East Coast Early December Skiing

[Svend]

Svend,
This thread is all about when I actually get to ski them! Only mid-60's in Philly today. My local mountain needs 2 weeks of cold to open.....so, while they are waxed and sharpened, they and I sit.

They will go out on the first day I encounter soft snow. BTW, they are mint condition! Typically, it's pretty firm in the local area, so, the Supershapes are the most likely early season daily driver. I want the first few days on a narrow ski anyway, so, I'm guessing early January. Still thinking of joining you and G et al in late January in western NY. Too much is unresolved. Damn this warm weather!

I feel your pain Mike, old boy.  Here it's been rain, rain, rain....windy, cold, miserable.  One dry sunny day per week, if we're lucky, which usually falls on a day when I'm too busy working to actually enjoy it.  I hate November weather.....   

Let me know how you like the Sultans.  My first few days out on my Mythics after I bought them, I was kind of underwhelmed, having skied mainly performance carvers (Supershapes, etc.). But then as I got to know them better, I began to really appreciate how good they were.  Not necessarily stellar in one particular characteristic, but no glaring faults either -- just solid, competent performance all around...a ski that just quietly goes about doing everything well.  One aspect I particularly like, is how predictable they are -- no sudden surprises....kind of like what Josh or Liam said about mountain bike tires...same idea.  And an extremely valuable trait when you're talking about a ski that you will take into challenging terrain...steeps, off-piste, crud, deep snow.  Well, when I skied the Sultans for a day this spring, I felt I was on a longer, wider version of my Mythics.  And that's why I liked them so much.  They may not Wow! you, but they always score well in every review and impress all who own them, just because they are so good at so many things.  Have fun!

[LivingProof]

Let me know how you like the Sultans.  My first few days out on my Mythics after I bought them, I was kind of underwhelmed, having skied mainly performance carvers (Supershapes, etc.). But then as I got to know them better, I began to really appreciate how good they were.  Not necessarily stellar in one particular characteristic, but no glaring faults either -- just solid, competent performance all around...a ski that just quietly goes about doing everything well.  One aspect I particularly like, is how predictable they are -- no sudden surprises....kind of like what Josh or Liam said about mountain bike tires...same idea.  And an extremely valuable trait when you're talking about a ski that you will take into challenging terrain...steeps, off-piste, crud, deep snow.  Well, when I skied the Sultans for a day this spring, I felt I was on a longer, wider version of my Mythics.  And that's why I liked them so much.  They may not Wow! you, but they always score well in every review and impress all who own them, just because they are so good at so many things.  Have fun!

Svend,
I was just talking with Philpug about the Sultan 94's. Last season he skied them as his softer snow daily driver in Tahoe and continues to think highly of them. On the hard snow days, he would use the MX88's, so he used my same quiver. Knowing Phil, if he does not like a ski, that comes out pretty quick. One of my concerns was too much quiver overlap with my 88's, Phil says no problem, the 94's are different. So, my only worries continue to be lack of eastern snow.

I agree with your thoughts about having to get some time on a ski (at least for me). I remember my first days on a shaped ski. For about a day and a half, I was asking why people liked them. Then something clicked and I smiled. While demo'ing Jim R's Ski Logic's last year, my first run on a black was disappointing as I was trying to ski them like my narrow skis. So, I just stop fighting them and within a few turns, all was fine. Tahoe should be a great fit for the 94's...as long as the snow forecast for our week is looking good, they will be the only ski I take. I need more time off piste, for sure.

On demo days, an open question always centers about "would I like or dislike the ski over an extended period". It's a common theme that when someone gets a new ski, we tend to hear "wow" and when same ski is sold the next season, we hear more of the downside. Human nature at it's best, eh?

[Svend]

Right on, Mike.  Sounds like you've got the patience not to write off a ski in the first run.  Good one, as the Sultan may need some time to get to appreciate.  As for my Mythics, I really didn't like them all that much until about the 4th or 5th day on them, then finally got them in their element -- piled up soft snow, crud, untracked -- figured out how to make them hum, and then realized how good they really were. 

And, that's a very good point about just letting a ski do its thing and not fighting it.  I think that was half the problem with getting dialed in to the Mythics, as they were my first wider ski, coming from 68mm eastern carvers that I could flick around with just a twitch.  With a burlier Dynastar like the Sultan or Mythic, you just can't do that.  As contradictory as it sounds for a burlier ski, they almost need more finesse than force to make them work in some terrain.  But then, when you open them up on a high speed open run, woo-hoo! there's some power under the hood.  So smooth and supple.  A total blast!  I think you'll love 'em. 

BTW, just a side note -- as with all Dynastars I've skied, the Sultans have a huge sweet spot.  It's pretty hard to get off balance on those.  Nice....