Volkl Aura or 90EightW for Telemark setup?

[FreeheelMama]

It's time to get some new skis, after 11 years on shaped-but-skinny tele skis, and my local shop has deals on Volkl Aura and 90EightW. I'm a tele skier, always was, so I plan to put my tele bindings on the new skis. I mainly ski groomers, crud, and Sierra cement. I ski fast but not super aggressive. Very occasional backcountry tours. So this will be my one ski quiver. Which of these 2 skis is better suited for telemarking, all-mountain, fun lively and versatile? Would the Aura be too stiff? I've never tried a rocker ski, but I bet I can adapt to it. Oh and I have 15 year-old Scarpa T2's...maybe those are a little soft for a bigger, stiffer ski, but it would be nice to not have to shell out for new boots too. I'm 5'7, 130 lb (my old skis are 170 cm). Would love to hear any opinions and advice!

 

[MrsPlow]

I can't comment on the Aura or the tele side of things, but I've been skiing the 90eight (the 2016-17 version) this past season. I didn't get to demo it, but bought it in a sale on the basis of reviews. Really glad I did - I found it easy to ski right away, very forgiving, but I never felt that I was over-powering it when I started to push it a bit more. It seems to reward good technique but lets you get away with things eg doesn't kick your butt if you get into the backseat. Great fun in bumps, good in crud provided you get your weight forward. Not spent much time on them in anything more than a few cm of powder though, as I have fat skis for that.

 

[marzNC]

I've never tried a rocker ski, but I bet I can adapt to it. Oh and I have 15 year-old Scarpa T2's...maybe those are a little soft for a bigger, stiffer ski, but it would be nice to not have to shell out for new boots too. I'm 5'7, 130 lb (my old skis are 170 cm). Would love to hear any opinions and advice!

Not a tele skier but my daughter became one several years ago when she was already an advanced alpine skier. What we ended up buying for her was the Black Pearls just before they re-designed them into the BP88 at the recommendation of her L3 tele instructor. She's a petite lightweight. Clearly her teacher was not concerned about the rocker profile.

Good luck with making a decision. Current technology really is better than what was around a decade ago.

 

[marzNC]

From other threads about telemark, @altagirl , @geargrrl , or @TeleChica might be able to help if they are around.

 

[geargrrl]

Not me, I ski a G3. I would think an aura would be fine for tele... why not? Tele and alpine skis aren't that different anymore.

 

[TeleChica]

I have never skied either ski, but with T2s, you are going to want a lighter, more responsive ski. The Aura I think would be too stiff for T2s, but I don't know for certain since I've never skied them. I'm on a Scarpa TX Pro, which can drive pretty much anything. But from what I am reading, neither ski seems ideal, in my opinion. This review of the 90EightW is not favorable: https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/snow-sports/all-mountain-skis-womens/volkl-90eight-w

 

[SallyCat]

Can't comment on Tele skiing and I'm not a good enough skier to recommend a model for specific characteristics (still learning why I like what I like). But I demoed this year's 90Eights and ended up buying a pair last week. The day I was trying them was right after a significant snowfall, and the trails were pretty chopped-up in the afternoon. Like @MrsPlow I found them to be nimble and reasonably forgiving. They seem lightweight, powerful and confidence-inspiring. I got them because I bought a season pass for Magic Mountain for next year; I'm determined to challenge myself on un-groomed trails, and Magic seems to have a nice progression of options in that category. I wanted wide skis that would be powerful and stable, and I think these fit the bill. Good luck; hope to hear what you decide.

 

[geargrrl]

telechica brings up a really good point about matching the teleboot to the ski.