Supershape confusion - what is the definitive answer?

[Brendan]

Hi,

I hope I am not being too nit picky or flogging a much talked about issue but I am still confused about the right length for the worldcup SS.  I know a lot of people are reccomending the 170 and have seen several times by different people that the 170 is a different and better ski than the 165.

Does this info come from Peter's original post saying the 170 was vastly better thatn the 165?  I spoke to Peter recently and he said this was a mistake.  He said there was never any problem with the 165, the problem was with the 160 pre - production model.  He said that there has never any problems with the production models.  He has since deleted this reference off the site.

Has anyone demoed the 165 and 170?  My problemis that I have not been able to find this ski to demo in any length and may have to buy them without trying - never a fab idea.  I would love to get it right.  A few years ago I bought volkl 5 star in a 175.  My friend   who weighs 190 pounds and is the same level skier as me loved his in a 175 but it was too much ski for me and really tiring by the end of the day - I should have got the shorter version.  I do not want to make the same mistake again.

I am 5'11 weigh 160 pounds, am a strong advanced skier, leaning to expert, ski the trees, glades, double blacks etc.   Perhaps the best judge of my ability woould be to say that I feel comfrtable on the monster IM 82's (length 172) but found the 1M72 (170) to be flat and lacked rebound power.  Why do I want buy the SS - carving!

Would love to hear your thoughts and hear from anyone has demoed different lengths or any other opinions.

All the best

Brendan 

[jim-ratliff]

Brendan:

I'm not a good enough skier to appreciate the SuperShape, but I won't let that stop me from putting 2 cents worth.

Almost everyone that I have heard talking about the SuperShape in on the 170.  That includes Peter (who lists the 170 in his personal arsenal/ski of the year) and Harald Harb.  Peter is, I believe, around 6' and 190.  Harald is 5'9" or so and ??170??.  John Botti is 6'3" and 190.  Ron is ??5'10"?? and ?.  I don't know how many of the people that bought the SuperShape have skied both sizes; it may be possible that 170 was the only size that they demoed before buying.  However, that doesn't change the fact that a lot of different sized people liked the 170 enough not to look any further.

At 160 I don't believe that the SS 165 would be a bad choice, but the fact is that a lot of different sized people have gravitated to the 170.

[Perry]

Earlier this year I skied the IM 72 at 170 and the ss at 165.  I am 6'2' and 200lbs. 

The Supershape at 165 felt too short to me just getting off the lift and skiing on the flat but when I really started edging it locked in and was quite stable.  I am not the best person to really tell you what length would be best for you.  As always, demoing both is the best way to go.  That said, the SS had more pop and rebound than the IM 72. It was a noticable difference.  I would guess that this is from the laminate construction vs the cap of the IM72.

Hope this helps a little.
skidaddle

[fredm8]

my take from down under.

I spent 14 days in Aspen, CO in Dec 06 Jan 07 entirely on SuperShapes. The mix was 165 & 175 Model Year (MY) 06 skis which were great, compared to the skis I demo'ed on Turoa over the Southern Winter. Then I found a shop which had for sale MY07 SS. I tried the 160, 175 MY07 skis. I bought the 170 MY07s. Spent 5 days on these and loved them.

I'm male, 6'3" ish, 220lb and ski anything groomed. Learning more about PMTS, so I feel kinda challenged about ability statements.

The shorted the ski, the easier it is to tip into a turn. Much more comfortable on steeps. The longer skis took a couple of runs to get used to, but provided much more feedback whilst riding them. Settled on the 170s as a compromise between short easy to ride, and longer more effort required. Cant wait to use them in anger down under in July. The newer (MY07) skis were noticably different (stiffer) in feel than the MY06 skis. Maybe that was to do with the number of days the older skis had been used, not construction.  Not problems getting any of the skis onto an edge, flat runs, steeps or a bit of powder. Didnt get into much mogul skiing, as we dont get bumps down under. Lots of ice, no bumps.

Douglas

[Ron]

Take a look at the dims on the 165 and the 170, I just like the performance of the 170 better. A bit more versitile. I know Gary skied the 165 first and felt they did not perform as well as the 170's. the 170 has a bit more stability and better long turn performance IMHO.

FYI- 43 y/o 6' 178ish +/-

[Aleksey]

Hi, Brendan!

I'm in exact same boat as you are. I'm 5'9'' and 155. I demoed SS in 165 on small hill in MN and just LOVED them... They didn't have them in 170. Now after reading all the reviews here and on EPIC forums I'm really wondering if I will make a mistake buying them in 165 without trying 170... It seems like many light-weighed skiers on EPIC forums actually have SS in 165 and really enjoy them. My impression is that  170 would be better choice for 160 lbs skier if you want to take them to crud or powder. If you want to carve them short mainly on groomed then I think 165 is better. If I won't find where to demo them at 170 I will buy 165.

Aleksey.

[Ron]

Don't second your purchase! At your size, the 165 will be fine. The difference is not that profound. If you could get the 170 I prefer it but it is a matter of prerence, skill and comfort level. As you correctly stated, shorter turns are going ot be more fun for you on the 165 so enjoy. As aways, anyone looking for skis should give Scott at Village ski a call first. His prices for Epic and realskiers iare unbeatable. Please reference me and that you are a member.

[Aleksey]

Alright.. After trying SS in 160 yesterday and finding them WAY to short I decided to go with 170. All people I talked to suggest 170 for versatility. Including Scott (dawgcatching) who I believe is 5'10' and 150 tried all three 160-165-170 and liked 170 the most. So I will keep you updated when I get my SS in 170.

Aleksey.