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Help wanted - advice on buying skis for my daughter

Warburton

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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Hi there from Sweden, been lurking for awhile in this excellent forum - now I would appreciate some help picking out a ski for my daughter.

(@Philpug @Tricia - been reading old threads for a while and I do think that this is a rare combo on the internet these days - lots of knowledge and a friendly tone in the discussions, keep up the good work!)

Ok - so it seems she has slowed down growing and are really starting to like skiing (yay!). So time to get her off the rentals and on to something that will help her move from intermediate to advanced. Managed to score an excellent deal on a pair of Dalbello Lotus 85 last year with the Intuition liner which she loves - partly because fit but also since she "felt more in control" - which is probably due to a better fit and bit stiffer boot than the rental boots.

Her stats:
  • 15yrs old (soon 16)
  • 172 cm / 5' 8''ish
  • 55 kg / 120lbs
  • Athletic - football practice 3-4 times per week year round, strong legs and core, good balance.(No, it is not called soccer. :)
Skiing ability
Skis approx 10-20 days per year. (One week home in Sweden, One in Italy/France + weekend trips in Sweden)
Intermediate skier - parallell turns, starting to carve turns 25% of the time, will get down red runs in the French alps without hesitation and will make it down a black in a safe and controlled manner without complaint - but prefers red/blue runs.

Ski conditions - Sweden/Europe - i.e 95% frontside skiing, (seems a bit like East coast USA judging by the discussions here) - Icy hardpack in the mornings, windblown, packed and slush in the afternoon. Once in a while a foot of fresh snow.

My thoughts so far - a frontside ski with a little bit of more width to cope with spring skiing/warmer days where the manmade snow in the afternoon becomes quite churned and soft. Somewhat cost sensitive (we only average 15 days over the last few years - so Stöckli/Kästle is a bit pricey for that...)

Length/sizing I think is tricky - tall, but light, but strong, intermediate who wants to improve...

Many womens skis only go to 160 cm...which is almost 15cm shorter than her - yet again she only weighs 55kgs, and with football practice + games nothing sticks to her bones (just shy of 6-pack abs year round - ergo the opposite of me...)

I personally do like the fact that Atomic/Dynastar/Head actually makes women specific designs - like lighter cores, ramp angles etc

But for her "as long as it skis well" she is not picky in terms of looks/graphics.

Ideas (based on reviews and availability and cost).
  • Atomic Vantage X - but which version and length?
  • Rossi Temptation 80 - 160 or 168?
  • Armada Victa 83
  • Dynastar Glory ?
  • Head Absolut Joy ?
  • Others? Mens skis in shorter lengths

Any input appreciated!
 

Josh Matta

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do you know where the term soccer comes from Great Britain right? :P
 
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Warburton

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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do you know where the term soccer comes from Great Britain right? :P
:)
I knew someone would bite! Yep, you are 100% correct sir.
However... one of the reasons why hardcore football fans (especially in the UK) dislikes the word soccer maybe because it is an abbreviation from Oxford (association football became soccer i). And football in europe has always been seen as a working class sport. Hence calling it a name invented by the upper class Oxford students did not sit well for many.

And, my daughter just delivered the final verdict. "It's football, duh!" Including the mandatory eye-roll which 15 year old daughters do so well.
 

Dwight

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The Head Total Joy would work well took. Seems to be getting popular at my little hill.

I would also look at the Elan women skis, some nice options there too. Either the Twilight 84 or the Studio All Mountain serious(if long enough)
 

Philpug

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Looks liek you want to stay in the 80's in the width, not a bad decision. The Heads & Rossi's, with their shape, are a little hard snow biased where the Armada, Dynastar and Atomic's shape are a little more versatile. Depending which way you wanted to lean, they are are ll fine choices. The Atomic Vantage w 85, Armada Victa 83/Invicus 85, Glory 84/Powertrack 84 are some of the first skis that came to mind when I started reading what you were looking for.
 

Jilly

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I'm a Rossi girl.....the Temptation would be good. I'm heavier than your daughter and shorter. Ski the 161 in the 88 version as my "snow ski". Going to try the Vantage at a demo day coming up.
 

Tricia

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Ideas (based on reviews and availability and cost).
  • Atomic Vantage X - but which version and length?
  • Rossi Temptation 80 - 160 or 168?
  • Armada Victa 83
  • Dynastar Glory ?
  • Head Absolut Joy ?
  • Others? Mens skis in shorter lengths
You're definitely on the right track with this list, but let me help make a few changes.
I think the Temptation series from Rossi is great but from what you describe of her skiing and size, I'd stay with something that has a little less shape to it.
Things she needs in a ski:
  • Strong enough for her athleticism
  • Forgiving enough for her intermediate moments
  • Stability at speed
  • Something that will help her improve on her skills

At the top of the list is the Atomic Vangate X. That is a good places to start. The Atomic Vantage 80X Cti W is a really nice ski. Makes nice turns, but has enough life in it to inspire a little fun.
The Armada Victa is a really good choice, but consider going with the 87 Ti because it will be stable for her, will help her improve and is strong enough for her athleticism.
The Head Joy is a good choice but I'd go with the Total Joy which is a touch stronger and will be more stable at speed than the Absolute Joy.
Dynastar Glory 89 is a nice choice as well. Its a little damper than the other choices above. Does she like a ski with a little more *pop* or does she like something that's damp and cruisy?
A ski you don't have on the list is the Völkl Flair 81. That is a ski in the same wheelhouse as the Atomic Vantage X in this situation. Its got a little energy to it, with a nice edge hold and stability.
In all of these, at her size, and with her athleticism, I'd stay in the 163+ cm sizing.
For instance, I'd go with the 171 cm length in the Armada Victa 87Ti. I can guarantee she'll have fun on that one in that length.
 

Tricia

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..... And here's the beauty of this site, and real life discussion as well as on line discussion.
Phil made a good point to me after I posted.
Using the Armada's as an example, at her weight, but allowing for her height and athleticism, she may be better off with the Victa 85 in 171cm(non metal), or the 87Ti in the 163(Ti version)
 
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Warburton

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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Thank you very much for the replies and input. Now after a crazy week traveling for work I have managed to track down a pretty good deal on Invictus 85 @167cm.
(Which is the same as the Victa if I understood correctly)

Hmm..perhaps a matched set for christmas...89TI for me and 85 for her... :D

I think that is what you referenced when talking about length - ie 167 in the non-metal version or 163 in the Victa/Invictus TI right?

And - tagging on to your cagematch @Tricia I also found a nice discount deal for Salomon QST 85 @169 length....which by the sounds of what I can find online could be a nice alternative as well.
 

Philpug

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I think that is what you referenced when talking about length - ie 167 in the non-metal version or 163 in the Victa/Invictus TI right?

And - tagging on to your cagematch @Tricia I also found a nice discount deal for Salomon QST 85 @169 length....which by the sounds of what I can find online could be a nice alternative as well.

Yes, the 167 non metal or the 163 Ti would be a great choice. I really like how Armada scales their skis. The QST 85 is nice, it is not the ski the Invictus/Victa.
 

Tricia

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Thank you very much for the replies and input. Now after a crazy week traveling for work I have managed to track down a pretty good deal on Invictus 85 @167cm.
(Which is the same as the Victa if I understood correctly)

Hmm..perhaps a matched set for christmas...89TI for me and 85 for her... :D

I think that is what you referenced when talking about length - ie 167 in the non-metal version or 163 in the Victa/Invictus TI right?

And - tagging on to your cagematch @Tricia I also found a nice discount deal for Salomon QST 85 @169 length....which by the sounds of what I can find online could be a nice alternative as well.
:beercheer:
 

Monique

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Many womens skis only go to 160 cm

(off topic, but you got me curious)
I'll bite - what women's skis have you found that top out at 160?
 

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