Skiing gear guide obtained today. Mark it as the first day of autumn... check the snowguns because it can't be long for the first frost now!!!

Bumping my own thread here, but if anyone didn't notice the add toward the end of Skiing Magazine, AND if anyone is planning on taking a ski trip to the Vail Resorts (not Vail ski resort, but any of the resorts owned by Vail Resorts), you really need to see these deals:

http://www.snow.com/info/pass.season.asp

Especially jaw-dropping is the $379 Seasons Pass valid at Keystone, Breckenridge, and A-Basin. Last year, it cost $330 a piece to get a five day pass to Deer Valley, Park City, and The Canyons (I'm sure it'll be more this year). If anyone is planning on skiing at the A-B-K combo more than six days this year, you might want to seriously consider this season's pass. I am, but I think with the trip to Utah I'll be limited to only one or two CO trips; not enough to justify the passes (since most of the KC runs out to CO are combo packages, so basically I'd be buying the lift tickets twice).

So I looked through the gear guides. I am amazed at the number of fat skies that they have focused on. Fully 2/3 of their skies reviewed were over 75mm wide. My widest pair is just 76mm so I am like not with the program. Anyone else notice this trend to the wide skis. Woindering what widths are dc skiers using? Do you own fatties for travel? Hwo do you like em on local trips?

I am pretty happy with my "quiver" for use at the springs and other local places. Still ridin dirty with the T50 5*s (168) and the Bigstix 7.6 (175)... but I ahve been deffinately looking onlne and a few faties ahve been calling out to me. I suppose only if I could get them for a great price then I woudl pull the trigger. Cus at this point every bit of gear I buy is taking away days skiing on western trips. Grad student budget here folks.

But after the end of last season, and skiing wiht a few bears who gave me some good input and basicly reinfoced my own conclusions.... my boots jsut dont fit well. They used to eb good but I desperately seriosuly need some new boots. My current set seems to have either massivey packed out our maybe my feet have shrunk, eitheway I am like rattleing arround in my boots, heel sloshign arround, etc... Maybe I am just progressing to the point where I need a better pair to handle what I want to do. Cus last season, its really really hurting me in moguls and when making really short controlled turns. So thats priority upgrade numero uno. Ski cener cant open up fast enough imo.

And I need to get in shape for ski season, which I didn't do last year. I have already started jogging and doing lots of leg strenghening and balance work on a every day basis. That along with the boots will be the best preparation for a kick ass ski season imo.

Roger u not only bumped your own thread, then u hijack it??

I've been thru ski, skiing and powder gear guides. Does powder have anything for eastern skiing? The other two tested my items of interest, atomic izor 97, one calls them "frontside expert" the other says they're "allmountain cruisers" what does that mean? Last night i lost a beer in my basement, retraced my steps looked in all the usual landing areas, just couldn't find the sucker.....they are pretty nice on hard snow, like short turns a lot better than the last ones, long turns just as well, wide enough for ocasional pow days or a trip to UT, a good "eastern" ski i think ......ha there it is over on the nordic track, never thought to look there

How come no one talks about beer anymore, i really love beer

Personnally I'm a wine lover, scotch as a night cap.

But to stay on topic, I purchased a pair of Nordica Nitrous Hot Rod's last year(78mm at the waist). What a great investment, used to ski Dynastar skicross 9's 66mm waist. The Nordica's can carve "REAL" close to the Dynastar's. They could take the bumps, the whales, carving on ice isn't even bad.... The added benefit is powder!!! Used to rent B2's when skiing in powder, now I have no need.

Unless you're a racer, these are it!!!!

jimmy, heh. Izors are nice, I posted some impressions here for last year's version, not that I think much has changed really. Now just try to find a review of the Diva 9.6/current 9.7feminine.

Jimmy, you just hijacked your own post. Don't give me grief about hijacking my own THREAD.

I was pleased to see Skiing hand it's "skiers choice" expert ski awards to the latest line of Volkls. I really dig my 5 stars- great one-stop performance ski. A little chattery on the ice but you need to really dig the edge in, then it stops. But since I'll be skiing pretty much exclusively in CO, NM, and UT this year, I'm not really worried about ice anymore...

Yup mine are last years version, your report pretty much nailed it. They DON'T like to go straight or be skied flat. I find they're pretty easy to skid in crud/bumps tho.

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Nordica Nitrous Hot Rod's last year(78mm at the waist). What a great investment,

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I convinced my wife that my K2 Axis X were flat and dead (180 days in 3 seasons). I went to Willi's and bought the Nitrous Hot Rod's. I'm glad to get another good review of them besides the salesman who sold them to me.