I am looking for a skinnier ski for Vancouver local mountains, which tend to be icy most days. I have the Sheeva 10 and the 4Frnt MSP CC, which I love, but aren't the best on hard pack icy days. I will be demoing the Sheeva 9 this weekend, but will not be able to try the Black Pearls as the size I want to try is not available. I am an intermediate to expert (can go down most double blacks, altho' not necessarily with style or speed). Any pros and cons for either. I know most women love the black pearls, but I do like to slash around and go into the trees, that said, I suspect the Black Pearls may be the ticket for icy days. ps was thinking of the Santa Ana 93 as well, but those don't seem to go on sale and my local shop doesn't have it in my size. Thanks in advance all!
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Help Needed: Sheeva 9 or Black Pearl 88
- Thread starter ncychank
- Start date
tinymoose
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Given you already have the Sheeva 10s, I'd lean towards the Black Pearl to give you a little more variety in your quiver. It's narrower, and having demoed both, I felt like the BP 88 had better edge grip and felt more groomer-oriented than the Sheeva 9. Not that the Sheeva 9 had bad edge grip b/c it was good for the type of ski it is, it's just not as groomer-oriented as the BP.
xxs_skier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Another Vancouver person--welcome!
jthree
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I demo’d the BP88’s with @tinymoose & bought them and love them. I didn’t try the Sheeva 9’s but I do think the BP sound more like what you want.
kmb5662
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I own both the BP 88 and the Sheeva 9 and love both of them but they are definitely different skis both with their own strengths and weaknesses. Since you already own the Sheeva 10 and are looking for something better suited to firm conditions I agree with others to cross the Sheeva 9 off your list and go for the BP instead.
Sheeva - Much better floater in soft snow and more playful in bumps/trees. Cons are that I find them squirrely at speed and they can be a little unnerving when carving on icy groomers with how much rocker they have.
BP - Much better carver w/ a longer effective edge. Much more stable at speed as a result. Ok in soft snow/powder but doesn't shine like the Sheeva in those conditions. I find the tips and tails of the BP much stiffer than the Sheeva but the Sheeva is stiffer underfoot. I much prefer the BP in crud as it doesn't get pushed around as much, however I own the 159 BP and the 157 Sheeva so the additional length likely helps contribute to that.
Sheeva - Much better floater in soft snow and more playful in bumps/trees. Cons are that I find them squirrely at speed and they can be a little unnerving when carving on icy groomers with how much rocker they have.
BP - Much better carver w/ a longer effective edge. Much more stable at speed as a result. Ok in soft snow/powder but doesn't shine like the Sheeva in those conditions. I find the tips and tails of the BP much stiffer than the Sheeva but the Sheeva is stiffer underfoot. I much prefer the BP in crud as it doesn't get pushed around as much, however I own the 159 BP and the 157 Sheeva so the additional length likely helps contribute to that.
