Should I get new skis?

[Vitamin I]

...I am slightly tempted to just buy a new pair (whatever the best candidate is) and see how it goes (how dumb would that be?).

No. Since your known tastes seem pretty narrow, I recommend that you first keep demo-ing more skis, with guidance from this forum, and hope that demo-ing experience helps you to either:
A) discover some new hidden taste preferences that you never knew about yourself (possibly including a new taste for a variety of new skiing styles),
OR
B) further confirm that your tastes are truly set in your old ways of one-dimensional traditional skiing style.

And in the end, if you truly prefer old skis, then keep skiing old skis.

...Blister talked about doing a deep dive comparing mythic skis like the XXL and RC112 to newer chargers but never got around to it. I still would love to read such a comparison...

I remember that, and I've been thinking about it for years. Inspired by Blister's abandoned idea, this winter I want to do a bunch of "old charger" A/B Tests, as a fun hobby to spice up my solo ski days during the COVID era---but my posts won't be at all like Blister's format. And I would love to compare my old chargers to "new chargers", but I don't know if I will be able to access many newer skis.

.

[twat]

After all this should I clarify that when I first posted I was thinking about replacing my shit-kicker Scotts and not getting new pow skis??

Utagonian, somehow that Blister review actually makes me think that the XXL's are the better choice...

wow, try to demo a pair of faction ct2.0 on a sluschy spring day when on the corn hunt. uhhh these boards shine.
btw they are a great pair of skis allround the mountain

[DJSapp]

How in the fuck are we on page 3 and nobody told Dex to just get a Praxis RX yet?

[waxoff]

Yeah, those might be the right call...if I'm going to switch up my pow skis those certainly look like a leading candidate. Maybe the best candidate, from what I can tell by reading about them and what you and several others are saying.



Honestly, I'm not sure, but I DO like the turning radius on the XXL's. I believe when I first came across them (mighta been the year they came out skiing with Pow11 in Whistler) I was told I should get them because of how I like to ski and that they are 'SG skis for pow.' I think that's kind of accurate. Do I have to have a 40m radius ski? Not sure.




Stop it. This is about not facing reality.



I can vividly recall certain (deep) powder days all over the place on Rossi 7S's, some of the best days I've had, but I have no desire to get back on those skis...


Yeah, we skied a few laps. I've been struggling to remember the day but just can't come up with anything about it. I can completely see the utility of the newer skis, just need to figure out which way to go. Could definitely be the Bodacious.

Dunno if Volkl have done anything to counter the alleged durability reports, but if those are no longer an issue (anybody here knows?), a pair of 193 Confessions might fit your needs and style.

[subtle plague]

How in the fuck are we on page 3 and nobody told Dex to just get a Praxis RX yet?

You can get them for 37 bucks.

[Benny Profane]

Hey Dex, I remember when you core shot those skis at Plattekill pretty severely. Still on them?

[EWG]

How in the fuck are we on page 3 and nobody told Dex to just get a Praxis RX yet?

Great point. Damn.

[Dexter Rutecki]

No. Since your known tastes seem pretty narrow, I recommend that you first keep demo-ing more skis, with guidance from this forum, and hope that demo-ing experience helps you to either:
A) discover some new hidden taste preferences that you never knew about yourself (possibly including a new taste for a variety of new skiing styles),
OR
B) further confirm that your tastes are truly set in your old ways of one-dimensional traditional skiing style.

I'm not sure about one-dimensional traditional skiing style (thanks to sidecut I sure don't ski the same way I did in the 90's, and as someone who grew up both bump skiing and racing I don't think I'm so limited), but if you mean skiing from the front of the boot and driving the ski then yeah, I hope that's not going to change (and I like a ski that allows you/helps you to ski that way). I guess I don't understand why anyone would want to sacrifice power and what the ski can give you (and the best part of skiing, IMO, which is laying it over and powering through turns--that's what's so great about big pow skis, you can ski powder with big, powerful turns). I fully get that new shapes let you slarve and otherwise get sideways easily and are more versatile with turn shape etc., but if it's a real trade-off between that and being able to aggressively push then I know which one I'll choose. But it looks like a ski like the Bodacious could give you some of the newer things without sacrificing much.

How in the fuck are we on page 3 and nobody told Dex to just get a Praxis RX yet?

I blame Rob Story.

Hey Dex, I remember when you core shot those skis at Plattekill pretty severely. Still on them?

Wow, I forgot that that was the day I ran into you. Those were Gordy's XXX's. (Core shot pretty severely definitely applies--like six inches of edge hanging off, same amount of destroyed sidewall, and yes, some core shot). I was actually able to get Rossi to give me a ski to replace that one, so I kept skiing those things for a few more years (I remember just switching L/R that day and continuing to ski on them--that was a pretty good snow day). Haven't been on them since I got the XXL's (you can have those Rossis if you want, but I gave the Rossi Pro bindings away). You know that that was probably 18 years ago?

[Benny Profane]

Yeah. Time flies.

[mlybb]

The answer is always yes.

[Timberridge]

Perhaps try snowboarding? It's simpler. All those guys argue about is bindings.

[plugboots]

I get why you hated the DPS. Not you’re reason, but related:
An almost-friend bought DPS 112RP’s basically because he liked my 1st generation versions. It was his 1st BC set-up, and first tech binding set-up.
I randomly saw him at the local lift-served hill and he proceeds to tell me that he’s kinda disappointed w/ them because they aren’t that great on the groomers.
I just stared at him.

[Dexter Rutecki]

OK, that's funny. (I only tried them on a pow day so groomers weren't an issue, but I can make a pretty good guess about how they'd behave--I'm thinking snowlerblades with floppy stuff in front and back).

[snowaddict91]

I'm not sure about one-dimensional traditional skiing style (thanks to sidecut I sure don't ski the same way I did in the 90's, and as someone who grew up both bump skiing and racing I don't think I'm so limited), but if you mean skiing from the front of the boot and driving the ski then yeah, I hope that's not going to change (and I like a ski that allows you/helps you to ski that way). I guess I don't understand why anyone would want to sacrifice power and what the ski can give you (and the best part of skiing, IMO, which is laying it over and powering through turns--that's what's so great about big pow skis, you can ski powder with big, powerful turns). I fully get that new shapes let you slarve and otherwise get sideways easily and are more versatile with turn shape etc., but if it's a real trade-off between that and being able to aggressively push then I know which one I'll choose. But it looks like a ski like the Bodacious could give you some of the newer things without sacrificing much.

I have no race background, but I love to drive a ski from the tongue of my boot. I've only skied (and love) the Wrenegade 108s, but the 114 sure sounds like it could be up your alley.

[grrrr]

Get the ones with the robot on them.

[Ottime]

Kusala

[eldereldo]

If you don’t notice a big difference between your old skis and the new designs, then you are probably skiing the new ones the same way as your old skis. So yes, you need a couple of days on demos to figure out the difference in style.

[Kopi_Red]

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...d.php?t=326210

[Dexter Rutecki]

Get the ones with the robot on them.

I like it--kicking it old school.

If you don’t notice a big difference between your old skis and the new designs, then you are probably skiing the new ones the same way as your old skis. So yes, you need a couple of days on demos to figure out the difference in style.

Oh, I notice the difference. I don't really like the difference, but I very much notice. It does sound like I might notice but also like the difference on a few of these suggestions (Ebay already following me around with suggestions about Bodacious and other skis).

[Dexter Rutecki]

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...d.php?t=326210

Would be a definite maybe but I'm not going to drill those things a third time (and I saw another pair with bindings and no extra mounts for $350).

[Danno]

How in the fuck are we on page 3 and nobody told Dex to just get a Praxis RX yet?

fuck!

[Benny Profane]

OK, that's funny. (I only tried them on a pow day so groomers weren't an issue, but I can make a pretty good guess about how they'd behave--I'm thinking snowlerblades with floppy stuff in front and back).

Hey, speaking of which, I have two pair of Phantoms in storage, the original you tried and talked about at Plattekill, and the improved model after. Still the most awesome tight eastern tree ski ever.

[Buster Highmen]

Other thing is that I am just not a fan of reverse camber, early rise, etc. At least not on the skis I've tried. I like traditional sidecut and camber. Again, though, maybe I just haven't given non-traditional shapes/sidecuts enough of a chance.

So am I wrong that my old skis provide everything I want/need in a ski, and newer skis wouldn't make a big difference?

Come west young man with your 27.5 boots and I'll loan you a pair of flat, deftly rockered gs sidecut planques that you may find interesting. Other exrace fiends such as mofro261 have found this ski to be wads of fun.

I am slightly tempted to just buy a new pair (whatever the best candidate is) and see how it goes (how dumb would that be?).

I think I've covered that.

[Vitamin I]

OK Dex, you sound pretty convincing that you won't like the trade-offs of rocker, flat camber, taper, etc.

I still recommend demo-ing a Bodacious before buying an expensive pair...or just buy an old beater pair at a low enough price that you can resell it later at a net loss that is similar to the price to demo.

My last attempt:
Did you already demo an RC112? Because that shape is a lot like an XXL, except with tip rocker. And did you already demo a Salomon El Dictator? Because that shape is a lot like an XXL, except with flat camber. If both of those small design tweaks to an XXL feel worthless to you on the hill, then yeah, maybe you should just give up on rocker, flat camber, taper, etc.

...am most often on a pair of (old) Scott park skis as my default 'other' ski (they are just pretty easy to ski if I'm lazy but also have decent performance)...

Are you saying your daily driver is this park ski, and you don't even focus on park skiing?
If yes, then there's gotta be a better daily driver for you. Heck, even if you still want old-style traditional charging power, you could upgrade your daily driver from that park ski to a "downsized" easier old narrow charger, like a short 183cm m103 or 186cm LegendPro. (I remember once thinking that both a 187 XXL and 194 XXL together would be a pretty damn good complete quiver in real life, even though it sounds like stupid overlap on paper.)

.

[Dexter Rutecki]

My last attempt:
Did you already demo an RC112? Because that shape is a lot like an XXL, except with tip rocker. And did you already demo a Salomon El Dictator? Because that shape is a lot like an XXL, except with flat camber. If both of those small design tweaks to an XXL feel worthless to you on the hill, then yeah, maybe you should just give up on rocker, flat camber, taper, etc.

No, I haven't in any way tried (aside from this thread) to replace my skis, and haven't demoed--just randomly taken a few runs on other people's skis (OK, thinking about it the DPS's were a demo because DPS showed up at the hill and it had snowed so I figured why not, but that was the only official demo). I am definitely open to other ski designs (that's why I posted), I'm just asking what it is that I haven't figured out (which skis have some of the new design elements that I would like). I think part of it is that I truly love the way the XXL's ski (when they're in their element--not on hard groomers or ice bumps), and they do seem to match me well, so in terms of a replacement there may not be many candidate skis.

Are you saying your daily driver is this park ski, and you don't even focus on park skiing?
If yes, then there's gotta be a better daily driver for you. Heck, even if you still want old-style traditional charging power, you could upgrade your daily driver from that park ski to a "downsized" easier old narrow charger, like a short 183cm m103 or 186cm LegendPro. (I remember once thinking that both a 187 XXL and 194 XXL together would be a pretty damn good complete quiver in real life, even though it sounds like stupid overlap on paper.)

.

Didn't want to make things too long, but I bought that ski as a bump ski (I was a bump skier once upon a time and still like them when springy or other soft snow) that would be a little more versatile, which it is. But daily driver may be misleading--they're my 'I don't give a shit' skis for days when I just need something utilitarian (I coach so many of my days involve more carrying shit around the hill and slipping courses--which these are great for--than actual skiing). But they're also my random, any day/every day ski if I'm going to mix things up with groomers, bumps, trees (in other words not just groomer/race course stuff, and not a real powder day).

But everyone immediately went with pow ski recs so now that's all I'm thinking about. Thinking more about it, I have race skis covered and maybe a new ski for 'average' days shouldn't be the priority since the normal ski area day is not what really gets me fired up (definitely not looking to wind up buying two pairs of skis as a result of this thread).