correction, a guy you've talked to has not had good experiences with surface. Something like he was sponsered by them and now says he wouldn't pay for any of their skis(based on what you've said in other threads)
advice
the surface new lifes are great if you like shredding the pow and back country like its the park. the symettry is great for this and with the early rise you can go anywhere with them. i'm not sure how they handle on hardpack though
The surface one lifes are also a shit ton of fun for powder/all mountain/and even in the park. They handle decently well on hardpack (for a pow ski) and you can just charge on them (i've found anyway)
Another good option for you might be the sir francis bacons