New Gear for 05/06 Season?
November 26, 2005
45 posts
17 users
23k+ views
Just wondering what new set-ups everyone might be rocking for this season. Ski or board.
Same as the last two seasons. If it aint broke don't fix it. Burton Canyon 168, Flow Amp 5 bindings and DC Rogue boots. Only new gear is a sweet set of Oakley A frame gogs wifey got me, oh and a new Bonfire shell.
My main skis this year will be, the samee as last 162cm Metron B5s, steered by Salomon Xwave 10.0s. With Line darksides for bumps days and jumping, and Sl-9s for running gates.
Looking for fat twins if you have them and want to get rid of them tell me.
Well, this March in Whistler, I bought a pair of Rossi Bandit B2's 160cm w/ Axium 200 bindings. I also have a pair of Nordica W65 skis. I bought a pair of Nordica Beast 10 boots last year (what a great decision!!). So now I have my all-mountain skis (B2s) and my groomer/carver skis (W65s)
-Warren-
I Just left the ranks of the renters this year. Picked up Drake Podium bindings, Salomon F22 boots, and an Option supercap 157 board.
I'm after new boots this season. Took a pair of atomic B9 home for a test drive. Fit nice, not sure if it's enuf boot for me, not any stiffer than my 150 day old TCR's, the only review i've found on the b9 says they don't like to be pushed. The boot fitter may cry before he's done with me
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I did pick up a North Face soft shell and have been loving it on rainy days, and the one day of skiing.
Just picked up a pair of 176 Elan M666's which I'll probably mount Look P13's on. That will be my mid-fat, with my 174 K2 Apache V-Force's as my East-Coast groomer ski. Nordica Beast 12's, Arcteryx Sidewinder SV, Fate pants.
Btw, the M666's are still on sale at steepandcheap for an insanely low price.
www.steepandcheap.com
Next on the list is a Giro 9 helmet with tune up 2 attachment so I can plug in my MP3 player and 2 way radio at the same time. Looking forward to it this season.
I picked up my new Volkl Attiva 5 Stars this weekend at Ski Center. Yummy black slicing machines ... they have friggin' charisma! I have already named them my 'black mammas' [old skis named 'baby blues']. I am probably gonna kill myself on them [my sister says they are way too much ski for me and she is probably right] ... But ... I live my life under the old premise of 'what doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger' ... so I thoroughly intend to enjoy them .. dead or alive!
Reisen,
Thanks for the heads-up. I ordered them yesterday (Thurs) and supposedly they're on the way. (Still a bit suspicious about Net deals but I do have a UPS tracking #.)
At that price, they're gonna serve as my rock skis (early season, late season, glades at BK, etc.) Not sure which binding I'll transfer to them, but I'm thinking I've got the Cadillac of rock skis.
'Course all skis are destined to become rock skis.
My quiver has expanded exponentially the past two years. As of early January 04, I had nada safe skis to ski on. Some vintage shaped skis with a cracked edge, some straight boys with no edge left and hadn't been tuned in several years, and some retro 200+ race skis (unsafe at any speed
). If the Elans arrive, I'm now the proud papa of five new/newish skis (looking to get rid of one pair) and a whole bunch of wall decoration/ski furniture/Franz Klammer reunion artifacts.
JohnL: When is the DCSki Franz Klammer reunion theme party ? Shall we call it for the Snowshoe 24hr?
Just a pair of Flow Amp 5s for the Burton Code- 2nd ride
1st ride is a Coiler AM 172 with Catek olympic step-ins
ride TL
Just ordered my Stockli Cross.... I demoed these at the end of last season. Put a S*t eating grin on my face. They ski like buttah.....
Comprex,
How 'bout the Cupp Run Challenge (sic?) ? I've been meaning to do it for years now ...
Or maybe some random day at Whitetail. We could get a bunch of us together to sign up for beginner lessons since we are skiing on "borrowed" gear. Pity the poor instructor.
A 172!! thats a lot of stick. I'm assuming its an alpine board because a twin tip that long makes no sense. Having said that East Coast Board company has a 192cm Lib tech (standard width, not fat)they have had there for years. I doubt that'll ever sell.
Hope you enjoy the Flows, I love em.
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Comprex,
How 'bout the Cupp Run Challenge (sic?) ? I've been meaning to do it for years now ...
Hmmmmm. Now if only we can sort out a thermal spa like the one in Bad Kleinkirchheim/ And waitresses in derndls/
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Or maybe some random day at Whitetail. We could get a bunch of us together to sign up for beginner lessons since we are skiing on "borrowed" gear. Pity the poor instructor.
We have to get Physicsman in on that one. I heard tell he'd got some 60m sidecut boards squirrelled away some where.
Hmmm. I also heard something somewhere about some team issue DH boards with several layers of titanium coming over the pond with some of the local instructors. Wonder if any instructors here would know anything about that.
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Just ordered my Stockli Cross.... I demoed these at the end of last season. Put a S*t eating grin on my face. They ski like buttah.....
How would you compare the Cross to race skis? How quick are they edge to edge and how forgiving are they? I deomo'ed some Stockli's two years ago (mid-fat++) and decided they were too burly for my tastes in that category. From my very limited experience, I can see how Stocklis would be great for Mach 11 turns (or no turns) down big mountain slopes or race courses.
ESB, are they mounted for demo?
Assuming right, I ride hard boots in the a.m. and the short stuff in the p.m. Have taken the coiler into the parks, get funny looks, smile and ride on.
I've seen footage of front flipped alpines, it is a rare sight though.
North Conway, Where do you usually ride? I see 4-5 regulars on alpine boards at Timberline. I just got into it last season and its probably the most fun I've ever had on a board. I can't jump, flip or spin but man do I love to carve. I'm looking now for something longer to replace my old Liquid Arc 164 with Burton Physics. Maybe something in the upper 170 low 180 range. I'm a pretty big guy. My soft setup is a Dynastar LZ wide 170 or a K2 FatBob 164 with Flow bindings and Burton Driver X boots.
Cupp run challenge? You mean This:
link --Tim
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Cupp run challenge? You mean This:link --Tim
Yep!
Timberline, spend about 25 - 30 days/yr at the place. Just my 2 cent, stay with 170ish board. 180+ is alot of board to be moving on trails in WV, Pa or even in VT or NH. Great for the first hour or two, but when the bus loads get geared up and head up, 180+ would get real long. A good stiff 170ish with Catek or Bomber binding will take you deep into the carve. Just picture white lighting or dew drop at x-max around 11:00 with all those folks and you on a 180+ moving at xx mph setting up to carve across....could be trouble. I just like the 170ish board, can ride it longer in the day and still man handel if need be.
Thanks for the suggestions. I agree that the crowded days can be a little hairy on alpine gear. I try my best to hit the gaps in the crowds and wait for opening if I have to. I do think i need a bit more board than my currrent set up but you are probably right about the 180+ being too much. I'm about 6'4" and 255lbs. Sometimes my Liquid feels like it wants to fold the nose if its pushed too hard into a carve. It probably just not a stiff enough board for my weight. Could be my lack of skill too. I'm thinking about picking up a used Burton Speed 173 from a guy on bomber online. I'd love to have a custom Prior,Coiler or Donek but unfortunately I don't have the cash for one right now. Thanks again
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Just picked up a pair of 176 Elan M666's which I'll probably mount Look P13's on. That will be my mid-fat, with my 174 K2 Apache V-Force's as my East-Coast groomer ski. Nordica Beast 12's, Arcteryx Sidewinder SV, Fate pants.
Btw, the M666's are still on sale at steepandcheap for an insanely low price. www.steepandcheap.com
Just arrived today! Can't wait to try out those bad boys. Hopefully on Thanksgiving weekend ...
Nice rock skis. what are the dimensions on those bad boys? How stiff are they?
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Nice rock skis. what are the dimensions on those bad boys? How stiff are they?
116-76-102 (176 cm)
I believe they are the 04-05 model. I couldn't find the M666 listed in Peter K's 03-04 listings, the graphics don't look like the 05-06, plus Elan has introduced the Magfire 12 in that category. Hence, the price savings.
I'll let you know how they ski. Rated very highly in 04-05, great in the soft stuff and apparently good carving ability on the firm. Pretty versatile ski.
My originally calling these skis rock skis is not doing them justice. I'll take them in places like the woods we hit last year @ T-Line (in sketchier conditions), real early/late season days, but I won't deliberately abuse them. Best of all, it will allow me to keep the edges of my SX-9's in better shape, which is needed when it gets firm in the East. You don't really notice those tree-skiing dings until it gets icy again...
But it was great practice skiing a 65mm ski in East Coast pow, cut-up and trees...
Grey topsheet is 04/05. 03/04 it was called the Mantis 662, before it got the Fusion system.
The 666 is still in the lineup; The 555 goes away in favor of the Magfire 10.
I thought you said you didn't believe in a "Quiver". Lol.
Those are going to be awesome for off piste adventures in this area. And they sound very similar to my Bigstix 115-76-100 (175 CM). The place when I thought this type of ski did best was actually dealing with cut up snow, and crud. They are a little stiff for powder where it seems a softer ski decambers more easily. They are fairly straight compared to carving skis so they dont get hung up as much and the stiffness lets you punch through. --Tim
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ESB, are they mounted for demo?
Yes!!
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I thought you said you didn't believe in a "Quiver". Lol.
Nah, still don't. East Coast and West Coast is all you need. Plus it doesn't hurt to have a set of rock skis.
But I just can't say no when I keep running across these specialty skis at amazing prices.
Hello, my name is John and I'm a skiaholic and a powderaholic...
on ebay.
For those of you that
do believe in quivers.
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I thought you said you didn't believe in a "Quiver". Lol.
Nah, still don't. East Coast and West Coast is all you need. Plus it doesn't hurt to have a set of rock skis.
But I just can't say no when I keep running across these specialty skis at amazing prices.
Hello, my name is John and I'm a skiaholic and a powderaholic...
....holic, way to go JohnL, first step of twelve, hope it snows soon.....jon don't wanna grow up, he's a skisRus kid .
So last nite i pick up the new b9 boots at the atomic store, left my skis w/them for new edge and wax.....park rat looking dude brings them out and they've got one marked as the right ski with this nice glow in the dark sticker. Never worried before about which one went on which foot......too much structure for me i guess. Anyway should i just ignore it or put duct tape overit or what? How did they know which ski was the right one?
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Never worried before about which one went on which foot......too much structure for me i guess.
Knowing the left from the right is not as important as knowing the forward from the backward.
After 12 seasons (including one free set of replacement shells and one discount set of replacement silicone liners), my trusty Technica boots are about ready to be put to rest. Just got fitted by Brian B. at Ski Center this afternoon. Comprex will appreciate this: Nordica Speed Machine 14 boots, heat-moldable custom liners and Kork Ski-Thotics. Nothing like a set of boots that fit like a glove; gotta treat the dogs right.
Jimmy,
You already know my thoughts on the left/right thing. For those that don't, it doesn't make a difference as long as you keep your sticks tuned.
Don't be afraid. The Fall Lion won't hurt you!!!
Hey Paul, Cold weather waking you up, kind of like a reverse hibernation thing? Winter is almost here on the western front, eh?
JohnL, maybe i need a pair of those twin tips, frontwardbackwardsleftright makes no difference?
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Knowing the left from the right is not as important as knowing the forward from the backward.
Dang, THAT'S what's been the problem with my new boots I just thought they were new. Let me see here.... put them on the other way 'round. HEY, they fit MUCH better
-Warren-
188cm 2005/2006 PMgear Bro Skis with Rossi FKS 155 Binders
170cm 2002/2003 Dynastar Speed 63 with Look P12 Demo Bindings
Picked up some twin tip fatties for the west coast and good pow days in the east. Salomon Foil 174's with some look bindings. Now I can learn how to do some real hucking and airtime. Hello ACL surgery.
SM 14s, huh?
Interesting. I thought the liners were a liability on the old Beasts (too pillowy).
Did you change MP sizes from your Tecnicas at all?
Curious about those footbeds too.
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SM 14s, huh?
Interesting. I thought the liners were a liability on the old Beasts (too pillowy).
Did you change MP sizes from your Tecnicas at all?
Curious about those footbeds too.
I'm not the gear geek, but I'll give it my best. Despite being a techie for a living, I definitely buy ski equipment by how it "feels" (especially boots.)
First of all, fit was right, and the boot was chosen by Brian B. to be one of the (modern) equivalents (but upgrade)to my old Tecnica TNTs (not sure of the exact model since they are so old.) Shell of the Nordicas is more narrow than that of the Tecnica Diablo Magnesiums, so I found it fits my feet better. (The Tecnicas without a silicone liner are pretty roomy.) Also, since I'm more of a freeskier and bumper than a racer, I didn't want race stiffness.
From what I've since read in the Ski/Skiing gear reviews, the SM 14s are an upgrade over the old Beasts. (Also sounds like the SM 14s have changed from their inaugural year.) To get the tighter fit comparable to my old silicone liners, I decided to upgrade to the after-market liners. Both the stock Nordica and Technica liners had too much play in them for my tastes. (I'll plead ignorance on the exact liner model, but they are cork-based. Don't believe they are the Zip Fits which are ?.) So the pillowy liners of the old Beasts shouldn't apply. I definitely feel more of the shell in the ankle area compared to the old Tecnicas.
Not sure if there was a MP change, but Brian B. thought my old boots were sized correctly (@ Ski Chalet.) (IIRC, Technica's Mondo sizing is diff from others.) Toe fit is pretty comparable to that of the old Tecnicas, although the stock Nordica liners narrowed drastically in the toe box to give it a too tight feel on the top surface.
Not sure what to add about the footbeds.
Looks like I'm going to have to try Nordicas again.
The footbeds: full custom? how stiff are they at the forefoot compared to Superfeet or DownUnders?
One of my troubles is that my arch shape seems to change with weight changes and off-season training, so every year something new seems necessary.
Last seasons SM was built on the Beast chassis, this season there is an entire line of SM boots that have completely redesigned shell and liner. I think it fits great.