review: 08-09 atomic big daddy

[verbier61]

me: 47, 180 x 80, old and lazy, sold to rockered tips
skis I like: DPS lotus 138 e wailer 105, stockli stormrider DP
skis I do not like: seth, rossi scratch, park skis

got this new generation of cheap (at least in yurp), almost-no-camber, rockered tip big daddies for the days when powder is quickly tracked or very heavy, ie the conditions where my first generation, narrow-tip lotuses 138 have a bit of trouble.

tried the big daddies on january 1st in verb, first with hop and then with son and wife, on 25-40 powder that was untracked from 9 to 11.30 and then progressively tracked.

The daddies were OK. The front rocker works, and the penchant of old big daddies for sinking, for what I've seen, is disappeared. These daddies are also quite light (4.1 for the pair, and I drilled them with superlight girlie rossi bindings because I just need 8-9 DINs), and they do not float like lotuses but are surprisingly easy to turn despite a 41 m radius (duh...).

They have no sidecut, so in neverending traverses they are among the best obese I have tried so far. In groomed they work fine, although I had no chance to try them on ice. Don't ask me whether they carve, with big sticks I still prefer to slide as it makes more sense to me.

this is all for day 1. So far I'm very happy.

[verbier61]

one more day on them (some 60 cm powder): still very, very happy. They kept all the good things about old big daddies (power and blast-through-tracked potential), improved a lot in floatation (because they're more light, I guess) and now - thanks to the rocker - they are way more easy to drive and turn. They also work very well on groomed, and rail much better than anticipated (at least on soft groomed snow... I've found no ice so far..)
It will be a well kept secret, though, because apparently they will no more be produced in 09-10...

[neck beard]

Any more words on the BD's? Some crossed my path looking for a new owner.

[verbier61]

They rock, as said by other who bought them.
and sport-conrad in germany sells them supacheap

[neck beard]

They are likely a bit big for me. I'm not a hard skier, I weigh about 165, stand 5'8. But at the price I'm prepared to ski harder and grow into them. My only other skis are 173 Atomic SD's, FFS.

[verbier61]

if not happy, trash them.



....and then let me know where you drop them

[neck beard]

Appreciate your review. There's not so much user data out there on them.

[salx]

hi, got them late last season and used them 3 days.
couldn´t try them in real pow.
however on piste and hard snow i think they are very manageable and no problem at all. they can be put on edge and hold a turn until a certain limit where they start skidding. actually i think on piste they are easier to ski than my goliaths.

i only had little deep snow where i could try em in. thought that they might tend to tip dive a little (?) when i was skiing terrible crust. but that has to be verified.
looking forward to try them next season.
oh, and they feel light.

[Ville]

Hohes, one of my friends used BD's last season and liked them a lot. Dude is maybe little bit bigger than you. I think it would be perfect ski for big days at Hakuba. Are those the only pair at Rappies?

[neck beard]

Yep, thats them. Just sitting there at a big discount (in Japan terms).

I would like some bigger skis for Happo slack country/backbowls. Like you said, these seem ideal. I don't think a big ski matters that much on a smaller rider. I'm guessing its how you ride them that matters.

I was going to get some Lotus 120's, but did the numbers yesterday and just can't afford them. Also, kind of exciting news for Hakuba, Liberty Skis recently opened an outlet here. I went around there last week to meet the dude but they were not home. I couldn't afford a pair of their offerings either. Looking back, I should have taken the S7's when they went on sale.

[neck beard]

ok, purchased. Very likely too much ski for me but hey, thats ok. I get what I can afford when its on offer. And I like to support the only local shop in a tough year. Took 2 months of scraping to get there.

So... any mounting suggestions?

[verbier61]

I drilled them as suggested by atomic, and they were really fine

[neck beard]

Dude, that answer had a 2 minute turn around!

(thanks)

[Camber Sidecut]

Anyone else have experience with 08/09 Big Daddies? I was actually looking for something around 110 at waist (like K2 SS), but might get a good deal on B-Daddies.

No doubt they are great on soft, but I'm little worried how they do on hard snow and bumps. Mainly going to use them on Alps (slack/sidecountry) and the conditions aren't always so soft there. Also any experience skinning with them? Going to mount dukes on them.

[deeppowdr]

I am absolutely sure you'll be more than happy on them on any big powder day. But they SUCK so much on hard bumps.

[Camber Sidecut]

I am absolutely sure you'll be more than happy on them on any big powder day. But they SUCK so much on hard bumps.

Yea.. But do they suck more than other 120+ wide skis? How would people compare them to something like Megawatts? Or any other wide skis. I've skied the MWs (white ones) on hard snow and they seemed manageable. The hill was small but anyway.

There is really not so much info about BDs out there.

Maybe I just have to buy them...

[verbier61]

I've just fondled megawatts, but I'm pretty sure BDs are better in hard bumps: they're much, much lighter. Said that, DPS lotuses 120 are prolly more allround than BDs, but they're much more $$$$

[neck beard]

There is really not so much info about BDs out there.

Maybe I just have to buy them...

I agree.

And thats what I did.

[single]

I am absolutely sure you'll be more than happy on them on any big powder day.

I am pretty convinced that you can be really happy on ANY ski on a big powder day.

[RaccoonFace]

I was considering this for a BC ski... Anyone do that with the 190?

I'm 5' 10" I'm normally about 165 lbs and I like to ski fast. I normally drive XXLs and I love them.

I really like the 187 XXL. I REALLY like the XXL. I'd make it a BC ski, but each of them weighs as much as my truck making them a bit cumbersome. Same for the Big Dump. Will these let me have that kind of experience with a lighter ski? I've never skied Atomic so I'm not sure what to expect...

How do they handle in the tight stuff? How are they at speed? How are they at shutting down speed? More info please.

okbye

[Imz]

I was considering this for a BC ski... Anyone do that with the 190?

I'm 5' 10" I'm normally about 165 lbs and I like to ski fast. I normally drive XXLs and I love them.

I really like the 187 XXL. I REALLY like the XXL. I'd make it a BC ski, but each of them weighs as much as my truck making them a bit cumbersome. Same for the Big Dump. Will these let me have that kind of experience with a lighter ski? I've never skied Atomic so I'm not sure what to expect...

How do they handle in the tight stuff? How are they at speed? How are they at shutting down speed? More info please.

okbye

I rode a pair of the 193cm original(ish) Big Daddies (I'm about the same height and weight as you) for about four seasons as my day-in day-out Tahoe ski... They rocked- fast, stable, totally turnable, though I tended to use a more old-school style (70's-80's) turn to get them to come around quick in tight powder. They are not a light ski.

I replaced them with the ~2007 192cm Watea 101 with a pair of Dukes. Much more versatile, lighter, just about as fast, WAY more fun to tour on.

I also have the Big Dumps with Jesters- Definitely the stiffest ski I own- fun to drift in the pow, a little much for me on the hardback at a resort (I need to be COOKING to have be able to properly flex them). That is one heavy ski- seems crazy to take into the BC.

Now my day to days are 192cm Rossi Super 7's with Dukes- ended up almost exclusively in-bounds last season with all the pow we got, but I think they will make a great side country setup.

If I was dealing with exposure, I think I'd always end up reverting to my Wateas- They are super predictable, and on traverses above exposure (like in AK) I felt totally confident- I don't know how i'd feel on my super 7's (with such a short effective edge length)...

I'll know more next season...

[Imz]

Cometo think about it, I think the newer big daddies got quite a bit softer- not sure I would have liked that.

[shinola]

Did they seem damp at all, how would they be in day old chopped up pow?