Results 26 to 50 of 111
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01-20-2019, 03:41 PM #26
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01-20-2019, 03:53 PM #27
I actually prefer the new Cochise. It's quicker and less dead, but retains all the stability. Yeah the old one might have been slightly better at skidding over shit snow, but the new one is a noticeable improvement to me.
But I fear you're spot on with the Bodacious comparison, if the 104 is indeed much lighter/softer. Hopeful the change in character is more akin to what happened with the Cochise.
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01-20-2019, 08:37 PM #28Registered User
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Finally got to ride a ZG95 (in a skimo race, for the first time on the ski, that were a demo pair...broke my skis the day before) and holy shit were they confidence inspiring. Really hope they aren't going to make them softer.
TLDR; Ski faster. Quit breathing. Don't crash.
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01-20-2019, 10:07 PM #29
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01-20-2019, 10:08 PM #30
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01-20-2019, 10:10 PM #31
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01-21-2019, 01:01 AM #32Registered User
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01-21-2019, 09:04 AM #33
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01-21-2019, 09:20 AM #34
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01-21-2019, 09:23 AM #35Registered User
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Oooh! With a -7 mount, I'll prolly end up on a pair. Ugh.
Except now I'm between sizes. Should probably size up to the 188 but that seems long. #firstworldproblems
Any more info on the 95 re mount point, rocker, flex, etc?"Alpine rock and steep, deep powder are what I seek, and I will always find solace there." - Bean Bowers
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01-21-2019, 09:30 AM #36
I'm curious how the ZG105 compares to the Backland 107. I haven't skied either. It seems the new market is for a ~105mm, ~1600g do-it-all backcountry ski. I kinda wish there was a similar option around 1750g for a more 50/50 setup (with something like the Shifts mounted). I feel like <1600g would get thrown around too much at a resort.
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01-21-2019, 09:34 AM #37Registered User
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"Alpine rock and steep, deep powder are what I seek, and I will always find solace there." - Bean Bowers
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01-21-2019, 11:24 AM #38
I'll grab a pair and check on that; take pics etc.
I did like my old ZG95s but they were stiff af. I mean I used them for pow and everything but they were a demanding ski and IMO more for the light traverse, stiffness for sawing back and forth in couloirs kind of ski. I thought the 108s in 185 were actually almost easier to ski than the 95s in 178. Or maybe that's crack pipe
oooo... I have both. ZG105 in 180 and did ski the Backland 107 in 181 (test pair I had to give back) and now own it in Backland 107 189. Unfortunately with only 3 days on the ZG105 it's preliminary but suffice it to say that I've had it out in hardpack, chopped up groomers, wet heavy snow and now light blower and steeps with extremely tight trees to exit. But I haven't had it out in variable mank where the ski gets tossed around. Very preliminary the ZG105 and Backland 107 are comparable which is to say very capable with massive range of useability.
But in "variable mank where the ski gets tossed around" the Backland 107 suffered. I haven't had the ZG105 out in that yet. But they're both pretty light skis and I wouldn't expect either to shine in that stuff.
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01-21-2019, 11:37 AM #39Registered User
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Thanks! Yeah, my wife has the 164 95 for spring touring and I definitely get that impression. A touch less stiffness might be appreciated at their crazy light weight.
Really looking forward to comparisons of the new 180x105 to the old 185x108 after you have more time on them. Float, charging, sizing, etc."Alpine rock and steep, deep powder are what I seek, and I will always find solace there." - Bean Bowers
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01-21-2019, 11:54 AM #40
What i really liked about the ZG108 is when i ski like an absolute idiot and run out from a big fast pow line into avalanche debris. That's when i got really comfortably with the ZGTP, Vipec, 108 combo from last year when i would behave like a moron and get into trouble and the ski/boot/binding combo would get me out of trouble. I mean who doesn't do that every now and then? That's what I really liked about the Backland/Shifts I was testing last year. Same outcome.
anyhow I imagine that I'll similarly get over my head at some point in this season with the ZG105. I'll try to grab some ZG95s next week and see what they look like
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01-21-2019, 12:15 PM #41
Yeah I've seriously thought about some of these options. I'm trying to keep a 2-3 ski quiver. One spring skimo stick, a 50/50 ski, and a resort ski. I'm just on the fence about whether it makes more sense to have the 50/50 ski be a 115 pow stick or vice versa. And if vice versa should it be a 1600g ski or an 1800g ski. But I digress on this thread...
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01-21-2019, 12:16 PM #42Registered User
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01-23-2019, 08:56 PM #43
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01-23-2019, 10:46 PM #44
That tip rocker profile is looking like just the right tradeoff. I hated dealing with them on the old ZG108 and the only reason I sold them, though I understood the design choice. How are you feeling about supposed the shape refinement?
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01-24-2019, 01:32 AM #45
The Backland 107 tip definitely appears to be more soft-snow focused compared to the new ZG105.
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01-24-2019, 12:09 PM #46Registered User
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Torsionally stiff... I think you will find the new skis slightly more “balanced” than the old ones. The tail was the primary focus. To make it release easier and less prone to catching especially when conditions are gnarly and you’re carrying a large pack.
Honestly the tweaks are subtle. They’re not meant to be totally different skis but were redesigned based on feedback from people that spend a ton of time on them in all sorts of conditions. They will always be on the stiffer end of anything in this weight class that is for sure. Again this refers more to the 85 and 95.
I skied the 178 95 for three or four hours in bounds at Alta on the first day of our sales meeting in early December. Alpinists and Cochise 130s. I’m all of 220 without gear and had a blast on them and skied them pretty hard all over the place. Granted it was about 15” of snow but it got rather skied out and was pretty variable underneath. I was expecting them to kind of suck in those conditions as I hadn’t enjoyed the previous 95s skiing anything in bounds at all. They were much more stable and didn’t deflect nearly as much as the previous versions.
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01-25-2019, 12:06 PM #47Registered User
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Backland 107 is softer. It’s a soft snow only ski. It’s a ton of fun in perfect fluffy snow and skittish and unpredictable in anything else. I haven’t skied the 105 yet but hand flex is more substantial, shape is more all mountain.
The 50/50 ski you want for that is the Black Crows Corvus Freebird.
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01-25-2019, 09:33 PM #48
This was to auvgeek - I still don't think either the Backland or ZG105 are good "variable mank" skis because they're both approx 1500g and get tossed around. But the ZG105 gets tossed around less. This on a couple of exit runs into end-of-day resort cut up pow into fast variable inbound runs. By then I'm tired and the legs aren't absorbing as well as one would like. The skis don't really lend a whole lot of help; which I feel is the nature of a light ski
ZG108 in deep snow required a fair amount of body English; ie old-school dolphin or up/down bouncing. Same was true of ZG95 also by the way. The ZG105 releases quicker and I can ski quieter through deep snow
Thejongiest. I've just skied the Backland 107 and then the Blizzard 105 back to back on powder days touring and would have to agree. I had the Backland out for the day of a 25cms dump when things were still soft and it was an absolute blast. At the end of the day coming back to the resort when things were a bit chopped up the Backland does get bucked around.
Took the Blizzard out in the next two subsequent days. Also powder days but now the wind has put a bit of windskin and even windslab at alpine ridgelines so there's more variability. That's where the ZG 105 is coming into its own as it's comfort range is so alarmingly large. One example - dropping into a SE 40 deg face where there's a bit of a crust at the top requiring jump turns to unweight and displace crust to link the turns. Midway in the face I can ski without the Scott Schmidt by driving the tips and powering through the thin windskin. Then lower in the face the snow turns blower and I see a small windfeature off to the side in untouched fields of unicorn tears fairy dust pow. Aim at it and stuff the tips first then break the tails loose getting sideways and trying my best (but of course failing) to be as steezy as big-mountain snowboarders. But the ZG105 felt stable yet playful and totally under control.
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01-26-2019, 06:01 AM #49Registered User
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So wait I may be an idiot or a bit lost. Is this chat about the 19/20 skis? Like if I buy a zero g 95 now is it the same as last years and I need to wait for the improvements? Thread is just labeled new for 2019 but is that end of 2019?
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01-26-2019, 08:33 AM #50Registered User
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There will be limited quantities of the new 19/20 skis available through certain retailers starting in February.
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