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April, 2025

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Help upgrading to a new All-Mountain

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druseph33
Posts: 137 - Karma: 252
Hello!

Have a friend that has had the same skis for years; just got back into skiing more this season and she wants to upgrade.

She has been skiing on a pair of Dynamic VR7s 148 length (unsure what year) with Solomon C509 bindings and Solomon Symbio 500 boots (yes, we know it is pretty old gear haha).

5'4" 165lbs 30 years old; intermediate to advanced type II skier (looking to improve).

She will ski almost exclusively in the Sierras. Likes to go off piste and into trees, but probably won't be sending it off features much or being on anything ultra-steep. Want it to behave on groomers, but also looking for something a little fatter around the waste for powder days. Doesn't care about skiing switch all that much.

So far I was thinking something from this list:
Nordica Enforcers (anything wider than the 88s would be okay I think)
Line Sick Days (again anything wider than the 88s)
Moment PB&J
Moment Deathwish
Faction Candide 3.0
Black Crow Atris Birdie
Black Crow Daemon Birdie
Blizzard Bonafide
Volkl 100eight
Volkl revolt 95
***I know these are a lot of/different skis but I wanted to cover different bases since she hasn't had new skis in ages***

What would be her best bet out of the list above? Are there female versions of the above skis I missed? Any suggestions outside of the list? Or is the list garbage and I am looking at this all the wrong way?

Thanks in advanced guys!

**This thread was edited on Apr 3rd 2019 at 10:40:59pm
6 years ago
4 0
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Non_State_Actor
Posts: 5084 - Karma: 18,592
druseph33Hello!

Have a friend that has had the same skis for years; just got back into skiing more this season and she wants to upgrade.

She has been skiing on a pair of Dynamic VR7s 148 length (unsure what year) with Solomon C509 bindings and Solomon Symbio 500 boots (yes, we know it is pretty old gear haha).

5'4" 165lbs 30 years old; intermediate to advanced type II skier (looking to improve).

She will ski almost exclusively in the Sierras. Likes to go off piste and into trees, but probably won't be sending it off features much or being on anything ultra-steep. Want it to behave on groomers, but also looking for something a little fatter around the waste for powder days. Doesn't care about skiing switch all that much.

So far I was thinking something from this list:
Nordica Enforcers (anything wider than the 88s would be okay I think)
Line Sick Days (again anything wider than the 88s)
Moment PB&J
Moment Deathwish
Faction Candide 3.0
Black Crow Atris Birdie
Black Crow Daemon Birdie
Blizzard Bonafide
Volkl 100eight
Volkl revolt 95
***I know these are a lot of/different skis but I wanted to cover different bases since she hasn't had new skis in ages***

What would be her best bet out of the list above? Are there female versions of the above skis I missed? Any suggestions outside of the list? Or is the list garbage and I am looking at this all the wrong way?

Thanks in advanced guys!

**This thread was edited on Apr 3rd 2019 at 10:40:59pm


The ladie's Enforcer is the Santa Ana.

The Line Pandora is very well liked at blister and elsewhere, comes in a couple widths.

Moment Hot Mess is basically a ladies PB&J, the Bella is analogous to the Meridian and the Sierra should be an option as well?

Faction's ladies line is just "shrink it and pink it" literally same skis, different size options and topsheets.

Black Crows Atris Birdie...if it skis like the regular Atris it's a kick ass ski. My wife loves the Daemon Birdie, she's 5'4" or so and rides the 164, it's a lot of ski for her but it rips in chop and Sierra cement, it's the wider of a two ski quiver.

Blizzard Black Pearl 98 might be a better choice than the Bona-fide, I don't know too much about Blizzard but the Black Pearl series is always well reviewed.

Another ski to look at is the Icelantic Oracle 100, I have a friend on the 88 and she loves them.
6 years ago
2 0
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AlexJD207
Posts: 25 - Karma: 71
i want the AllPlay by J Skis for my next allmountain ski. or The Rossignol Black Ops
6 years ago
1 2
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CalumSKI
Posts: 4379 - Karma: 26,123
bent chetler 100s
6 years ago
5 0
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druseph33
Posts: 137 - Karma: 252
mystery3The ladie's Enforcer is the Santa Ana.

The Line Pandora is very well liked at blister and elsewhere, comes in a couple widths.

Moment Hot Mess is basically a ladies PB&J, the Bella is analogous to the Meridian and the Sierra should be an option as well?

Faction's ladies line is just "shrink it and pink it" literally same skis, different size options and topsheets.

Black Crows Atris Birdie...if it skis like the regular Atris it's a kick ass ski. My wife loves the Daemon Birdie, she's 5'4" or so and rides the 164, it's a lot of ski for her but it rips in chop and Sierra cement, it's the wider of a two ski quiver.

Blizzard Black Pearl 98 might be a better choice than the Bona-fide, I don't know too much about Blizzard but the Black Pearl series is always well reviewed.

Another ski to look at is the Icelantic Oracle 100, I have a friend on the 88 and she loves them.


That is all insanely helpful thank you!
6 years ago
2 0
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druseph33
Posts: 137 - Karma: 252
BEastCoaster207i want the AllPlay by J Skis for my next allmountain ski. or The Rossignol Black Ops


She would like to do some demos and, unfortunately, no where to demo J skis around here (can you even demo them?).

Will have a look at the Black Ops though
6 years ago
0 0
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druseph33
Posts: 137 - Karma: 252
CalumSKIbent chetler 100s


How do they preform on piste and in hard pack? They seem a bit more powder/backcountry focused
6 years ago
1 0
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AlexJD207
Posts: 25 - Karma: 71
I still ski Rossignol Slat(2014), The Blacks Ops are basically the same ski just new and improved. I love my Slats. Also Parker White and Chris Logan helped Rossi with the build of the black ops. Unfortunately J Skis might not do many demos. im not sure. just love keeping business as local as possible. East Coast Love
6 years ago
2 1
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CalumSKI
Posts: 4379 - Karma: 26,123
druseph33How do they preform on piste and in hard pack? They seem a bit more powder/backcountry focused


very good
6 years ago
1 1
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OregonDead
Posts: 7063 - Karma: 26,514
Blizzard Samba from a few years ago (they made the same exact ski for at least 5-6 years) or kabookie same ski.
6 years ago
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druseph33
Posts: 137 - Karma: 252
Santa Ana 100s, Black pearl 98s, and Bent Chetler 100s it is! I'll get back next week and let you all know what she liked demoing the most and what she ended up purchasing
6 years ago
0 0
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druseph33
Posts: 137 - Karma: 252
BEastCoaster207I still ski Rossignol Slat(2014), The Blacks Ops are basically the same ski just new and improved. I love my Slats. Also Parker White and Chris Logan helped Rossi with the build of the black ops. Unfortunately J Skis might not do many demos. im not sure. just love keeping business as local as possible. East Coast Love


Unfortunate about the Jskis; I really dig the company and was wanting to try something from them as well.

As for the Black Ops: couldn't seem to find any as demos and very few if any to buy that weren't online. I remember reading somewhere about them being a limited edition ski, is that true?
6 years ago
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-arc-
Posts: 943 - Karma: 3,319
Check out the Volkl Mantra or the Womens Confession.
6 years ago
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AlexJD207
Posts: 25 - Karma: 71
druseph33Unfortunate about the Jskis; I really dig the company and was wanting to try something from them as well.

As for the Black Ops: couldn't seem to find any as demos and very few if any to buy that weren't online. I remember reading somewhere about them being a limited edition ski, is that true?



Im not sure about them being limited edition, well good luck with the ski shopping! let us know what she goes with and how she likes it. always nice to have reviews on different skies. ill be looking for a new all mountain ski my self for next year.
6 years ago
0 0
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r00kie
Posts: 5238 - Karma: 59,591
Go with the black pearls. Have a couple co-instructors who put about 60 days in a year (east and west coast) on just that ski. Have nothing bad to say about them. Like, its the ONE ski they use for all conditions.
6 years ago
2 0
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Cyanicenine
Posts: 966 - Karma: 2,291
Volkl Mantras or Volkl 100eight (they make a women's version of this too same thing but prettier topsheet) would be my pick. The big thing will be convincing her to size up enough. I'm 5'2 and I went through a long phase where I believed I shouldn't ride anything longer than 160cm, and then I wondered why I struggled in pow and chop. Now I ride 176cm skis in pow. My favorite all mountain but still pow capable skis are my 170cm Gotamas. Volkl has that wonderful slow subtle rocker that makes slarving turns and cutting through crud effortless. Camber at high speeds in crud scares me, it has a tendency to bite or buck at unforeseen moments.
6 years ago
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druseph33
Posts: 137 - Karma: 252
She went with the Santa Ana 100s! Tried the 93s and loved em, but she was having too much trouble in powder.

I thought she would like the Black Pearls more, but she said she liked how stable the Santa Anas felt at speed

Thanks for everyone's help!
6 years ago
1 0
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druseph33
Posts: 137 - Karma: 252
The referenced post has been removed.


Haha she did! Honestly cannot remember off the top of my head what she ended up getting since she was going for fit/function for than brand. I can say she got them fitted and everything and said they feel great
6 years ago
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owenskis
Posts: 2 - Karma: 13
Looking for new all mountain skis size 172ish. Any help would be great.
6 years ago
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Non_State_Actor
Posts: 5084 - Karma: 18,592
owenskisLooking for new all mountain skis size 172ish. Any help would be great.


Start your own thread and include:
Height/weight
Primary location
Any skis you've enjoyed or disliked for any reason or any related preferences you might have.

That will be helpful for us to have a point at which to start with recommendations.
6 years ago
3 0
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LukeTheWaffle
Posts: 1847 - Karma: 8,889
My mom has CT 3.0s and it's her favorite ski ever
6 years ago
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gfssyingxxxs
Posts: 6 - Karma: 28
Armada ARV 96 fo sho
6 years ago
1 0
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