Thread: What's the ultimate (or your) SollyFit setup? Need help figuring out what to do.

So I'm looking for a ski to mount with SollyFit plates. I'm looking for a ski to complement my Praxis Powderboards. I need something stiff and fat enough to ski inbounds and bust crud and tracked pow on non-blower days on trips out west. I also need something light enough and fat enough to tour on deep days in the east and when touring out west. The skis that I think strike a good balance of both are listed below. Let me know what feedback/comparisons you can offer on the skis listed, or if there is something I haven't listed, feel free to throw out a name of a ski. Thanks.

180 Praxis Backcountry
184 Praxis Freeride
184 DPS RP112 Pure
184 DPS Wailer 99 Pure
186 PM Gear Carbon Lhasas
186 ON3P Vicik (carbon fiber version?)

If anyone has skied some of these skis above and can throw in their $0.02 on how they compare, please do so. Thanks.

I would also look at the ON3P Billygoat in a 186. Next year they are making a lighter BC version.

^^^I've skied the regular billy goat from the first season, and didn't really like the way it skied. So even though a lighter version is the works, it wouldn't be a direction I would be leaning. I am intrigued by the Vicik though.

Also, if anyone can comment on the inbounds performance of the Praxis backcountry, especially compared to the freeride, that would be great.

Originally Posted by harpo-the-skier

I would also look at the ON3P Billygoat in a 186. Next year they are making a lighter BC version.

I agree, but than again, I am pretty darn biased.

with the 191, my goal with the 186 was to turn it into an extended side country, touring powder ski. The tour version is going to be heavier than the Lhasa's, or a DPS Pure construction. It is also wider at 116.

The 4FRNT Hoji is supposed to be coming out next year and is supposed to be similiar to the renegade but lighter and a touring ski.

There is a 2012/13 4FRNT ski lineup pdf floating around that has dimensions.

Originally Posted by njfreeskier

I've skied the regular billy goat from the first season, and didn't really like the way it skied.

They are very different skis. I suggest you try and demo a pair.

Given that you're looking at skis in the low-mid 180 cms, I'm assuming you're a smaller guy? At 5'11" and 165# and seriously weak (recovering from injuries), I LOVE my stiff, carbon PM Gear 191 Lhasa Fats. So fast and stable, yet not too much of a handful in the trees. If you say you like something stiff, I would throw out the W112 and possibly the W99 (note: I haven't yet skied or hand flexed the W99). Personally, even the L120 is too soft for my taste, so I would assume the W99 would be similar. Though I will say that the bamboo 202 L138s may be the best ski ever made (sorry splat!), just so you know I'm not raggin' on DPS.

I haven't skied either of the Praxis skis you mentioned, but keep in mind the price difference between a full-carbon PM Gear or DPS ski versus the price of a Praxis ski (particularly if you take advantage of the pre-sale). Personally, I've found that, in general, the cost of the pure-carbon skis are worth it.

If you're willing to deal with the weight, the Renegades are pretty awesome too. Excellent balance of playful and charger. I personally think the dims on the Hoji look like too much sidecut, but I've obviously never skied them. But I would still recommend a pair of PM Gear skis - maybe the 187 Fat if the 191 seems like too much ski? But I'm sure splat would do better recommending something from his lineup than I.

Atomic Atlas 182

Praxis wootests son!

I just stuck some sollyfit plates on mine because I realized I couldn't live with them in a hiking only relationship.




Stoked to see that list of yours not include the names volkl, K2, solomon, or rossi. Brave new world!

188 Rocker2 115

i'm about to mount a pair on my Lotus 120s (190 hybrid).

Originally Posted by brown9

Atomic Atlas 182

Too heavy

Originally Posted by TCK

188 Rocker2 115

I don't do new Salomon products after the quest incident.

Originally Posted by kidwoo

Stoked to see that list of yours not include the names volkl, K2, solomon, or rossi. Brave new world!

I strive for only indy brands.

Originally Posted by kidwoo

Praxis wootests son!

I just stuck some sollyfit plates on mine because I realized I couldn't live with them in a hiking only relationship.

My concern about the wootests is that they are essentially a mini protest, and although I love my praxis pows, and liked skiing on the protest almost as much, when it comes to carving on firmer snow(which I actually do enjoy), traversing, and sidestepping the pows don't even come close to the comfort I feel and the performance on my mtn jibs. When I lived in UT I skied my pows 60 - 70% of the time, but they were a chore when it was anything except three dimensional snow (blower, chopped, tracked pow, crud, etc.). I am afraid of falling into that trap with the wootest. I know the trade off is definitely there when the snow is fresh, but I'd give up a little pow performance for some solid edge grip and good in bounds performance. That's the goal for me with this setup is a ski that will kill it anything but blower snow inbounds, but light enough for me to tour with when it's deep.

Originally Posted by njfreeskier

^^^I've skied the regular billy goat from the first season, and didn't really like the way it skied. So even though a lighter version is the works, it wouldn't be a direction I would be leaning. I am intrigued by the Vicik though.

Also, if anyone can comment on the inbounds performance of the Praxis backcountry, especially compared to the freeride, that would be great.

As has been suggested by others, the BG has gone through at least a couple of generations with major design changes in each since the original verision. For more info do a search here in tec talk as well as blistergearreview. I ski a 10/11 186 and love it.

Out of the skis you listed I have the 112RP Wailers(hybird) and Viciks, I would go with the Wailers for bottomless resort days and touring. The Viciks are rippin' resort ski and good for touring. I also have the BG's, 09/10 version. These are an excellent pick for bottomless resort days and to tour on as welll as being the best tree ski I have ever owned. I have Sollyfits on all three.

I've skied the Lhasas (in 191) and have the Viciks. The Lhasas would be a great touring ski. But I was not a fan of how they skied in chopped up resort conditions. Felt like the tips got thrown around a lot. I think the 191s I had were softer than the 186s and current crop of 191s, so that could have been the issue. I'm putting dynalooks on a pair of 186s probably this week. The Viciks would also be good for touring and much better for resort stuff. The bamboo gives it some pop, but it still rides dampish. You'd give up some float though. I like really damp skis for inbounds so I'm starting to think that lugging two pairs of skis with me on trips where touring is part of the equation might be the easiest solution.

Originally Posted by njfreeskier

when it comes to carving on firmer snow(which I actually do enjoy), traversing, and sidestepping the pows don't even come close to the comfort I feel and the performance on my mtn jibs. When I lived in UT I skied my pows 60 - 70% of the time, but they were a chore when it was anything except three dimensional snow (blower, chopped, tracked pow, crud, etc.). I am afraid of falling into that trap with the wootest. I know the trade off is definitely there when the snow is fresh, but I'd give up a little pow performance for some solid edge grip and good in bounds performance. That's the goal for me with this setup is a ski that will kill it anything but blower snow inbounds, but light enough for me to tour with when it's deep.

They are NOTHING like pows when it comes to any of the situations you describe.......that was the point of the protest shape and the narrower width. They have sidecut. Not much but they have sidecut. That's where the pows suck....they have the opposite of sidecut. You've skied the protests and the pows so you know you can carve on them (the protests I mean). And the narrower width makes the whole sidestepping for 20 minutes at a time absolute heaven compared to either of the other wider skis. That's why I put jondrums' plates on them. It's a shame to only be hiking on them IMO.

Read my write up on them on blister. It goes into detail about the reasoning behind picking the protest shape....basically to achieve exactly what you said you're looking for.

The only thing they're not great at is laying rails on groomers/smooth hard snow. You can carve them but they're never going to feel like railing a GS ski. Availability may be an issue right now, I just felt like blabbing up my ski It does fit my personal bill for a good sollyfit candidate though (obviously).

I was just looking at the newer billy goat shape and it's kind of funny how similar it is to the wootest in concept.....pretty big turn radius on a rockered and tapered platform. ON3P skis are heavy though....that would be my biggest gripe. I wouldn't want to hike forever on them. But it sounds like scott is coming out with a lighter version which should be pretty sick.

I own a pair of Praxis Backcountry and have owned Lhasas too. I prefer the Lhasa in bounds (can handle a lot of speed, and are fairly damp for such a light ski) and the Backcountry for touring (works well at low speed, and is brilliant various types of terrible snow). I would be happy with either as a 1 ski quiver. The Lhasa is a bit pickier about technique (you need to stay forward), but also has the benefit of becoming more energetic and precise the more you drive it. I would prefer the Lhasa if I were able to ski 50 days a year. The Praxis are easier on tired legs, which is usually what I have when I'm touring.

I own the 112 pure for exactly what you suggest. I find it more fun than my L120s in the powder and (after taking it to Italy for a week where I was confined to groomers due to lack of snow) I have found that it skis well on piste and allowed a great deal of fun carving. It is the ski that I would take on any trip because I know that while I will be searching for soft stuff off the piste, if I do end up skiing on piste then I can still enjoy it. The weight is a bonus on full on tours.

That said it is not a 'crud busting' ski. I enjoy skiing it in crud but it is more energetic and playful - I take my turns in the air rather than punching through stuff. Also if I were planning a trip where I knew that I was going to ski wide open faces then I'd jump for the Lotus.

G.

I've got a pair of new, unmounted 186 Lhasa's in my garage that I can give you a pretty good deal on if you're interested....

Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds!

I own a pair of Praxis Backcountry and have owned Lhasas too. I prefer the Lhasa in bounds (can handle a lot of speed, and are fairly damp for such a light ski) and the Backcountry for touring (works well at low speed, and is brilliant various types of terrible snow). I would be happy with either as a 1 ski quiver. The Lhasa is a bit pickier about technique (you need to stay forward), but also has the benefit of becoming more energetic and precise the more you drive it. I would prefer the Lhasa if I were able to ski 50 days a year. The Praxis are easier on tired legs, which is usually what I have when I'm touring.

^^^Ditto. Except I don't find the Lhasas (carbon - green topsheet) to be particularly damp. A one-sentence review would be, 'the more you put into them, the more you get back'.

As for the Praxis Backcountrys, I've never skied mine inbounds, but I'm sure they'd work fine. I could do a two word review for them - 'well mannered', or 'no surprises'. Actually, I could describe them with one word - versatile. I don't know how big you are or how you ski, but if I were going to use them as an all purpose ski (as opposed to dedicated touring) I'd go with the 190 length, and I'm not big or aggro.

I've never skied the Freerides, but their shape is very similar to the BC, but heavier, stiffer, and with more camber, so one could infer that they'd be better on harder snow.

I don't write many reviews, but I did review the Vicik here. It could easily be a 'quiver of one' ski, but the regular version of it is heavier than every other ski on your list.

I was in a similar conundrum between the 190 praxis bc and the pm gear 187 bro fat. They just arrived today and will be getting out on them shortly.

Here was my checklist of what i wanted:

Essentially looking for a ski that fits this bill:
-185-189 length
- ~110mm waist
-rocker/early rise tip
-some camber underfoot
-traditional sidecut with a not flat tail but not too rockered/twin to wash out on firm/ice
- ~8-9 lbs
-r=25-32m


Pat wrote back and said this:
You just described the 187 Fat there.

They helped sell it for me.

No love for Moment?

Justsayin.

I own both 112 pures and a 186 vicik; here's my take:

10/11 186 Vicik - Easy to ski in anything remotely soft, charger mentality on hardpack

Pistoff's review that he linked is dead on IMO, so go there for the details. This was my dedicated touring rig for CO last year, so they saw at least boot deep snow most days. I did get them on some bigger alpine lines in the springtime. In the soft they ski way easier than I expected, and are poppy and responsive. Up high on bulletproof & windpack they were a little trickier and beg for speed, but I had little trouble adjusting and piloting them down high consequence lines w/dynafits & maestrales. They are heavy, but not prohibitively so for me, especially w/dynafits run flat.

I went to an insert + plate setup (dynafit runs flat, solly on plates) this year and they are now my resort ski, and spring/big line touring ski. At the resort they are most fun when being pointed, hucked, and GS turned. Hard moguls (keystone, don't ask) and skied out trees are not fun (are they ever?), but soft bumps are great (Whistler on the front end of a storm). Only 4 resort days so far but they are an awesome CO resort ski if you go fast.


190 Wailer 112 Pure - Easy to ski in hard or soft snow, less predictable in variable conditions.

I drank the kool-aid and bought this ski at the end of last season to be my dedicated touring rig. My thought was that it would be as versatile as the vicik in mid-winter conditions, but a little more powder oriented. I've had 3-4 spring touring days, 3 hardpack resort days, and 2 waist deep powder days on them. I have them mounted with dynafits, and have skied them with both a maestrale & cochise.

At the resort, they can carve like a slalom ski but still seem stable when run out to GS sized turns. Didn't do much hucking or bumps (early season) so I can't comment there. In powder they're awesome, and more playful than viciks. My first few days on them were on spring corn & later spring slush and they felt a bit weird and hooky there, but I think I was driving the tips too hard. I've had better luck skiing centered on these. I need more time on them to really have a good feel, but my initial impression is that they're mostly awesome, if a bit hooky when that massive sidecut betrays them in weird snow encountered in the b/c.

Summary
Both great options for a plate setup, but suited to different types of skiing. If you like skiing fast open terrain at the resort, do some hucking, and like to ski THROUGH crud, I think the Vicik is the better of the two. If you tend to ski tighter terrain, prefer medium-shorter turns, and like to ski OVER crud the 112 may be your huckleberry. I picked the Vicik setup, but know I could have fun on either one.

I have 192 lhasas with inserts & sollyfits and they ski and tour great. They were my test ski all of last year. This year, I moved over to 190 bibby pro with dynalooks as my test ski.

I mounted up a pair of the new carbon lhasas for a friend and they are so incredibly light, that's the ski I'd pick if I did more touring.