Help me pick my maritime high tide ski?

[Hood26]

Hey all thanks for recommending the Praxis RX in advance, and whatever I get I will make sure they are red!

I need a powder ski that can still hold its shit together on long janky run-outs and on piste.

My daily driver is the Mfree 108 in 182cm. I have had a lot of great soft snow days on them this year, but I still want a fatter option on the really deep days.

Skis I moved on from Woodsman 116 in 188cm and Deviation Mode in 189cm. Neither really clicked. I likes the Woods but didn’t love them.

Skis I am considering:

ON3P 118 BG in 182cm
Dynastar MFree 118 in 180cm

Thanks in advance for all ridicule, snark, and earnest help.

[grinch]

Skiing out east for the first season and ive been amazed how many great days ive had on my bg's in a low snowfall year. Good option for pow of course but theyve shined in the funky barely skiable crusts and have been ez to shut down in the tight trees here.
Another great option that carves a groomer better would be the gpo. Enduro core with veneer at -1 ive thought would be my replacement for my og stock gpo that i still call the best one ski quiver of all time. Custom sale is great for that

Sent from my SM-G950W using TGR Forums mobile app

[Mustonen]

GPO: FS/FT: 187 Praxis GPO
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...d.php?t=346174

[TAFKALVS]

Your shortlist of 2 skis was exactly what I'd suggest.

[phatty]

Your shortlist of 2 skis was exactly what I'd suggest.

Agree with LVS. The BG and MFree 118 are the two I use. Older BGs for sure. I have the new 118 in a 192 and it's new tail rocker makes it not as good for maritime as my old 191. Love it in continental snow, but didn't enjoy it at Alpental yet. Still giving it a shot.

[rfconroy]

Pretty hard to beat the Rossignol Blackops 118 or whatever the hell its being called these days. Very, very well balanced.

Also been pretty stoked on the revolt 121.

Have not been on the BG or the MFree so I have no reference points there unfortunately

[2FUNKY]

Your shortlist of 2 skis was exactly what I'd suggest.

Yeep

[Jongle]

Pretty hard to beat the Rossignol Blackops 118 or whatever the hell its being called these days. Very, very well balanced.

+1

[phatty]

Also been pretty stoked on the revolt 121.

This one is high on my list to try next year.

[rfconroy]

This one is high on my list to try next year.

What's your BSL

[phatty]

What's your BSL

Unfortunately I have Sasquatch feet. 335mm BSL.

[Hood26]

Thanks for the intel my dudes.

I will keep an eye out for old BGs. Also the recommendation for the Black Ops has me remembering I saw a regular at my primary resort rolling a pair the other day, so I will chat him up, and I will keep the Proto/MFree 118 (or whatever they are calling it too these days) on the list too because I am heading way too far down the fan bois path already.

I appreciate the Praxis recommendations, but they just are not a common sighting in my little world and I got no one I could borrow a pair from or find in demo, so I am still reserved.

[nickwm21]

Re: Praxis - Protest over GPO if you already have an MF108.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[XavierD]

Older BGs,
For truly deep: Revolt 121s, black crows Nocta

[rfconroy]

Unfortunately I have Sasquatch feet. 335mm BSL.

Bummer

Offer is out for anyone who skis Alpy, and has a 306ish BSL to try the volkls out

[kid-kapow]

ON3P 118 BG in 182cm
Dynastar MFree 118 in 180cm

Both are excellent skis, though just keep in mind that BG118 182s is a lot less ski than the old BGasym 184s (I have both). The comparable BGasym is the 179. 182s have noticeably softer tips/tails than 184 BGasyms, which actually make them easier to do big slarves with, whereas BGasyms want to do big slashes / slarves that go back to fall line hauling ass. Or, that is how I ski them. It could be that this is due to my weak legs and tiny feet - perhaps I should try a +1 or +2 mount to slightly shift the balance point of the ski, in spite of ON3P being adamant that on the line is the way to go on all RES skis. That being said, I like them both, but prefer the asyms over 118s. I should have bought 187 BG118s.

As for MF118s, they are truly excellent. Like one of my all time favorite skis, full stop. I run the 189s in spite of being only 175cm/68kg nekkid, but found them to be a hoot in soft snow. They were utter shite in shit snow where I could not let them run, but that is why you have a 108 ski or narrower eh. They are notiably looser than wood116s if not as enganging on groomers, but they still rail GS turns like a champ for being 118 underfoot. I have a fair bit of time on 182 MF108s as well, a ski that is a stiffer shovel away from being perfection. If Dynastar were to sell the 182 with a 192 flex pattern then I would be all over it. The 182 is one of the easiest, funnest and most forgiving soft snow skis I've been on. So much fun in fresh.

Which to get you ask?

If you prefer more floaty / supportive (as in that you can lean into them and load them, not that they are super stiff) tails and do a lot of groomer skiing between stashes? MF118s are perfection. I would seriously consider the 189 in all guises other than the PR-OTO factory build - which supposedly is a lot of ski - unless the main goal is to ski really tight areas with difficult snow where the 180 would shine more.

If you prefer a stronger ski throughout that favors a more fall line bias (aka less floaty tails -> pintails, easier to push through snow and not softer, so if you slash too far into a turn the tails will kinda wash out due to the large front ski surface area, ) and skis that devours variable? BGs. All iteration of BGs are good, if slightly different. All BGs do groomers just fine with two foot GS turns, but are def more of a soft snow ski.

[MHSP1497]

Billy Goat

[skis_the_trees]

GPO. Get those 187 GPOs posted above and never look back. The MFree and GPO have very similar shapes. The Praxis build quality never disappoints. I got my 192 GPOs for "low tide" pow days and then they became my winter daily drivers because they were so ridiculously fun and versatile. I've never ridden an MFree (or any of the other posted skis) as my 350mm BSL precludes sharing, but GPO is my favorite ski ever. They are not just "good" in any type of soft snow, I think they are GREAT in any soft snow. So much so that I have a second pair in waiting...

[Dervan]

Pretty hard to beat the Rossignol Blackops 118 or whatever the hell its being called these days. Very, very well balanced.

Also been pretty stoked on the revolt 121.

Have not been on the BG or the MFree so I have no reference points there unfortunately

My friend is looking at Revolt 121 and good to hear it is recommended here. We'll finish installing the suspension from 4Wheelonline onto his truck tomorrow and he got till weekend to gather the personal things before the trip next week.

[John_B]

....

[Danno]

Good catch.

He gone now.

[waveshello]

I had a couple really good days on a pair of 195 JJ 2.0s that I picked up on the cheap this year. And then it stopped snowing.

JJs don't get a lot of love around here, but I'm loving mine so far. Worth a look if you don't want to spend much.

I haven't been able to test the long janky runout performance yet though. On piste is surprisingly good.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[rfconroy]

I had a couple really good days on a pair of 195 JJ 2.0s that I picked up on the cheap this year. And then it stopped snowing.

JJs don't get a lot of love around here, but I'm loving mine so far. Worth a look if you don't want to spend much.

I haven't been able to test the long janky runout performance yet though. On piste is surprisingly good.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

I really liked my 2.0 in the 185 for skiing around the PNW. Thought it was an awesome balance of playfulness, and stability in chop. Ski just wasnt great on firm.

Full thoughts here:

https://www.experiencedgear.net/home/armada-jj-20

[scmartin69]

Billy Goats, that is all...

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[lrn2swim]

OG Spurs. If you want something for really deep days, might as well go large. 125 underfoot, a ton of taper, pintail, flat camber. What else ya want? Unreal for untracked and great in the creamy stuff we get out here. Mount them +1.5 from rec makes them pretty easy to pivot in trees or tight spots as well.

Also, being extremely torsionally stiff, they freaking rail on groomers, no joke. Still haven't seen anything new out since that I thought looked this versatile for a super fat ski. The blister review pretty much nails it
https://blisterreview.com/gear-revie...-blizzard-spur


Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk