What skis are you riding this season?

[Hawk]

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

I disagree with you Brew. I work extra hard to turn those monsters in the bumps. I much prefer my K2's on less than ideal power days. I can't wait for the snow.

[HowieT2]

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

I disagree with you Brew. I work extra hard to turn those monsters in the bumps. I much prefer my K2's on less than ideal power days. I can't wait for the snow.

well played. I owe you a beer or something.

[Hawk]

That's ok Howie. We can buy each other a beer when the snow flies. I am sure you are chomping at the bit after such a suckie year last year. Actually We should be up on Saturday night of Community Day. Gonna miss the day time celebrations because of the "Big Kahouna" Mountain bike ride. It's a must do.

[HowieT2]

Wasnt suckie at all. If the acl has to go, the end of march is the time to do it. I missed a few weekends of skiing, sure, but I was back mtn biking by the middle of June and so it didnt impinge on my summer activities at all. basically spent two months of mud season on the shelf.

what's the big kahuna mtn bike ride?

enjoy community day. I have to atone.

[ReefBum]

I am going to demo the Volkl Bridge and maybe the Prophet. I ski Dynastar Mythic Legend Riders and they are a bit heavy and stiff, not ideal for noodling thru bumps. The Bridge is very light and they say it is very good in the bumps and trees....and supposedly it can hold a decent edge on groomers. I will give it a go and see.

[HowieT2]

I am going to demo the Volkl Bridge and maybe the Prophet. I ski Dynastar Mythic Legend Riders and they are a bit heavy and stiff, not ideal for noodling thru bumps. The Bridge is very light and they say it is very good in the bumps and trees....and supposedly it can hold a decent edge on groomers. I will give it a go and see.

I love my prophets. Fwiw- I've been hearing good things about the sir Francis bacons which are totally new redesigned for this season. Good luck.

[Hawk]

The Kahouna is an epic mountain bike ride on the Norht Shore of Boston. Basically it is a 30 to 40 mile ride on all single track from Beverly to Lobsta Land Resturaunt in Gloucester featuring some of the toughest MTB riding terrain anywhere. It usually takes about 5 to 6 hours depending on which route you pick. It is basically word of mouth and probably about 130 riders do it. Usually a nice T-Shirt.

Back on topic.......I really need to figure out a good Bump-powder combo ski if there is a thing. They don't make my K2's PE's anymore and I didn't like the K2 options last time I tried to demo. I guess I have to do some more research and testing. Everything now seems to be too wide or rockered or too stiff. I think the art of turning you ski is being lost because everybody want's to rip big mountain turns on smaller east coast hills. I still like to turn my skis alot. JMO

[Brew Ski]

Hawk, I was just saying that you are an extraordinary bump skier that can make any ski look good in the bumps. Fat, stiff of course are not ideal for zipperheads like you and me, but if you're skiing the woods most of the day, but venture into the bumps when you pop out of the woods on the way to the lift, the big mountain skis do just fine, yes with more effort, but one can still rip the bumps on them.

It is my understanding that the pros choose short, narrow, straight and soft tips and tails for moguls competitions. I guess, the soft tip and tails can work well in powder, but the narrow certainly doesn't help with float or traversing to a good line in the woods in powder. Kinda hard to find a good bump and powder ski without sacrificing one of the major attributes of each type of ski. Some of the mid fat "powder" skis that have rockered tips might be a good option. I found the K2 hardside to be a decent ski for woods and big turns, and rather forgiving in the bumps. They are fabulous in mixed snow or crud. Just something to consider. Of course you are a much better bump skier than I am, so the nuance of the skis might be offensive for you where they were pretty good for me.
Ultimately though, is there anything wrong with having multiple skis? Usually one can evaluate the snow conditions first thing and decide whether it is a bump day, a woods day, or a cruising day. Then pick your weapon and attack the mountain.

[Hawk]

You are much to flattering. I am old and feeling it more and more every year. I tried Rockered skis and thought that in powder they were great. In the bumps I was frighted at the lack of responsiveness. May just be the ski I tried. I guess I am looking for a mid fat that has a turning radius less than 1 mile. I was told that Line has a couple of skis that fit that desctiption but I am not sure that they meet my durability criteria. Also like RB above, the Bridge has also been suggested. I ski a large amount of Castlerock early and late and as you know, rocks are not my biggest concern.

[HowieT2]

You are much to flattering. I am old and feeling it more and more every year. I tried Rockered skis and thought that in powder they were great. In the bumps I was frighted at the lack of responsiveness. May just be the ski I tried. I guess I am looking for a mid fat that has a turning radius less than 1 mile. I was told that Line has a couple of skis that fit that desctiption but I am not sure that they meet my durability criteria. Also like RB above, the Bridge has also been suggested. I ski a large amount of Castlerock early and late and as you know, rocks are not my biggest concern.

http://www.skiersrealm.com/general/2...-francis-bacon

[ReefBum]

I love my prophets. Fwiw- I've been hearing good things about the sir Francis bacons which are totally new redesigned for this season. Good luck.

Thanks. How do the Prophets do in powder? 90 under foot would be just a bit wider than my MLR so that is why I was leaning towards the Bridge, which is a 95 and has a good rep in powder. Can't wait to get out there to start the test drives.

[gostan]

Thanks. How do the Prophets do in powder? 90 under foot would be just a bit wider than my MLR so that is why I was leaning towards the Bridge, which is a 95 and has a good rep in powder. Can't wait to get out there to start the test drives.

Line makes the Prophet in a 98. 98-100 under foot seems to be the "do everything" sweet spot according to the hyper this season. For me, that width works better all over and off the mountain. This season, I will be on my true and tried Line Prophet 100's and my new Blizzard Bonafides. Bring it on!

[HowieT2]

Line makes the Prophet in a 98. 98-100 under foot seems to be the "do everything" sweet spot according to the hyper this season. For me, that width works better all over and off the mountain. This season, I will be on my true and tried Line Prophet 100's and my new Blizzard Bonafides. Bring it on!

I agree. I was reticent to go wider than 90 when I got them 3 years ago as I was coming from an older narrow ski. In hindsight I would go to 100-110. Let's get some powder this season. Psyched for some big big dumps preferably on a thursday with some upslope Saturday morning.

[Hawk]

Line makes the Prophet in a 98. 98-100 under foot seems to be the "do everything" sweet spot according to the hyper this season. For me, that width works better all over and off the mountain. This season, I will be on my true and tried Line Prophet 100's and my new Blizzard Bonafides. Bring it on!

I read that also Stan. The problem with all these new ski reports are that they are primarily done by big mountain skiers at big big mountains out west. Very little consideration is given to the kinds of conditions that we see here. I think a very good nook for someone around here would be to actually demo the skis that are in all the Magazine ski previews and give the East Coast slant. How often have you skied out west on a day you thought was great and then heard that the overall conditions were considered marginal. I have many times. I guess we go back to the old demo routine to get the real feel for the skis. I am going to give the Prophet a whirl later this year. We will see how they feel.