The Official Skiing / Snowboarding / Playing in the Snow Thread

[Numbernine]

I'm on a strict no-purchase policy until I demo skis. I love my Mantras, even though they are old, and feel like it's too risky to buy skis unless I've really tested them.

Had a number of days on Spatulas and they are an absolute blast in the right conditions. Also super weird to find yourself inexorably moving down the fall line even if you are trying to do something else. Definitely great for hero snow. They were way too heavy though.

Yeah it's been amazing how much skis evolved from those first shaped models.

 

[otc]

I'm on a strict no-purchase policy until I demo skis. I love my Mantras, even though they are old, and feel like it's too risky to buy skis unless I've really tested them.

Had a number of days on Spatulas and they are an absolute blast in the right conditions. Also super weird to find yourself inexorably moving down the fall line even if you are trying to do something else. Definitely great for hero snow. They were way too heavy though.

Sometimes you just gotta take a risk! You can always resell so it isn’t a 100% loss if you hate them.

They are made in north Tahoe somewhere though, so they might have some you could try.

 

[Numbernine]

Sometimes you just gotta take a risk! You can always resell so it isn’t a 100% loss if you hate them.

They are made in north Tahoe somewhere though, so they might have some you could try.

The owner and the guys who worked with him were regulars at Alpine Meadows I think they're first shop was in a storage unit in Truckee

 

[Fueco]

 

[imatlas]

picked up some new old stock Zero G 85s

I’ve got a pair of these. They rock in hard snow, but they’re stiff as **** and really need some effort to bend them into a turn, and if you don’t bend them they don’t want to turn.

Speaking of which I’m going to pick up a pair of fat BC skis for those 12” of Sierra Cement days, my old pair weren’t great and are long past their prime. Possibly something from DPS, I’ll have to catch a demo day or something

 

[Numbernine]

I’ve got a pair of these. They rock in hard snow, but they’re stiff as **** and really need some effort to bend them into a turn, and if you don’t bend them they don’t want to turn.

Speaking of which I’m going to pick up a pair of fat BC skis for those 12” of Sierra Cement days, my old pair weren’t great and are long past their prime. Possibly something from DPS, I’ll have to catch a demo day or something

I just gave away a pair with perfect bases last week. I offered them up here awhile back. 🤷‍♂️

 

[otc]

I’ve got a pair of these. They rock in hard snow, but they’re stiff as **** and really need some effort to bend them into a turn, and if you don’t bend them they don’t want to turn.

Yeah, my first pair of touring skis were zero g 95s and I liked how they skied in the resort a lot.

But that's not really ideal for a "one ski" touring setup as they were not very floaty and hard to control in tighter trees. And they were mounted with pretty heavy bindings which was a very odd combo. Probably helped them so ski well on hard snow, but weird to take a 1250g ski and bolt a 600g binding to it.

New setup will probably shave almost a pound off per foot including skins for a proper lightweight setup.

Wonder if it will drive me to get rid of the Ravens though. I already wanted to step them up a length (184 to 190) but having a light and skinny setup might tempt me to step up to a bigger ski and burlier binding as my second...

Speaking of which I’m going to pick up a pair of fat BC skis for those 12” of Sierra Cement days, my old pair weren’t great and are long past their prime. Possibly something from DPS, I’ll have to catch a demo day or something

Have you checked out Heritage Lab skis?
BC110 is on my radar: https://the-high-route.com/review-heritage-labs-bc110/

Or even bigger with the BC120

I like what they are putting out and there are a few of their skis I would love to try. I was close to ordering their RC85 or RC95 earlier this year (before they sold out) as ski for firmer snow days. The 95 should slot in like a Mantra or Bonafide, but I was leaning 85 with a little more on-piste focus as a replacement for my Kastle MX-84 carvers.

 

[imatlas]

Yeah, my first pair of touring skis were zero g 95s and I liked how they skied in the resort a lot.

But that's not really ideal for a "one ski" touring setup as they were not very floaty and hard to control in tighter trees. And they were mounted with pretty heavy bindings which was a very odd combo. Probably helped them so ski well on hard snow, but weird to take a 1250g ski and bolt a 600g binding to it.

New setup will probably shave almost a pound off per foot including skins for a proper lightweight setup.

Wonder if it will drive me to get rid of the Ravens though. I already wanted to step them up a length (184 to 190) but having a light and skinny setup might tempt me to step up to a bigger ski and burlier binding as my second...



Have you checked out Heritage Lab skis?
BC110 is on my radar: https://the-high-route.com/review-heritage-labs-bc110/

Or even bigger with the BC120

I like what they are putting out and there are a few of their skis I would love to try. I was close to ordering their RC85 or RC95 earlier this year (before they sold out) as ski for firmer snow days. The 95 should slot in like a Mantra or Bonafide, but I was leaning 85 with a little more on-piste focus as a replacement for my Kastle MX-84 carvers.

Interesting. Made me think of my old PM Gear Bro Models, and apparently I’m not alone:

Heritage Labs r99 Comp aka the modern PM Gear Bro Model….. While a small run was made by Blossom back in the day, most Bro Models were produced in other factories.