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Thread: Atomic Powder Plus questions

  1. #1
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    Atomic Powder Plus questions

    I just picked up a pair of Powder Plus cheap to screw around on. They are short 165ish, so mostly for my wife, etc.

    I noticed the bindings are not centered on the ski, so there is a left and right ski. I this normal for mounting? And for those who have ridden these - how do they ride in powder? They look like they may be a bitch to turn because of the girth and near straight edge.

    Just checking to see if it is worth cleaning them up, taking down the rust and waxing 'em.

    I like how the ski has printed on it "Use of powder leashes is mandatory with these skis. The use of powder leashes are not without risks, exercise caution." Good thing these came with powder leashes...

    Also the bindings. Anyone know about Made in Austria by A. Rohrmoser. AS - Active Suspension, ess; ,v,a,r, systems. Anyone familiar with these? The two wing is one solid piece with very little range of motion. DIN to 10. Should I switch these out before riding? The otherwise seem to be in good condition... The nice thing about them is they are on tracks and range from 260 bsl to I think 310 bsl.

  2. #2
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    I used to have 180 Powder Plusses; they ski powder quite well, though they are a bit stiff and heavy. I don't know if the 165s are softer.

    My wife has some 170 Rossi Axioms with offset bindings -- it used to be a more common thing to do with old powder skis, supposedly to get them on edge easier. She says she doesn't notice anything funny about the offset mount.

    Those bindings are ESS-Var, which are the precursor to the Atomic 614/ 1018 era of bindings -- movable fore/aft without remounting. Personally, I wouldn't use them for long -- maybe just enough to test out the skis and see if your wife likes the skis, then remount with something else.

  3. #3
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    ESS VAR = extra scary system very accidental release
    I think El Chupacabra is right.
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  4. #4
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    The asymmetric mount was common in the day. Mine has it, and it works fine. They ski power quite well, but you may need to move the binders back a little. They are stiff, so they tend to tip dive easily. They excel in the cut up pow, and do surprisingly well in corn, and even hold a half decent edge on groomers.

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ottime View Post
    ...Just checking to see if it is worth cleaning them up, taking down the rust and waxing 'em.

    ...Also the bindings...Should I switch these out before riding?...
    Likely too short for you, but...

    I'd say definitely ask your wife to try them, worth a minimal tune just to see if she will like them. I'd just clean up the edges then wax (without bothering to repair any base gouges). Then have your wife ski with the movable bindings at various positions until you find her favorite mount position (if she likes "no fall" zones, tell her not to try it with those old bindings). If she does NOT like the skis even at her favorite mount position, get rid of them. But if she likes them at that position, mark that position on the ski, and now it's worth your effort to tune the bases properly, and eventually mount better bindings at your marked position (and NOT asymmetrically to the side).

    .
    Last edited by Vitamin I; 01-15-2009 at 09:04 PM.
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  6. #6
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    i have those exact skis, 165 pow plus, picked them up here on TGR.

    when i go them they needed to be remounted for my boots. the shop said they would do it cheap, so i just had them do it instead of mounting them myself. the previous holes were rockin' the offset thing, and when i got them back from the shop the bindings were center mounted. i first i was like WTF? but the shop tech where i go knows what he is doing. my theory is that when these skis came out, 110 underfoot was just waaaay to extreme, so they did this weird offset. 10 years later, its not so uncommon, so middle mount is fine.

    they are pretty fun skis to have in the quiver. i know everyone hates on short skis but i only weigh like 130# so 120 underfoot 190 long skis are kind of over kill and coming form snowboarding i link of like it.

    once you get them mounted up, lean them against the wall and step back, you will notice the binding are set so far damn back it redonkulous.

  7. #7
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    Don't throw the base plates of those Ess Vars away. You can use them to mount newer Atomic Race bindings 6-14/10-18s. It it almost impossible to find wide brakes for Atomic Race bindings.
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  8. #8
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    SO I was cleaning up the edges (holy rust batman) yesterday and playing with the bindings. I figured out the heel track macro and micro adjustments, but can't seem to get to the toe to budge. Does anyone know what screw, latch, etc. to tflip to adjust the toe?

    VitI - that is what I was pretty much thinking. Upon closer inspection, the bases on these are pretty damnmint. Only one small (for my skis) gouge. My wife does not get into no fall zones too often, so I think it should be easy to stay clear for now.

    I'm tempted to mount these with demo bindings. Seems like a perfect loaner ski for EC family when they hit a powder day...

  9. #9
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    to adjust the toe on the ESSVAR bindings, flip up the plastic flap that covers the toe din scale (its the big flap that says 'ESS' on it)...bend the flap towards the tip of the ski and when it is bent forward far enough, the toe is released from the track and can move back and forth. Its a really easy binding to adjust once you figure out just where all the adjustment thingies are hidden.

    I have a pair of 180 Pow Pluses and my girlfriend has a pair of 165's....the Atomic bindings on hers were old and had some suspicious cracks around the heel adjustment, and we couldn't get them dialed down small enough for her boots, so we remounted the skis with some old Fritschis we had lying around. I have some Barons that I'll mount on the 180's eventually, but for now I've still got the ESSVAR bindings on 'em. I don't really trust the old bindings, but I haven't skied them yet in powder and want to see how they ski in the fluff before I remount. I have had one day on the PP's in hideous breakable crust with 6" of dust over the top and they were a lot of fun...the minimal sidecut and fat waist kept them from being hooky in junky snow, but all that surface area made them bounce around a bit in chopped up snow....still a very fun ski.
    Last edited by Bud; 01-16-2009 at 12:48 PM.

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