Thread: Which aggressive, yet playful pow ski? 190cm+ - 110-120mm under foot

Originally Posted by marshalolson

worth looking into a DPS Lotus 120 as well.

crazy stable, crazy maneuverable.

Crazy expensive as well...

Originally Posted by MTT

Another Vote for PM gear, they have 3 skis that would probably make you happy.

If there is a deal out there to get em for less than 800$ its a no brainer

It is if you're a broke college kid. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

DPS Lotus 120 in a 200. Best ski evar.

Most expensive one as well.

Originally Posted by My Pet Powder Goat

the Bodacious have quit a bit of tip and tail rocker and a nice medium flex that lets you push on it and tighten up the radius, yet hold a great edge for a fat ski all making it very playful and not nearly as unwielding as they look.

It seems like a lot of the suggestions for a "playful" powder ski here have been long radius suggestions and the "ski de jours" on TGR over the last couple years, but I wouldn't consider a long radius ski playful, cuz they usually are not very fun on groomers and chop

Thanks for explaining. Sounds good! I'll keep my eyes open for a pair!

Originally Posted by PhiberAwptik

My thoughts exactly, seems like people have a strange definition of "playful" .

Playful is bouncy, maneuverable, being able to throw it around in the deep stuff.

More to consider HERE. Skis in AT (IBK area) so you can test, feel, etc and we can work something out on the Euros with direct sale. You can find some good info on TGR plus here and here (in German) Feel free to contact us anytime.

I am looking for pretty much the same thing.

Skis I have in this vein:

193 EHP, love these thing's. could just stick with them but that wouldn't be fun would it?
188 Protest, also love these, spent many days switching back and forwards between these and the EHP, could ride either but like the high speed stability of the EHP.

On the list for next year:

191 Billy Goat
Hoji, probably the 195
Praxis Ullr, looks sick! Probably the 194.

Originally Posted by geo039

More to consider HERE. Skis in AT (IBK area) so you can test, feel, etc and we can work something out on the Euros with direct sale. You can find some good info on TGR plus here and here (in German) Feel free to contact us anytime.

This looks REALLY interesting. I'll look around and see if I can find more info on these. The Countdown 2 and 3 both really appeal to me from what I've read so far. I'll go dig some more.
Have found some info on the Countdown 2; looks nice. Which of the two would you recommend for me?

Originally Posted by CaliBrit

I am looking for pretty much the same thing.

Skis I have in this vein:

193 EHP, love these thing's. could just stick with them but that wouldn't be fun would it?
188 Protest, also love these, spent many days switching back and forwards between these and the EHP, could ride either but like the high speed stability of the EHP.

On the list for next year:

191 Billy Goat
Hoji, probably the 195
Praxis Ullr, looks sick! Probably the 194.

How about you sell your EHP's to me, and you buy the Hoji's next year? I simply can't afford a 600+$ ski, so...

Originally Posted by TijmenDal

Most expensive one as well.

OK, but really, my fav ski of all time and I've got 3 years on one pair and 3 years on another.

x3 for lotus 120.

they are expensive but they last easily twice as long as a normal ski. the edges/bases are bomber and the carbon fiber never loses it's flex pattern. plus it's light.

i put over three hundred days on several pairs and they still ski like day one.

PM esales09. He has 2 pairs of Lotus 120's in 190cm I think. Super awesome mag and very trustworthy. Probably get a good deal.

THAT would be a sick ski

Honestly, I think someone of his size would need/want the 200cm L120. At 40 lbs lighter than the OP, I thought the 190 L120 was the right length for me.

Personally, of all the options listed here, I would PM splat and see if he still has the 196 Lhasas for $550. That is a hell of a deal if you can afford it. I've been seriously considering it myself, but I simply can't justify it.

Yeah, Lotus 120. They're equally at home noodling around in low angle trees or hauling ass on steep faces.

FWIW, and i'll keep saying it. at 190lbs and a strong skier, not ex racer tho, i find the 186 renegades quite playful.

so take that you pussys

LibTech NAS Pow 191cm?

Turn radius only 19m for the 191 = pretty playful?

I have the 181cm NAS Pow (am only 5'7"), the 181s are pretty agile with a turn radius of 18m (a bit heavy though) and yet still very stable and can charge through anything. Love to carve up the groomers and decent in chop and crud. You see a ton of them at Mt Baker. They make you ski faster as they inspire confidence (the magne traction grips sweet on any ice hiding under pow pillows).

K

Originally Posted by allTandA

FWIW, and i'll keep saying it. at 190lbs and a strong skier, not ex racer tho, i find the 186 renegades quite playful.

so take that you pussys

well ya, a 186 is a childs ski; of course it's playful

bibby pro absolutely.

renegades are squirrellier in resort chop due to r/c....super quick, but I wouldnt call them playful.

I find lhasas to have too long of a sidecut to be playful

A great combo of solid and playful in that range is the 189 cm Icelantic Keeper. They measure longer than the claimed length. You can get any year model because the only difference is the topsheet.

Originally Posted by PappaG

With the right technique and strong enough legs, you can make most 30m+ radius stiff ski plenty playful.

Oxymoron alert: If you're powerful enough you can force a ski to be playful???

Originally Posted by auvgeek

Honestly, I think someone of his size would need/want the 200cm L120. At 40 lbs lighter than the OP, I thought the 190 L120 was the right length for me.

Personally, of all the options listed here, I would PM splat and see if he still has the 196 Lhasas for $550. That is a hell of a deal if you can afford it. I've been seriously considering it myself, but I simply can't justify it.

its all personal preference man, and ski style.

i am 6'2'' 205lbs, 15 years removed from d1, and much prefer a 190 to the 200. but i like to ski across the fall line some times. the 200 is a 58m radius. it does not ski across the fall line. ever.

Originally Posted by marshalolson

its all personal preference man, and ski style.

i am 6'2'' 205lbs, 15 years removed from d1, and much prefer a 190 to the 200. but i like to ski across the fall line some times. the 200 is a 58m radius. it does not ski across the fall line. ever.

This is TGR. Who skis across the fall line?

But yes, you're absolutely right. I honestly never thought I'd be in the "longer is better" dick-waving camp, but it certainly seems like that's becoming the case. Now that I've spent some time on bigger skis, I just like them. Seems like the OP is worried about a ski that's 190 cm in length tho, and I was trying to say that (IMO) the L120 does not ski long for it's stated length, unlike some other skis.

Originally Posted by Mudfoot

A great combo of solid and playful in that range is the 189 cm Icelantic Keeper. They measure longer than the claimed length. You can get any year model because the only difference is the topsheet.

16m radius. It's like a BBR with a better top sheet.

Originally Posted by auvgeek

I was trying to say that (IMO) the L120 does not ski long for it's stated length, unlike some other skis.

^^^totally agree^^^

Originally Posted by Chugachjed

16m radius. It's like a BBR with a better top sheet.

Not really. The 189 has a 18m radius, is wider (119 waist, not 88), stiffer, and does not have a pintail like the BBR. Solid ski in funky snow, but has a fairly high forgiveness and fun factor considering how well it skis crud. Tip and tail early rise (as opposed to high rocker) and the flex make the Keepers very predictable, but the sidecut keeps it turny for tight spots. Much bigger sweet spot than most of the other skis mentioned. They have not invented the high speed playful bulldozer yet, but the Keepers do a pretty good job of going big and still being playful.

You should also check out the Down Skis Count Down 3. Ive been on the EHP193, Bibby 190 and these are just as stable as the EHP and almost as playfull as the Bibby.

http://www.downskis.com/ski-specifications/countdown-3

I don't get it. You can always find a shorter ski. Why can't someone make a 120mm, 208cm ski??

Edit: That doesn't cost $1300. I see you, Folsom.

Originally Posted by auvgeek

Seems like the OP is worried about a ski that's 190 cm in length

I am. Slightly. I'm a tall guy and ski aggressively. 190 (compared to my 198cm) isn't a whole lot I think. Of course, it's the question how much 4cm is going to matter.


Thanks for all the input guys. Keep it coming. In the end, I think it's a matter of getting used to the ski you ski. All ski's mentioned in this thread seem like good options for what I want. Thing is, I'm broke and the only new ski's I could somewhat afford (and not really that, even) are the Countdowns. I'm mainly looking at second-hand ski's. And as awesome as the DPS and PMGear ski's sound, even second-hand ones are out of my budget. I will start up a thread soon in gear-swap asking if anyone has a ski that fits my description.

Originally Posted by marshalolson

i am 6'2'' 205lbs, 15 years removed from d1, and much prefer a 190 to the 200. but i like to ski across the fall line some times. the 200 is a 58m radius. it does not ski across the fall line. ever.

weenie. ...

Originally Posted by PNyberg

just as stable as the EHP and almost as playfull as the Bibby

In my experience that's a false dichotomy. I'd say if anything the EHP is more playful and the Bibby is more stable, but that's splitting hairs. I'd say the 2 skis sit similarly on the playful/stable continuum, the main difference having to do with the amount of shape and the resultant behaviour of locking in vs. staying looser.