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Full rocker surfy melee... nocta vs inthayne vs meridian 117
Yo, what’s good NS, I’m currently pulling weeds in the sun and what better way to not think about my gradually worsening sun burn than to nerd out on new sticks. This season I want to get a full rocker big dawg pow surfer. My all time favorite ski was the Rossi sickle, and My mission is to find something that had that amazing balance of agility and stability but in a modernized construction and volume turned up to 11. I’ve been thinking ~188 length ~120 underfoot. I’m a former park rat who moved to baker last winter and I want something that can surf laps on the arm, power through pnw chunder, and land switch when I’m pretending I’m Charlie Ager. I’ll be mounting with p18s and a cast system and I’ve been spending a solid 50/50 of my time skiing on the resort and touring for pillows/airs and all the other good stuff. Weight for me isn’t a big issue, but swing weight is. My ideal definition for the ski is, loose but lit. Stats 5’ 11 3/4/1/2” height, weight 155-165lbs depending on beer and enchilada consumption. Really want to hear from people who’ve skied any of the skis in the title for awhile and can give me feedback on long term durability. Peace and love NS, only 4 months till winter!!
I haven't been on the Nocta yet, but the Inthayne sounds like it might be what you're looking for. It's definitely light enough to tour on, surprisingly stiff, and stable for its weight. That said, it's not crazy loose (it's one of the less surfy reverse-camber skis I've been on). I'd imagine the Meridian 117 is looser / surfier (I've only been on the 107, which is surfier than the Inthayne) and similarly stiff and probably a bit more stable. Haven't had any durability issues on the Inthayne, but only put about 15 days on it.
The Moment Wildcat is also worth a good look — it's more stable and a bit looser than the Inthayne, while still having a similarly low swing weight.
Why no interest in the Rossi Blackops? Sounds like just what youre looking for as its basically a Sickle/ Slat with a bit beefier construction. Rode them a ton the last 2 years on Mt.Hood and its a great mix of surfyness and balls to the wall charger.
Out of the list you have Ive only ridden the meridians a few times and while a fun ski they just didnt charge through the chopped up stuff as much as Id like and made me work for my turns more as well, felt like I couldnt quite find the sweet spot (could be cause I ride most things center mounted and these were at -5 though.
Id seriously lookin into the B-ops 118. Great ski for what you want to do.
patagonialukeI haven't been on the Nocta yet, but the Inthayne sounds like it might be what you're looking for. It's definitely light enough to tour on, surprisingly stiff, and stable for its weight. That said, it's not crazy loose (it's one of the less surfy reverse-camber skis I've been on). I'd imagine the Meridian 117 is looser / surfier (I've only been on the 107, which is surfier than the Inthayne) and similarly stiff and probably a bit more stable. Haven't had any durability issues on the Inthayne, but only put about 15 days on it.
The Moment Wildcat is also worth a good look — it's more stable and a bit looser than the Inthayne, while still having a similarly low swing weight.
Yo! Thank you so much for responding bro, your review of the inthayne on blister was one of the main reasons I’ve been so intrigued by the ski.
Listening to the blister podcast at work a lot and you guys got me thinking a lot about the outline, the wildcat, and the friend as well.
I really do need to check out the wildcat, never owned a pair of moments. But that ski has the most legendary track record, really should take a look and see what the hype is about.
Also, what do you think about the deathwish vs. the wildcat? little thinner, but seems pretty epic for all the different kinds of snow we get up here.
Stoned4daysWhy no interest in the Rossi Blackops? Sounds like just what youre looking for as its basically a Sickle/ Slat with a bit beefier construction. Rode them a ton the last 2 years on Mt.Hood and its a great mix of surfyness and balls to the wall charger.
Out of the list you have Ive only ridden the meridians a few times and while a fun ski they just didnt charge through the chopped up stuff as much as Id like and made me work for my turns more as well, felt like I couldnt quite find the sweet spot (could be cause I ride most things center mounted and these were at -5 though.
Id seriously lookin into the B-ops 118. Great ski for what you want to do.
Hell yeah bro! Been ogling over the black ops a lot as well. My brother has a pair with the cast, and he loves it. I didn’t initially list it on my thread because I’ve been looking to get back on the full rocker train. I love camber rocker hybrids but there was something about the sickle that was just so crazy quick in any kind of snow, but could point it and charge whenever necessary. The only drawback to that ski was the paper thin bases and edges. I’m not sure if Rossi has amped up their durability since then, but I also blew through a pair of slats two seasons ago, so I’m pretty skeptical.
ShireRatYo! Thank you so much for responding bro, your review of the inthayne on blister was one of the main reasons I’ve been so intrigued by the ski.
Listening to the blister podcast at work a lot and you guys got me thinking a lot about the outline, the wildcat, and the friend as well.
I really do need to check out the wildcat, never owned a pair of moments. But that ski has the most legendary track record, really should take a look and see what the hype is about.
Also, what do you think about the deathwish vs. the wildcat? little thinner, but seems pretty epic for all the different kinds of snow we get up here.
Sweet! Glad to hear you're digging the content.
And yeah, the Wildcat sounds a lot like what you're looking for. The Outline is rad if you want something more surfy and light and less stable. And the Friend (in a 189) would be a good alternative to the Black Ops if you want something a bit quicker.
Unfortunately, I've never been on a Deathwish but I know several people who ski that thing every single day and love it. I really want to get on one to see what they hype's about — I feel like I'd love it, based on my time on the Wildcat, Meridian 107, and Commanders.
And I'd add that the Black Ops 118 is an amazing option, I just didn't include it since you said a low swing weight was a priority for you and the BO 118 is one of the heaviest skis I've ever been on. I got used to the weight pretty quickly, but it's far from the quickest ski. But I do think it's really easy to pivot on the snow (similar to the Wildcat and Inthayne) and the main upside to the Black Ops is that it absolutely destroys anything in its path unlike any other ski I've been on. It's a freaking monster truck. But it's still got plenty of rocker and a mount point that makes it feel natural in the air, just not very quick at all.
ShireRatHell yeah bro! Been ogling over the black ops a lot as well. My brother has a pair with the cast, and he loves it. I didn’t initially list it on my thread because I’ve been looking to get back on the full rocker train. I love camber rocker hybrids but there was something about the sickle that was just so crazy quick in any kind of snow, but could point it and charge whenever necessary. The only drawback to that ski was the paper thin bases and edges. I’m not sure if Rossi has amped up their durability since then, but I also blew through a pair of slats two seasons ago, so I’m pretty skeptical.
Durability wise ive been pretty impressed, I beat my skis up usually and my blackops have been taking the abuse. I have hit some rails on them and havent had any edge cracks yet and had a few landing onto straight rocks but theyve only gotten coreshots twice and small ones at that. I do have a bit of topsheet chipping but not enough to warrant epoxy. Looking at em right now they look better than my Blends which Ive skiied less and look far worse. Bops does have a full 2.5 edge and sintered bases so they can withstand a good bit of abuse.
I generally like full rocker skis as well but the little bit of camber underfoot is nice for giving a bit more pop and helps a lot when just railing groomers. Like Luke said the fuckers are heavy but once you put a couple days on em they dont feel too bad. I have mine mounted dead center and the pivot turns really well, you can lay em over if you want but anything other than slarfy turns are boring as fuck to me.
I am of the school of thought that if youre going to tour you want a ski thats going to make the Down the most enjoyable part so a heavier ski that will make me have more fun is way better than a light noodle that I cant charge with.
Wildcat would be a good option too, those skis are fun as fuck but just dont straightline charge like I like.
patagonialukeSweet! Glad to hear you're digging the content.
And yeah, the Wildcat sounds a lot like what you're looking for. The Outline is rad if you want something more surfy and light and less stable. And the Friend (in a 189) would be a good alternative to the Black Ops if you want something a bit quicker.
Unfortunately, I've never been on a Deathwish but I know several people who ski that thing every single day and love it. I really want to get on one to see what they hype's about — I feel like I'd love it, based on my time on the Wildcat, Meridian 107, and Commanders.
And I'd add that the Black Ops 118 is an amazing option, I just didn't include it since you said a low swing weight was a priority for you and the BO 118 is one of the heaviest skis I've ever been on. I got used to the weight pretty quickly, but it's far from the quickest ski. But I do think it's really easy to pivot on the snow (similar to the Wildcat and Inthayne) and the main upside to the Black Ops is that it absolutely destroys anything in its path unlike any other ski I've been on. It's a freaking monster truck. But it's still got plenty of rocker and a mount point that makes it feel natural in the air, just not very quick at all.
monster truck sounds fuckin rad. maybe the B-Ops is the move... Im going hard on my off season training right now, maybe i just need to add a couple more squats into the mix and call it good.
I'm gonna do a little more homework, I'm very torn between sizes on the wildcat, 184 sounds perfect for jumping, but 190 on big steep lines would be so sweet.
Stoned4daysDurability wise ive been pretty impressed, I beat my skis up usually and my blackops have been taking the abuse. I have hit some rails on them and havent had any edge cracks yet and had a few landing onto straight rocks but theyve only gotten coreshots twice and small ones at that. I do have a bit of topsheet chipping but not enough to warrant epoxy. Looking at em right now they look better than my Blends which Ive skiied less and look far worse. Bops does have a full 2.5 edge and sintered bases so they can withstand a good bit of abuse.
I generally like full rocker skis as well but the little bit of camber underfoot is nice for giving a bit more pop and helps a lot when just railing groomers. Like Luke said the fuckers are heavy but once you put a couple days on em they dont feel too bad. I have mine mounted dead center and the pivot turns really well, you can lay em over if you want but anything other than slarfy turns are boring as fuck to me.
I am of the school of thought that if youre going to tour you want a ski thats going to make the Down the most enjoyable part so a heavier ski that will make me have more fun is way better than a light noodle that I cant charge with.
Wildcat would be a good option too, those skis are fun as fuck but just dont straightline charge like I like.
Dude, couldn't agree more, I had a Magnum Opus last season, and while it was light and nice to tour on, the constant feeling of getting bounced whenever I hit a change in snow sucked. Also, Lines durability is just garbage so what the you said about the blends doesn't surprise me at all. You really have me considering the black ops again, I guess it just depends on how many times I end up re-watching the big picture movie this summer.
patagonialukeI haven't been on the Nocta yet, but the Inthayne sounds like it might be what you're looking for. It's definitely light enough to tour on, surprisingly stiff, and stable for its weight. That said, it's not crazy loose (it's one of the less surfy reverse-camber skis I've been on). I'd imagine the Meridian 117 is looser / surfier (I've only been on the 107, which is surfier than the Inthayne) and similarly stiff and probably a bit more stable. Haven't had any durability issues on the Inthayne, but only put about 15 days on it.
The Moment Wildcat is also worth a good look — it's more stable and a bit looser than the Inthayne, while still having a similarly low swing weight.
@patagonia_luke have any of you guys gotten a chance to get on the chipotle banana? That thing looks fuckin rowdy.
The Nocta is fucking awesome. It’s light af considering how big it is and I know most of their team tours on it. It’s soft enough to be fun and surfy but stuff enough to handle skiing balls to the wall
animatorThe Nocta is fucking awesome. It’s light af considering how big it is and I know most of their team tours on it. It’s soft enough to be fun and surfy but stuff enough to handle skiing balls to the wall
damn, sounds super nice. what length did you ski them? was reading some reviews on tgr and alot of people are saying they like to size up to the 190, but most of those guys ski alot more directionally than i do...
ShireRatdamn, sounds super nice. what length did you ski them? was reading some reviews on tgr and alot of people are saying they like to size up to the 190, but most of those guys ski alot more directionally than i do...
Everyone I've talked to says size up, they apparently ski very short. I'd be shopping for the 185 and I'm 5'7" 140ish.
ShireRatdamn, sounds super nice. what length did you ski them? was reading some reviews on tgr and alot of people are saying they like to size up to the 190, but most of those guys ski alot more directionally than i do...
I’m 5’11 and around 185 I skied the 185 and it proved to be enough ski for me, especially with the mount point at -6 but if you’re used to big skis go for the 190
animatorI’m 5’11 and around 185 I skied the 185 and it proved to be enough ski for me, especially with the mount point at -6 but if you’re used to big skis go for the 190
Word, honestly, I would like to go shorter. I’ll probably be mounting them at more like -2.5 so hopefully the extra tail helps with stomping.
Tell max to bring his touring chipotle bananas to the market, would be a dope ski.
As for the deathwish I would say it’s pretty much smack in the middle between a camber highbrid ski and a full rocker, I liked them a lot the one day I demo’d them.
I also really liked the meridian 107 in a 187, I thought that ski was the most like the sickle out of any ski I’ve been on since the sickle, and it even floats a little better since it has more rocker.
Far preferred the meridian 107 that i was demoing to the 4frnt devestators I owned at the time.
I spent like a run on the 187 meridian 117 and that is a whole different ski, quite stiff and chargy but still pretty maneuverable. I probably would choose to ski the 181 in this ski cause I’m pretty small, around 5’4 but I generally ski bigger skis. I would ski the 187 in the touring lay up.
TheWeazTell max to bring his touring chipotle bananas to the market, would be a dope ski.
As for the deathwish I would say it’s pretty much smack in the middle between a camber highbrid ski and a full rocker, I liked them a lot the one day I demo’d them.
I also really liked the meridian 107 in a 187, I thought that ski was the most like the sickle out of any ski I’ve been on since the sickle, and it even floats a little better since it has more rocker.
Far preferred the meridian 107 that i was demoing to the 4frnt devestators I owned at the time.
I spent like a run on the 187 meridian 117 and that is a whole different ski, quite stiff and chargy but still pretty maneuverable. I probably would choose to ski the 181 in this ski cause I’m pretty small, around 5’4 but I generally ski bigger skis. I would ski the 187 in the touring lay up.
Me and Max when we meet up to discuss the Low Carb Chipotle Banana:
But in all seriousness, I rock the 107 Meridian 187 as a daily driver and a lightweight Chipotle Banana w/ Shifts as a resort powder day / touring deep day ski. Sold my Deathwishes pretty quickly after setting up this two ski quiver.
clindblomskierK2 Catamaran? haven't tried a pair but heard good things. I believe they might be kind of heavy though
K2 Catamarans are very stable but surprisingly nimble with a low swing weight. It really depends on how playful you want your powder ski to be. I definitely recommend it.
clindblomskierK2 Catamaran? haven't tried a pair but heard good things. I believe they might be kind of heavy though
K2 Catamarans are very stable but surprisingly nimble with a low swing weight. It really depends on how playful you want your powder ski to be. I definitely recommend it.
hot.pocketMe and Max when we meet up to discuss the Low Carb Chipotle Banana:
But in all seriousness, I rock the 107 Meridian 187 as a daily driver and a lightweight Chipotle Banana w/ Shifts as a resort powder day / touring deep day ski. Sold my Deathwishes pretty quickly after setting up this two ski quiver.
HA I didn’t do any snooping before quoting you, sorry max.
OP you should probably just copy this two ski quiver then you’ll have a better hard snow ski AND a better soft snow ski than the sickle that are both still full rocker.
TheWeazHA I didn’t do any snooping before quoting you, sorry max.
OP you should probably just copy this two ski quiver then you’ll have a better hard snow ski AND a better soft snow ski than the sickle that are both still full rocker.
fuckin a man, i really want to. a meridian 107 might be the mid season purchase. just wish the tail was a little more skin friendly.
How strong are they? Touring specific skis make me super nervous. Im not easy on my gear, and I like being able to ski the same set of sticks regardless of wether im skinning or riding the lift.
ShireRatHow strong are they? Touring specific skis make me super nervous. Im not easy on my gear, and I like being able to ski the same set of sticks regardless of wether im skinning or riding the lift.
They won't handle resort specific conditions as well as the stock counterpart, but they will certainly still rip. They are a tour ski, but not 'need to race up 10,000 vert in an hour' tour ski. My girlfriend skis the Meridian Tour as a 50 / 50 resort / backcountry ski without issue, and I rock a pair of lightweight Chipotle Banana's (basically a super wide Meridian Tour) as a pow 50 / 50 ski. Lighter weight skis will always get kicked around more than their resort counterparts, but we're happy with how well our tour skis perform in a resort setting.
We can, and have, made similar skis that are quite a bit lighter, but we tend to favor better performance over super light weight setups.
Im gonna drop my usual Hoji recommendation. i love the longer and chargier feel and turn radius compared to the inthaynes. My current quiver is last gen metal katanas, last years hoji and devastators. Used to have older hojis and ehps and carbon katanas. Ive been on some ove older moment full rocker, wasnt a huge fan of the sidecuts but obviously thats a little different this year.
japanadaIm gonna drop my usual Hoji recommendation. i love the longer and chargier feel and turn radius compared to the inthaynes. My current quiver is last gen metal katanas, last years hoji and devastators. Used to have older hojis and ehps and carbon katanas. Ive been on some ove older moment full rocker, wasnt a huge fan of the sidecuts but obviously thats a little different this year.
Man, I was looking at the bastard renegades on the Sterbenz stash and those look pretty epic as well.
hot.pocketThey won't handle resort specific conditions as well as the stock counterpart, but they will certainly still rip. They are a tour ski, but not 'need to race up 10,000 vert in an hour' tour ski. My girlfriend skis the Meridian Tour as a 50 / 50 resort / backcountry ski without issue, and I rock a pair of lightweight Chipotle Banana's (basically a super wide Meridian Tour) as a pow 50 / 50 ski. Lighter weight skis will always get kicked around more than their resort counterparts, but we're happy with how well our tour skis perform in a resort setting.
We can, and have, made similar skis that are quite a bit lighter, but we tend to favor better performance over super light weight setups.
Hell yeah, I do have to remind myself that moments touring layup is probably a lot stronger than the big brands stock cores.
I've got a pair of Noctas in the 185 after demoing them a couple of times. Should definitely be in the OPs thoughts. I didnt find the 185 too short, and they are no soft noodle (I'm 178cm, about 80kg with gear). Have yet to ski them in really powderery conditions, but they can handle a bit of chop and firm snow pretty easily. They also have quite a supportive tail for landing airs. I quiver kill with Shifts and Tectons for best of both worlds.
I also have a pair of Hojis - enjoy them too but definitely a bit harder work in trees or tight spots. They are more for nuking down fast and straight with a slash or two to slow down. Had Ravens too but they just weren't as good as the Hoji.
I'll enjoy having both Nocta and Hoji around and comparing them further - I'm considering picking up some Rustler 11s, but might not need to if the Nocta does big mountain as well as it does trees and powder in general.
mystery3The "bastard" renegades are %20 softer than the normal versions and are a bit lighter, pretty much on par with the hoji weightwise but 1cm wider.
They look pretty compelling I'm still leaning towards the nocta for myself.
I enjoy the hojis to rens for touring, youre skiing fresh and untracked, i like to sink a little bit into the snow, make that 12"s seem like 18"s. Plus the graphics are better imo
thecazdogI've got a pair of Noctas in the 185 after demoing them a couple of times. Should definitely be in the OPs thoughts. I didnt find the 185 too short, and they are no soft noodle (I'm 178cm, about 80kg with gear). Have yet to ski them in really powderery conditions, but they can handle a bit of chop and firm snow pretty easily. They also have quite a supportive tail for landing airs. I quiver kill with Shifts and Tectons for best of both worlds.
I also have a pair of Hojis - enjoy them too but definitely a bit harder work in trees or tight spots. They are more for nuking down fast and straight with a slash or two to slow down. Had Ravens too but they just weren't as good as the Hoji.
I'll enjoy having both Nocta and Hoji around and comparing them further - I'm considering picking up some Rustler 11s, but might not need to if the Nocta does big mountain as well as it does trees and powder in general.
Rad bro! making me really want a pair of noctas now, honestly would prefer to be able to ski a stout 185 than a lightweight 190. just fits my style a little better for butters/tricks.
