Worst Skis Ever?

[Carl]

Realskiers has an interesting article on their take of the 10 worst skis ever made. Number 4 on the list were Graves. I had a pair given to me in 1979 by a marketing guy at the company. They were manufactured in New Hampshire and I remember visiting the company on the way back to Boston from a ski trip. I can attest that they were the most unpleasant boards I've ever strapped onto my feet. Built like a tank and skied like one as well.

Did anyone have the chance to ski any of these on the list?...

http://www.realskiers.com/NEWSLETTERS/worst-skis.html

 

[Philpug]

I just saw Jackson the other day and we talked about this and compared notes. The one that was missing from the list was the Fritzmeier Duo's, the 170cm ski that added weights to make it feel longer. @Andy Mink found me a pair and I have them in the collection.

 

[cantunamunch]

I had the Hexcel Blue Ices - and I could never get the upper set of edges to engage without levering the bottom set out of the groove. Sharpening them was relatively easy with one of those compact file tools. I finally wound up taking them off a jump - and squishing the binding down into the ski.

I still have a set of Elan Predators - which are like Stilletos only name-engineered - and I really like them a lot. The only problem with them is that the binding lifters are so small that they can only be drilled once, so changing binding position, or bindings, is not a low-stress option.

45mm waists are very skiable - I've long felt that the 60mm+ people seem to regard as the lower limit for carvers is completely and totally arbitrary.

 

[Dadskier]

I just saw Jackson the other day and we talked about this and compared notes. The one that was missing from the list was the Fritzmeier Duo's, the 170cm ski that added weights to make it feel longer. @Andy Mink found me a pair and I have them in the collection.

I still remember when you had that demo pair of Solomon BBR's when we came out to Tahoe.

 

[crgildart]

I saw a LOT of Rossi FMs exlode. I had a pair of 175 cm that held up fine but I only weighed about 95 pounds when I was skiing them.

 

[fatbob]

Is the BBR really that terrible? I never got to try them but my perception is that they just overdid the marketing be by making them out to be the best thing since sliced bread. Reality seems to be that people who like them really like them, just those people aren't the technical/aggressive "serious" skiers.


And just because it makes me giggle as an example of corporate shilling gone mad here's the otherwise highly regarded Emma + Phil at Snoworks doing their best "it makes your toast and gets the kids ready for school" advertorial.

 

[cantunamunch]

I still regret never having gotten on any of the Stockli Y-skis.

 

[Philpug]

There were a lot of first generation shape skis that were really bad. Manufacturers were rushing to get product to market and they were just showing designs against the wall to see what stuck. A few that come to mind...

Fischer Revolution Ice, a shape that actually had the tail wider than the tip
Salomon Axendo, just flexing them broke the tails.

We saw a similar situate with manufacturers trying to figure what early rise was all about..

Fischer (again) with the Rocker on demand, a switch to add or remove rocker, it added nothing but weight
Head with the first Peak skis, they cut a channel just past the contact point of the tip which was designed to let the ski flex easier there but it just created a hinge point and the tip just folded over when pressured through the turn.

More Runner Ups:
Rossignol Multix with the bag of arms that you could control the flex of the skis
Dynastar with the Fusion and ID skis, asymmetrical sidewalls and sidecuts.
Salomon Pilots wth arguably the worst integrated binding design
Volant TSBD (Tight Spots Big Drops), Volant had many innovated skis, this was not one of them.
Elan SCX RP 193, the first ski made for an NFL linebacker, a PRO Bowl linebacker at that.

 

[cantunamunch]

Fischer (again) with the Rocker on demand, a switch to add or remove rocker,
.

Didn't Rossi have one of those also?

 

[Uncle-A]

The list names the Kastle B52 as the worst ski but how many different B52's are there? Just like how many K2 AMP,s are there?

 

[Dave Petersen]

I just saw Jackson the other day and we talked about this and compared notes. The one that was missing from the list was the Fritzmeier Duo's, the 170cm ski that added weights to make it feel longer. @Andy Mink found me a pair and I have them in the collection.

 

[Eleeski]

I've always claimed that if weight was a beneficial characteristic then skis would be better with added weight. To hear knowledgeable Phil and the authors put the Fritzmeier with its added weights in the worst ski category gives some support to my position.

However, I kind of liked the BBRs (maybe a little less when I found out they weren't named PBRs) and really wanted Durafiber skis so maybe the judgment is suspect.

Eric

 

[James]

I've always claimed that if weight was a beneficial characteristic then skis would be better with added weight. To hear knowledgeable Phil and the authors put the Fritzmeier with its added weights in the worst ski category gives some support to my position.

However, I kind of liked the BBRs (maybe a little less when I found out they weren't named PBRs) and really wanted Durafiber skis so maybe the judgment is suspect.
Eric

Adding weights is one thing, heavy is another. The older Stockli VXL was heavy. Couple it with a Vist plate and it was really heavy. Awesome ski. Everything isn't black and white.

 

[cantunamunch]

I've always claimed that if weight was a beneficial characteristic then skis would be better with added weight.

And that's exactly how Adrian Floreani builds skis

...actually you can add his ballbearings-in-oil mass damper to any ski:

http://floskis.com/id49.html

 

[skibob]

Priceless: "The ski would deflect violently in mid-turn, but in Olin’s defense, only if used on snow."

 

[cantunamunch]

. The older Stockli VXL was heavy.

Oooh I loved that ski, if we're talking about the one with the thorns and frost graphic.

 

[Dave Petersen]

We needs pics of all the skis on the list.

 

[cantunamunch]

There's a pair of Phantoms and a pair of B52s on fleabay right now.

We needs pics of all the skis on the list.

 

[Philpug]

Here are pic of the Fritzmeier Duo's:

Unfortunately, I don't have the weights and also the covers that would cover the weights are seized on.

 

[Eleeski]

My favorite ice ski was the Bode Miller Head SL race ski. Absolutely fantastic - and extremely heavy. But I didn't buy it. "I hate ice" and really didn't like getting my knees pulled out of their sockets on the chairlift ride up. Weight is certainly not everything but too much is a disqualifier. But too heavy does not necessarily put the ski on the worst list.

Waiting for the review on the ball bearings in oil. Maybe I'll actually see it someday.

Still loving my ultralight Goodes. Darn heavy bindings and boots take away some of the advantage.

Eric