Hey guys, just joined the community and really looking forward to
getting some feed back about my current predicament. Now, before I get
into it, I should give a general disclaimer about my self. I am a newly
converted skiier. I grew up snowboarding in the NW around the Seattle
area. Then a bunch in California, Tahoe and Mammoth. I began to really
progress when I went to school in Colorado (near Aspen) and later Utah
(near Park City). I mostly did freestyle competition but after
sustaining a pretty major injury and not being able to ride the rest of
the season, I realized that the risks that I was taking in the parks
just werent worth it. I got a big board and just started doing all
mountain snowbaording, always searching for the soft stuff. As of
saturday I am 24 years old and just a month and a half ago, while up in
Jackson Hole, I tried skiing for the first time... and I immediately
fell in love. To me, snowbaording just seems silly now, I dont think
I'll ever go back.
I have skiied a total of 8 days but it feels
like my level of skiing is pretty advanced.... I dont want to sound
cocky or like im getting a head of my self, but after about 2 hours on
the bunny slope I put on some Atomic blogs 177 and headed for the
steeper runs. On the groomers, I am fully confident, I can do long
drawn out carves as well as short quick ones. Skiing just seems like
its easier for me, more intuitive. On the blogs i had a hard time
staying afloat when in the powder (it dumped like a foot and a half
over night), I am 6'2'' 180lbs and the blog is 100 in the waist. I
continued to ride the blog anyway because I didnt really know any
better and just thought i should get used to riding skiis in general
before getting on something bigger. Last weekend I went up to mammoth
with my girl friend and made some arrangements to demo some skiis.
I have never really been a "hardcore" snowboarder, I love powder, but I
only really hike in bounds, however I definitely want a ski that will
be a lot of fun in the powder and be fairly effortless, the way my
snowboard was. Up at mammoth i tested two skiis. The Sir Francis Bacon
and the Armada JJ. My biggest concern with these skiis was that they
wouldnt be able to hold it down on the groomers. I rode the Line's for
2 days and I absolutely love them, like IN LOVE with them. Despite
their 115 waist, they could lay down a solid edge, add some pressure
and youre getting sling shoted. Maybe im naive and dont know what a
real carving ski feels like but i had a lot of fun. Knowing that the
early rise will float me in the powder (on faith), I concluded that
this would be the ski ill buy. The JJ i didnt like as much. It felt
similar but didnt turn for me like the Line's. It felt like it was
'chattering' a lot on hard speedy turns. However, unlike the bacons i
took the JJ's in the park, and definitely got some air, of course not
the way I used to on my snowboard... Hitting jumps on skiis reminded me
how fun the park was and how much i still wanna mess around in it. Ok
so here is my DILEMMA... finally
I want a one quiver ski, and i know that that is really a silly concept
but i wanna get as close to a one ski quiver as possible. I know that
park skiis are generally narrower and powder skiis are generally wider.
the sir francis is awesome, but i think it might be a little too wide
for park, i dont mind how it handles on groomers, and infact like it
(perhaps due to ingnorance of other skiis). Line just released a new
SFB at the SIA show and also the new EP pro, the Mr. Pollard's Opus.
The current EP pro is 127 underfoot, which is too wide for all
mountain, but the new one is going to be 118 and 185 long. the current
SFB is 115 underfoot and the new one is going to be 108 underfoot and
184 long. Should i get the current SFB and just be happy with it?
Should i get the new Opus? Will it ride the park...? ...or should i get
the new Sir Francis Bacon? Most importantly will this ski hold me in
the powder with ease..? also taking into consideration that i think i
can ski fairly well, but definitely have a ways to go, especially if
powder is harder with a narrower ski. Will i really feel the difference
between the 108, 115 and 118 in the park? Im almost sure that ill feel
it in the deep stuff, which is most important to me but i wanna have a
ski that will be fun no matter what i do. Ok, sorry for the rant, but
im stoked on skiing and want to gear up so i dont have to rent anymore.
a preemptive thanks for all those who take the time to read this
length, rookie post and give some feedback. cheers.
PS i posted this on teton gravity, so i just copy pasted it. according to the posting guide here i should include the following info. Im 6.2 180lbs, i feel comfortable on skiis and like im progressing quickly, i will mostly be riding in tahoe and mammoth, maybe big bear once in a while (im in school in LA and it really bites), ill be taking a couple annual trips into the deeper rockies (ie CO, WY). thanks, hope to hear back soon.
