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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
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    Big Guy Touring Ski

    So, looking at more touring specific skis and having trouble picking due to my size. 6'2" and 225lbs in Colorado and I have trouble taking my foot off the gas when Im excited. I have heavy powder skis (Rustler 11's with a Shift) I can use when its deep. Looking for a setup for longer tours maybe in the spring. When conditions are right ill hit some pucker worthy terrain.

    Looking at a Volkl VTA 98 (had the VTA 108 @189cm last year and liked it a lot, but I sold it cuz money during the summer).

    So, will I overpower that VTA 98 in a 184? Should i go back to the VTA 108 in a 189? Should I look at other skis (Blizzard Zero G 98? Others?)

    Thanks!

  2. #2
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    Sep 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jtlange View Post
    So, looking at more touring specific skis and having trouble picking due to my size. 6'2" and 225lbs in Colorado and I have trouble taking my foot off the gas when Im excited. I have heavy powder skis (Rustler 11's with a Shift) I can use when its deep. Looking for a setup for longer tours maybe in the spring. When conditions are right ill hit some pucker worthy terrain.

    Looking at a Volkl VTA 98 (had the VTA 108 @189cm last year and liked it a lot, but I sold it cuz money during the summer).

    So, will I overpower that VTA 98 in a 184? Should i go back to the VTA 108 in a 189? Should I look at other skis (Blizzard Zero G 98? Others?)

    Thanks!
    Zero G's are probably the sturdiest of the ultralight crowd. But have you ever skied something that light? You might prefer a heavier ski with lighter bindings.

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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
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    Squamish, BC
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    898
    Ravens

  4. #4
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    Nov 2007
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    Eburg
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    I'm a bit bigger than you and tour alot. Add these to your list:

    Salomon MTN Explore 95 -- 95mm waist, mellower than Zero G but torsionally stiff, very intuitive ski, skis more like a heavier ski than other lightweight skis, great all-round spring touring ski and pretty damn fun in pow too)

    Voile UltraVector or HyperVector (98mm waist) -- Hyper is 1 lb. or so lighter, same dims, torsionally stiff, priced right

    wider:
    Voile SuperCharger or HyperCharger (108mm waist) -- see note re UltraVector/HyperVector, wider versions of UltraVector/HyperVector

  5. #5
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    Jan 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds! View Post
    Zero G's are probably the sturdiest of the ultralight crowd. But have you ever skied something that light? You might prefer a heavier ski with lighter bindings.

    Sent from my Pixel using TGR Forums mobile app
    I have on a VTA 108. I just dont know how the 98s will feel in comparison.

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  6. #6
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    Jan 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeezerSteve View Post
    I'm a bit bigger than you and tour alot. Add these to your list:

    Salomon MTN Explore 95 -- 95mm waist, mellower than Zero G but torsionally stiff, very intuitive ski, skis more like a heavier ski than other lightweight skis, great all-round spring touring ski and pretty damn fun in pow too)

    Voile UltraVector or HyperVector (98mm waist) -- Hyper is 1 lb. or so lighter, same dims, torsionally stiff, priced right

    wider:
    Voile SuperCharger or HyperCharger (108mm waist) -- see note re UltraVector/HyperVector, wider versions of UltraVector/HyperVector
    I have read that 1400g is about the sweet spot for skis being as light as possible and still being stable. Is that still true for people of our size or will they need to be heavier?

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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jtlange View Post
    I have read that 1400g is about the sweet spot for skis being as light as possible and still being stable. Is that still true for people of our size or will they need to be heavier?

    Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk
    That's too simple. What feels stable is pretty personal.

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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds! View Post
    That's too simple. What feels stable is pretty personal.

    Sent from my Pixel using TGR Forums mobile app
    Yeah, I know I was just hoping

    I tend to like big long skis that are damp which is the opposite of touring skis generally.

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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jtlange View Post
    Yeah, I know I was just hoping

    I tend to like big long skis that are damp which is the opposite of touring skis generally.

    Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk
    My advice would be to try out diffferent combinations of different types of skis and bindings as cheaply as possible until you know what works best for you. If you see some highly regarded tourng skis for sale cheap enough that you can sell them with an extra set of holes without losing much cash, go for it. Even if you don't love them, a few days skiing them will help you understand what you do want.

    Also consider the weight you could save with bindings. Speed Superlights weigh almost 1 lb less than Shifts per ski. No adjustment though.

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  10. #10
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    Jan 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds! View Post
    My advice would be to try out diffferent combinations of different types of skis and bindings as cheaply as possible until you know what works best for you. If you see some highly regarded tourng skis for sale cheap enough that you can sell them with an extra set of holes without losing much cash, go for it. Even if you don't love them, a few days skiing them will help you understand what you do want.

    Also consider the weight you could save with bindings. Speed Superlights weigh almost 1 lb less than Shifts per ski. No adjustment though.

    Sent from my Pixel using TGR Forums mobile app
    Yeah that's a good call. I'm probably going to throw some tectons or vipecs on them. Dont love true pin setups. I have a few friends that have had some serious injuries because of them.

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  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    PNW
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    Is that a snowman or are you happy to ski me?

  12. #12
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    Mar 2005
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    Kilpisjärvi, Finland
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    I'm 105kg in boxers, tour a lot(60-80 days per season), like to go fast too. So far best do it all setup has been salomon qst99 and Atk freerider 14. Real ski(lightish) + light binding is good combination. I'm not a big fan of light skis.. Anything else than powder and you need to use all the energy you saved while going up, to really drive and push the ski. Otherwise it will just bounce around. There are probably some exceptions, but it's too expensive to try them all

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  13. #13
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    I'm 6'1" 270 and I tour on JJs. The JJ zero is like 1800 grams at 185. It's huge and light. Not sure what else you'd want in the BC
    Its not that I suck at spelling, its that I just don't care

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds! View Post
    That's too simple. What feels stable is pretty personal.
    +1

    Quote Originally Posted by Jtlange View Post
    I'm probably going to throw some tectons or vipecs on them. Dont love true pin setups. I have a few friends that have had some serious injuries because of them.
    Sorry to hear that. What bindings? Were the toes locked out? Were they adjusted properly? IME -- 1,000+ days on tech bindings, mostly Dynafits -- they've released when necessary and stayed on when necessary, except for a few rare (once every 2-3 years) unwanted forward releases with some older Dynafits when bouncing out of a hole in soft snow. No injuries from those and it has not happened with Speed Turn/Turn 2.0. I've had more unwanted releases from alpine bindings in the past 15 years, same number of days on both (albeit more verts in DH bindings).

  15. #15
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    Jan 2009
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    I have the Salomon mtn explore 95.

    In corn and firm, they work well.

    I skied then a few times in cut up powder in the resort, not great, they get bounced around.


    I also have the vwerks katana, incredible ski.

    Works in any conditions you can be in, including ice, powder, wind affected, etc.

    Bindings. I have the mtn, great binding.

    It's marketing hype that the shift, tecton or Kingpin bindings are safer.

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  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    the gach
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    I’ve been touring in pm gear kusalas and praxis Quixote’s. I’m a little bigger than you but I gave up on super light skis a long time ago the lightness helps on the way up but the down suffers. I’ll drag an extra pound or two up to enjoy the down.
    But Ellen kicks ass - if she had a beard it would be much more haggard. -Jer

  17. #17
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    Jan 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeezerSteve View Post
    +1

    Sorry to hear that. What bindings? Were the toes locked out? Were they adjusted properly? IME -- 1,000+ days on tech bindings, mostly Dynafits -- they've released when necessary and stayed on when necessary, except for a few rare (once every 2-3 years) unwanted forward releases with some older Dynafits when bouncing out of a hole in soft snow. No injuries from those and it has not happened with Speed Turn/Turn 2.0. I've had more unwanted releases from alpine bindings in the past 15 years, same number of days on both (albeit more verts in DH bindings).
    Great questions. I dont know the exact circumstances but it was all slow falls that were just awkward. An alpine binding probably would have had the same issues honestly. I'll go back and give the tech bindings another look again.

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  18. #18
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    Mar 2008
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    Da Norf Lake
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    Glad I found this thread.
    I am a biggish (6-2, 200#) dude who likes to open it up a bit sometimes.
    This spot in the quiver is the sub-1400g ski for volcanoes, corn, deep tours in <8" of light snow, big linkups when winter goes on high-atus like this Feb in Tahoe.
    80-95 waist, tip rocker, camber, 18m+ radius, NOT A NOODLE.
    I currently have Mythic 97 in 184 and I hate them. 14m radius and supersoft shovels means tough to go fast, rip big turns, etc. I can't pressure the tips without them folding and making a 2.5m arc. All that and they're still pretty nice. Good float, forgiving, maneuverable and versatile at low speeds.
    Two best options seem to be HyperVector or Zero G 95, of which I lean towards the ZG95 because it's a bit more like a real ski but still just ~1350g in 185.
    Any fans of Vector want to argue their merits or any other sticks?
    Even sometimes when I'm snowboarding I'm like "Hey I'm snowboarding! Because I suck dick, I'm snowboarding!" --Dan Savage

  19. #19
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    Nov 2019
    Posts
    122
    Looking for boot recommendation, Im 210 and don't mind a little extra weight on the way up for a better downhill. I currently have the salomon S/Lab MTN and I feel the only way to get any support for the downhill is to buckle the boots super tight, even then i feel they still ski like shit. I have been looking at the Fischer ranger free 130, would this be any better than my current boot or much of the same?

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
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    3,329
    Quote Originally Posted by lepistoir View Post
    Glad I found this thread.
    I am a biggish (6-2, 200#) dude who likes to open it up a bit sometimes.
    This spot in the quiver is the sub-1400g ski for volcanoes, corn, deep tours in <8" of light snow, big linkups when winter goes on high-atus like this Feb in Tahoe.
    80-95 waist, tip rocker, camber, 18m+ radius, NOT A NOODLE.
    I currently have Mythic 97 in 184 and I hate them. 14m radius and supersoft shovels means tough to go fast, rip big turns, etc. I can't pressure the tips without them folding and making a 2.5m arc. All that and they're still pretty nice. Good float, forgiving, maneuverable and versatile at low speeds.
    Two best options seem to be HyperVector or Zero G 95, of which I lean towards the ZG95 because it's a bit more like a real ski but still just ~1350g in 185.
    Any fans of Vector want to argue their merits or any other sticks?
    If the snow isn’t very 3D, aka fairly firm, the Zero G 95s don’t totally suck, just very carbony. I haven’t skied the HyperVectors. We are the same, and I picked up a pair of Rustler 9s. Not super light at all, but allow me to actually ski at our size. Just a thought to consider, maybe find a 80-100mm wide lighter inbounds or 50/50 ski and use that?


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  21. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Alta
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    Quote Originally Posted by lepistoir View Post
    Glad I found this thread.
    I am a biggish (6-2, 200#) dude who likes to open it up a bit sometimes.
    This spot in the quiver is the sub-1400g ski for volcanoes, corn, deep tours in <8" of light snow, big linkups when winter goes on high-atus like this Feb in Tahoe.
    80-95 waist, tip rocker, camber, 18m+ radius, NOT A NOODLE.
    I currently have Mythic 97 in 184 and I hate them. 14m radius and supersoft shovels means tough to go fast, rip big turns, etc. I can't pressure the tips without them folding and making a 2.5m arc. All that and they're still pretty nice. Good float, forgiving, maneuverable and versatile at low speeds.
    Two best options seem to be HyperVector or Zero G 95, of which I lean towards the ZG95 because it's a bit more like a real ski but still just ~1350g in 185.
    Any fans of Vector want to argue their merits or any other sticks?
    Not your size but can’t stand skis that fold up or have ridiculously small turning radius. Not super light but the Praxis Yeti is my spring/volcano ski. Chargy yet turny. Hooks a great edge on steps. Highly recommend.

  22. #22
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    Mar 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by altacoup View Post
    Not your size but can’t stand skis that fold up or have ridiculously small turning radius. Not super light but the Praxis Yeti is my spring/volcano ski. Chargy yet turny. Hooks a great edge on steps. Highly recommend.
    Definitely looking in to the yeti and have considered the crossover skis like a vantage 86 C but they are all 1600g+ and usually pretty boring. BMT 90 remains a possibility in that weight range.

    I have skied light and stiff skis like rando race skis and actually prefer that to even the medium-dampness of K2s.

    By the way, here’s the reason the mythics suck for me in a “184”. Side by side with 181 K2 Wayback.

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    Even sometimes when I'm snowboarding I'm like "Hey I'm snowboarding! Because I suck dick, I'm snowboarding!" --Dan Savage

  23. #23
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    Dec 2009
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    Sun Valley, ID
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    Quote Originally Posted by altacoup View Post
    Not your size but can’t stand skis that fold up or have ridiculously small turning radius. Not super light but the Praxis Yeti is my spring/volcano ski. Chargy yet turny. Hooks a great edge on steps. Highly recommend.
    Interesting. I’d like to know more about the yeti. I’m not a big guy but I hate light touring skis in the down and I’m looking for a good spring option.

  24. #24
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    Nov 2003
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    Vallee Teton
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    2,586
    Quote Originally Posted by CaliBrit View Post
    Interesting. I’d like to know more about the yeti. I’m not a big guy but I hate light touring skis in the down and I’m looking for a good spring option.
    looks like the new Yeti stock build (and BC too) is with the UL core.

    altacoup, do you know which core you have?

    In time past (not too long ago), Praxis built those skis in stock form with more of a "standard," not UL core.
    Aggressive in my own mind

  25. #25
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    Jan 2011
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    Alta
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    Quote Originally Posted by hoarhey View Post
    looks like the new Yeti stock build (and BC too) is with the UL core.

    altacoup, do you know which core you have?

    In time past (not too long ago), Praxis built those skis in stock form with more of a "standard," not UL core.
    Mine aren’t the UL core. And I believe I had them made stiffer than stock. They’re light enough for me and absolutely rip.

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