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  1. #51
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    Lapping the pow with the GSA in the PNW
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    5,161
    While I will always have a soft spot and quiet reverence for the Spatula (I owned two pairs), I must be in the minority since I don't really miss them.

    For me, properly applied full rocker is really the trick, not reverse sidecut. First Gen Pontoons and then Kuros were my choices into super fats, but since then have enjoyed skis like Renegades and Shiros much more.

    YMMV, but would encourage those clinging to Spats to try some of the newer designs and options. Live in the now! ;-)
    In constant pursuit of the perfect slarve...

  2. #52
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Truckee
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    1,041
    Bandit Man, I've skied many of the same skis as you, and you know what I'm looking for from our PM's. Do you think the squad 7's will deliver the slarviness of the full rockered skis out there. Still haven't mounted them as I'm trying to decide If I'm going to sell them and hold out for a full pow stick. I know....I'm an idiot...I should just mount them and try them, but I want to be able to get full $$ for them if I go the full pow stick route.
    Last edited by markcjr; 12-30-2014 at 05:05 PM.

  3. #53
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    Lapping the pow with the GSA in the PNW
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    Quote Originally Posted by markcjr View Post
    Bandit Man, I've skied many of the same skis as you, and you know what I'm looking for from our PM's. Do you think the squad 7's will deliver the slarviness of the full rockered skis out there. Still haven't mounted them as I'm trying to decide If I'm going to sell them and hold out for a full pow stick. I know....I'm an idiot...I should just mount them and try them, but I want to be able to get full $$ for them if I go the full pow stick route.
    I don't think that Squads are a slarvey powder ski. They are loose and not hooky, but pale in comparison in real powder compared to a reverse camber ski. They just have too much camber. The camber helps to keep the shovel planted and gives them the snappiness other fat skis lack, but does seem to work against them in really deep conditions.

    Whether or not you believe that they are a great powder ski will likely depend on your height and/or weight. I'd imagine someone 6'+ and/or 200-lbs+ would push the Squad to its limits. I'm 195-lbs and don't think that they are great powder skis. I can sink the tips in 12"+. My buddy who weighs 170-lbs. never has that issue and thinks they are all that and a bucket or fried chicken in deep pow, so YMMV.

    A Praxis GPO is a more slarvey Squad. Not as stable in crud, but much better in deep pow from my experience and still great all over the mountain, as long as the snow is soft.
    In constant pursuit of the perfect slarve...

  4. #54
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
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    Somewhere else
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    5,676
    markcjr... if you want something that's loose but still hardpack capable, the Bluehouse Maestro is an overlooked ski.

    It doesn't have as much float from the tip as I'd like, but then again, neither do spatulas. The maestro is probably the closest thing to spat looseness I've skied that also works well on hardpack. It actually rails a solid turn. I bought them thinking they'd give me MOST of what spats can do with a bit more manageability and they met expectations. I think that of all skis I've tried, it's the closest approximation to spats that's not much of a compromise around the mountain... so far.

    Other people say the Protest is the ticket, and I have a pair and they're awesome in pow but I've never skied them in resort so can't comment there.

    And for full disclosure, when my Maestro's were stolen last year I replaced them with Elan Boomerang's (before TBT), which are similar but have a wider tip and seem a bit more directional. Only been on them one day and like them a lot but it's not yet certain if this was a good choice as a replacement or not. I kind of still want a pair of Maestros as well, but I have a ski problem.

    I skied Super 7's on a demo last year on a powder day and I did like them in powder but not so much on hardpack.... and I personally found the Maestro to be looser in powder and more intuitive on firm. That was mounted on the "freeride" (aka back) line from Bluehouse recommendations.

    Not sure if that helps or not.
    Goal: ski in the 2018/19 season

  5. #55
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Colorado
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    9,356
    I learn tons about about my own quiver, how people are making choices out of their quiver, from skiers.....thanks..
    Terje was right.

    "We're all kooks to somebody else." -Shelby Menzel

  6. #56
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    43-8 Cascadia
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    1,366
    I realize it isn't full reverse sidecut but the Kusala is a reverse reverse that is awesome in the deep... and the full carbons weigh in at just over 8 lbs.. 124 waist.. your choice of stiff flex or a bit softer tip.. the ski kills it

    'To quote my bro
    "We're not K2. We're a bunch of maggots running one press at full steam building killer fukkin skis and putting smiles on our friends' faces." ' - skifishbum '08

    "Adios Hugh you asshole" - Ghostofcarl '14

    believe...

  7. #57
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Truckee
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    1,041
    Well Fuckit! Just bought a pair of 2011 (all wood, no titanal) 195 kuros off ebay (used twice) for a good deal. Hooligan_Sports has always provided great skis and great service on ebay. If anyone needs some 190 12/13 squad 7's in wrapper, 192 line influence 115 from last year mounted on line for bsl 326 for rossi 155 race bindings lemme know.

    I owned the first gen kuro in a 185 when that was the largest they made. Unfortunately, that was the clear/see through sidewall and I compressed and edge and sold them on here for $100. Anyone know if the 2011's were moved back to germany production?

    Glad to have a pure pow ski that's not a spatula back in the quiver. Where do you guys mount these. I'm 6' 200# and usually mount on the line for volkl, but any insight is appreciated.

    Mark

  8. #58
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    9,300ft
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    21,938
    I've skied the Spats since 03. They were replaced in my quiver briefly by ARG (not that great I thought and I sold them after few days), then by the DPS Lotus 138 (still the best soft snow ski).

    I used the Spats as rock skis, and they were great still. So I took the Spats in for repairs. The tech says, "wow too bad you didn't leave those in the plastic they'd be a nice collectors piece if they were mint." I said, "they are a nice collectors piece right now. And if I'd done that what would I have skied on all the years that there was no better natural snow ski on this planet?"

    They were the greatest. But they haven't been for about a decade. The problem with Spats now is that they fit a tiny spot in the quiver: tight tree pow ski for lift served with no hardpack inbetween.

    For that, they are amazing.

    Any other time I'm pulling out Lotus 138s.
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  9. #59
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    AR/SLC
    Posts
    734
    ^^good to know about the ARGs. I thought about looking for a pair. I totally agree with on the Spats. I have a few pair. I used to ski them a lot more, before all these other rockered skis came along. I've often wondered how good the DPS 138 is. Sounds like you have answered a couple of questions I've had abouth these skis. Thanks for the insight.
    "... when I turn, I just hope it hits me in the face."--Shroder Baker/Under the Influence

  10. #60
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Tahoe
    Posts
    3,097
    Anyone have any experience with the moment donner parties?

  11. #61
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Cloud City
    Posts
    8,768
    Quote Originally Posted by vailszendrei View Post
    Anyone have any experience with the moment donner parties?
    Yes, I had them - they were too much for me, too hard for me to turn and tired me out. 5'8", 140 lb, female.
    Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.
    Henry David Thoreau

  12. #62
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Nth Vancouver
    Posts
    33
    I've got a pair of the Down Vs with verticals on them. A secret weapon in tight trees with heavy snow. Tour on Cypress and their perfect for coastal touring during a storm. In deeper conditions they don't have the stability compared to the L138 spoons I've got w beasts. With the V's the taper on the tips and the smaller relative size leaves me searching for confidence when things speed up. Nothing to push on out front.

    Never had an issue with touring on R/R. But there's usually a lot of snow here. You get a planted foot print and edge.

    L138 spoons are a lot of fun... There's been lots in this thread to confirm that. Been on a couple hut trips and the handle variability surprisingly well.

    Just picked up a pair of Down Showdown 115. They look to be like a Hoji but a bit wider and the 190 fits the length I was looking for. Similar weight range as the hoji. Not sure what to mount them yet. Beasts or speed radicals are at the top of the list. Will give a review when I get them going.

  13. #63
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    At the beach
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    19,067
    Quote Originally Posted by BaNosser View Post
    I realize it isn't full reverse sidecut but the Kusala is a reverse reverse that is awesome in the deep... and the full carbons weigh in at just over 8 lbs.. 124 waist.. your choice of stiff flex or a bit softer tip.. the ski kills it
    Maybe someday I can afford a pair, as I sure loved my Lhasa Pows.
    Quote Originally Posted by leroy jenkins View Post
    I think you'd have an easier time understanding people if you remembered that 80% of them are fucking morons.
    That is why I like dogs, more than most people.

  14. #64
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    is everything
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    On a related note, I would love to know who found my single spat w a red s916 under tower 1 at snowbird in 2010. It was buried skiers left on the chute so deep I couldnt find it. Only ski I've ever lost on the hill. maybe its hanging in a Snowbird ski patrol hut somewhere.

  15. #65
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    MA
    Posts
    4,495

    True Rockered/Reverse skis - successor to Volant Spatulas

    Took out new to me older, camo 185 Powderboards for some early season EC dense pow (14’’+) and they killed it, fun everywhere besides cat tracks and the really chopped areas, where they felt like a lot of work to maintain balance and avoid the splits. Not as frictionless feeling as EHP / Hoji / Ren but I assume that is because they out-float all of them, and the PBs are even more pivoty. Going from those to skiing my buddy’s Volkl One was barely an adjustment - the One retains most of the feel but is pretty damn good on firmer stuff.

  16. #66
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    Lapping the pow with the GSA in the PNW
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    Quote Originally Posted by Self Jupiter View Post
    Took out new to me older, camo 185 Powderboards for some early season EC dense pow (14’’+) and they killed it, fun everywhere besides cat tracks and the really chopped areas, where they felt like a lot of work to maintain balance and avoid the splits. Not as frictionless feeling as EHP / Hoji / Ren but I assume that is because they out-float all of them, and the PBs are even more pivoty. Going from those to skiing my buddy’s Volkl One was barely an adjustment - the One retains most of the feel but is pretty damn good on firmer stuff.
    I also agree that the fully rockered Volkl stuff from the past few years skis so close to full rev/rev, but with better groomer feel. My old PB’s were fun back in the day, but rarely miss them. Still miss my Spats, though. At least I sold them to a friend who enjoyed them.
    In constant pursuit of the perfect slarve...

  17. #67
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    The Chicken Coop, Seattle
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    3,163
    Quote Originally Posted by Bandit Man View Post
    I also agree that the fully rockered Volkl stuff from the past few years skis so close to full rev/rev, but with better groomer feel. My old PB’s were fun back in the day, but rarely miss them. Still miss my Spats, though. At least I sold them to a friend who enjoyed them.
    Bandit, you still have those volkl twos in the quiver?
    wait!!!! waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait...Wait!
    Zoolander wasn't a documentary?

  18. #68
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    Lapping the pow with the GSA in the PNW
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    Quote Originally Posted by SupreChicken View Post
    Bandit, you still have those volkl twos in the quiver?
    No, I sold them. It's not that they were bad skis, but that they got a bit pushed around/deflected a lot once the powder got tracked out. Before that though, they were so much fun. So slarvey and loose. I do think that the Shiro is a better all-around ski, so I still have those, in a 193 and 203.
    In constant pursuit of the perfect slarve...

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