Volkl S5, Fischer 73, vs K2 Burn'n luv?

[msweet13]

Hey Girls,

I am in the market to buy all mountain ski's, but I am having a difficult time choosing. I consider myself an intermediate skier - not afraid to go fast or over anything, but if surprised by a bump it will take me a minute to gain control again. I have been skiing for 12+ years and live in Washington state. I am 5'2 and 125lbs.

After reading the reviews on this site I wanted to demo the Volkl S5 and the Fischer 73, but I cannot find anyone who demos these or who will be demoing the Fischer Breeze next year. I demod three others: the K2 One Luv (fast, turned easy, but did not seem to catch a nice edge or snap and this will sound strange, but it was bouncy!); Volkl AC3 (loved the stiffness, felt like I could plow through anything, but difficult in short turns); K2 Burning luv (turned nice, seemed to have a nice edge, was fast, but the only size they had was a 170 which was too long for me).

So I am wondering if anyone can tell me how the Fischer 73 and Volkl S5's compare to the three I have tried to help me make a better decision? I would much rather demo these, but my husband and I stopped at every demo shop on our trip and no one was any help in regards to these two. I was told that they were not all mountain skis, although their stats are similar to others they were demoing. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate the advise!

 

[Lori_K]

I demo'd both the Volkl Attiva S5 and the AC3 back in December. I ended up buying the S5, as it is more hardpack/carving oriented and I already had an all-mountain ski. The AC3 is very similar to the S5. The S5 has better edge grip, but the AC3 goes through the crud a bit better. I thought the AC3 (and the S5) was good for making all sorts of turn shapes. If you thought the AC3 was too difficult for shorter turns, maybe try the next shorter length, or try the AC2.

Now, that being said, I had my S5's out last weekend. Hadn't had any new snow for a week or two, and we're into spring conditions. Mornings were hardpack, where the Volkl shines. The afternoon softened up a bit, and I actually was enjoying the S5 in the firm (but grippy) snow of the bumps and trees. Even light mashed potatoes were carved up easily. So the S5 surprised me a bit with it's "all-mountain" capabilities.

 

[RachelV]

If you liked the Burnin Luv overall, my guess would be that the S5 might be too much ski for you. I demo'ed the AC3 (which is similar to the S5 in terms of stiffness) and the Burnin Luv back-to-back, and the Burnin Luv felt super-soft to me in comparison.

 

[RachelV]

Oh, sorry, you tried the AC3, too. From my understanding the AC3 is basically a slightly more versatile S5, though if short turns were giving you problems the S5 might be a better choice due to the slightly tighter turn radius. Neither ski is going to be great in powder due to their stiffness, but if you're in the northeast either would probably suit you well.

 

[Elangirl]

Three days ago, I forgot to pick up my skis on the way to the mountain!! and so, I demoed a new ski--The Burnin Luv. It was really hardpack--a condition I am really unfamiliar with but did not grow to love. I used a Burnin Luv in a 146 and I was really impressed with the ski---nice turns, even with the weird hard snow. I had no problem staying in control at all times. If I were to buy the ski, I think I would move up to a 153 or so. I am an expert skier, weigh 155 and am 5/4". One of the women in my group has the same ski and skied powder in it all winter. I think this would be a nice eastern ski, but for the western snow, I think I would look at a Lotta Luv. The thing that I like about the k2 skis is the easy flex. These skis are high performers, but are not stiff as a plank. If you are going to demo a Fischer, I think the Vision 70 is softer than the 73.

 

[smpayne]

Have you tried Mt. Baker? They had quite a bit of Volkl's to demo in December when I was there. I agree with Lori_K, if the AC3 was hard to turn, try a shorter size, I was on the 163 and thought they turned great (although I probably should have been on the 170). The Attiva AC2 may be a good one to try, and probably easier to find a demo.

Were you on the women's versions or the unisex? The AC3 in the unisex is said to be super stiff. It sounds like the One Luv was not stiff enough or too short.

 

[msweet13]

Thank you

Thank you everyone for your help. I have not been to Mt Baker, but we may have to try it this next year. I also missed out on a demo day at Stevens pass that had a larger demo choice. I will have to hit them next year for sure. I am pretty sure that I will need to demo more before I can purchase a pair of skis. It may drive my husband crazy, but I have to try them before I buy them!
Again, thank you everyone.