My Ski Problem

If you're not concerned with off-piste performance at all, I'd just go with a traditional narrow park ski. Head Caddy, Salomon NFX, Atomic Punx, Volkl Revolt 87 or Bash 86, etc. Pick your poison based on the balance of playfulness/stability you're looking for!

No comment on suggested skis, but don't count out skis because people say they suck on ice. *they suck on ice. For example, I've rode ARV 106 for the past two years and haven't yardsaled on ice or even fell as a direct result of ice. Half those days have been in VT where there is an abundance of ice. Just don't be rocking dull edges and you'll be fine. The rocker reducing your effective edge is also what's gonna hurt you on many skis for ice hold. In my opinion though, the whole "doesn't ski well on ice" bit is overstated for a lot of skis. Sure it's no 65mm waist full camber ski, but you'll survive with most skis these days.

Couple questions:
-I assume this will be your everyday, do everything ski? For pow days too?
-If you travel west, will you be rocking these skis?
-Do you ever venture into glades at all? If so, how often?
-In terms of park, how much rails vs jumps?
-When you ski groomers, are you carving down the hill primarily, or are you shredding in mogul fields all day long?
-And what sorts of places do you ski?

**This post was edited on Nov 6th 2019 at 8:45:10pm

A real type 3 skier could ride ice on 2x4’s if they had an edge. That being said I’m an ice coast native and have had 0 complaints with my kartels and their performance on groomers and ice. I’m with pumpkin on this one, performance on ice is definitely overstated. Just ski it, don’t think too much about what ski is best for what

BlumpkinPumpkinNo comment on suggested skis, but don't count out skis because people say they suck on ice. *they suck on ice. For example, I've rode ARV 106 for the past two years and haven't yardsaled on ice or even fell as a direct result of ice. Half those days have been in VT where there is an abundance of ice. Just don't be rocking dull edges and you'll be fine. The rocker reducing your effective edge is also what's gonna hurt you on many skis for ice hold. In my opinion though, the whole "doesn't ski well on ice" bit is overstated for a lot of skis. Sure it's no 65mm waist full camber ski, but you'll survive with most skis these days.

Couple questions:
-I assume this will be your everyday, do everything ski? For pow days too?
-If you travel west, will you be rocking these skis?
-Do you ever venture into glades at all? If so, how often?
-In terms of park, how much rails vs jumps?
-When you ski groomers, are you carving down the hill primarily, or are you shredding in mogul fields all day long?
-And what sorts of places do you ski?

**This post was edited on Nov 6th 2019 at 8:45:10pm

I mostly ski East coast 7 Springs, Snowshoe, Whitetail and a couple days out west. You assumed right, this will be my do everything ski as well.

Just do a kartel/jeffery 96. All the west coast ski reviewers don't know how to ski ice, just take that with a grain of salt (ice coast lmao). There's not a lot of skis out there these days that "cannot" handle ice.

J skis all plays

There's plenty of experienced gear heads on here so here's a bump so hopefully someone responds.

Could also consider in addition to Jeffrey 96 is the Moment pb&j, Armada arv 96, Armada arv 96ti

Thanks everyone so far for all your insight I was thinking Jeffreys, then when I heard the ice “problem”, I was thinking about about ARV’s instead. I think I’ll just stick with the Jeffreys. I just wanted to make sure they were manageable on ice since that’s what everything becomes for night ski.

dogfartstaintThanks everyone so far for all your insight I was thinking Jeffreys, then when I heard the ice “problem”, I was thinking about about ARV’s instead. I think I’ll just stick with the Jeffreys. I just wanted to make sure they were manageable on ice since that’s what everything becomes for night ski.

What size did you go for?

dogfartstaintI’ve considered Kartels, however every review I’ve read says they don’t hold up well on ice.

@iggyskier @patagonialuke

What's the scoop boys?

-eREKTion-@iggyskier @patagonialuke

What's the scoop boys?

haven't skied the 96, so can't really comment on this one.

I have Kartel 98s and while I really love the ski, it is - especially with dull edges - not the greatest for really skiing ice. Sure, it is manageable and you wont kill yourself, but a ski with less rocker will definitely fare better on ice.
That said, if manageable is fine for you, go for it. For everything else the ski is great.

dogfartstaintThanks everyone so far for all your insight I was thinking Jeffreys, then when I heard the ice “problem”, I was thinking about about ARV’s instead. I think I’ll just stick with the Jeffreys. I just wanted to make sure they were manageable on ice since that’s what everything becomes for night ski.

I ski NJ/PA. Born and raised ice shredder. I have the 2018 Magnus. Perfectly capable if you are, even with the rocker. No reason to go any wider. They made them softer after 2018 though, which I didn't agree with, but my brother has the softer ones and doesn't seem to mind. They turn differently, but not badly, compared to a full camber ski. I bet I could run gates on them and do reasonably well. Turn radius is tight enough for my liking. And obviously they're good park skis. Poppy and fun, rockerd enough to butter around and stuff.

Ice is largely a matter of sharp edges and technique, and mostly about sharp edges. Skinnier skis and less rocker help, but, either way you're gonna slip unless you're on a full bread race ski laid over a ton.

Yup go with the #2020 ON3P Magnus 90

-eREKTion-@iggyskier @patagonialuke

What's the scoop boys?

I find it doesn't match our experience or that of most of our customers. If literal ice performance is a high priority, buy something like an Enforcer or a freestyle ski with metal. Meantime, we've sent thousands of pair of Blue Steeles, Jeronimos, Jeffreys, Kartels, Filthy Rich, Jessies, and Magnus (all with a similar rocker profile) out East and to the Midwest over the past decade and find our customers are doing just fine (unless we are sending them to an icy doom and just don't know it).

Like any rockered freestyle ski, they will have some frontside limitations. If laying trench on ice is your thing, no skis we make are going to give you that performance set. But for the type of skiers they are intended for, they are plenty capable of getting you where you need to be on ice, while being a lot more fun everywhere else.

Hope that helps.