realskiers

I suspected as much!  Good job. You will love them out west for sure. The 78's should be fine. Who ever mounts them should be able to adjust for you. Enjoy them but please let us know how you wish you bought the 176's

So I just want to report that I did end up getting a pair of the Watea 84's in a 167cm. and put some LD12 railflex on them.  I've skied on them a  couple times now and the descriptions you guys have given are pretty much spot on.  As far as the length goes, yes, I could easily see myself skiing the 176cm instead.  The 167's are fine for the most part on the groomers, but I haven't been able to test them in some fresh powder at this late point in the season, but I can imagine that I might want a little extra length.  Bottom line is for a 70/30 ski, 167 for me is ok and 176 might be better as a 50/50 or 30/70 ski. 

I'm now considering getting a second ski as a on-piste/skill-improvement type ski...something in the 68-74mm range maybe?  Turning radius under 15m?  Something that will facilitate a transition to modern technique, excel at short and medium turns, excel at the harder end of western-snow.

You guyys mentioned the Dynastar Contact line.  Which would be most appropriate for me?  The Limited/11 is billed as an expert ski, but I've heard that it is actually a forgiving ski?  Is it appropriate for a 160lb. level 7 skier trying to improve carving skills?  The 9 on the other hand seems to get more mixed reviews and the 10 even more so...Is the 9 enough ski for me?  I hear it is a pretty soft and light ski; can it handle mixed western conditions or will it falter in crud and wetter spring stuff?  Is the 10 just a compromise between the 2?

One thing I've realized is that I am perhaps a little more aggressive and faster skier than I was thinking before I got the Wateas.  THere are certainly some who rip down the mountain harder and faster than me, but the last couple of times out, I noticed that I probably ski faster and more aggressively than about 80-90% of the people around me....not sure if that is really saying anything as I'm not sure how skiing ability breaks down by % of people?...