try one last pair and I got on the HEAD Kore 93s and fell in love. I know your question is about sizing but I would encourage you to try a few more pairs before deciding.
The Kore 93 (which at shorter lengths is actually 89 under foot) was my other favorite last February. There are days when I wish I could have a quiver of 80-somethings!
 

MonBro

Diva in Training
Hi everyone! sorry for never replying to all your helpful messages but life got in the way as it does sometimes...

I just wanted to tell you all that I bought my skis! Shoutout to the local skishop guy who helped me make the plunge. I actully ended up buying the Völkl Kenja 88 and I LOVE THEM. But my best friend bought the SA 93 and she loves them :smile:
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
26,234
Messages
497,572
Members
8,503
Latest member
MermaidKelly
Top