New skis for Mrs. Viking...advice needed

[Svend]

Hi all,

This being a great time of year to get a good deal on a new pair of skis, we thought that my wife's pent up consumer demand would be well-focused on quiver expansion, rather than those new Italian pumps she's been eying up.  And to my surprise, she's all for it! She must be a hard core skier, then, 'cause Imelda has some serious competition in the shoe closet from my wife.  We've considered bar coding and computerized warehousing and retrieval, to facilitate ease of selection from the hundreds of pairs she owns.  But I digress....

She's looking for a pair of skis that will be easier to scoot around with the kids than her present boards, the Head Supershape Speed.  Now, don't get me wrong, she LOVES these skis, and would never give them up.  But they are not the best for all day recreation with the kids.....stop-start, skid, dodge...you get the picture.  So a second pair of nimble, agile, but stable skis, that can still rip when she wants to turn it up, would be the ideal.  As an added bonus, if she could get this character in a wider waist that would work when we go out West to deeper snow (we ski mostly in Ontario), would be fantastic.  Since she hasn't demoed anything wider than 72 mm waist, and we know nothing about this group of skis, then let's throw this out to the forum at large -- do you have some suggestions and can anyone point us in a direction that we can start looking?

If I can state some biases right from the start, we like the quality of materials and build of Head, Fischer, Stockli and Elan.  Wood core would be good.  No cheap foam cores, please...Stockli and Dynastar excepted.

A damp but agile ski would be the way to go -- is this possible in, say, a 78 mm waist? Something not too stiff but with good edge hold, but not with unrelenting edge grip that's always there, even when it's not wanted.

Some specs:  my wife is 5'7", 130 pounds; aggressive skier; athletic; advanced level.  Her SS Speeds are 163 length, and she has no trouble with handling the length or the flex.

So....whaddya think? Anyone have any suggestions as to where we start looking?

BR,

Svend

[Ron]

OK, need the info:  age, skill, where she skis, what she ski's, etc.......

[Svend]

Sorry Ron... first post got put up by mistake before I'd finished typing it all out.  Not sure what happened...I accidentally pushed some keys on my keyboard (I'm all thumbs some days), and Poof! my post was online.  Anyway, I've modified it and completed my message...please see above.

Svend

[Gary]

Hey Ron....Our Viking friend has a great idea for you:
"bar coding and computerized warehousing and retrieval" now wouldn't that be awesome for your harem of skis??

Ok Svend...let's have all the ski specifics on your hard core skiing shoe horse (like my wife) wife.

Lynn here as well as my wife have made some significant upgrades in skis this past year. Knowing the kind of terrain she likes to ski, fast, slow, slides, carves, all helps in picking out a ski she would be comfortable with and grow with too.

Best,
Gary

[Gary]

Ok from my viewpoint given the stats on your wife, two skis come to mind based on their on snow performance this year and as a unisex ski....

My first choice would be the Fischer Watea 78, 122 78 107 in a 167 length

My second choice would be the Head IM78, 124 78 110 in their 165 length

These would be a good partner skis with her Head SS.....these skis are forgiving, awesome carvers at slow and high speed, they can be slid around when skiing more slowly with the kids, and offer the flexibility of skiing groomed bunny hills to knee high powder on black runs anywhere.

These skis could be paired up with a Railflex binding giving her the ability to adjust her center mass on the skis. Since the factory binding locations are more male oriented, I would reccomend she mounts the Railflex 10mm forward of the standard mounting location and then play with the adjustable binding moving it from center to forward to see what tickles her fancy!

Best,
Gary

[Svend]

Hey Gary,

She skis mostly in the East -- Blue Mountain, Lake Placid, Quebec.  She's out at least once per week at Blue Mtn., sometimes more.  We go out West (Utah, Canadian Rockies) at least once per year, for about 10 days on the slopes out there total (more if we can swing it).  Last season she probably got 30 to 40 days in total -- East and West combined.  Groomed runs only, although with the right skis she would probably be tempted by some bowls in the Rockies.  Skis all blues and blacks, but no bumps.  Steep stuff is no sweat -- the SS Speeds grip like demons on hard pack and ice.  She loves to ski fast, but as I said above, she wants some easy-going skis to go out with the kids, but that are still stable at speed and can rip when needed.

Is there anything else you need to know? Colour preferences I'll leave to you to recommend.  You being a man of great flair and panache and Mediterranean sensibilities, I'm sure you'll suggest something in a lovely shade of orange or perhaps with an ochre hue.... ;

Cheers,

Svend

[Svend]

Gee, Gary, you're too quick for me.  You post your replies before I've even had time to finish mine.  Now my previous post is all out of order.  This thread is really muddling me up today!

As for the Head iM78's, being a sidewall ski, would they not be a bit too torsionally stiff for what she's looking for? All the sidewall skis that she and I have demoed have had that characteristic -- ie. great edge grip, but difficult to slide and skid and dodge when you need to.  You have Wateas...have you also tried the iM78's?

Svend

[jim-ratliff]

My thoughts (even though I'm not a woman).

Head Every Thangs.? Recommended by Harald to midwif at her last Harb Camp and she really seems to love them. She says they are as easy as her Head iC160 (which was a pretty soft ski) but didn't at all chatter or seem to have a limit as she skied faster, and she has been in the trees and off-piste with them as well.? Waist width is 72mm, amazingly light.

Fischer Vision Vapors. Lynn's first choice when demoing at Steamboat last winter before she demoed the Every Thangs. Probably Lynn's second choice and I think they were the second choice of Gary's wife as well (Alice).? Ski bunny also bought a pair based on Lynn's recommendation, and she loved them as well.? Ski Bunny represented herself as being a very agressive skier, like your wife.? The fact that Lynn liked them so well says to me that your wife could go slow and skid and whatever with no problem.? Waist width is 76mm I think.

Head Great One.? This is a next year ski that is getting great pre-reviews.? Looks to be an iM78 footprint and construction but designed for women.? BTW, I have the iM78 and find it able to do anything that I can do (which may be a bit limited, but the statement is intended as an endorsement).? DawgCatching over on Epic usually has some tremendous pre-season prices if you want to gamble on a next year ski.? Great one is a 78mm waist.

4th choice: Whatever Gary's wife finally picked for her wide ski.? I think it was a Dynastar Exclusive but don't know which one.?

5th choice: Head Wild Thang from 2 years back.? Female equivalent of the iM77 (non-chip).? Don't know of anyone who had demoed them.

FWIW, the Vision Vapor would probably be my selection for your wife from the above based on what you said.? However, they may be hard to find.? Very pretty ski (if that's the kind of thing that anyone cares about).

Svend, forget all the above.  This is the time to buy your wife a real boat anchor of a ski.  She will never again be able to keep up with you.
From that day forward, you'll be 'da man'.   
Put the SS Speeds in storage, let her think her skills degraded or yours just got much better.   
Brad is a psychologist (Gary's wife may be too), ask them whether that it too maniuplative.

[Gary]

Jim list some very fine skis....

I however took the path of comparable performance skis. If she is an aggressive skier and can arc the SS Speeds, likes to crank up the speed, get's the most out of each turn...she in my mind would have no problem on the Watea 78 or the IM78.

As for as me, I own the Watea 84 (my powder ski) and have huge respect for the versatility of that ski. It could be skied east or west coast as an all mountain ski. I have also skied the Watea 94...these skis too are remarkable and also harbor awesome edge control, quickness and versatility.
I can only believe that for a lighter weighted skier, male or female, a skier that knows how to use the arc of the ski, the Watea 78 would be a great choice.

I have not skied the IM78, I had the IM82. Although the IM82 may have been more GS oriented, the reviews of the IM78 are stellar as a good all mountain fun ski.

SKIDDING AND DODGING: 
Both of these skis can be soft edge, or slipping the edges or sliding the edges....believe me ....NO PROBLEMO!

I think your SS driven, aggressive shoe packing darling of a wife could also ski any of the ladies skis Jim mentioned with aplomb....however if she is an advanced skier.....she ought to give the ones I mentioned a ride to see what she thinks.

Now get yourself unmuddled, TGIF.....I'M off to go see Ironman with my shoe packing little lady!

Ciao,
Gary

[Ron]

sounds like your wife is a strong skier with some race backround? If so, I am a little hesitant to recommend without knowing a couple things. normally, i would say go wider but most race folks aren't so happy with this, it's just not thier thing, If so, let me know. Also, I understand she wants to kick back with the kids but, how much so? I get the impression, she will eat up a woman specific ski so I am thinking more along these lines, and they are stiffer more demanding skis:

1- Fischer Progressor
2- Dynastar 4x4, new 09 ski
3- Dynastar LTD
4- Volkl Tigershark 10, Some killer deals right now.
5- Nordica something speedmachine 3
6- I will also vote for the Vapor.
There are some new Heads coming out next season, personally, I would not recommend the 78.


UPDATE; I just spoke with Gary, we are reading your post a little differently, does she want something she can relax and cruise on, Giving up performance for ease? Or something kind of in the middle: able to rip around when she wants, decent soft snow and still easy to ski on?

[Ron]

Hey Ron....Our Viking friend has a great idea for you:
"bar coding and computerized warehousing and retrieval" now wouldn't that be awesome for your harem of skis??

Now Mr. Cassara, my total quiver:
WEST COAST
1 shamans
2- 94's-? Keep in mind, these are actually 1/2 yours I beleive....

EAST COAST
LTD's
Supershapes, since I can't seem to let myself sell them.

Quiver?? Hardly.....

[Svend]

Wow, post a question here in the off-season, and get replies in spades! And on a Friday afternoon too.  Good one!

And, yes Gary, I just got somewhat unmuddled with very fine espresso from the Giotto, which should take me through the evening nicely.

Jim, you've made some good suggestions -- the Vapors seem like a women's Cool Heat, which is all good, as these were well-reviewed this past year.  The current Wild Thangs look similar to the iM82s, but I don't know much about these.  I like the sound of the Every Thang wrt. lightness and agility, but would they give enough float in some soft deeper snow?

I should qualify, my wife is certainly not set on getting women's specific skis.  In fact, she finds the graphics on most of them to be way too flowery and girlie-girlie.  Sporty is more her style, from an aesthetic perspective.  Having said that, if they give her the performance she's looking for, and has some attributes which make the women's model worth looking at (lightness, binding position, etc.), then bring it on.

Ron, she does not have a race background, but does like to ski very fast.  This is often quite vexing for me, as I just cannot keep up.  I've thought of getting myself skis like James Bond had in one of his movies -- you know, with rockets mounted on the back.  Nordica has a Jet Fuel model....I want those!

In response to your question: 

Or something kind of in the middle: able to rip around when she wants, decent soft snow and still easy to ski on?

...Yes! I know this sounds contrary to what most people seek in ski advice (ie. they want an increase in performance), but she is actually looking for a step down from the race-type ski she is on now (her SS Speeds are just not agile and light enough for a whole day of having fun with the kids).  If we're out with the kids for a day, realistically she won't be with them all day, and will tag with me and take off on her own for an hour or two.  For that, she still wants fast and stable when the mood strikes and the opportunity arises.  That, plus some extra width for our trips west, and we have a very versatile ski.

Is there any particular reason you don't recommend the iM78?

Svend

[jim-ratliff]

She's looking for a pair of skis that will be easier to scoot around with the kids than her present boards, the Head Supershape Speed.? Now, don't get me wrong, she LOVES these skis, and would never give them up.? But they are not the best for all day recreation with the kids.....stop-start, skid, dodge...you get the picture.? So a second pair of nimble, agile, but stable skis, that can still rip when she wants to turn it up, would be the ideal.? As an added bonus, if she could get this character in a wider waist that would work when we go out West to deeper snow (we ski mostly in Ontario), would be fantastic.? Since she hasn't demoed anything wider than 72 mm waist, and we know nothing about this group of skis, then let's throw this out to the forum at large -- do you have some suggestions and can anyone point us in a direction that we can start looking?

Svend

This is the part that I was keying on in my recommendations. ?She wants a step down in ski that is also a bit wider so as to be used ?out west.

The trade off is that I think the Every Thangs would be great for the above but won't have quite the float of the upper 70's skis.? The Vision Vapor will have the float but isn't as good a match in the skiing with the kids department.? The old dilemma about getting skis for 90% of your skiing or getting a different ski that may not do the 90% as well but will do better at the other 10%.? The Every thang is 10% wider (roughly), the Vision Vapor is 15% wider than the Supershape Speeds.?

[Gary]

Well I have tell ya I think Jim has some sound choices for ladies skis...Ron...I'm thinking your choices except for the Vapor are not your just hang with the kids skis....... ( and Svend, my wife too hates the girlie graphic on many of the ladies skis) although my wife has the Dynastar Ladies Exclusive for her powder day skis, she only weighs 106 lbs. She is an upper level intermediate skier who also likes to ski fast.

Having said this, in my mind and ski apples to ski apples, given your wife's physical stature, her ski ability, and the performance orientation and ski skills required to ski her Head SS Speeds........drum roll and datadatada daaaaa (musically sung)

I'm holding to my guns...have her demo the Head IM78 and Fischer Watea 78 in the lengths I suggested. I believe these are both soft and forgiving enough to hang and dodge with the little Vikings and yet give her plenty of float and fun skiing powder and broken snow. Slide um, carve um, wedge um or float um....I think either one just could be the ticket! AND...no fuss or muss with the graphics!

There,.....I rest my case, time for some tea and BTW....Ironman was a blast movie to see!

Best,
Gary

[Svend]

Hey Jim,

Not sure I'm reading this right, but are you saying that with wider skis (78mm and above) you just can't get the agility, quickness and lightness that you can get with a narrower one? Intuitively this makes sense, but I've been reading the contrary -- ie. that the new wider skis can, in fact, be quite light and agile, and yet are more stable.  Again, neither I nor my wife have experience with these wider skis, so your feedback is most insightful.

Gary...thanks for your input.  Mrs. V liked the look of the Watea's, and they are available here for demo....next season....sigh.  We haven't looked at what Elan has to offer, but later today I will study this in more depth, and pore over all the recommendations carefully (it's raining here, so it's a lazy indoor day....ahhhh).  And what's with the tea? Being Italian, I thought you'd be an espressohead.

BR,

Svend