Do as I say, Not as I do!!

[jbotti]

I have been researching and toying around with getting a new pow sepcific ski, but not as specific as my DP Lotus 138's which are reverse/reverse skis. I have posted a few times about a bunch of new skis this year that have some degree of tip or tail rocker and traditional sidecut. I continue to believe that for the right conditions these will be great skis. The real quetion has been whihc ones. I became quite focused on several and my demo list was: K2 Obsethed (but all K2 skis essentially suck and feel dead), the Armada JJ, The Rossi S7 and the new 08-09 Volkl Katana. That was until I started reading reviews and talking to some guys that have skied the PMGear Brocker that has been renamed the Lhasa Pow.

Now to get the ugly punch line out of the way I just ordered a pair of these without demoing, so I am as bad or worse tha Ron and even worse I paid full price!!! But I have bought skis several times without demoing and I have only once been disappointed.

I do think these skis will be perfect for what I wnat them for. I will mount them with Dukes and I iwll use them in bounds on big powder days in Tahoe, BC in Montana and most importantly these will be my go to ski on my Heli Skiing trip to Greenland in April coming up. This was part of my reason for grabbing these now, because i want to have as many days on them in Tahoe as possinble before the Greenland trip. One review on TGR really caught my attention because it was written by a guy who was heli skiing in greenland last season. After making contact he convinced me that My Lotus 138's would be a poor choice in Greenland where sometimes on the same run you ski in bottomless pow, ice, corn and mank at different elevations coming down.

Justification and rationalization maybe, but I do think these skis will be great. With the dukes these will work great for some touring on bad weather days on the greenalnd trip and will also be perfect for BC in Montana. The carbon fiber version that I bought weigh only slightly more than my Lotus 138's. Inbounds in Tahoe this will be great soft snow skis all day on any big dump day. They are touted as a ski that you can use on real hard snow, but why bother, I have a quiver of great hard snow skis which will be way more fun than these. One thing I am confident of, in untracked these will be almost as great as the 138's but I will not be moaning all the way back to the lift as these will ski fine on soft groomers (and reverse/reverse suck on anything that isn't fresh).

Our motto has always been demo, demo, demo and never pay full price. Ah, but it feel so good!!! I can't wiat to fondle these puppies!!

Yes, breaking the rules is also fun!!

In case anyone cares, here are the skis:

http://pmgear.com/product_info.php?cPath=52&products_id=91

And here is the review that sent me over (stop reading reviews and impulse buys on skis will end)

http://tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116368

[Glenn]

That's a good review...especially since he talked about the K2's you were considering as well.

I've purchased two pairs of skis in the last 8 months...I didn't demo either of them.    In fact, I've never demo'd skis before buying them; and I've never been disapointed. Maybe I'm lucky?

Again, congrats on the purchase!

[jim-ratliff]

Our motto has always been demo, demo, demo and never pay full price. Ah, but it feel so good!!! I can't wiat to fondle these puppies!!

Yes, breaking the rules is also fun!!

John:

Excellent write-up -- and good links and great pictures.  Sorry, but I couldn't resist bolding some of your original message.

But you forgont one VERY IMPORTANT rule.  Even if the ski doesn't work out, you can sell it for what you paid and there is always another one waiting.

Ron and Glenn would love you hear a follow-up once you have skied on them. 

Confession ---  I usually buy skis based on Ron and Gary's demoing and seldom on my own.  Too hard to find the skis to demo around here.

[Ron]

Oh my good friend, you don't need our permission!  OK, so good job. I hardly ever demo but go by folks who I trust or I can guage against. My only fault with you is that you paid FULL price. NO, NO, NO! That violates all my ski buying principles. Enjoy them, have fun on them.  I do wonder if you plan to hike for turns on them; if not, why dukes? Why not just Jestors or Griffons?

[Philpug]

I skied with Splat last season at SnowBasin and got on the "brocker". Have fun with them.

[jbotti]

Phil, So what did you think? Did you get to ski them in some fresh snow? Don't worry about trashng my new skis. I take the good with the bad and for what I will use these for, I know they will be good.

Jim, Thanks for the bold, it definitely enhances the post!!

Ron, yes, full price hurts, but sometimes feeding the monster costs!!

[jbotti]

Ron, I am putting the Dukes on because I will definitely be skinning some in Greenland, and occasionally in Montana I will go BC with skins as well.

[Ron]

makes good sense~!

[Gary]

Hey Jay...congrats....S weet concepts from the manufacturer....rea lly well thought out and explained on their site. It's really interesting how technology plays such a huge role in skis today....and WORKS!
 AND>>>>heli skiing in Greenland....would love to see the link for the site. I got some Heli skiing at Whistler in 2007. We had 4,000 vertical feet in each run. It was April 5th and the conditions where 6-12" of crystal granular snow for the first 1000 feet, then 6-12" of cement for the next 2000 feet and the remaining was corn firm snow hard pack in spots. I was on a pair of Head IM 78's...yes, more ski would have been helpful. I traded with the guide on the next run down..he had a pair of Rossi b4's in a 195 length. Great for big GS turns and great floaters....It did however help reshape my thinking about what powder ski I wanted to purchase.

Ah yes...technology is a wonderful thing. I'm guessing you'll bring them to Jacskon.

When will you have them on the snow?

Best,
Gary

[Ron]

head 77's? 

[jbotti]

The scheduled delivery date to me on the skis is another two weeks from now. I will have them mounted the next day, so as soon as there is snow in Tahoe I will take these out. I will however wait for a real dump, because at 112 mm underfoot, I only wnat to use these skis in a foot or more of fresh.

I agree with Ron, I think it is likley that you were on your IM 77's in 2007.

[Gary]

Yes...I stand corrected...they were the IM77's....My path to fat ski intervention was IM 75 to 77 to the 82's....

Now having found Fischer Watea 94's....we'll see how far those will take my fat ski odessy!


Would agree at 112 underfoot...will need some paramont snow fall to really get the maximum benefit from your new toys.....there will be lots of time for cuddling...Still... I've been seeing some significant snows out west...get some soon for us! We got 36 days till Steamboat....hoping we dumped on while we're there.

G