Long story short ~ is the Black Crows Vertis really just an on-piste carver like they market it? How does it compare to the Elan Ripstick 86?
As per the sticky...
LOCATION ~ Down in the North Island of New Zealand so mainly skiing Ruapehu – might get some fresh pow once or twice a year. Also do the occasional Queenstown trip, and would like to check out some club fields around Christchurch.
HEIGHT/AGE/WEIGHT ~ About 5’11” // 180cm, and around 135-140 lbs // 62-63 kg. Been skiing since I was 10, now mid-20s, but mainly a couple trips a year sort of thing. Only been going more regularly in the last couple years.
ABILITY LEVEL ~ Probably intermediate? Advanced intermediate? Not a super aggressive skier, technique is probably a bit dodgy in more difficult conditions, but in good snow quite comfortable all over the mountain short of double blacks and cliffs. My riding group like to get off-piste whenever the snow allows, and go exploring for interesting terrain to check out at our own pace. Don’t mind a bit of a hike.
BUDGET ~ Pretty flexible to be honest. I'm down in NZ so availability of skis and pricing is probably a bit different to North America etc. But I can still buy online from you guys if needed :)
WHAT KIND OF SKI DO YOU WANT ~ Something for a bit of everything on the mountain, 1 ski quiver kinda thing. Like I said won't be skiing powder very often. But definitely a mix of off-piste // on-piste. Maybe something 85-95 wide might be ideal?
I demo’d some Elan Ripstick 86s recently and had a great time on them. Sounds like they have a rep as a lightweight ski that can cover most of the mountain, but doesn't need to be driven too hard? Really enjoyed the light weight, they felt super responsive and easy to manoeuvre. Seems like a ski that suits my build & skiing style.
My local ski shop has some end of season discounts going and I’d like to support them, but they don’t have the Ripstick available. They suggested the Dynastar Legend X84, or the Black Crows Vertis. Honestly, the Dynastar just doesn’t appeal to me aesthetically… so I’m more thinking about the Vertis, which the shop guy reckons is a very similar ski to the Ripstick. Not sure if he just wants me to buy something though, hah...
Doing a bit of googling, the Vertis seems to be marketed as a purely on-piste/carving ski, despite having a similar width to the Ripstick. Is that accurate, or is it all a bit relative compared to the rest of the Black Crows lineup? How would the Vertis perform off-piste compared to the Ripstick? Or are there some other skis I should keep in mind?
Thanks guys! All commentary appreciated :)