Replying to Headed to Tahoe & have the ability to buy new skis... what should I buy?
Hey guys & gals,
I'm headed to Lake Tahoe for a week in March, hoping to get into some really aggressive and potentially deep terrain. This will be my second foray out west after spending a week in the Wasatch Valley and Northwest Utah two years ago. While in Utah, I did not get to ski the terrain I wanted to as a function of each day being 55 degrees and record-low snowfall.
I'm currently skiing on the 2013 Armada Alpha 1 (182), mounted at center with a Rossi FKS 12. I definitely love the shape and side-cut as well as the flex-profile. This has been by far my favorite ski I've owned. With that said, this will most definitely not be an appropriate ski for terrain I might (and hope to) encounter in Tahoe. It's an 82mm waist and definitely geared more towards park skiing, which is something I have been doing less and less of as the years go by.
I'm looking for a mid-width-waisted ski, if that makes sense. Something between 98-108mm that will effectively be my one-ski quiver. I'm on the larger side (6'2", 200lbs) so I'm looking for something a little bit stiffer than the Alpha 1. I'm not looking for a full rocker profile but definitely prefer the early rise-camber-tip rocker profile. The ski needs to rip groomers, be stable at speed, handle the crud, float in the pow, and still be passable in the park should I decide I want to hot-lap with my buddies. I get that this is asking a lot of a ski and is not completely realistic, but I'm not looking for something that excels in all categories, more so looking for a jack of all trades.
The skis I currently have on my radar are the following:
Armada TST evoAIR
Armada ARV 106
K2 Marksman
4FRNT Raven
Line Blend
Line Supernatural 100
Some of the various Black Crow models also pique my interest.
All of these skis are different in their own right and highlight a different aspect of skiing. Just looking for some insight and direction here.
Thanks!
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