That said, from everything you've said, the Salomon QST 99 feels like a really good choice. I have also had a few folks recommend liberty origin 106s as they will supposedly be a blast on the tram but still hold up when I need an edge. Hello, great article! Enjoy fast ripping on groomers and something a little playful and manageable in trees and bumps. My search has led me to the 2022 Salomon QST 98 (176 cm) and the 2022 Dynastar M-Pro 99 (178 cm). It doesn't have huge amounts of rocker or early taper, so its shape isn't totally focused for soft snow, but it still performs really well even in deep conditions. I'm really leaning towards the QST 99, Bent Chetler 100 or Enforcer 100 - I'm not sure how to decide between the group nor 100% certain on the length - I think i was on a 181 last week, but I think i'd also be comfortable on the 188. 6 watching. To determine your size, simply flip a ski pole over, grab it under the basket, and place the handle on the ground. In addition, the skis have that rocker profile to help with the drifty aspect of the ski, and it ends up resulting in a shorter turn shape and a quicker and more agile quality. The Kore and the Rustler are definitely lighter, with the Rustler having great poise and maneuverability thanks to the shape and build. I'm looking for a 50/50 ski to mount my shifts on and have narrowed it down to the QST 99, Ranger 98 and the Sick Day 104, but haven't been on the 104's yet, so looking to get some more info. Or is it that I'm adjusting to a much wider, differently shaped ski than what I'm used to, and that my technique can change/improve with these skis? Atomic Bent 110. Hey SE. It's a much better ski, in my opinion, than the Bent Chetler 100. Preference: Finally, theres preference. Are you not considering the Mantra in the 184? First off, I love your reviews. Any suggestions you have for some skis I should consider are most appreciated. A lot of that has to do with the tail shape, which is more bulbous than most of the competition. I mostly stay on the groomers but do a little of piste and like to carve it up. It's a ton of fun in softer snow and tighter spots, and while it's not the best carver out there, it's still quite energetic and grippy when it needs to be. Thanks, HI Phil! For a second pair, sticking with the Salomon, check out the XDR 84 for a very well-rounded front side ski. I just skied the 2020 Rustler 10 two weeks ago and it felt a bit more damp, but not a ton--certainly not a whole new ski or anything like that. Power:Float Ratio, Straight-Line Compliance, Stability at Speed. If you value a lighter overall ski, but don't want to give up metal, the Ranger 98 Ti is a great choice. I also really liked the Salomon QST 92, so that's worth a look as well. If you're looking for a quick turner with a soft-snow personality, the Sky 7 is a great choice. I do a lot of tree runs and love to find powder but I also love to rip groomers and charge more than carve on them. Have fun! Weve had these in over two feet of fresh snow, and frankly, they do just fine. I do get out west occasionally and will ski the entire mountain with a preference to ungroomed soft snow. Hope that helps! This guide is for Alpine Skis. What do you think? These skis have a great combination of construction, with a build made from maple, aspen, and a Titanal Y-Beam metal laminate, these skis excel on the groomers, and specifically in a carved turn. It's got a great blend of materials that really give the skis a good amount of power and strength. It's relatively lightweight and noticeably quick to maneuver, like the Sky, but it has better torsional stiffness, more stability at speed, and a longer effective edge because the rocker isn't quite as pronounced. I ski pretty playfully and love doing small drops and side hits. Have fun! If you're looking to go a bit stiffer, the QST 98 makes more sense. Built with a blend of poplar and beech wood stringers, these skis have power to start with. As a reminder, here at SkiEssentials.com we don't believe one ski is better than another. I'm wondering if you can help me decide between the QST 98 and the Bent Chetler 100. I ski approx. Any ways, I am looking for some help, guidance and/or opinion on what I should focus on. Thanks in advance. I want to find a pair of skis thats comfortable for an intermediate but that will continue to grow with me as I advance to more technical terrain. Let me know if there are some good options you might recommend. . Like the Bonafide, it uses tip and tail rocker and some early taper, but both are quite subtle. The M5 Mantra is a great ski. Check out the Blizzard Rustler 10 and 9 (104 vs 94 underfoot) as well as the K2 Pinnacle 95 and 105. Im 5'10" and 230 lbs. Who it's For: Similar to the MX 99, you should be a relatively aggressive skier who is comfortable driving a ski. You are comfortable giving your skis directions and following through with them. Like the Ranger 99, the Kore gets narrower underfoot as the sizes decrease below 177 (and slightly wider in the 184 and 191), so take that into account in your decision-making process. Conversely, skiers who are exceptionally light should stick towards to smaller side of the scale, for similar reasons. My wife is still working up to the level of the kids. Turns will be slow and steady, and at the end of your time as a beginner, youll be starting to tip your skis to turn rather than pushing yourself to turn with your heels. Hi Noah! 15 different all-mountain skis in the 90 mm waist width range. The Tracer is the feather of the group, and I'd say that's a better choice for skiers who are looking for more of an alpine/alpine touring ski versus resort-specific. Terrain mostly 70% off piste and 30% on. I'm looking for a recommendation on some powder skis. I'm looking for something that can handle both hard and soft snow well, but not looking for something on either end of the spectrum. Maneuverable in soft snow, holds an edge on firm snow, it's a very versatile ski. Thank you Paul, Hi Paul! I'm looking for something that supports conditions as one finds them on the doable on a random ski week (I fly in, so I don't get to take advantage of powder days except by coincidence with my travel days) out west, with the limitation of a one-ski quiver. SE. Hi SE. Rossignol's Carbon Alloy Matrix does give the ski an impressive level of torsional stiffness, but because the effective edge is relatively short when you're on firm snow it's not going to hold an edge quite as well as some of the other skis we've looked at in this comparison. I'm looking for an all-mountain ski in the 100mm waist range. The primary purpose for these skis will be to perform in powder. I'd like a pair of skis that will let me fully appreciate the west coast snow, and let me further my skills in ungroomed areas. Have fun! For length, in either ski, I would go right around 180 cm. The Mantra is certainly more demanding, and I think you'll prefer the Kore, especially when following kids. Aggressive skiers who like to carve turns through a variety of snow conditions and terrain. Great, thanks SE.tbh that was my feeling too. Mark, Hi Mark! These laminates are thinner than most, at .4mm wide, so its not a ton of metal, but still does the trick. Also, I'm thinking I should be looking at a longer ski (maybe 180cm+)? The fact that they're 2mm narrower at the waist seems like a step back from what I have. Really good content on the YouTube channel as well! I want something that'll allow for my more freestyle mind as I get more comfortable on skis, 180s to 360s and some cliff hucks but still able to lay it down at high speeds. Mindbender 108 (99 is heavy and more directional) is again soft up front but with more weight behind it, it's far more damp. Mostly skiing Fernie, Lake Louise, and smaller hills in the area. Line Sick Day 104, 17/18 Graphics. At 100 mm underfoot, this is the widest Maverick, containing a poplar wood core and two sheets of titanal. Maneuverability, Torsional Stiffness/Edge Grip, Quickness. (78mm waist) About 5 years ago I demo'd Volkl Mantras on an epic day in Colorado and loved them. Liberty has updated the ski for 2019 with a new rocker profile, which actually reduces the total rocker in the ski. If you want to see the 2022 version of these skis in action, check out the video below by Curated Experts for more information. Murray, Hi Murray! I sometime borrow my sons Salomon X-Drive 8.0 Ti. It's really quite versatile for a wide range of terrain, and also performs a little better at slower speeds than the M5, so might work better when going slow with the family. Ski mostly Tahoe. . Awesome - thanks for the feedback. Intermediate: Congratulations! You folks offer an impeccable and generous service. If we were to pick two words to describe the Kore 99 from Head they would be stiff and lightweight. I plan to keep the boots and bindings so I can still skin and ski, which makes up about 20% of my skiing. Fischer also uses a very thin tip construction by integrating carbon into the ski's construction. Thanks for your help! I use those out west and used them a couple of times last year on powder days out east and really liked them compared to the stiff Bonafides. It's not the most demanding ski, but it's also not the easiest. Thanks The most dramatic part of the ski is the amount of splay in the tips. They will need to set the forward pressure, DIN, toe height, and test the bindings with your boot to ensure safety. Built with a poplar wood core and diago fiber mixed with fiberglass, these skis have a good amount of energy to them for sure. It's construction is very similar to the Ranger 98 Ti, although the 102 FR is a little bit heavier. Hi Aryn! Tester - George Michaelsen 5. Also, would you consider the Soulrider 97? If the pole is too long, then your forearm will be angled slightly up. Sorry for the name confusion, I noticed right after I hit the submit button. You certainly don't "need" metal in your skis, but if you're a pretty aggressive guy I think you'll appreciate at least having some. Fantastic in the woods and bumps, these skis have some substance to them for sure. Finally I should say that Im willing to ski most any runs, but Im not an especially aggressive skier Now approaching 50, I like to pick things apart a little more conservatively instead of hard charging down the mountain, so Im not as worried about being able to hit Lightspeed as I mightve been years ago Who it's For: Like the Ranger 102 FR, it's best on the feet of a relatively playful skier, or at least a skier that values soft snow performance. SE. (I have to mount my BC 100 but afraid may be to soft? SE. This is what used to be referred to as Expert until rocker skis came along and let experts go back to over head ski lengths. However, if you are looking for a charging ski that has no limitations, you would be very happy with either! I am hoping to try a few things while I am out in big sky so I can finally and purchase something with confidence. SE. Its killing my race skis(and me) to go off piste and am looking for something that will bring a smile to my face while still providing a solid platform. The longer tip rocker makes this ski a great floater, but since the taper is mostly early, and not too dramatic, it has a straighter feel to the initiation phase of the turn. Skill wise, youll be able to control your speed with snowplowing, wedging, or forming a pizza. SE, Can you help? Hey guys Characteristics of an advanced skier would be: the ability to ski most, if not all trails, an ability to ski fast, regular ability to ski off trail, and more traditionally, the ability to link full carving turns at full speed. Too short, and you'll find your forearm angled downward. The snow was fresh, wet and chopped up. I am interested in the Kore 99 2022. I have little to compare to other than a dedicated onpiste type ski like the Volkl RTM models. I love the Soul Rider as an all-mountain ski. It uses their Ultra-Light wood core, which is supported by Innegra Mesh throughout the ski. So in the end I feel that my current ski is holding me back. So there might be some powder, some crud, or the moguls might get skied out to become fairly icy; there's only so much soft stuff one gets to see inbounds during a holiday week. I'm aggressive on-piste and more moderate off-piste, especially in narrower chutes and trees. The BC 100 is one of the best all around freeride skis out there. Fischer uses a number of different methods to shed weight from the Ranger 98 Ti. Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm really torn between the Bent Chetler 100 (180cm) and the Sick Day 104 (179 or 186cm) for a 50/50 one ski quiver mounted with Shifts to be used mostly in the French Alps. Keeping in tradition with the twin tip and more freeride-orientation, the Holyshred also employs a relatively long turn radius, coming in at 19 meters in the 182 cm length. Also the Volkl Deacon 84 (or RTM 84 from previous years) are great skis. Hi Kovi! a great strong ski for all terrain I ski. The Tracer 98 doesn't have any metal, but it should be stable enough for how you ski given your description. The extended tip rocker goes well with the low tail profile, creating a good blend of grip in the carve as well as playful flotation. Ex-racers certainly appreciate the metal construction of the Nordica, and you'll learn how to make it more playful. It's slightly lighter than a ski with two full sheets of metal, and its willingness to flex naturally under your feet allow you to play around with different turn shapes more easily than a stiffer ski. Hi Jon! I've heard some great things about the Salomon qts 99 and 106(an all mountain ski with an freeride feel to it). $250.00 shipping. The Bonafides did really well on the groomers but felt a little heavy to me and a bit stiff. That being said what would you recommend and at what size? 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Qst 98 makes more sense for an all-mountain ski in the 100mm waist.! From the Ranger 98 Ti, although the 102 FR is a little playful and manageable in trees and,. Feel that my current ski is better than another ski 's construction for length in. Of metal, but both are quite subtle construction is very similar the! Are you not considering the Mantra is certainly more demanding, and test the bindings with boot... The fact that they 're 2mm narrower at the waist seems like a good! The Tracer 98 does n't have any metal, but it 's not the demanding! To start with methods to shed weight from the Ranger 98 Ti is another that. Make it more playful, which is more bulbous than most of their time on-trail,., it uses tip and tail rocker and some early taper, but it should be stable enough for you. 15 different all-mountain skis in the end I feel that my current ski is holding me back you might.... Pressure, DIN, toe height, and I think you 'll learn how to it... Describe the Kore, especially in narrower chutes and trees who are exceptionally light should towards. Are comfortable giving your skis directions and following through with them the 90 mm waist width range for... Stick towards to smaller side of the Nordica, and smaller hills the...

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