Thread: Karhu Storm vs. Storm BC for EC Touring

Looking to scoop up a dedicated touring ski for the east and I have settled on either the storm or storm bc. This will be pretty much 100% BC and primarily in the whites so I see all snow conditions and terrain varies from chutes and steeps on Washington to the tight trees and narrow runs of the rest of the MWV. Ive got Spirit 4's and FFR's waiting to go - should I go storm or storm bc, and at 5'10 175lb would you go 177 or 184 (if we can try and objectively answer this question without the typical "If only they made this in a 195" dick waving)?

Better on the up
177 BC
Better on the down
184 storm

184 BC compromise?

I tele'd a pair of 177 BC's and thought they chattered a bit / lacked beef on Whiteface ice, but then again, I'm a shitty tele skier.

Only east coast? Only touring? I haven't skied either but for 100% bc the lighter ski is going to be better. (Some will pop up and say that if a ski is too light that it doesn't ski well which is true, but neither is at that level.) I'm 160lbs and my skis measure 184cm which is a bit long in the east, while perfect in the west. If you are using these primarily in the east and on the steeps on Mt Washington (with lots of wind hammered snow and tight terrain that requires a lot of turning) I would go for the shorter length. Oh, and get dynafits. You will be in heaven.

XtrPickels,

Yeah I hear that, If I go BC ill definitely go 184. I guess the length question only applies to the regular storm.

Dromond,

My concern is that the BC might be more of a pure pow and soft snow ski for the west despite the marketing BS from Karhu. Its worth the extra pound per pair to me to have some confidence in your boards no matter what the condition may be. As I remember you're on some coomba's so I think you're of the same school of thought there. Sad part is, I had FT12s from the group buy and had to roll them over to another mag back in Oct. - wish I had not done that now.

Originally Posted by skibumnh

XtrPickels,

Yeah I hear that, If I go BC ill definitely go 184. I guess the length question only applies to the regular storm.

Dromond,

My concern is that the BC might be more of a pure pow and soft snow ski for the west despite the marketing BS from Karhu. Its worth the extra pound per pair to me to have some confidence in your boards no matter what the condition may be. As I remember you're on some coomba's so I think you're of the same school of thought there. Sad part is, I had FT12s from the group buy and had to roll them over to another mag back in Oct. - wish I had not done that now.

I think having metal in a ski is a bit overkill when it's going to spend 90% of its life going up. I bet the BC version will ski great and get you more vert of skiing with less fatigue. The 184 Storm is the same weight and length as my skis, but I've ridden lifts a good bit on them even with dynafits, and they were my only pair for over a month in the west. I bet they are softer than the Storm and I think a more forgiving ski is better in the backcountry. Unless the storm BC has a notorious lack of edgehold I would go that route.


P.S. I got some Comforts on Ebay the other day for $215. Don't cheat yourself - that's going to make a much bigger difference than your ski choice.

Originally Posted by Dromond

P.S. I got some Comforts on Ebay the other day for $215. Don't cheat yourself - that's going to make a much bigger difference than your ski choice.

You know you're an enabler right?

I remember the BC having poor torsional rigidity, which would rule it out for me on EC ice.

Originally Posted by skibumnh

You know you're an enabler right?

What am I saying... Fritschis are great! Actually, I have a pair that I can sell to you...

Originally Posted by Dromond

What am I saying... Fritschis are great! Actually, I have a pair that I can sell to you...

The comments about torsional rigidity were what I was afraid of and if you've got me thinking Dynafit, that lb per pair means even less to go with the regular storm over the BC.

Just found this review from BC mag which is making me think 177 might be the ticket for what I want to do.

Karhu Storm
Size[CM] 170, 177, 184
Tip/Waist/Tail:[MM] 128-96-117
Weight/Pair: 8LBS 6OZ (177)
www.karhuskico.com

This Storm didn’t leave any destruction in its wake—just impressed testers. “A smooth ride,” said one. “Give these babies an aggressive skier and they’ll give the sugar.”

With a robust Macroblock core, in which strips of maple and aspen are laminated in parallel, and Karhu’s visible Titanal 3 metal construction technology, the Storm scored highest in dampness, long turns, and busting-through-tough-snow aptitude. “Easy turn initiation with a smooth, buttery pop to the turns,” said one Green Mountain transplant. “A great all-around powder touring ski,” said another, “awesome at high speeds, and also at slower speed, short turns.”

Some skiers found the Storm a bit much in tight quarters, “Not great in tight trees,” said one. Another found the flex unusual, “Soft shovel and stiff tail made for a tough balance.” But consider this from a young tele-tester: “The stiff tail is great for snapping out of turns."

Originally Posted by skibumnh

The comments about torsional rigidity were what I was afraid of and if you've got me thinking Dynafit, that lb per pair means even less to go with the regular storm over the BC.

Just found this review from BC mag which is making me think 177 might be the ticket for what I want to do.

so for the 177 Storm vs. 184 Storm BC you are looking at 370 grams (0.87lbs) more. In reality that will be negated a bit but the smaller skin size, and having less snow stuck on the ski. Dynafits (TLT no brakes) vs. Freerides on the other hand are 1200 grams lighter and since the binding stays on the ski rather than you having to lift it every step will feel much, much lighter than that. So in terms up uphill ease you are looking at 3-4 times bigger difference with the binding vs. the ski choice. (Please excuse my lunch-break math.)

Yeah that's what I was getting at but struggled to articulate, the binding makes a bigger difference than the ski in terms of weight saving.

Alright, thanks for the help Dromond et al. I went with the 177 Storms based on the fact that I plan to be in tight spaces and turning a lot more than I would be at the resort. Also grabbed the Vertical TLTs that were on sale at BC.com. Just doing my part to stimulate the economy.

Whos got a Dynajig in Boston?

Excellent! And you just increased the number of Massachusetts skiers on Dynafits by a sizable percentage. (Note that I wrote the number of skiers, not the number of Dynafits, since my household quiver dampens the percentage increase.)

Originally Posted by skibumnh

Whos got a Dynajig in Boston?

I have a jig, but through March I'll be away a lot, although send me a PM if you want to come over to use my jig. (I'm about 1:45 from Boston, depending exactly where you live.)

Originally Posted by Jonathan S.

Excellent! And you just increased the number of Massachusetts skiers on Dynafits by a sizable percentage. (Note that I wrote the number of skiers, not the number of Dynafits, since my household quiver dampens the percentage increase.)

I have a jig, but through March I'll be away a lot, although send me a PM if you want to come over to use my jig. (I'm about 1:45 from Boston, depending exactly where you live.)

Jonathan S, as I remember you not only have the dynajig, but every other AT jig under the sun. Thanks for the offer but I think the gas alone to get out to Amherst will add up to more than the raping I would get at JJWH or similar, plus its been over a year since I've been talked down to by shop techs with half as many ski days as me, so I'm due for a visit there. Hows the rando season going?

Originally Posted by skibumnh

[...]the raping I would get at JJWH or similar, plus its been over a year since I've been talked down to by shop techs with half as many ski days as me[...]

As a friend of mine (who'd spent lots of time in Germany and Austria) once remarked back when it was Bob Smith’s Wilderness House, “every time I go to Bob Smith’s House of Incompetent Con Artists for something, they say it will take two weeks and I have to leave my boots there – how about if I tell them to stick a rudelstanger up their butts for two weeks?”

Anyway, the New England backcountry has been great this season, even down south in Mass. (Although I feel like a traitor for leaving the current storm to head out to Boisie.)
For rando competition (well, more like rando events rather than real competitive competition), the Berkshire East race I organized went very well, although I had to cancel the first Magic race on account of snow conditions. But the MRV race had record participation, and I’m hoping to have a big turnout for the March Magic race.

All set up now and ready for corn season in the whites...

Sweet setup. Enjoy it!

I'm a light guy @ 145lbs looking for a really good powder tele ski that is reasonable on packed snow too. Does the Storm BC make more sense for me or the regular Storm?

Definitely Storm - its pretty soft to begin with, I cant imagine skiing it without the metal.