I'm looking for a good all mountain ski. My Rossi Z9s are suffering from 120+ days and have assumed the favored position of rock skis in my quiver. I've heard good things about the Rossi Z 15s and the Z 11s, but am curious as to what else is out there. I'll probably pro-form whatever it is unless someone has a set for sale at a good price.

See if any of my deals (in classifieds) are appealing to you. The im77 are probably the best all-mtn skis of that bunch. I have skied the Head im77, im78, and im82, and all are very good all-mtn skis for the east (and the 82s could double as a western all-mtn ski too).

For whatever reason, Rossi skis are not getting much love on Epic Ski (neither is Salomon) and I think that is a telling sign. The attention has been on Fischer, Head, Dynastar, Elan, and Blizzard in recent years (probably 1-2 others I am forgetting).

Rossi? CS70 and CX80 and S7 are getting love.

None of them will feel like a Z9 tho.

Here are my rankings on my All Mountain collection.

PA VT WEST
ice/granular steep/deep powder/bumps

Blizzard 7400(74) +++ +++ too narrow
Blizzard 8.7 (87) +++ +++ +++
Volkl AC3 (76) +++ +++ ++
Volkl AC40 (82) ++ +++ +++
Head IM78 (78) ++ +++ ++

These are all wood core skis. The Volkls are the stiffest (less forgiving) then the Blazzards and the Head's are the softest. All this skiis will handle eastern crust and crud
without a problem and do well in glades and powder also.

Also has anybody tuned the Head IM78 to 2 deg on the edges? The factory is 1 deg and they don't grip the ICE as well as the Blizzard and Volkl skis do with 2 deg edges?

Yes.

I do find, however, that ski flex has a very great effect on how a ski feels and engages edge on ice. More so than the edge bevel angles, in my opinion.

My best ICE skis are a pair of Ogasaka EC-Rs, imagine a Fischer RX9 with a maple wood core. Factory 1/1, I haven't sharpened them in at least 2 seasons, (not since I spent some time with Dave Powell at WT, working on OLR </shamelessplug>).

I just took a pair of iM78 out of the wrapper and they had a 2 deg side angle, 1 base. Almost all the Heads I have bought in recent years came 2/1 (often not perfectly consistent from tip to tail though).

hey kwill... i thought you wanted a tele ski for around here!
if so, you want the Karhu 10th mountain!



use it anywhere. resorts or backcountry. has sidecut, so it turns great, metal edges, waxless base (ie: scales under foot) so it can climb great too. the best all purpose "ski anywhere" ski for around here many would seem to agree

I haven't checked my IM78's- I emailed HEAD and they sent me these numbers?

Head:

IM/Monster ranges: 1,1
2007 Cool Thang: 1,1
2007 Supershapes 1,1
2006 C260i: 1,1
2006 i.SL RD: 1,1
2005 1100 XRC Chip: 1,1
2004 Head C140: 1,1

So I guess the factory thinks they are grinding 1 and 1?
But the IM78's are the most flexible ski I have and I agree that flex makes the gripe free looser. The IM78's are much more of a fennec ski then the Volkls or Blazzards

I love ya man But don't you jones for that thrill of the hill...You drop down a face & start to feel the speed pick up as you start those G-force turns...You push the issue & now you are skiing on the edge of Control..the next turn turns critical & if you don't make it your Bono'ed for eternity...but you knew you would make it cuzz you are bad to the bone & you have just confirmed the fact!...x-country/tele is beautiful but isn't it a lot like work?.....How ya been Bro?

From what people post on Epic, the Heads have been coming with lousy tunes -- like 1 side and 2-3 on the base! And even then, it's inconsistent from tip to tail. So, who knows what the factory thinks they are doing.

My iM82s skied well in Utah this week, but I got a major does of unacceptable chatter if they got even a little sideways on chalky snow. When I was touching up the edges freehand the other night, I could feel the side angle change from tip to midsection and midsection to tail. So I bet these have a lousy factory tune. I plan to cut new edge angles next time I tune them at home, just so I know they are consistent.

I have an older Head Monster IM70 (or IM72 ...can't remember) and I think they are a great ski. I heard the IM78 was an excellent all mountain ski. I think the IM82 are a bit wider and more designed for off piste/powder. I suggest you demo a pair of IM78's and I think you will like them. I also have a pair of K2 Axis X which are 8 years old and I use them for crud.

FWIW, CX80 is getting a lotta love on Real Skiers. More than the Z11 and Z15.

I'm thinking it might be a demo ski in JH, esp if conditions stay like they are.

What are conditions like in Jackson? Good or bad? (Relatively speaking, of course.)

(Also, I'm a no go for the Epic trip to JH; gonna milk the Timberline experience in February.)

Oh, good, fersure good, just a bit on the, ah, firm side.

I think the iM82 is a better all-mtn ski, in the sense that it tries to be decent at everything you're likely to encounter. It is a lot more versatile than the iM78. Note that the older iM77 was more versatile and a better all-mtn ski than the iM78 too, but the extra width makes the 82 even better.

I consider the iM78 to be wide groomer skis. They ski short, have a short turning radius, and a lot of edge grip. They also have a lot more pop/character than other Heads in the Monster series. The 78 is my new "narrow" ski, primarily to be used locally on packed powder/ice.

For everything else, the iM82 will be my goto ski locally, and out west unless there is a powder dump. It's extremely versatile on everything from packed snow to bumps to powder. It's not super-duper at any particular type of skiing, but above average to very good over the whole range. As I noted in my review on Epic, this is as close to a true all-mountain ski as I have ever owned.

....is it a ski that works at all mountains or all over one mountain or is this a stupid question?

I am 5'7 170# and my all mountain ski at Timberline is an Atomic Izor, 72x159. Those are the perfect all mountain ski for me for that mountain. Great edge hold on groomers, work very well for me in bumps/trees, enough float for a mid-atlantic powder day.

I had a great deal <buymejimmy takemehomejimmy> fall into my lap on a pair of Atomic Crimson Nomads, 86x169. My thinking was that this would be a good ski for UT VT mountains as well as big days at home. Testing is not complete, i've never skied anything this wide before but my first impression after four or five demo runs was these are a handfull.

Now that I've spent three full days on them that impression has changed. These skis rip on hard or soft groomers, long or short turns, edgehold is solid. I did not expect that from a ski this wide. Light chop & crud feels like groomed snow. I'm still not real comfortable in the bumps/trees as i'm still not patient enough with my short turns and they do NOT like to be driven from the backseat.

So do i have two pairs of all mountain skis for two different mountains or is this my first alpine quiver?

Quiver. One more thing for Mrs. Jimmy to get mad at you about ...

IMHO, for the Mid Atlantic, just about any ski is an all-mountain ski. If you can't ski it reasonably well around here on any slope in any condition, time to take lessons. Just sayin. (I'll make an exception for race boards - you'll likely trash them in the bumps, and exotic 110mm+ powder boards that you find out West or in Bushwacker's or Comprex's locker.)

For the Mid-Atlantic, I'm now separating my quiver based on how much damage I'm willing to do to the bases and edges.

Skis on which I want to keep a good tune and base:
04 Atomic SX 9

I've skied them everywhere and had a blast, including trees, but from here on out, I think I'll keep these guys in good shape.

Steep and Cheap bargain basement specials that I don't care too much what happens to them, i.e. my rock skis (ideal for local trees and early/late season):
05 Elan M 666
07 K2 Public Enemy

Actually, I've only skied my rock skis this year. Since they are softer, the PE's will probably get less abuse in the T-Line and BK glades. Need to get them mounted this week for the upcoming BK gathering. So I guess my 666's are my rock skis, and the PE's are my Meathead rock skis.

Skis I'll only take on vacation:
05 Salomon Pocket Rockets (West)
09 Line Prophet 90 (Vermont)

Now it's time to try to add to my quiver of cars. Actually, my current ski quiver is prolly worth more than my car quiver.

Interesting. I think I see where you're coming from with this.

That is -sort of- related to the old GS9 which was about the most versatile narrow stick of that era I can think of. The GS11 and the SX11 were the halo honkers, but not as versatile.

I'll even offer a suggestion for another one like that: the Stockli Stormrider AT/XL which is like your M666 except they put a racing ptex base on it.