Zero G 95 vs. Wayback 96

**AKbruin** · 03-04-2016, 12:51 PM

[Edit: I went with the 185cm Zero G with Speed Radicals. Initial review is on page 3.]

Now that I've been on TGR for nearly a decade, I feel like it's time for me to finally post an obnoxious what-ski-for-me thread. One a decade, isn't bad, right?

Putting aside weight (if it can be put aside), can anyone compare the ZeroG 95 and the Wayback 96?

I'm looking for a Eastern Sierra longer-day (5,000'+) ski, where it'd see a variety of conditions (but rarely deep powder). I'll see a lot of spring action. I'll use it for occasional use in the Cascades as well. I'm 6' and 180# and have been on 190cm Praxis Backcountries for the past seven years, which I'd keep for powder days. I'm a strong climber, but wish I had shorter tails and something with better edge-grip in the steeps. I'll probably go for the ~177cm length in either (which will be the shortest skis I've owned since I was a wee lad) with Plum Guide bindings. If, performance-wise, everything besides weight were equal, I'd be inclined toward the Wayback, which is going for $370 or so online at the moment.

Although I ski a decent amount, I'm poor and don't go through a ton of gear like some of you folks (although I wish I could). I also don't really follow gear developments unless I'm actually in the market for new skis, so I don't totally know what's happened in the last seven years.

If there are other skis that would work (and cost less than $500), let me know.

**hoarhey** · 03-04-2016, 12:53 PM

praxis ul 9d8's in a 179 cm
you'd have to get them for next year though

**AKbruin** · 03-04-2016, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by hoarhey

praxis ul 9d8's in a 179 cm
you'd have to get them for next year though

Thanks, G. The dimensions aren't bad, but they look a little heavy and a bit pricey. I'd feel guilty about asking Keith for a 60% discount. The Yeti is tempting, but has the same problems.

**LightRanger** · 03-04-2016, 01:17 PM

Not that reviews are everything by any means...
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backco...eviews/ratings

(Jed Porter skis the same stuff you're buying this for.)

**hoarhey** · 03-04-2016, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by AKbruin

Thanks, G. The dimensions aren't bad, but they look a little heavy and a bit pricey. I'd feel guilty about asking Keith for a 60% discount. The Yeti is tempting, but has the same problems.

I think their 50% sale is coming up, but yeah the weights on the blizzards and k2's look nice and low

**AKbruin** · 03-04-2016, 01:22 PM

Thanks, man. Hadn't considered the Fisher Hannibals before, but I see that they can be had for cheap.

**mall walker** · 03-04-2016, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by hoarhey

praxis ul 9d8's in a 179 cm
you'd have to get them for next year though

Yeah except it's still (almost) a full pound per ski heavier than the 0G 95s. I'm sure it skis nice, but in that weight class I would personally get a Kastle TX97 and have something designed for exactly what I'm doing, rather than stick a light layup in a ski designed to be used inbounds. Just my 2 cents.

**mall walker** · 03-04-2016, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by AKbruin

Thanks, man. Hadn't considered the Fisher Hannibals before, but I see that they can be had for cheap.

You can definitely get them cheap in SLC. The 177 Hannibal 94s hand-flex real nice. I think some mags have been on them too so there's probably info via search / asking around.

**mall walker** · 03-04-2016, 01:35 PM

Also OP since I recently found myself in this very conundrum (my 179 carbon bros broke and I needed to replace them with a ski 90-100mm-ish, 175-180ish, ~3lbs-ish), here is a spreadsheet I made of skis I felt would fill this role

**AKbruin** · 03-04-2016, 01:43 PM

^^^That's awesome. Thanks.

Again, I realize there are a ton of threads just like this one. Mea culpa. I feel like I'm choosing a bride.

**galibier_numero_un** · 03-04-2016, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by AKbruin

I feel like I'm choosing a bride.

I recommend a demo rather than mail order (bride)

... Thom

**sfotex** · 03-04-2016, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by mbillie1

Also OP since I recently found myself in this very conundrum (my 179 carbon bros broke and I needed to replace them with a ski 90-100mm-ish, 175-180ish, ~3lbs-ish), here is a spreadsheet I made of skis I felt would fill this role

If you want to demo I have a few skis on your list...

**Lindahl** · 03-04-2016, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by mbillie1

Also OP since I recently found myself in this very conundrum (my 179 carbon bros broke and I needed to replace them with a ski 90-100mm-ish, 175-180ish, ~3lbs-ish), here is a spreadsheet I made of skis I felt would fill this role

Right on... google docs? It'd be fun to maintain lists of styles of skis via community in google docs

**mall walker** · 03-04-2016, 05:58 PM

^ yeah that's in my google drive, I'm happy to share it / have people add to it. That's a "class" of ski that I spend a lot of time skiing and thinking about heh. When I get back home I'll get a share link, it'd be cool to have things like actual measured weights/specs and mag reviews in there too.

**AKbruin** · 03-04-2016, 06:46 PM

Said fuck it, and bought the 185cm Zero G 95s for $465 using Evo.com's price match. Another place (mountaingear.com) had the 177cm, but the seller seemed dodgy based on online reviews. From others' measurements, the Zero G 108's tape measure is 183.5, so I'm guessing the 95 is the same. It's longer than I originally wanted, but, you know . . . . short skis suck, long skis truck and what not.

Incidentally, this thread was pretty helpful.

Next question: Recommendations for a good set of affordable skins? Things I care about: Traction, not glopping up. Things I care less about: weight (unless it's extreme). Things I don't know much about: Glide.

I've been using 7-year-old Ascensions, which were fine traction-wise. But they had very little glide--on short downhill sections, my partners would fly past me. And, no matter how much glop-stopper I used, they always glopped up worse that others' skins. I had some G3 Alpinist Skins 8 or 9 years ago, but I don't remember much about them.

**mall walker** · 03-04-2016, 06:49 PM

Nice choice. Alpinists for skins imo.

**TahoeBC** · 03-04-2016, 07:30 PM

Get em mounted quick and let me know what you think, been eyeing them pretty hard as I'm looking for a new ski in this catagory

**wasatchback** · 03-04-2016, 08:39 PM

The precut Zero G skins are pretty sweet actually. They're the nicest skins Pomoca makes for any brand.

100% mohair Race Pro Velvet
Has the "safe skin" and "ever dry" technology as well.

They're very light and glide incredibly well.

I ran into the European guy who deals with all the OEM contracts for Pomoca and he was all excited to talk to me about the skins. Said they don't build anything like this skin for any brand. He said the ZeroG skis were so good they were really excited to build a skin that matched the performance of the skis.

**mall walker** · 03-04-2016, 09:08 PM

^ that piqued my interest....

**AKbruin** · 03-04-2016, 09:54 PM

Interesting. It looks like the precut Zero G skins are a mohair mix. But they're a little spendy and hard to find. Is there a difference between them and the uncut Pomoca Climb Pro Glide skins?

**wasatchback** · 03-05-2016, 12:01 AM

The guy from Pomoca told me 100%
Mohair... Climb pro and race pro velvet is different. You can probably find someone who has them on sale...

**XavierD** · 03-05-2016, 01:39 AM

My ZeroG 95 OEM skins are Pomoca Race variety.

It would be nice to see the adoption of the Pomoca speed clip system (like Dynafit does) in future updates.

**AKbruin** · 03-05-2016, 10:26 AM

Thanks for the clarification. I guess my concern with 100% mohair is traction and durability. I sometimes skin over patches of talus, dirt, logs, and the odd beaver dam.

**LightRanger** · 03-06-2016, 03:24 PM

Dahlquist is about to buy a set of BD Mohair Mix, FWIW. But I don't know that he's going to get out on them before you'll want to buy a set.

That's probably what I'm looking at for my next set too.

**El Chupacabra** · 03-06-2016, 04:02 PM

If you're mounting tech bindings that use the old Dynafit pattern, I have a jig for that. I know it fits the Vertical ST and Comfort/ classic pattern.