ski recommendation

[sbbeckett]

After eight years of not being able to ski, I finally got my ACL fixed but the last time I skied was on straight skis. Any recommendations as to what I should get for new equipment? I've tried to research this for myself, but my head is spinning with the choices. My stats:

5'11'', 175lbs, expert level (at least in the past), 32yrs old. I used to race on 200's for slalom, 207's for GS, and 215's for downhill. I'll mostly be skiing on-piste in Maine, probably at Sugarloaf.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

"Skiing was not the way it is now . . . There were no ski patrols. Anything you ran down from, you had to climb up. That gave you the legs that were fit to run down with."
-- Ernest Hemingway, "A Moveable Feast"

[RR]

....5'11'', 175lbs, expert level (at least in the past), 32yrs old. I used to race on 200's for slalom, 207's for GS, and 215's for downhill. I'll mostly be skiing on-piste in Maine, probably at Sugarloaf.....You will be going shorter than you ever though possible for your quivver of one...

Four choices come mind. I have not skied the first two, but have seen them in action on friends: B3 Rossis from last year, TM-X or R-EX Atomics from last year or the year before...both skis around but above 180cm. Plenty of float for dump days and any tree runs but both are good on the hard&slick, with the edge going to the Atomics. Both skis are still available unmounted a@ reasonable prices.

See if you can find the 184(?) Crossbow from black diamond. Serious width under foot, but GS on pack will be formidable and with the lightness of the skis there will be plenty of quick in them. I have the 179s and find them an acceptable compromise for the Scratch BC (Rossi) which I could not afford.

If you can swing some Sctratch BCs, don't let the name fool you, they are stable up to 50-55 mph and I bet they would be so at higher speed as well....it was just too crowded to go any faster. Scraped off groomers were like taffy to the edges on thos beauties...accelleration was particularly good, being available long before crossing the fall line and without getting fully open even after crossing. Only my 3Gs (205) had that much accelleration on big arcs.

Latst years Scratch BCs are narrower than this years....

enough of my raving...see if you can find a mfg demo...ride everything you can and snap up the demo day price on whatever makes your heart sing!

PS: I'm 6' @ over 180lbs and have been skiing since '63 with various bouts of time outs for other things. I no longer take to the air with any high level of commitment...if you hear insane gigling from the trees....that's me.

[NtrentT]

I would check out last seasons, or the year before Atomics.

I picked up Atomic SX9s which I absolutly love.

My father picked up a pair of SX10s this year at a swap, they look fantastic.

Im jealous.

They are quite a bit heavy, which helps the lighter people, and are can stand up to alot of abuse, on piste or off.

RR basicly said it all.

You will be on shorter skis that your use to but more fun in the trees and I prefer the shorter skis for the bumps too.

Turning on shaped skis is different. Your rolling your knees to get the turns in, and when you finally get it right, its like power steering vs non-power in a car.

Have Fun

[Jolly J]

To add to RR's excellent recommendation above.

I just ordered a pair of Rossi Sick Birds for my play ski which are the Tele version of the Scratch BC which I'm setting up AT style and a pair of this years B3.

Last year I had a pair of Rossi B2 on demo for patrolling and they are a great all road, all mountain do it all in one ski type of ski. They are lighter and smaller than the B3 and thus quicker edge to edge and when the the going gets tough. But you will be loosing out on float and crud bash-a-bility. The B2's would probably be better in the bumps but I personally can not say for sure. I'll be able to tell you more towards the end of March early April, which is when I have to unload the B3's ...hint, hint...wink, wink...nudge, nudge.

As for ski length, I'd play it safe with a mid 170 to 180. My sick birds are 178 and the B3's are 176.

[sbbeckett]

Hey, thanks everybody for the responses so far. They're already a big help.

Jolly J, the B2's and 3's were two of the models I was considering. My p.therapy won't be done until the end of February, which is when I should be cleared to ski (knock on wood) so the timing might be fortuitous for those skis. I'll keep it in mind.

Related question: Anybody know the powder situation at a place like Sugarloaf in an average year? Reason I ask is to know whether I should care about the float factor for a pair of skis. If I'll be in hardpack most of the time anyway, I won't sweat it too much.

[RR]

There's nearly always some pow in the trees at the Loaf...and, if you run out, head over to Saddleback, they have more anyway, being in the lake effect snow-belt of Rangley Lake.

The only time (mid-winter) I found anything but pow in the trees at the Loaf was when there was a glaze, w/pow under it...for that the B2's would be inadequet....on days like that the groomers get interesting and the Black Widow gets more of my business!

[sbbeckett]

Hmm.... sounds like a vote for the B3's. How's their performance in the bumps and carving on hardpack?

Can't tell you how excited I am to get back on the boards after so many years. I can't sleep, I tells ya!

[RR]

...Can't tell you how excited I am to get back on the boards after so many years...no need...17 years ago tomorrow (1988) I was under yet another car that tried to kill me (three under, one over) and every doctor was saying I'd be lucky to walk normally and that skiing was over forever*. two years later I was on my xc skis again. Then in 2001 tele entered my life and I have been making up for lost time with tele and AT ever since.....lift served is just a lesser weevil imo, but I still like it!

Welcome back!

* One said worse things, but since this is a family show....well, fortunately that quack was wrong too!

[Bannick]

I would suggest getting yourself a snowboard.....I have horrible hockey knees and find that the twisting on my knees is way less on a board than when I have strapped into skis to see how the other half lives.....

[Rider.Steve]

I would suggest getting yourself a snowboard.....I have horrible hockey knees and find that the twisting on my knees is way less on a board than when I have strapped into skis to see how the other half lives.....

Don't listen to the boarder, even though he is correct in what he says...

Steve

[cwhitten]

After eight years of not being able to ski, I finally got my ACL fixed but the last time I skied was on straight skis. Any recommendations as to what I should get for new equipment? I've tried to research this for myself, but my head is spinning with the choices. My stats:

5'11'', 175lbs, expert level (at least in the past), 32yrs old. I used to race on 200's for slalom, 207's for GS, and 215's for downhill. I'll mostly be skiing on-piste in Maine, probably at Sugarloaf.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

"Skiing was not the way it is now . . . There were no ski patrols. Anything you ran down from, you had to climb up. That gave you the legs that were fit to run down with."
-- Ernest Hemingway, "A Moveable Feast"

Rossignol B2's 182
It's what I ride. They are fantastic.
I'm 5'10" 170 lbs.
Used to ski all your former life's lengths.
I tend to get the longest of the model line.
The B3's are great out west, they are not good in the east(you have to roll the edge up too far to make them carve on hardpack/ice. The 2's are greatttt in both eastern and western environments.
My opinion only.

[Bannick]

Don't listen to the boarder, even though he is correct in what he says...

Steve

this is not the the type of snow sliding you seek......

[sbbeckett]

this is not the the type of snow sliding you seek......

It makes me feel really old to remember the very first Burton snowboards which had no foot braces but did have a rope tied to the tip which you held to get down the hill.

Anyway, sticking with the skis for now. Mayber after my next knee injury I'll be converted.

[Rider.Steve]

this is not the the type of snow sliding you seek......


Precisely! Leave snowboarding to the amateurs where it belongs.

Now say "Slippery snow sliding" fast ten times. Betcha can't do it:

1.
.2.
..3.
...4.
....5.
.....*s*h*i*t.

Not bad, try again. :)

Steve

[Bannick]

It makes me feel really old to remember the very first Burton snowboards which had no foot braces but did have a rope tied to the tip which you held to get down the hill.

Anyway, sticking with the skis for now. Mayber after my next knee injury I'll be converted.

mmmmm snurfers

[sbbeckett]

Damn. Good call. I forgot that was their name.

[djangoski]

mmmmm snurfers

Ah yes, I had much fun with friends on those growing up. Weren't the boot grips basically just staples? Took some serious diggers going down steep wooded slopes with those. Good times.

[RR]

Ruined my throwing arm with one of those....pity...