So who has new gear for 16/17?

[santacruz skier]

Can you demo a longer length? I don't think they have them at Northstar, but they do at Squaw and Alpine. You can now get a $52 day pass at Squaw/Alpine with a pass from another resort! How's your knee?

Hmm not sure about knee until I get it looked at by orthopedist....it does feel better though.

 

[newboots]

Knee feeling better = really good sign!

 

[lisamamot]

I demoed the Great Joy and the Samba for 1/2 day each. They were both a lot of fun, but the Great Joy did seem lighter and easier. Since my justification for getting new skis was that my Olympia Conquers were heavy and sometimes skied me, I picked the Great Joy. They ARE a lot of fun! I just have been noticing that on the steeps, I end up with my skis turning across the mountain, and I'm not used to that. I just spent 3 days skiing with my 21 year old daughter, who skis Kenjas, and I could't keep up! So now I think that when I'm in the mood for it, I need a longer turn radius wider ski in addition to the Great Joy. BTW, I demoed the Santa Ana for 3 days, and while they were fun in the soft snow, I didnt think they were fun to ski fast.

I am 5'9"/140. I agree that if you demoed the 2017 Santa Ana 100 169, they have a speed limit; I found they skied short and skidded out on me at speed on groomers - I bought the 177 and problem solved.

The turn radius on the Kenja is over 4 meters longer than the Great Joy on a similarly sized ski. All depends on what you want - on the Great Joy you get to turn fast in tight spaces where the Kenja may be difficult to get around, whereas the Kenja can rock those long sweeping turns the Great Joy doesn't want to do.

One of each sounds great!

 

[luliski]

I didn't try the 177 Santa Ana 100. The longest I could find to demo was 169. Maybe the 177s would have been better. But I haven't been on 177s since my old Rossi Saltos (bought 2001?), and in 2012 I went to 163 cm Nordica Olympia Conquers. The shop tried to talk me into longer skis then, but I felt more confident going shorter. So 169 seemed the right length to try on the Santa Anas. And they were tons of fun on soft snow! I think the problem for me on the harder snow was the rocker on the Santa Ana. I'm used to being able to carve more.
I'm going from buying new skis every 5-10 years (my Conquers were used demos too) to wanting two skis with the same width underfoot but different turn radius! I don't think I'll get Kenjas. I really want something lighter weight that I can use on groomers and ungroomed terrain on the same day. I've demoed Kenjas, and they were cumbersome in deeper snow for me. I'm thinking about getting this year's Samba (which is 98 mm underfoot like the Great Joy). But then I'd have the dilemma of which one to use each day. I guess it would depend on my mood and skiing partners for the day!

 

[santacruz skier]

I didn't try the 177 Santa Ana 100. The longest I could find to demo was 169. Maybe the 177s would have been better. But I haven't been on 177s since my old Rossi Saltos (bought 2001?), and in 2012 I went to 163 cm Nordica Olympia Conquers. The shop tried to talk me into longer skis then, but I felt more confident going shorter. So 169 seemed the right length to try on the Santa Anas. And they were tons of fun on soft snow! I think the problem for me on the harder snow was the rocker on the Santa Ana. I'm used to being able to carve more.
I'm going from buying new skis every 5-10 years (my Conquers were used demos too) to wanting two skis with the same width underfoot but different turn radius! I don't think I'll get Kenjas. I really want something lighter weight that I can use on groomers and ungroomed terrain on the same day. I've demoed Kenjas, and they were cumbersome in deeper snow for me. I'm thinking about getting this year's Samba (which is 98 mm underfoot like the Great Joy). But then I'd have the dilemma of which one to use each day. I guess it would depend on my mood and skiing partners for the day!

Ha! I have the Sambas and thinking about getting the Great Joy.... Mine are a few seasons old.... but still...same width underfoot.... diff turning radius... I like the idea.

 

[lisamamot]

I didn't try the 177 Santa Ana 100. The longest I could find to demo was 169. Maybe the 177s would have been better. But I haven't been on 177s since my old Rossi Saltos (bought 2001?), and in 2012 I went to 163 cm Nordica Olympia Conquers. The shop tried to talk me into longer skis then, but I felt more confident going shorter. So 169 seemed the right length to try on the Santa Anas. And they were tons of fun on soft snow! I think the problem for me on the harder snow was the rocker on the Santa Ana. I'm used to being able to carve more.
I'm going from buying new skis every 5-10 years (my Conquers were used demos too) to wanting two skis with the same width underfoot but different turn radius! I don't think I'll get Kenjas. I really want something lighter weight that I can use on groomers and ungroomed terrain on the same day. I've demoed Kenjas, and they were cumbersome in deeper snow for me. I'm thinking about getting this year's Samba (which is 98 mm underfoot like the Great Joy). But then I'd have the dilemma of which one to use each day. I guess it would depend on my mood and skiing partners for the day!

I haven't been on the Great Joy for awhile so I am not sure if I would have wanted the 173 - love their increments are in 5cm....doesn't seem like as much of a jump! It was one I did not get back on when I was looking for my new ski and it certainly could have fit my bill as well.

Like you, I could only demo the Santa Ana in a 169; I knew I would not be happy on that length. It was quite an angst ridden decision for me to order the 177! I had never even been on a ski that long - or with that much rocker, but I was looking for a "go west/east coast soft snow ski" and so far I am quite pleased. The extra length solved my contact length/stability issue on piste which was important to me since it accounts for a good percentage of my skiing.

I cannot wait to demo the new 2018 Black Pearl 88 to see what the changes are all about, although perhaps I should not?! Not sure I need to add another ski to my want list either!

 

[luliski]

Ha! I have the Sambas and thinking about getting the Great Joy.... Mine are a few seasons old.... but still...same width underfoot.... diff turning radius... I like the idea.

Makes sense to me!