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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Hayden, ID
    Posts
    219

    Fat Skis: Is 120 waist and up worth it?

    I’ve got 108 Black Crows Atris in a 189 and older 112 waist Czars in a 182. I actually really like the Czars with a turning radius of 45m. They charge and are pretty bomber in lots of conditions. Never owned anything wider than the Czars, but I’ve been curious about 120-125 waist skis to round out the quiver for powder days and wondering if they would make that big of a difference. I don’t feel like I struggle too much with float, but would love for the days with 6-8” of fresh to feel more bottomless. Like the idea of some Bent Chetlers, Noctas, or maybe even Pescados but haven’t skied any of these. Gonna be skiing Northern Idaho this year so hopefully lighter snow than I’ve been used to in the Oregon Cascades. Any thoughts from all of you with fatties in your quiver? Have I been missing out on the the best powder days of my life?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    NorCal
    Posts
    2,285
    Go demo some fat skis. Find out if you like 'em.

    .
    - TRADE your heavy PROTESTS for my lightweight version at this thread

    "My biggest goal in life has always been to pursue passion and to make dreams a reality. I love my daughter, but if I had to quit my passions for her, then I would be setting the wrong example for her, and I would not be myself anymore. " -Shane

    "I'm gonna go SO OFF that NO ONE's ever gonna see what I'm gonna do!" -Saucerboy

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    not there
    Posts
    1,558

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Matchbox 20
    Posts
    2,313
    no

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    A LSD Steakhouse somewhere in the Wasatch
    Posts
    13,234
    2' dump
    fuck yeah
    worth every penny of extra haul ass float
    "When the child was a child it waited patiently for the first snow and it still does"- Van "The Man" Morrison
    "I find I have already had my reward, in the doing of the thing" - Buzz Holmstrom
    "THIS IS WHAT WE DO"-AML -ski on in eternal peace
    "I have posted in here but haven't read it carefully with my trusty PoliAsshat antenna on."-DipshitDanno

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    none
    Posts
    8,334
    They make low angle pow, fun.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    466
    Yes

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    In Your Wife
    Posts
    8,291
    In bounds? No, not really, with a few obvious exceptions.

    Ultra deep, low density where you won't be dealing with chop in an hour? Absolutely.

    Also, it depends quite a bit on your preferred style/technique for skiing deep powder. Some people see more benefit from ultra-fats than others based on how they ski pow.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    idaho panhandle!
    Posts
    9,951
    For me, most definitely. Also depends on the shape. I personally don’t see the benefit to a uber fat GS type ski, now a “fun shape” like a Protest/pontoon, fuck yeah. If there is more than 10” I’m on my protest and even more so if it’s a storm day. The way they shred pow is just unreal. Super loose and drifty. Tight trees are a non factor at supa speed on them. One caveat is when things get really chopped up. All the surface area can give some feedback in chop. That’s when I would rather be on my 117 under foot supa stiff Lhasa with a more traditional shape even though my #4 flex Protest are a better ride in chop than my stock flex Protest. Lhasa are just a damn scalpel tho..
    Since you are going to be at my same sleepy hill this winter, a 128 fun shape is warranted in my mind. I rock my Protest a lot there.
    If the forecast for above average snow holds true, I hope I’m on my protest more than any other ski I own this season. Plus that shape kills it when we get the unwelcome arrival of the pineapple express. Rained on pow is soooo much fun on protest, everyone else packs it up and goes home and me and the protest just keep raging like its a pow day. Rain corn is also crazy fun on them.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    northern BC
    Posts
    30,881
    I use the lotus 120 a lot at the hill i find it very versitile even tho its a fat

    unless there is > 20 cms of new any thing wider is just too much weight and doesnt get used much
    so some years the 135 under foot Gigawatts only got used once or twice YMMV


    consider looking for a used set of super fats already with bindings and do not pay a lot if you think you want a superfat setup but really where I live a fat is enough, if my superfats went away i would just use the 120
    Last edited by XXX-er; 10-18-2020 at 08:53 AM.
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    N. ID
    Posts
    180
    Like 2F Silver is home, but since we rarely get more than 8-10/day I'm quite happy with 115 underfoot, but my ex guide buddy is on 120 most of the time, personal preference. Bring on the LaNina

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    London Mountain
    Posts
    1,159
    I have a super fat ski in my quiver but it doesn't get used much.
    I have some 195 Super 7's that gather dust until they're needed.
    But when its the right day you feel like a super hero. I pull them out for soggy coastal cement days, and deep pow resort storm skiing only.
    The right number of skis in your quiver is n+1 so obviously yes you should buy some.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Posts
    3,064
    I still consider 125uf Head Boneshaker as my DD Very versatile shape IMO.
    So yeah. well worth it

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    1,218
    Quote Originally Posted by Clownshoe View Post
    The right number of skis in your quiver is n+1 so obviously yes you should buy some.
    The only correct answer here. And the answer to the obvious follow up question is Protest.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    funland
    Posts
    5,250
    i'm on my third pair of pontoons since 2007 but i only ski at a crowded resort.

    upside down pow or blower with a little wind and they save you tons of energy..... but they shine the most after an 8 inch graupel / heavy dense storm, going faster than you're usually comfortable with on the steepest terrain that holds snow.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Posts
    6,643
    Quote Originally Posted by jimmiepoison View Post
    Gonna be skiing Northern Idaho this year so ...
    For the 2 seconds or so that I misread this as Northern Ireland I was really confused. Perhaps I should lighten up on the vodka first thing in the morning...

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    London Mountain
    Posts
    1,159
    Quote Originally Posted by EWG View Post
    Perhaps I should lighten up on the vodka first thing in the morning...
    You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Posts
    90
    Maybe for the first run on a pow day. I bought a pair of Atomic element's years ago - 117UF. I took them to the resort once on a big day. After the first run, they kicked my ass all over the place once it was chopped up. It's too much ski for my 165 lbs to bash through the chop and not get bucked back and forth. I use them to snow kite when it's super deep, or light wind and need the float. Anything else I'll reach for 100s to 106s. I think 100 to 104 is the sweet spot for an all around resort ski.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    CA
    Posts
    448
    I'm selling a 187 Protest if you do want to go that direction, DM me for details.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    656
    you guys complaining about getting tossed around in the chop on fat skis should try some of the asym Spurs. They just blast right through it. They are super fun in the morning when it's still fluffy pow, and they stay fun when it gets all chopped out. Everyone else is getting tossed around and busting their asses, and you're just hauling ass right over/through it like it's not there. They're super weird to ski if it's not deep though.

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    1,339
    K2 Darksides...some years they don't come out at all. But when the snow is right they are crazy fun.

    Tech Talk Jong

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    northern BC
    Posts
    30,881
    I got 2 pair of the red hybrid lotus 120's in 184 & 190 (only 3 s/n apart) so IME the difference in weight & handling between the Lotus 184/ Vertical/ Vulcan, the Lotus 190/ baron/ 4buckle and the 185 Gigawatt/ 4 frnt demo bindings/ 4 buckle is very noticable

    To the OP, not counting just getting them turned the Fat & super Fats are a lot of ski/ lot of weight on your feet and knees, so IME it took a bit of training to get used to that much weight, I know I got the smoking deal on the 190 lotus cuz buddy just couldn't handle them

    i actualy like the ride of the 184 over the 190, somehow the 184 has more early rise than the 190 and now the 184 feels like an XC ski
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    656
    tech talk jongs

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Hayden, ID
    Posts
    219
    Quote Originally Posted by Clownshoe View Post
    The right number of skis in your quiver is n+1 so obviously yes you should buy some.
    ^ this! I think really my post is just a cry for help with the justification. And snow is starting to fall in the mountains and I’m really itching to get on some skis. Dreaming about deep La Niña days soon!

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    idaho panhandle!
    Posts
    9,951

    Fat Skis: Is 120 waist and up worth it?

    Quote Originally Posted by blackalps View Post
    tech talk jongs
    How cute. A JONG calling others JONG’s....
    It should have been put in tech talk tho.....

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