For reference, I am 6'2", 250lbs and I dont do finesse. My two favorite skis ever made are the Salomon Dictator and the Atomic Bentchetler.
Initial Impressions
When
@Philpug brought these into the shop and I got a good look at them, my first thought was "The Nordica FireArrow EDT and the Rossi Experience98 had a love child." When he told me the sticker price, I was a little skeptical as I have never been on a $1k+ (flat) pair of skis that really put a smile on my face.
The day (afternoon) I skied them was a greybird hero groomer day at Northstar. The first run I took didn't leave me head over heals in love with the ski, but Phil suggested I move the bindings back 1 cm. I decided to give the them one more lap the way they were set up to see if I could get a better baseline feel for them. About halfway through the next run I found the sweet spot, and it put an ear to ear grin on my face. These things absolutely rip! They want to be driven, and will remind you when you step out of the drivers seat. I didnt bother moving the bindings back because once I found the sweet spot and realized the ski wants input, I didnt really feel I needed to (although I may do so next time I ski them just for gits and shiggles). Regardless of what turn shape I told the ski to make, or how rude I was about telling it, it did it without a fuss. If you arent driving the ski, the tails will overpower you and throw you into the back, but I like that in a ski. All in all, after about 4 runs I had the ski pretty much figured out and pushed them as much as I could the rest of the day. I even took it into some crud/sluff/soft bumps and was incredibly surprised at how well it handled it.
- Who's it for? A skier. This is my definition of "A hard snow skiers ski." This is for the skier who wants race stock performance with more hard snow versatility. It is for those who know how to dig railroad track trenches in corduroy.
- Who's it not for? Cheapos. People who want to ski every part of the mountain on one ski. Novice to low advanced skiers. You need to be able to bend a ski in order to enjoy this ski.
- Insider tip: Don't be afraid to make big turns with it. I'm 6'2" and skied the 174cm, and it was just as happy making BIG GS turns as it was making quick slalommy turns.
Will update after I ski it more...