Reverse Camber/Rocker hits Mainstream

[Philpug]

Gary, it looks like I will be in Montana aound the same time. JH is 3:15 away. Sounds like we should get at least a day of turns in together. As we get closer we can figure out some details.

Maybe we do that day in Targhee, that cuts an hour off his trip from the great state of Minnesota* and I would liek to have Targhee as an option one day too.


*movie referrance where the state the person if from keeps getting mixed up?

[Gary]

jb...sounds perfect....would love to make some turns together.

Let's make sure we exchange phone numbers before ski day!

Targhee if they got fresh snow would be awesome!

G

[Ron]

excellent!  You can try my Blizzards.......

[jbotti]

Tuesday 1/20 looks like a very good day for me. There is a good chance that I can slip away that day. I would love to ski wuth you guys. Anyone else from this site coming besides you two and Phil? I have never skied Targhee but it is on my list.

[Gary]

20th would certainly work. Besides Phil, Ron and I will be my wife Alice, Phils wife Lola, and our friend from Chicago, Ed....another guy Mike is working on being there as well.

Criminy...we'll need a school bus.

GUys I'm up for Targhee, but they have got to have fresh snow...otheriwse... I'm ok for rockn' at JH.

John...email me so we can exchange phone numbers.

gary.cassara@ushcp.com.

G

[jbotti]

I have another name for my demo list. The Armada JJ is a traditional sidecut ski with tip and tail rocker. Like the Armada ARG, Armada gives 5 dimensions on the JJ, and the tip and tail ends are thinner than the mid part od the tip and tail, although the ski has substantial sidecut from mid tip to mid tail. This is a very hybrid design. The reviews on TGR and in powder mag are strong but we all know that these can come from people whose approach to skiing can be very different than mine.

The really good news is that it won't be long now. There will be skiing in Loveland in a month!!!

[Philpug]

I have some 203 Molnar Yellow's that are .. err were.. a great powder ski back in the 70's. You want face shots? This is your ski.

[jbotti]

Phil, if we get to ski together at Targhee or Jackson Hole, I will bring my Lotus 138's and hopefully we will have some fresh snow. Now we are not talking versatility here, but this is one of the great powder skis ever made. We will see if we can't make a believer out of you. BTW, what is your BSL?

[jbotti]

Interestingly, Peter has reviewed the JJ and his review is complimentary.

I remain convinced that somehwer in this group of new reverse camber skis with Trad sidecut will be found a great powder ski for resorts. Unfortuantely with my impulsiveness, I will probably end up with a pair or two of these even before I demo them. If I do, I will most likley sheepishly admit it, but I know that it will make Ron feel better. Feed the addiction!!!

[mppederson]

? ? 3 years ago, I bought a pair of Volant Spatula's for deeper days of wet and sometimes lighter, PNW powder.? I found the skis great in the deep powder and crud, after reading the "Brain Floss" article written by Shane McConkey, I managed to make them work on the groomed.? However, I grew to use them less and less because of the need to ski the groomed when skiing with friends and family.? I next purchased a pair of Gotama's, but bought them too short @ 176 (Square tail version).? The Got's didn't possess the stability I was looking for.? I sold both pairs quickly on Criag's List and purchased a pair of Volkl Katama's in a 183 length.? Wow, what a versitile ski.? I have skied these all over the PNW and Jackson Hole and have and found the Katama's, to my surprise, much more versitile then the Spat's and even the Gotama's for all mountain use.

The Katama's rule in powder of any density and like most volkl's I've skied, have great edge hold on the groomed and in crud.? I've talked to a few skiers at Baker and Stevens Pass using the Katama's as their only ski.? I wouldn't go to that extent myself, but found the ski very fun and I hate to mention it again, versatile.

[Ron]

Very cool, did you see the New version has a partial rocker I believe. I have heard grat things about that ski except not so great in the trees and tigh spots. What's your impression?

[jbotti]

My impression from reading reviews and comments on the new katana has been that it is still tank/plank like and somewhat hard to manuever. On paper it has many of the things that I am looking for in a resort based powder ski. I guess I will have to demo it if possible. If nayone gets on these things I owuld love to hear comments.

[Ron]

no, the construction has changed.

http://www.volkl.com/ski/freeskiing_katana.html

The all-new Katana features a top-end wood core, vertical sidewalls and two sheets of titanium. Its most interesting feature is the Powder Channel, unique among skis. The channel allows us to provide the ride quality of a swallow-tail design while allowing the skier to ride switch. With a slight rocker for easy smearing in powder, combined with our burliest construction, the combination of stability and ease is truly amazing.

I agree it's probably not a great resort pow ski. It really depends on what you are looking for in a pow ski. Its become a bit subjective. Did you want something with a rocker or traditional? Something soley powder oriented or a little more flexible? I wouldn't make this my choice. How about something like 140-120-130? It's similar to the Atomic Thug.

[jbotti]

I am looking for a tarditional sidecut ski with rocker. The skis on my list are the K2 ObSethed, the Rossi S7 and the Armada JJ. I already own the DP Lotus 138 which is reverse/rverse ski and it just sucks on groomed going back to the lift. I have a heli skiing trip in April and I am looking for a second ski for that trip that will also be a great big dumps resort ski. I am leaning towrads the Obsethed which 105 underfoot and has small tip and tail rocker although I have been on none of these skis and I would like to demo before I buy if I can. I had ruled the new Katana with rocker off my list based upon comments I had read. But As I have said before it is really hard to go by reviews of people you know ski very differently than the way I do. I don't come anywhere close to the speeds some ofthe guys on TGR are zipping at not to mention the air that some of them take regularly.

[Ron]

John, tough one and I am certainly not qualified to comment. I do remember that Peter raved about some rockered ski here? I think Gary found it. I have also heard good about the Obsethed. Did you look over at epic in the reviews? If I had to pick one now, I wold be leaning towards that obseth, it looks interesting and I like the dims.