Atomic Powder Plus topsheet and year made

[wolfelot]

I snagged a pair of these off ebay today for CHEAP with Salomon S900 binders to beat around on. These are not the actual skis but the top/bottom sheets are the same. Can anyone tell me what year these were manufactured? I know there were several top sheet designs over the years. Also, have/did any of you ski them and what were your thoughts? Yeah, I already searched high and low and read up on them and like what I have coming.

Peace.

[wandering, not lost]

I have a pair with the same topsheet, no idea what year they are. In terms of skiing, they're stiff, straight, and heavy and ski pretty much like you would expect a ski with those characteristics. They can be super-fun in the right conditions and they're great for early season pow days in CB, don't really have to worry too much about the bases.

[Vitamin I]

I *think* I have this right, not 100% sure though.

That topsheet was first released for the 1994/95 season. That was also the first year that a 190cm length was included (only the shorter lengths were available before that).

The ski magazines kept showing that same topsheet in 1995/96 season and 1996/97 season, but I don't know whether Atomic released more for those 2 later seasons, or whether all those skis with that topsheet were built in 1994/95 and just lasted for 3 years.

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[wolfelot]

I *think* I have this right, not 100% sure though.

That topsheet was first released for the 1994/95 season. That was also the first year that a 190cm length was included (only the shorter lengths were available before that).

The ski magazines kept showing that same topsheet in 1995/96 season and 1996/97 season, but I don't know whether Atomic released more for those 2 later seasons, or whether all those skis were built the first year in 1994/95 and just lasted for 3 years.

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Are you finding that info online or are you thinking back to when you actually had the magazines back in the day or maybe when you worked in a shop? Either way thanks for the input!

[Vitamin I]

Are you finding that info online or are you thinking back to when you actually had the magazines back in the day or maybe when you worked in a shop? Either way thanks for the input!

I was a clueless gaper in the Pow+ era of the early 90's.

I recall some of the online articles I found claimed to be from PowderMag 1982-84, and I took notes, but those years must be wrong, so I decided not to trust the online stuff.

About 10 months ago, I read through many old magazines and took some notes. I found the magazines sometimes contradict each other, and usually tell an incomplete story, especially with niche categories like early fat skis. And sometimes a single "early fat ski" article would include ski tests for skis from a 2-3 year range (instead of all skis from the same year) without reporting which ski was which year, so in the magazines it's not easy to detect exactly which year each early fat ski was released. But my notes allow me to narrow it down a bit.

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[marshalolson]

that topsheet came out in 1994/5, but those had white bases.

i believe the yellow bases are 1996/7 models. pretty sure the last year of powder plus before going to the cap powder cruise.

[El Chupacabra]

Some other rambling thoughts:

- Pow Plus is nearly indestructible. It's up there with the Explosiv in terms of the damage you can inflict on it.
- Pow Plus is similar shape to the Axiom, but the Axiom is easier to ski -- softer, and a better powder ski.
- 180cm Pow Plus is heavy. The 190cm one is even heavier, and rare.

[wolfelot]

Thanks for the information guys! I'm excited to get these bad boys on the snow!

[Vitamin I]

that topsheet came out in 1994/5, but those had white bases.

i believe the yellow bases are 1996/7 models. pretty sure the last year of powder plus before going to the cap powder cruise.

marshal's post is consistent with my notes. OK, now if I really scrutinize my notes, and put all the puzzle pieces together, AND ASSUME ONLY ONE SIDEWALL COLOR PER YEAR * (i.e. cannot have white sidewall 180 and black sidewall 190 in same year), then for the 3 years of the same topsheet graphic in question here:

1994/95 is white base
1995/96 is yellow base/white sidewall (wolfelot's 180's fit this description)
1996/97 is yellow base/black sidewall (my 190's fit this description)

supporting notes:
- Dec95 SkiingMag shows photos of both the yellow/black base and also the white base, so both bases existed by Dec95 (i.e. by the 1995/96 release). Same magazine issue shows white sidewall on a 180 with the same topsheet in question here.
- Sep96 PowMag GearGuide says they were released again that year (1996/97).
- Feb97 PowMag shows ad for Powder8 Championships with a PowPlus with yellow/black bases (but can't conclude much from that).

* Of course, it's possible the assumption above might be false.

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[mntlion]

first pairs made where for MW heliskiing, and where atomic snowboards, cut in half (split board style)

first skipairs made had one the base "the best invention in skiing since the helicopter" or sometime very similar to that. I have a pair for display. Also, most of the first few years had ess/var bindings mounts on the topsheet, and where mounted to the inside by about 10mm.

I should add a picture of them to this thread.

[wolfelot]

I love this website! Only on here could I find information about a 15-year old classic pow ski that I am super stoked to have coming my way. Great information guys.

[weasel1]

Oh, this is fun...Set the way-back machine to 1993 and get this.

[wolfelot]

Oh, this is fun...Set the way-back machine to 1993 and get this.

Nice! I read that when I was researching these skis.

[fez]

Some other rambling thoughts:

- Pow Plus is nearly indestructible. It's up there with the Explosiv in terms of the damage you can inflict on it.
- Pow Plus is similar shape to the Axiom, but the Axiom is easier to ski -- softer, and a better powder ski.
- 180cm Pow Plus is heavy. The 190cm one is even heavier, and rare.

ski 'em in the moguls a couple times and you'll have some tip rocker. i bent the shit out of a couple pairs.

15-year old classic pow ski

fuck i'm old.

[FreakofSnow]

Anybody know the waist size on these? Trying to find a pair of brakes for my old mans' skis that we bought from fat yeti.

Thanks!

[mntlion]

115ish mm

[marshalolson]

if they are the vintage as pictured, they are 130-110-120

the oldest ones and the 190's were 135-115-125

[bushman]

The 190cm waist is 108mm

[marshalolson]

The 190cm waist is 108mm

190cm pow +? you must mean powder cruise. which was 104mm.

i have owned 4 pair of 190 pow +, all of different vintage (ie. every different vintage) and all were 115mm exactly.

[bushman]

I should have taken my glasses off to read my caliper, my bad and I stand corrected.

[Game Over]

i miss mine.

i seem to recall them having a oak core.

[mntlion]

this is a pair that I got at the banff ski swap. No serial numbers, and have never seen this topsheet so I'm guessing a prototype. Also a ex-MW guide was selling them

[wolfelot]

JayPowhound, looks like you found your long sought after sticks!

[ShootDope]

Just picked these up yesterday, looks like the 96/97's, 190s. New in the plastic for 100$, not to shabby I don't think.

[kidwoo]

Jesus....that offcenter mounting so that you could turn a ski 'that wide™'


So dumb.