Check out the Scott P4. I just got a pair and they are super fun and so easy to ski. Float great, I am a big guy 200lbs and they were floating me at moderate speeds on low angle slopes in deep snow. Stable at speed in cut up and other soft snow if you stand on them. Carve well in soft snow. Soft tips and tails are buttery, easy to turn and respond to a light touch as well. Also are a good bump ski for once things get tracked out. Just a really fun soft ski for soft snow. Ski them big because they have a big twin.

Note: Pretty much a soft snow specific / quiver ski. Not horrible or dangerous on hard pack but not fun on ice and not much grip.

I am just throwing this out there in case anyone was going to pickup a pow ski for trips west...

i have heard that the p4 is alright, but if you are looking for a Pow Pow ski, then you just gotta ski a volkl gotama. one of the best big line, pile skis money can buy. it has amazing float and eats up trash better then most high end disposals. just be aware the ski is specifically ment to be skied hard, if you dont ski it hard it'll kick your ass. volkl for life!!

Agreed. I've been saying this since they came out.



They are ok if you deliberately twist them out of the fall line past what the tip will automatically do for you.

I think the P4 should be mentioned along side the goat as fat skis that are easy to use and then let people make up their own minds with a demo. Worth noting: The goats have been stiffened every year since they came out. So they are a better big mtn ski for charging skiing than the P4. But there are much better big mtn skis out there, LPs, XXL, Bros, DPs, Thugs, squads, Big Daddies, etc... I have a pair of im103s for when its a little more skied off and I want to charge.

But thats not what makes a great powder ski. The older softer goats are the best ones for powder. The P4 is softer than the older goats and its easier and more fun than any goat in soft snow. It floats better in pow. Its easier to make a variety of turn shapes in soft stuff. You can easily smear turns and negotiate tight spots. The P4 is a perfect example of a ski that is similar size but because its a softer flex it floats better and skis easier in tight spots. The one place where a P4 give up something to a goat is on hard pack groomers and on icier crud. Neither of which you will find on a powder day. The P4 is basically a 108mm wide pocket rocket that has metal dampening and sidewalls for stability and a wood core so it doesn't break down.

The reason why people want to ski a goat is that its easy to ski and good ina variety of conditions. The P4 as easier to ski and better in softer snow. The way I see it break down is Goat is an every day ski if you live in SLC or Targhee. You probably have a praxis or Spats for really deep days though. The P4 is a pow ski that isn't as limited as some other super fats or reverse camber skis. Its also super fun and easy to use. I doubt most DC skiers are looking for a quiver of powder skis and want to take things easy in deep snow when making the transition from 1000' hills at 3000' up to 3000' hills at 10,000'.

This is all region / mountian specific. You can make a case in Europe or at Whistler the mts are so big that in one run you could be skiing puking snow at the top and rain at the base. In cases like that it might be better to choose a more all arround ski like a goat.

I hadn't heard much buzz about this ski when I bought it. I know many people on this site liked a softer pow ski for trips west so I thought I would post a mini review here which turned into a pretty long discussion.

I am not used to skis this wide. Only have 3 days skiing anything over 100mm. My big skis last year were 92mm wide. Yea basicly like you said on ice the ski isn't fun and take some work to keep things flowing. Skidded turns on ice

The scenario I'm thinking of where some extra work could make that ski shine instead of feeling like lumbering lasagna noodles is those little natural half-pipes at the bottom of tree runs like at the Canyons under Saddleback Xpress or under Condor Woods.

Tim,

What's your current quiver these days? P4 + IM103? + ?

What do you ski when the conditions resemble those back East? (And I've hit a few of those weeks even in Utah.)

So P4 ~ better-constructed PR? What length are you skiing them?

I agree with your assessment of the real big mountain skis. I'd love to have them for several hours under the right terrain and conditions, but they can be a load, especially in the trees and bumps. Of course if I was 20 years younger and spent my summers mountain biking at 8000 feet, I might think otherwise.

John,

My current quiver is:

191 Scott P4 (alpine - Soft snow specific)
183 Head IM103 (alpine - everything else)
181 K2 Mod (alpine - spring bumps specific)
188 nordica Beast (Touring - Pow, corn, whatever I find)

Thats about it. I wasn't happy with either of my previous midfats for all mountain use in UT so I sold them and am still in the market for something mounted alpine for low snow use. Might go with a GS race ski or just a general all mountain board arroudn 80mm wide. But after skiing the im103s at Targhee in early season conditions between storms with some sun and wind affected crud and icy groomers, I am thinking they might be good enough for "everything else".

Grabbed some 179 PEs from the SAC deals today. Should be a decent all mountain ski.