Perfect Mt. Washington ski?

[awf170]

What do you guys think? Something light, easy to ski in tight spots, good edge grip, but also can be opened up in wide open terrain. I was thinking about a PMgear Bro in a 179 would be perfect but I don't feel like spending that much. Any opinions?

[RR]

What do you guys think? Something light, easy to ski in tight spots, good edge grip, but also can be opened up in wide open terrain. I was thinking about a PMgear Bro in a 179 would be perfect but I don't feel like spending that much. Any opinions?I liked the SratchBC/Sickbird that I demoed a few times. I couldn't afford the Rossi's and got the BD Crossbows instead, since then I got another pair. The Bows go anywhere and run like hell on variable conditions but the are GS happiest. The strange thing is I can be fairly casual with the Bows and get along well for on-piste. When I drive hard they respond by getting snappier but something quicker might have me in the fall line more when it gets narrow in couloirs and on waterfalls.

BD Havocs seem a tad quicker and can still run flat-out. They will carve and float very well, but you will have to work to get the groove going with Havocs. I have an Idea that a pair of G3 Rapid Transits would be very good to demo.

Look for year old models to reach under the price ceiling you set. Bros are under $700USD and that's quite good as a retail price of a ski that worthy.

[samthaman]

get on the tgr boards and ask about used bro's there are some sweet deals. that being said 193 original atomic big daddies, or 189 B-Squads, big, stiff, fast, and a lot of fun in the ravine. there is essentially no top speed on these skis (bros too if you get the stiff or superstiff flex depending on your weight). Also consider Igneous

[awf170]

get on the tgr boards and ask about used bro's there are some sweet deals. that being said 193 original atomic big daddies, or 189 B-Squads, big, stiff, fast, and a lot of fun in the ravine. there is essentially no top speed on these skis (bros too if you get the stiff or superstiff flex depending on your weight). Also consider Igneous

I was thinking a bit more sissy in terms of skis. Also, I was going to get the softs if I got a pair of bros. I'm thinking more along the lines of long tours in the northern presi's, the Great Gulf, and 6,000+ vert. days. not arching huge turns in Tucks. This ski would probably be mounted with dynafits.

[PWDR8S]

The perfect Mt Washington ski? Hopefully something under my feet! :D

My Trabs excel in performance and lightitude yet I would like the tails to be a tad stiffer for those ocassional "WOAH! In the back seat moments" that happen oh so rarely. ;) Torsionally they're firm and rigid so you're confident in the steep traverses.

Can't beat the weight or lack thereof! :D

Only drawback? $$$ and could be a little stiffer for the really agressive style I have.

[samthaman]

not sure of your weight or what you like to ski, but most poeple that flex the softs find them too soft for anythign but deep soft days. if you can get you hands on a pair try them out though.

[samthaman]

if your interested in a really light ski, maybe dp skis? drake makes some of the lightest planks around.

[P-HUG]

Hey Sam have you skied the Super-stiff Bro's?
Are they good on/off piste?

[jshefftz]

The perfect Mt Washington ski is the Trab Duo Sint Aero.

However, the perfectly priced ski that is still acceptable for Mt Washington would be either the latest in many incarnations of the Atomic 84mm design for only $135:
http://gearx.com/product_info.php?products_id=1654
...although the 168cm might be too short and the 184cm might be too long based upon what you posted.

Or for only $100 ($100!?!) here is the AT-specific version of the alpine downhill Slim Daddy, available in a 175cm:
http://gearx.com/product_info.php?products_id=19206
(Note that the waist is actually 76mm, as the website is incorrect about it being based on the 80mm Tacora, unless the Atomic website is incorrect...)

[RR]

Taubs are very cool..J and 8's make many tracks on them w/o any trouble :D

At lunchtime I walked into SkiMarket on Comm Av Boston and saw 2 pairs of Havocs (175cm) for 20% off their marked 499.99 (=399.99) with Dynafits they will be light but powerful.

Call EMS in No. Conway to see if they have any rental sell offs...hint!

Hey guys, how is the K2 rando racer?

[jshefftz]

I would classify the K2 Chogori and Sahale as more general spring & summer ski mountaineering/touring skis than all-out rando race skis (which have waist widths <70mm). That said, by all accounts they sound like reasonably nice skis for what they are. (Astro has a pair.)
Here are some thoughts on that size & weight skis:
http://www.nerandorace.com/lightweight.html

[ATP]

I agree that the Bro Softs would not be what you want. There's really no call for an out-and-out fat ski, and the soft version is clearly not choice for White Mountains snow. Stiffs would work but their benefit is in how fun the'd be on soft days (which is not typical Mt. Washington fare). The Rapid Transits are probably too shapely to be ideal for steep stuff. It's no fun having only the tips and tails of your ski in contact with a steep pitch.

If you want something that will tour well, be nimble, responsive, and precise in harder-than-you-like conditions and stable enough for crud, Jonathan and Rob offer up some good recommendations. The BD Crossbow and the Atomic 10ex/TMx/Rex/Kongur series do a decent job of each, being stiff enough to hold an edge when necessary and wide enough to manage chop and slop comfortably. I'd also consider the K2 Shuksan, which is a comparable wood-core ski that might suit your tastes better than the foam-core BD/Atomic skis. You could also go skinnier and lighter (e.g., Volkl Norbert Joos, Trab Aerowhatchamajigs, Atomic MX11s, etc.), depending on how burly you want the ski to feel on the downhill.

[cbcbd]

Call EMS in No. Conway to see if they have any rental sell offs...hint!

Last I heard they were planning on keeping their AT lineup and just probably selling off AT boots - I already tried. Plus, none are mounted with Dynafits. Tele stuff is another matter.
They recently placed a $26K order of gear for next year's rental program!! :eek:

[riverc0il]

I gotta ask, what do you find problematic with your Intuitiv Bigs? I actually find that ski best suited on Mount Washington versus all other conditions I have skied it. Weight on the ascent and climb would be the only negative issue, but I barely notice and I believe extra weight is worth while if the performance is justified, especially if you are not racking up a lot of miles.

You slap a pair of Dynafits on a ski with your Megas, the weight savings of the binding could certainly be put towards a slightly beefier ski. But if you want to crank out the vertical and every ounce counts, looking into the G3 or BD lines would be beneficial. Rapid Transit, Crossbow, Havoc, etc. are all strong contenders. So far I haven't heard much good said about the KiloWatt. Both lines of skis are having super close out sales on previous year's models though it is probably slim pickings by now as the massive close out sales started a few months ago.

Having never even seen a pair of Bros, I really can't advise on that one. I would not buy a ski like that without at least having the opportunity to give the ski a flex test and see what it feels like. You are a light weight, so the soft might work for you. Then again it might not, hard to tell not being able to demo. But the positive on the Bros is if you mount them and hate them, you could get back 90% of your purchase price by offering them for sale on TGR.

[awf170]

I gotta ask, what do you find problematic with your Intuitiv Bigs? I actually find that ski best suited on Mount Washington versus all other conditions I have skied it. Weight on the ascent and climb would be the only negative issue, but I barely notice and I believe extra weight is worth while if the performance is justified, especially if you are not racking up a lot of miles.

A) The ski is feels too short. A 168 feels too short for the stuff on Mt. Washington.

B) They are pretty cooked. They could be fixed, but are in rough shape.

C) I like to waste money on new skis.

Maybe, I could mount it back about 2cm with some dynafits...

You slap a pair of Dynafits on a ski with your Megas, the weight savings of the binding could certainly be put towards a slightly beefier ski. But if you want to crank out the vertical and every ounce counts, looking into the G3 or BD lines would be beneficial. Rapid Transit, Crossbow, Havoc, etc. are all strong contenders. So far I haven't heard much good said about the KiloWatt. Both lines of skis are having super close out sales on previous year's models though it is probably slim pickings by now as the massive close out sales started a few months ago.

Sort of looking to crank out vertical, but defiantly don't want to justify performance that much. The difference of adding dynafits instead of freerides in terms of weight is so much more then skis. I'll defiantly look into BD and G3 skis, but they seem quite expensive.

[awf170]

The perfect Mt Washington ski is the Trab Duo Sint Aero.

However, the perfectly priced ski that is still acceptable for Mt Washington would be either the latest in many incarnations of the Atomic 84mm design for only $135:
http://gearx.com/product_info.php?products_id=1654
...although the 168cm might be too short and the 184cm might be too long based upon what you posted.


Ugh... why can't that have one around 175cm in stock.... grrr. Sick, sick deal. Atleast I have the whole summer to look.

[RR]

Dear God...STP does it just in time :cool:

here it is:
Volkl Telemark Skis - Norbert Joos 170cm
http://www.techsourceconsultants.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/10040/normal_NorbertJoos.jpg

(32) ORANGE / NAVY W/ MOUNTAIN GRAPHIC

Retail Price: $545.00
Our Price: $299.95
You Save: $245.05 (44%)
Item #71740

[RR]

GearX get attention too. How about this:
http://gearx.com/images/2248.jpg

Nice enough....does this appeal?

Size 184 1 left
Retail Price $699.95
Tent Sale Price $359.96
Save $339.99 (49%)

What they say:
Gearx - TC9 with Explore AT Bindings

The Binding

The Explore, an updated version of the proven Diamir Titanal 3 binding, weighs in at 30 grams less this season. Both the heelpiece and four-position heel riser have been refined to adjust more ergonomically using your pole. The new Teflon anti-friction plate releases predictably, even when wearing lugged AT or slick alpine boots. This fully releasable step-in binding has a maximum DIN setting of 10 and an adjustable toe height to fit any boot. Available in three sizes.

Sizes: Short—Boot sole length 245-300 mm (4.5-9 men's): Medium—Boot sole length 280-335 mm (6-12 men's): Extra Long—Boot sole length 325-365 mm (11-13 men's)

Weight: 1680 g (3 lb 13 oz) Medium pair: *All boot sizes listed are for SCARPA boots: Rock Solid Response

Features
New Teflon anti-friction plate for a predictable toe release
Fully-releasable binding with a max DIN of 10
Uncompromising downhill performance
4-position heel lifter goes “super-high” for steep skinning


The Skis

ATOMIC - TC9 96/69/86 Remember that line about judging a book by its cover? Well, I am another example of why you shouldn't be quick to judge. The TC9's modest dimensions may take you back a few seasons but with a good driver, It can handle it all. Freeheel or fixed, It makes a very economical quiver of one. If you enjoy quick short radius turns be it steep, deep, or firm, It will please.

Mounted and ready to go!