Two ski quiver

[pamplemoose]

Hello! Looking for advice on a two ski quiver for the southern Rockies (mostly New Mexico) for someone who is 169cm and 140lbs.

I learned to ski on Elan Ripstick 88s in 162cm and they're the only ski I've ever tried besides very basic rentals. I'm pretty comfortable with them - they feel loose and playful and super easy to turn and smear down anything on the mountain (I love bumps, trees, and small jumps). Dislikes: they're probably a little short for me, they don't feel comfortable at speed or in crud, and they don't inspire a lot of confidence on harder snow.

Because my skiing has been so loose and pivoty, I wanted to get a narrow, firmer ski to improve my technique and really learn how to carve, and picked up a pair of Fischer RC One 82s on sale this summer. So I thought I was all set on spending too much money on skis... BUT someone just offered to buy the Ripsticks off me, which means I could replace them with another all mountain ski that might suit me a little better.

What should I look at? I really value ease of turning in moguls and trees, but don't want to end up on another ski that feels too unstable or squirrely. I also don't think I'd enjoy a super hard charging or punishing ski for everyday use. Here's what I'm considering:

- Sheeva 9 or 10
- Moment Sierras
- Moment Bellas
- QST 98
- Ripstick 96
- Ranger 92
- Enforcer 104 Free

 

[MissySki]

I would add the Volkl Blaze 86 to your list to demo. They are super smeary and turny for bumps and trees but also carve really well and easily. It’s literally as simple as tipping them over and bam away you go. They have this multiple turn radii along the ski’s edge and it allows for all sorts of different turn sizes and shapes depending how you are skiing at any given time. I brought them West with me to Taos last season and had a blast all over the mountain. There was nowhere they didn’t excel. I would only say I’d want something wider for bigger powder days out there. They were fine in a powder day we had that was around a foot, maybe a little less.. I can’t remember now. But I remember thinking that anything more and I would need something wider to float me.

 

[Pequenita]

I would add the Volkl Blaze 86 to your list to demo.

lol. I would have said to add the 94 on the demo list, although they are not awesome on firmer snow (if that's what you're wanting).

 

[MissySki]

lol. I would have said to add the 94 on the demo list, although they are not awesome on firmer snow (if that's what you're wanting).

I want to get on some wider Blaze options this year to try out, I have not gotten to compare them yet. Have heard good things abiut the wider sizes too, just not sure how easy they are to carve compared to the 86. There is an even narrower version this year I think?

 

[Tori_j]

I highly recommend the Rossignol Rallybird 102s. Sounds wide, but they have so much camber that the turn radius is incredibly short and I found there was way less fatigue on my legs than with most skis in the 90 range. So you're getting all the benefits of a wide ski (stability at speed, float, more surface area to land baby jumps) but without the leg crush of a wider ski. I also suggest a mounting point of 1-2 cm back from center (learned that the expensive way). I demod like 20 pairs of skis last winter before settling on these.

 

[BlizzardBabe]

I'm with @MissySki with the Volkl Blaze 86. This will be my third season with them and I'm still loving them after having skied them over 100 days in all conditions in the east and west. Incredibly versatile and dependable.