Ski advice - Atomic foxy, K2 lotta/BL/one, Volkl?

[Acadia07]

Hello everyone - I'm a new poster and have been finding the advice here second to none! You gals are certainly knowledgeable, so thank you for all the help so far.

I could use some advice on my first ski purchase. I've never owned skis and have skied on rentals or demos my whole life. Doing so caused me to have a pretty limited knowledge of skis in general, though, so now that I'm looking into buying, I'm clueless.

I consider myself an advanced intermediate to expert skier. I've been skiing 20 years, but had a 3 year lag up until this past weekend. I ski the northeast, primarily Vermont, NY and Mass. I'm fairly aggressive, and ripping on the groomers is my favorite. I sometimes mess around in the trees and moguls, but flatter steeps are my thing.

This past weekend at Stowe, I demoed the Atomic Foxy Mama in a 157 and had a lot of fun on it. I thought it was great - nice turns, held edges on the ice but also was fun in the fresh powder. I thought they were a little heavy, but I also haven't skied in 3 years, so my legs were a bit reluctant to obey for a while!

The guy at the demo shop also recommended the Volkl Attiva Luna, but didn't have it in my size. I'm 26 years old, 5'6" and 115.

Now to future skiing and what I hope to get out of the ski - I guess I'm looking for a versatile all mountain ski that is responsive and that I can continue to grow on. I want a ski that will be my exclusive ski for the next five years or so - something that I can basically take anywhere. DH and I are planning on moving a bit north (we're outside of NYC now) and getting season passes at a small mountain in Mass. for next year and taking a couple more trips to Northern VT. I like fast, I need something good on ice...and I think that's about it.

I'm very confused after some online research as to what would suit me. There are SO many! I've considered the K2 one luv, burnin' luv, and lotta luv. Also the Fischer Vision Breeze and the Volkl Luna and Fuego. I'd love to hear if anyone demoed the Atomic and can compare it to any of the above, or has any other suggestions for something similar. Also, what do you all think for size? I think the 155ish range is good for me, but when it comes to the K2's at least, there's only 153 or 160. The 160s seemed tall but after riding the 157, I don't think it would be unbearable. But I'm also small boned and light, so I don't want something too overbearing.

All and any advice is welcome and much appreciated!

Amie

 

[Melissa]

Welcome!

I recently purchased new skis. I found this website VERY helpful in trying to narrow down some of my choices:

https://www.skipressworld.com/SkiFinder_Intro_W.php?regionId=1&languageId=1&section=skifinder&type=

I found out about it from another Diva's post on this website (I am sorry but I forget who originally posted it). They have great reviews of the skis, too!

Good luck!

 

[veggielasagna]

Hey,

Sounds like you are on the right track. Don't be afraid to demo longer stuff, you may be surprised. If you are aggressive you might like having a bit more length under your feet (ie 163 vs. 156). As far as specific skis go the Volkl Fuego, Nordica Firefox, Nordica Speed, K2Burnin Luv come to mind. All fairly popular skis that should be (relatively) easy to find in demos. Fischer is supposed to have a great women's line as well, but unfortunately I have never had a chance to try them. If you like some feedback (pop) from your skis then Volkl will probably give you the most satisfaction out of those listed above, the Firefox is wonderful as well, but definitely damper.

-veggielasagna

 

[ski diva]

Although I haven't demoed the Foxy Mama, I have demoed the Heaven's Gate, which is the '09 Foxy Mama, re-named. And I found it okay. But if you want to go with an Atomic, I recommend this year's Royal Minx, which is going to be renamed the Cloud Nine in '09. A very nice, fun ski, which I think is better for someone who's more aggressive. It's a ski that'll stay with you for a few years; the Foxy Mama won't. (Incidentally, you might find a good end of the year deal on the Royal Minx since they're changing the name and graphics.)

Also, the Volkl Fuego's are a rippin ski! A number of women here either have them or have tried them out (including me). It's fun, spirited, easy to edge, and a lot of fun.

 

[Jilly]

I agree with SkiDiva. I demo'd both the Foxy and next years Heaven's Gate. The ski is heavy, but goes anywhere. The Royal Minx (Cloud 9) is lighter.
Now to add to your ever growing list:

Salomon Topaz 08 or 09 (08 is a horrible colour)
Salomon Opal 09
Fischer - Breeze
Fischer - Vapour

And don't forget boots. See a bootfitter at a speciality shop.

 

[Swamp Dog]

hi Amie, and welcome to the Ski Divas. Great buncha women here

I don't have anything to add as far as ski recs go, but check out realskiers.com. It's a subscription site and I think it's only about 20 bucks or so. There are some really good reviews there, definitely worth the 20 bucks.

good luck with your search!

 

[Heidi]

light as a feather compared to the K2 Burning Love !!

Hi Amie, I laughed when I read your post. OMG have you picked up any of the K2 "Loves"?? The Atomic Foxy Mama feels like nothing at all compared to the K2s. Seriously!
I was at Bogus Basin Idaho a few weeks ago to watch my niece race in the Junior Olympics. What a gorgeous weekend! I needed new skiis after missing the past several seasons so I left my K2 Fours, purchased over a decade ago, at home in Seattle so that I could demo some 21st Century Women's skis. The K2 Fours while they are "shape" skis are from that era before we admitted (thank you Jeannie) that "Women Are NOT Small Men" and are unisex.

At Bogus I demo-ed 4 skis including the K2 Burning Love (160). I am 5"8", weight 133 and am an experienced/advanced skier. The BL was awesome on the mountain. I loved it! FYI: I later found out when I next demo-ed some Rossignols (one of the Bandits) that K2 measures very long. The 160 was more like a 163 or 164. Anyway the length was not the issue. It felt like my size and I liked it for both groomed and off-groomed conditions. What was absolutely intolerable to me, and something that I have never before experienced, was the sheer weight of the ski when I was sitting on the chairlift!! I simply could not get comfortable with that ski pulling on my leg. Even using the footrest bar didn't help and in fact seemed to force my knee to be really flexed and painful. I actually had to purposely try to ride alone so that I could put my leg up on the seat! I intended to try the Lotta Love but then looked at them in the shop and picked them up - and they were even heavier than the Burning Love !! The demo shop guy said that he thought the BL weighed 2 pounds more per ski than the other comparable demos (Ross. Vokl, Head). It felt like 10. I had to 86 the entire K2 Love series based solely on this - the weight of each ski. I tried to get the specs on weight to compare but it was not on the website.

I intended to demo a bunch of other skis before I purchased but time was running out for me to get my size, at the end-of-the-season Half Price, in time to be able to use them last weekend. After a lot of looking and talking I outright bought the Atomic Foxy Mamas (157) with the promise that I would love them and if not I could return for a full refund. I skied on them last weekend and they are AWESOME. I do not believe there is a finer women's all mountain ski on the market at this time.
I am off to mount hood tomorrow!
Cheers

 

[snowski/swimmouse]

Foxy Mamas

I, too, recently bought the Foxy Mamas at end of the season price and immediately won a Slalom race. I've now had them in ALL kinds of conditions in both North Carolina and Vermont and am loving them. I had tried various other skis before purchase and these were both lighter and more responsive.

 

[perma-grin]

Heidi the female counter part to the K2 four was called the Power. It kind of sucked, way damp almost like it had drowned. Lol Jeannie started with Blizzard promoting their ladies skis in "86-87". She was actually already doing her ladies on snow programs with ladies specific skis, before the K2 four were ever produced, or any shaped skis for that matter. By the way how did your niece do in J.O.s?

 

[Daria]

Hi Acadia07! I too found this fantastic web site when I was searching for info on a ski purchase. Welcome I bought the K2 Burnin Luvs and absolutely love them They really hold an edge on the ice/groomers and are great in the bumps. They are fairly narrow underfoot so they are ok in crud or not so deep powder. If you really want an all mountain ski, I don't think the the BLs will go too far off piste. So if these are the only skis in your quiver, you may want to go with something else. I am not familiar with the other skis you are considering (am a K2 girl ) so I can't offer any advice there. Regarding length, I bought the 153's and am 5 ft 5 " and 135 lbs and ski aggressively. The 160s in this ski would be too long for what I like to do. Good luck with your purchase!

 

[Kano]

If you really want an all mountain ski, I don't think the the BLs will go too far off piste. So if these are the only skis in your quiver, you may want to go with something else. I am not familiar with the other skis you are considering (am a K2 girl ) so I can't offer any advice there. Regarding length, I bought the 153's and am 5 ft 5 " and 135 lbs and ski aggressively. The 160s in this ski would be too long for what I like to do. Good luck with your purchase!

I haven't skied the Burnin's, but have the True Luvs. They're narrow, and seem to prefer "pretty" snow -- groomed, not much VERY LIGHT powder, that kind of thing. I have been demo-ing the Lotta's and the Tough Luvs this year, and can't decide between them for heavy powder/pushed around piled up snow. They're both pretty exciting to me. I too ski on 153's, and am having one heckuva time finding the Lotta's in that size, much less a deal on them. Tough Luv is about the same situation!

Kano

 

[Kano]

I was at Bogus Basin Idaho a few weeks ago to watch my niece race in the Junior Olympics. What a gorgeous weekend!

You're right -- that was a FABULOUS weekend up there! Most have been exceptional this winter, but that one WAS really good!

At Bogus I demo-ed 4 skis including the K2 Burning Love (160). I am 5"8", weight 133 and am an experienced/advanced skier. The BL was awesome on the mountain. I loved it! FYI: I later found out when I next demo-ed some Rossignols (one of the Bandits) that K2 measures very long. The 160 was more like a 163 or 164. Anyway the length was not the issue. It felt like my size and I liked it for both groomed and off-groomed conditions. What was absolutely intolerable to me, and something that I have never before experienced, was the sheer weight of the ski when I was sitting on the chairlift!! I simply could not get comfortable with that ski pulling on my leg.

I've never found the weight of the K2's bothersome, though I have seen that comment here and there. It seems to go hand in hand with how well they ski -- and like you, people balance "toting them around" with actually being on a run. I'll agree that the walk to/from the car is not much fun, especially after a long day, but I DO notice the difference in the way the K2's handle in the "icky" snow. As I mentioned, my True Luvs, which are a softer, more intermediate ski, don't much like heavy stuff, but the Lotta's and the Tough Luvs take me smiling through just about everything I care to tackle.

I skied some Rossi B83's the other day too, between Luvs, and while they were nice on the "prettier" snow, they seemed way too lightweight to handle snow that fights back!

Kano

 

[mtnbikegirl]

You're right -- that was a FABULOUS weekend up there! Most have been exceptional this winter, but that one WAS really good!



I've never found the weight of the K2's bothersome, though I have seen that comment here and there. It seems to go hand in hand with how well they ski -- and like you, people balance "toting them around" with actually being on a run. I'll agree that the walk to/from the car is not much fun, especially after a long day, but I DO notice the difference in the way the K2's handle in the "icky" snow. As I mentioned, my True Luvs, which are a softer, more intermediate ski, don't much like heavy stuff, but the Lotta's and the Tough Luvs take me smiling through just about everything I care to tackle.

I skied some Rossi B83's the other day too, between Luvs, and while they were nice on the "prettier" snow, they seemed way too lightweight to handle snow that fights back!

Kano

I skied the Rossi B78's the other day during demo day #2 and while they were light weight and seemed to do ok...they were still second fiddle to the Lotta's. I was going to try the Tough's but the demo shop didn't have my size to try out and I figured I wasn't going to do too much off-groomer stuff. Given the winter though, skiing on those in the pow would have probably been pretty good. The Lotta's seemed to be a good middle ground and will allow me to ski all over the mountain without too much worry. Now if only my skill matched their ability.

If I see any 153's I'll let you know. I couldn't even find that size to demo this late in the season.

 

[Heidi]

Although I haven't demoed the Foxy Mama, I have demoed the Heaven's Gate, which is the '09 Foxy Mama, re-named. And I found it okay. But if you want to go with an Atomic, I recommend this year's Royal Minx, which is going to be renamed the Cloud Nine in '09. A very nice, fun ski, which I think is better for someone who's more aggressive. It's a ski that'll stay with you for a few years; the Foxy Mama won't. (Incidentally, you might find a good end of the year deal on the Royal Minx since they're changing the name and graphics.)

Also, the Volkl Fuego's are a rippin ski! A number of women here either have them or have tried them out (including me). It's fun, spirited, easy to edge, and a lot of fun.

So with Atomic you don't recommend a ski with their Metron system? Curious about that because of this year's Atomic women's skis....only the Foxy's have that technology (I don't know about 2009 skis and am only interested in what is currently available). Thanks

 

[Heidi]

Heidi the female counter part to the K2 four was called the Power. It kind of sucked, way damp almost like it had drowned. Lol Jeannie started with Blizzard promoting their ladies skis in "86-87". She was actually already doing her ladies on snow programs with ladies specific skis, before the K2 four were ever produced, or any shaped skis for that matter. By the way how did your niece do in J.O.s?

Thanks for this info. Jeannie was way ahead of the industry on this issue! I wish I could remember what year I bought those K2 Fours.... but it must have right before K2 made a women's version. Hummm Now I am curious. I don't think I have the women's K2 Four (Power). Oh and thanks for asking about my niece. She didn't ski her best race ever BUT she did improve in her ranking or points or whatever it is. That whole system is of "losing" points etc. is so counter-intuitive and confusing. Oh and on that note..... I was at Mt Hood Meadows this past weekend to ski and also watch Aimee in the the J3 PNSA Finals and an interesting thing happened. Slalom is Aimee's best event and in her morning race she had a good time but she skied over a pole (gate? sorry I don't know the racing lingo) and so DQ-ed BUT oddly (as they almost never seem to miss a thing) both gatekeepers missed this and did not DQ her. Well her coach who happened to be watching close by did notice and talked to Aimee about what she wanted to do and they told the Referee who then DQ-ed her. Well one of the mom's who is an attorney and also just passed her test for Race Referee said that is wrong. The Ref. should not have over-ridden the gatekeepers! My son who plays high school football was (naturally, lol) beside himself with absolute indignation and astonishment - EVERYONE knows that in competitive sports the officials both miss calls and also call you on things when you didn't actually break a rule.... that's just how it is and it all evens out in the end. You just don't see anybody going up to the ref. and "admitting" to breaking a rule. What say you ladies?
Thanks

 

[Heidi]

I, too, recently bought the Foxy Mamas at end of the season price and immediately won a Slalom race. I've now had them in ALL kinds of conditions in both North Carolina and Vermont and am loving them. I had tried various other skis before purchase and these were both lighter and more responsive.

WOW. Good for you. Congratulations!!

 

[Heidi]

You're right -- that was a FABULOUS weekend up there! Most have been exceptional this winter, but that one WAS really good!



I've never found the weight of the K2's bothersome, though I have seen that comment here and there. It seems to go hand in hand with how well they ski -- and like you, people balance "toting them around" with actually being on a run. I'll agree that the walk to/from the car is not much fun, especially after a long day, but I DO notice the difference in the way the K2's handle in the "icky" snow. As I mentioned, my True Luvs, which are a softer, more intermediate ski, don't much like heavy stuff, but the Lotta's and the Tough Luvs take me smiling through just about everything I care to tackle.

I skied some Rossi B83's the other day too, between Luvs, and while they were nice on the "prettier" snow, they seemed way too lightweight to handle snow that fights back!

Kano

Thanks Kano. Lucky you - it sounds like you ski Bogus Basin a lot. That was awesome. I loved it.

 

[perma-grin]

Hi Heidi sorry about your niece, but as a coach I have to agree with what she and her coach choose to do. Training an athlete requires more than just the skills and drills end of it. Sportsmanship is a big part of it. A J3 racer is getting to an age where the competion gets pretty intense and the lower your points the higher your ranking. I applaud your niece and her coach that must have been a very tough thing for her to do. It would have been very easy for both of them to choose to over look that missed gate and let her times stand. It speaks well of her character to have choosen to tell her coach and take the DQ. A kid like her will always be a winner in my book.

 

[Native Vail Gal]

If you are demon'ing skis, the demo bindings can weigh up to 2-3 pounds more than a regular binding.....just so you know.

My K2 One Luvs and My new K2 Lotta Luvs are not that heavy! My Head Sweet Phat Thangs are really lite....but not that much difference than any of the k2's.

 

[Heidi]

Thanks Kelly. You are stronger than me!! My personal issue with the K2 Burning Love being too heavy (I demo-ed these for a day) and with the Lotta Luv (which I didn't ski on after picking it up in the shop and comparing the weight of it to the BL and it was heavier!) has to do with the internal binding system that comes with the ski.
Cheers