- Joined
- Mar 20, 2018
- Posts
- 88
This post was written by my niece who is looking for new skis:
I am 21y/o female 5'6 (168cm), weigh around 128lbs (58kg), an advanced intermediate looking for new skis. My current skis are the Dynastar Legend X80 160cm.
I learnt skiing in Europe and skied several places there (Verbier, Val d'Isere/Tignes), but primarily ski in the Western US. I have visited the Salt Lake area twice, been to Taos ski week, Lake Tahoe area, and Sun Valley. My favorite region so far is the Salt Lake area because of the snow quality. I have been skiing for about 8 years now, but have averaged less than 10 days per season for the majority of it. More recently averaged around 20 days per season, and felt that I have improved a lot.
I had the Dynastar Legend for 1.5 seasons, and feel that I have already outgrown them. Since taking some lessons last season and the Taos Ski week at the start of this season I have improved carving and skiing in bumps. I enjoy skiing on groomed trails, and also lighter soft bumps. I have not done much tree skiing and do not excel at skiing deep powder. I just seem to get stuck all the time!
I wish to progress in carving and skiing more difficult bumps. I got my current skis as a hand-me down, and they were intended for a progressing intermediate. After trying the free demo in Deer Valley, I realized that my current skis weren't cutting it anymore. I continued with 2 more days of ski demo in Sun Valley.
I am looking for ideally an all-mountain ski that can perform decently in most situations seen in a west coast resort.
Rossignol Black Ops W 98 160cm
The Black Ops was first skis I tried at Deer Valley. Initially thought they were too stiff for me, but after I got used to them I really felt a connection to this ski. The Black Ops turn very easily, but are also very stable at high speed. I feel very confident in these skis to ski any condition, and they just go over the bumps as if they weren't there at all. Skiing bumps with these are a joyful experience. I tried them on two powder days at Deer Valley, mostly on trails with soft bumps that have formed over the course of the day. I tried the men's version again in Sun Valley, with hard-pack conditions on groomed trails, and found that they also performed well at carving. I feel that the stiffness of this ski gives me confidence in it. This is my favorite ski so far because of how versatile they are.
Rossignol Experience 88 162cm
I tried the Experience in Deer Valley on a powder day. I felt that they did not respond as quickly to my movements especially when compared with the Black Ops, and were generally sluggish in the bumps. Perhaps it is because that this ski is less stiff?
Rossignol Rallybird 102 162cm
The Rallybird was also a good ski on the powder day I tried it on. I believe it responded to my movements even faster than the Black Ops because it seemed lighter in the snow. However, I did not feel comfortable carving on this, and feel that this ski would only work on more powdery days and for smeared turns. The Rallybird also seems to be unstable at higher speed, reducing my confidence in the ski. Since I am looking for a ski that can perform in all terrain I believe this is not for me.
Voelkel Secret (96) 163cm
The Secret was the first ski I tried in hard packed, groomed, Sun Valley. I loved how it performed on groomed runs and its stability at higher speeds. I really enjoyed carving with it because it just seemed to want to go downhill faster and faster. The stiffness made me more confident in pushing my center of gravity around more as I carved because it was as if I was standing on a solid piece of metal. I tried doing some bumps with it however, and it seemed to be sluggish at responding to tight turns. It was very tiring to get the ski to turn faster than it wanted to, but as long as I was making longer turns on groomed runs skiing with this was effortless. I think the Secret would make a greater powder and groomed run ski! Unfortunately it doesn't fit my needs at the moment as much I would love to have it.
Blizzard Black Pearl 88 165cm
This ski was very hyped up based on the reviews, but I wasn't impressed much by it. I tried it in Sun Valley as well, and it seemed too soft for my liking, reducing my confidence in it. It didn't seem to carve well at all despite its width, and it seems to be too narrow for the snow conditions of Salt Lake. It seemed to be less responsive than pretty much every other ski I tried.
Blizzard Sheeva 9 164cm
I think the Sheeva 9 is my 2nd favourite ski that I tried. Again I felt a connection to this ski, and couldn't have enough carving with this ski on the long groomers at Sun Valley. I feel like the stiffness was just right, not too overpowering like the Voelkel, but not too soft like the Experience or Black Pearl. Again I felt very confident in the Sheeva, and think that I can tackle pretty much any terrain with this. Unfortunately I didn't get to try bumps with this, but I suspect it wouldn't be as good as the Black Ops as it seems to ski longer. To be honest if the Sheeva was slightly more stiff that would pretty much be my ideal ski.
Fischer Ranger 102 162cm
The Ranger was not at all suitable for the conditions I was skiing in in hard packed Sun Valley. I feel this would make for an amazing powder ski for smearing turns, but I wasn't able to get an edge at all in the hard packed snow.
Voelkel Kenja 88 163cm
The Kenja was probably my 3rd favourite ski that I tried. I really had fun with this carving! I even did some hard-packed bumps in Sun Valley, but again it seemed to turn too slow for that. However, I think this is by far the best ski for groomers that I tried. I loved how stiff it was and how easy to turn once I got an edge. It seemed that the ski was alive and returned all the energy I gave it while I turned! If I was just skiing in Sun Valley on well groomed run this would probably be the ski I would go for. One question I have is if I progressed more in control would a stiff ski such as this and the Secret be easier to turn in the moguls? Perhaps it is something I can grow into?
Atomic Maven 86 169cm
The Maven was also very nice in Sun Valley. By the time I tested this it had already been snowing for a bit, so a thin layer of snow had fallen on the hard packed base. I feel like it cuts through the crud very well and can also hold a very good edge. It also wasn't too stiff but stiff enough. I didn't have much opportunity to test this ski but I also enjoyed skiing this. However, I don't think this ski would excel in the more powdery conditions of Utah.
I am 21y/o female 5'6 (168cm), weigh around 128lbs (58kg), an advanced intermediate looking for new skis. My current skis are the Dynastar Legend X80 160cm.
I learnt skiing in Europe and skied several places there (Verbier, Val d'Isere/Tignes), but primarily ski in the Western US. I have visited the Salt Lake area twice, been to Taos ski week, Lake Tahoe area, and Sun Valley. My favorite region so far is the Salt Lake area because of the snow quality. I have been skiing for about 8 years now, but have averaged less than 10 days per season for the majority of it. More recently averaged around 20 days per season, and felt that I have improved a lot.
I had the Dynastar Legend for 1.5 seasons, and feel that I have already outgrown them. Since taking some lessons last season and the Taos Ski week at the start of this season I have improved carving and skiing in bumps. I enjoy skiing on groomed trails, and also lighter soft bumps. I have not done much tree skiing and do not excel at skiing deep powder. I just seem to get stuck all the time!
I wish to progress in carving and skiing more difficult bumps. I got my current skis as a hand-me down, and they were intended for a progressing intermediate. After trying the free demo in Deer Valley, I realized that my current skis weren't cutting it anymore. I continued with 2 more days of ski demo in Sun Valley.
I am looking for ideally an all-mountain ski that can perform decently in most situations seen in a west coast resort.
Rossignol Black Ops W 98 160cm
The Black Ops was first skis I tried at Deer Valley. Initially thought they were too stiff for me, but after I got used to them I really felt a connection to this ski. The Black Ops turn very easily, but are also very stable at high speed. I feel very confident in these skis to ski any condition, and they just go over the bumps as if they weren't there at all. Skiing bumps with these are a joyful experience. I tried them on two powder days at Deer Valley, mostly on trails with soft bumps that have formed over the course of the day. I tried the men's version again in Sun Valley, with hard-pack conditions on groomed trails, and found that they also performed well at carving. I feel that the stiffness of this ski gives me confidence in it. This is my favorite ski so far because of how versatile they are.
Rossignol Experience 88 162cm
I tried the Experience in Deer Valley on a powder day. I felt that they did not respond as quickly to my movements especially when compared with the Black Ops, and were generally sluggish in the bumps. Perhaps it is because that this ski is less stiff?
Rossignol Rallybird 102 162cm
The Rallybird was also a good ski on the powder day I tried it on. I believe it responded to my movements even faster than the Black Ops because it seemed lighter in the snow. However, I did not feel comfortable carving on this, and feel that this ski would only work on more powdery days and for smeared turns. The Rallybird also seems to be unstable at higher speed, reducing my confidence in the ski. Since I am looking for a ski that can perform in all terrain I believe this is not for me.
Voelkel Secret (96) 163cm
The Secret was the first ski I tried in hard packed, groomed, Sun Valley. I loved how it performed on groomed runs and its stability at higher speeds. I really enjoyed carving with it because it just seemed to want to go downhill faster and faster. The stiffness made me more confident in pushing my center of gravity around more as I carved because it was as if I was standing on a solid piece of metal. I tried doing some bumps with it however, and it seemed to be sluggish at responding to tight turns. It was very tiring to get the ski to turn faster than it wanted to, but as long as I was making longer turns on groomed runs skiing with this was effortless. I think the Secret would make a greater powder and groomed run ski! Unfortunately it doesn't fit my needs at the moment as much I would love to have it.
Blizzard Black Pearl 88 165cm
This ski was very hyped up based on the reviews, but I wasn't impressed much by it. I tried it in Sun Valley as well, and it seemed too soft for my liking, reducing my confidence in it. It didn't seem to carve well at all despite its width, and it seems to be too narrow for the snow conditions of Salt Lake. It seemed to be less responsive than pretty much every other ski I tried.
Blizzard Sheeva 9 164cm
I think the Sheeva 9 is my 2nd favourite ski that I tried. Again I felt a connection to this ski, and couldn't have enough carving with this ski on the long groomers at Sun Valley. I feel like the stiffness was just right, not too overpowering like the Voelkel, but not too soft like the Experience or Black Pearl. Again I felt very confident in the Sheeva, and think that I can tackle pretty much any terrain with this. Unfortunately I didn't get to try bumps with this, but I suspect it wouldn't be as good as the Black Ops as it seems to ski longer. To be honest if the Sheeva was slightly more stiff that would pretty much be my ideal ski.
Fischer Ranger 102 162cm
The Ranger was not at all suitable for the conditions I was skiing in in hard packed Sun Valley. I feel this would make for an amazing powder ski for smearing turns, but I wasn't able to get an edge at all in the hard packed snow.
Voelkel Kenja 88 163cm
The Kenja was probably my 3rd favourite ski that I tried. I really had fun with this carving! I even did some hard-packed bumps in Sun Valley, but again it seemed to turn too slow for that. However, I think this is by far the best ski for groomers that I tried. I loved how stiff it was and how easy to turn once I got an edge. It seemed that the ski was alive and returned all the energy I gave it while I turned! If I was just skiing in Sun Valley on well groomed run this would probably be the ski I would go for. One question I have is if I progressed more in control would a stiff ski such as this and the Secret be easier to turn in the moguls? Perhaps it is something I can grow into?
Atomic Maven 86 169cm
The Maven was also very nice in Sun Valley. By the time I tested this it had already been snowing for a bit, so a thin layer of snow had fallen on the hard packed base. I feel like it cuts through the crud very well and can also hold a very good edge. It also wasn't too stiff but stiff enough. I didn't have much opportunity to test this ski but I also enjoyed skiing this. However, I don't think this ski would excel in the more powdery conditions of Utah.
