Fat-ypus M5 thoughts/ski sizing

Haven't skied the M5 but I might be able to at least give you some data points.

I have a pair of 188 regular stiffness D'Riddums, I'm almost exactly your size, and I've skied them in WA, Tahoe, and Hokkaido.

The D'Riddums have the same listed turning radius and weight (don't know how that's possible), which I've found to be totally reasonable for even the tightest trees. Since they're five-point, the swing weight is impressively low and I have no problem spinning them or getting them sideways. They carve super tight and surprisingly well on hardpack but I love that it's still easy to kick the tail out. I'd say the regular stiffness falls into the medium category with tons of snap and enough stability to mash through heavy crud, so I would imagine that the athlete stiffness on the M5 will be more than enough for you.

This season, I've skied these more than both my other pairs of skis combined, and I wouldn't hesitate to use them in any conditions outside of the park, so you might consider grabbing the D'Riddum instead. Lengthwise, they've been more than enough for me hitting medium-sized cliffs and skiing some heavy, variable snow. I think 188 is a good compromise in terms of stability and maneuverability/playfulness.

Don't know if you've skied any other Fat-ypus skis but aside from some minor topsheet chipping, they've been pretty burly, surviving some pretty big rock impacts, so I've been super impressed with the build quality.

Feel free to post or PM if you have any questions. Hope that helps.

special_k10101Haven't skied the M5 but I might be able to at least give you some data points.

I have a pair of 188 regular stiffness D'Riddums, I'm almost exactly your size, and I've skied them in WA, Tahoe, and Hokkaido.

The D'Riddums have the same listed turning radius and weight (don't know how that's possible), which I've found to be totally reasonable for even the tightest trees. Since they're five-point, the swing weight is impressively low and I have no problem spinning them or getting them sideways. They carve super tight and surprisingly well on hardpack but I love that it's still easy to kick the tail out. I'd say the regular stiffness falls into the medium category with tons of snap and enough stability to mash through heavy crud, so I would imagine that the athlete stiffness on the M5 will be more than enough for you.

This season, I've skied these more than both my other pairs of skis combined, and I wouldn't hesitate to use them in any conditions outside of the park, so you might consider grabbing the D'Riddum instead. Lengthwise, they've been more than enough for me hitting medium-sized cliffs and skiing some heavy, variable snow. I think 188 is a good compromise in terms of stability and maneuverability/playfulness.

Don't know if you've skied any other Fat-ypus skis but aside from some minor topsheet chipping, they've been pretty burly, surviving some pretty big rock impacts, so I've been super impressed with the build quality.

Feel free to post or PM if you have any questions. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the very informative reply! Since i am not looking for great groomer performance (strictly off piste), could i use the D'Riddum as a daily driver? Also, do you get any tip deflection at high speeds in crud?

You absolutely could, and I have been, although I tend to like fat skis in general, so I'm somewhat biased. It's very versatile.

Haven't noticed any major issues with tip deflection at speed. Since the tip isn't too big, it doesn't tend to bounce around like that of a Hellbent or something. Haven't felt the need to back off it at any point.

That said, I'd put it into more of the quick, playful all-rounder/powder ski category. If you're looking for something that is more of a charger, there are probably better options, but to me, that would mean giving up some performance in the trees and some fun. The short turning radius and effective edge might make it a bit too twitchy for some, but I prefer the ski to my Pettitors in most situations.

On sale here with no tax and free shipping
https://www.nevergroomed.com/collections/fat-ypus

I bought Athlete Flex D'Riddums here earleir this year, and the site is legit, with great customer service.

Buy this ski. i have a pair and am in love with them. the only thing i would say is if you are going be big mountain charging buy the athlete stiffness the softer one is really soft and buttery. It still charges no doubt but dropping cliffs is quite hard with a ski that soft