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My thoughts on the BUYERS GUIDE...

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skiRay
Posts: 7558 - Karma: 926

ok so i just got mine.. and it was cool and all because i love looking at skis for some reason, and any buyers guide is sick..

but

WTF FREESKIER!!! you only worte a review on like 1/4 the skis you tested.. and some of the things reallly stood out to me in a BAD way. and there is no way this is legit

1) Moment Reno Jib? this is like one of the most hyped and sick park skis out there. and yet, it gets stoke of 6
2) Armada Pipe Cleaner. 7.0 stoke? wtf. its like the best all around park ski out there according to... well.. like everyone (yeah call me wrong i probably am, but it deserver to be = to the AR6 at least)
3) Line Anthem. what the hell is it doing in the all mtn catagory? maybe if you tested it in the park, you'd find that you would have another ski in the top picks.
4) Moment Tahoe. 6.0 stoke ?!?! from what ive heard, its one of the top allmtn skis out there. and people will agree.
5) K2 obSETHed. i also thought this was in the worng category. ask yourself, "does seth morrison ski groomers, or does seth morrison ski cliffs, steeps, and pow?" yeah i thought so... now ask yourself, "why did we put the obSETHed in the all mtn category?"
6) Armada ARV. same response and the tahoe
7) ARG. opiniion, but i thought for sure that this would be in the top pick for pow
8) Line Mothership. almost died when i saw the 6.0 stoke

wow, i guess i know how to complain, but all of this is really bugging me...
and now im thinking to myself, "whether someone likes a ski or not is opinion right?"
the answer is yes. so everyone, dont draw yourself away from the skis that you feel suit you, because they got a bad stoke rating or no review at all.


anyone else kinda have the same view towards all of this?

Aug 20 2008 12:50AM
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Kevski
Posts: 7056 - Karma: 2,785
You probably don't know who you're talking to, and Seth does definitely ride his own skis in AK.

Next, I was looking forward to the review of the Kung Fujas, which was nowhere to be found. I also didn't like how they arranged the skis. Last year was wayyy better. Whatever, they messed up. We still have gear talk here, which is still a million times better than any buyer's guide.
Aug 20 2008 6:01PM
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quebecfreestyler
Posts: 13040 - Karma: 1,419
Writting an accurate review in 2 runs is way hard.

Lets  give you a little example.

I'm testing skis with some friends.
Friend A is 200 pounds and like to ski hard and friend b is my size (150 pounds) but likes to go way big on jumps while I like a playfull ski to spin onto rials and do funny stuff on the hill.

We demo  a pair of skis from any company and we'll all have to ski on the same size
 if we all use a181 I,ll feel likes it's not playfull enought since it's not mean for what i want to do while the one that likes to go big might like it more and then the big guy might think it's too soft since he's way bigger then the other 2.

You've got 3 different opinion on the same skis simply because it wasnt the good ski for what people wanted it for.

ski reviews are stupid when you get an overall score out of it. it should all be about what the ski is good for and what it should not be used for.

Numbers wont ever be able to describe ho a ski ride and how it should be ridden.
Aug 20 2008 6:14PM
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dangerdad
Posts: 2228 - Karma: 317
i thought is was shit. Not nearly enough actual reviews with what was good and what was bad.


Aug 20 2008 6:20PM
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Style+eeze
Posts: 6901 - Karma: 551
yeah, the buyers guide was fucking retarted this year
Aug 20 2008 6:26PM
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Mex_LineJib^a
Posts: 3928 - Karma: 65
totally agree
Aug 20 2008 6:45PM
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RedBaron882
Posts: 823 - Karma: 126
ok so if its so difficult to test skis then freeskier could have at least done more actual reviews of things such as boots, bindings, gloves, jackets etc. they dropped the ball this year
Aug 20 2008 7:49PM
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l337
Posts: 1244 - Karma: 14
WTF I HOPE I STILL HAVE MY SUBSCRIPTION....sorry for caps
Aug 20 2008 7:55PM
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sicmainefilms
Posts: 167 - Karma: 10
How did you guys like the flat / wrinkle outerwear aesthetic?

How about the EPICs in the front of the book?

..curious to see the consensus from a readers perspective.
Aug 20 2008 10:29PM
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skiRay
Posts: 7558 - Karma: 926
to everyone that sais that the reviews are just revievs reallf for the freeskiier testing staff, i agree.everyone should know that liking a ski is 100% opinion. personally, i LOVE the AR6 to death, and for the 07 and 08 buyers guide, the ski was not talked about as much as say the pipe cleaner.. now all the sudden the hype changes between the 2. but when i bought my AR6 a little over a year ago, my choice was not affected by the buyers guide. if i had listened to it, i would have gotten a "better" park ski like the JO pro..
Aug 21 2008 12:19AM
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alpineplease
Posts: 2791 - Karma: 1,789
yes, a bunch of SPONSORED RIDERS give them a "SUBJECTIVE" test. of course. It is truly honest. For sure, yea, we can rely on that. Thats why salomon gets mad high reviews, cuz walker and hathaway and other spannnssseedd riders are "testing" them. BULLSHIT! They should have NS'ers test skis.

If that is the case, to have NS'ers test skis, I get divine right to do so becuase it was my idea. The others will have to submit video and will be voted upon.
Aug 21 2008 12:25AM
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SickStickz
Posts: 396 - Karma: 137
I was hoping to see a larger section on ski poles, kinda bummed on the three little pictures, but soooo stoked Sick Stickz is in it!  Also they listed our top athlete using scott poles, I don't know what to think of Freeskier somedays.  Overall I was impressed with the buyers guide.
Aug 21 2008 12:30AM
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skiRay
Posts: 7558 - Karma: 926
just thought of this... freeskier should have a contest every year where they pick like 5-10 testers for each category and either fly them out to the test site, or send then skis to test. that way the average skiier could give a more solid review

or that idea is total crap
Aug 21 2008 12:45AM
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alpineplease
Posts: 2791 - Karma: 1,789
no, i just thought of that 2 posts above you
Aug 22 2008 1:22AM
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Travapple.
Posts: 6787 - Karma: 88
yeah, i was really dissapointed this year.
Aug 22 2008 12:08PM
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Steakhead
Posts: 490 - Karma: 233
Yeah why would they list Clarke as using SCOTT Poles...weird
Click for larger image
Aug 22 2008 12:55PM
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swanyd
Posts: 103 - Karma: 32
skiRay, are you pissed cause the skis you thought were cool didn't get the stoke they deserved? You haven't even ridden most of the ones you name dropped. Everyones a different size/weight so reviews are never really going to help you.
Aug 22 2008 1:22PM
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wrenegade
Posts: 6631 - Karma: 41
what?? seriously? that's gotta be one of the dumbest things I've heard.
Aug 22 2008 1:35PM
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
It was so ludicrous I wasn't even going to comment on it before.
Aug 22 2008 3:18PM
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plorr
Posts: 3131 - Karma: 528
I'm almost positive he does use magic.  How the fuck else could you ski like that?
Aug 23 2008 12:40AM
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Ar5king
Posts: 413 - Karma: 14
worst buyer's guide i have experienced. i dont like how they did the skis. not many reviews and not many skis. I wish they organized it by brand name like the past years.

Big disappointment
Aug 23 2008 1:17AM
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quebecfreestyler
Posts: 13040 - Karma: 1,419
by being seth.
Aug 23 2008 1:37AM
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greenman
Posts: 945 - Karma: 27
im likeing this idea
Aug 23 2008 12:40PM
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skiRay
Posts: 7558 - Karma: 926
hahah NO! i ski ar6s on the east coast. i dont give a shit about ARGs. im just wondering why skis that previously got higher ratings got a low stoke rating when theyre the same ski
Aug 23 2008 1:00PM
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dorikin
Posts: 1914 - Karma: 16
If you thought about it for two seconds you would realize why? it's not that fucking difficult to understand why skis drop in rating from season to season without being changed. The other skis they are being compared to get better. The field changes. You can't expect to keep a ski exactly the same year after year, and have it stay at the top of the field, when everyone else is trying to improve their product.
Aug 23 2008 1:29PM
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dorikin
Posts: 1914 - Karma: 16

And yes, buyers guides (they way they are currently being published) are worthless. I have been checking out all the buyers guides the past few days and they all fucking suck.

Hell, Freeskiers is probably the worst overall, at least in Powder,i think, John Symms teaches me how to Rodeo 540.

In fact, it could be argued that Freeskier is one of the worst magazines offered on newstands. For the same reason a ski gets 9 stoke one year and 8 the next is the reason Freeskier has given me a stoke of 2 since it's inception and -4.39 stoke every year since then. Their content is the same every single year, the ad space is ridiculous, and the level of writing skill demonstrated by their contributors is laughable. It actually reflects poorly on this sport. I am just glad the photography is badass. If Freeskier was just photos, I would prefer it.

The way the buyers guide should go from now on: Just provide us with pics, sidecut specs, weights, a standardized flex index, price etc. Just give me the numerical data, without your shitty opinion and subjectivity attached to it, and let me make my own decision on what is bad or desirable.

Aug 23 2008 1:36PM
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Benjivz
Posts: 76 - Karma: 54
Buyers guides are just based on who advertises the most.  I was interviewed for a certain magazines guide and my pick was actually the 4th ski I said I was stoked on.  Take whats written with a grain of salt
Aug 27 2008 7:38PM
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ben-jamm-in
Posts: 344 - Karma: 174
What you said about the ObSETHeds is pretty lame that they gave that preception, because the ski is not a big mountain ski, but the fact is that Seth doesn't ski on that exact ski.  He skis on a ski personalized with similar dimensions, obviously stiffer, but made much more durable.  

Also  
Aug 27 2008 8:04PM
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phishfood
Posts: 2542 - Karma: 298
uhh false
he uses the same skis that are sold to us, ask schemes

what was your top ski that they put fourth tho?
thats gay
Aug 27 2008 8:13PM
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sneaky
Posts: 349 - Karma: 10
what! dont forget about the $425.00 BLUETOOTH gloves! wtf who uses that?
Aug 27 2008 8:15PM
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ECski
Posts: 976 - Karma: 13
They had pros like andrew hathaway, willis brown, matt walker, and henrik lampert testing the skis not some retard 35 year old
Aug 27 2008 8:23PM
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DaysToCome
Posts: 1601 - Karma: 86
all powder does is just copies and pastes the skis description from the company's site
Aug 27 2008 8:32PM
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reBlocke
Posts: 762 - Karma: 1,502
Considering that Freeskier depends exclusively on the companies who's products they are reviewing for income, I appreciate that they don't just rate everything extremely highly.

You'd have to be in a pretty weird situation in order to get a better feel for all the different skis than the testers did...
Aug 27 2008 9:22PM
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sneaky
Posts: 349 - Karma: 10
they make profit on subscriptions too dont forget
Aug 27 2008 9:24PM
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chazz.
Posts: 2721 - Karma: 23
word do they not exist anymore?
Aug 27 2008 9:34PM
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NcKing34
Posts: 354 - Karma: 78
i agree that the buyers guide could have been better and should have included write-ups on more skis, but it seems like u were just upset about every moment, line, and armada that wasnt a top scorer....those are just the testers opinions and im sure that there are many ppl that agree and disagree.  however, the guide does come in handy now that school has started again.
Aug 27 2008 9:35PM
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C.Harris
Posts: 86 - Karma: 135
yeah i didnt think that the this buyers guide was very helpful, other than the lang girl poster... haha
Aug 27 2008 9:39PM
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AlexMartini
Posts: 2989 - Karma: 1,905
FREESKIER IS A PIECE OF CRAP... i have skied on a good deal of those skis and i feel MOST of the reviews and ratings are bullshit

almost every tester is a bias sponsored athlete and none of the skis are blacked out so everyone knows exactly what company they are riding on and just talk shit on people they dont like basically... its BULLSHIT
Aug 28 2008 1:28AM
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farmskier
Posts: 935 - Karma: 120
You sir are incorrect.  Subscriptions and newsstand sales are almost nothing compared to what advertisers pay them.  That's why they give out sooooo many free subscriptions every year.

Aug 28 2008 2:32AM
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Tucks
Posts: 2120 - Karma: 161
No Kung Fujas either I was pissed
Aug 28 2008 11:46AM
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FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,888
How did the Suspect out score the Dumount? are they not the same ski?
Aug 28 2008 1:06PM
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troublemaker3
Posts: 1954 - Karma: 225
do yourself a favor and pick up an issue of powder
Aug 28 2008 6:04PM
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Dylan_
Posts: 9824 - Karma: 1,403
yeah, so i decided to cut mine up and put pics on my wall
Aug 28 2008 6:33PM
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123ski
Posts: 7374 - Karma: 1,415

And two years ago the scratch BC WRS was the best rated ski in the magazine.  Last year it was one of the worst rated skis in the magazine.  This year it is again one of the best rated skis in the magazine.  Yet the ski never changed once?

Aug 28 2008 7:59PM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14489 - Karma: 10,642
then why did you expect the Dumont to out score the suspect?
Aug 28 2008 8:14PM
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phishfood
Posts: 2542 - Karma: 298
i think he's saying they should have gotten the same stoke, neither should have gotten better.



but my answer to why the suspect outscored the dumont?
hype.
pink and blue graphics.
same with the thruster last year, it wasn't that great of a ski but freeskier loved it of course.
Aug 28 2008 8:21PM
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skiRay
Posts: 7558 - Karma: 926
YES! this is something i fail to understand. also, the pipe cleaner had always been ranked higher than the AR6, but this year they switched.
Aug 29 2008 1:00AM
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agame4life
Posts: 185 - Karma: 30
yeah i agree. the buyers guide sucks this year. I like how they had the skis arranged by the brand in years past. I was used to it and it was easier to follow.
Aug 30 2008 12:06AM
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huge-go
Posts: 1451 - Karma: 33
Not sure how many people on this website have bought it, but the SKIING buyer's guide was by far the best. My mom bought it, and I was like "meh, how good can this mag be?" But they are legit. They masked all of their skis with white tape, so the reviewers wouldn't be swayed by a dope graphic or brand allegiance, and they rate the skis for things that relate to exactly what the ski was intended to do.
Aug 30 2008 12:49AM
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123ski
Posts: 7374 - Karma: 1,415
Yeah, except they did their park ski test at Snowbird, whose park consists of 2 rails, 3 boxes, and no jumps over 10 feet. . .
Aug 30 2008 11:16AM
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wordzofwizdum
Posts: 476 - Karma: 448
I have a lil feeling freeskier is going down hill fast it no longer reminds me much of how a ski mag should be, but more of a shitty mag trying to be like 17 or some bulshit, wtf the reviews on all the equip - a few sucked ass balzzzzzz... freeskier get your shit together and start acting like skiers not paid up lil liberal bitches
Aug 30 2008 2:59PM
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