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  1. #76
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    Me buying those Squads = guy who buys a mid-life crisis Porsche

    NTTAWWT....

  2. #77
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    What new ski do I want (aka the RIP Sickle thread)?

    Quote Originally Posted by Shorty_J View Post
    I think you and the OP should buy BOTH the blaze and the katana, and actually ski them, and see which one fits best.

    Or you can borrow my katanas any time you want... mounted with demos.

    They are both the closest thing to my old sickles I have been on yet. Even with a tiny bit of camber. And even more so than the miss-pressed sickles that didn't have the right rocker profile... which I accidentally bought and were NOT the same. Just don't go too far forward on the mount... I'm at +1cm with a 25.5 boot. Actually I'm going to recommend demo bindings for them again... I can feel 0.5cm difference on these skis and there's a lot of personal preference here.

    Plus there's the gaijin factor.
    Been skiing lots lately...mostly on 184cm 4FRNT Ravens (such a great ski in crap snow) and 181cm Icelantic Nomad 115s (when it snows)....both are so easy to ski. Both mounted at approx -6cm. I think if the 104mm, rockered Raven and the 115mm, 2mm cambered Nomad had a baby….it would be a 110mm Sickle.

    Just mounting some Season Eqpt Aero skis at -3.75cm....can you see me skiing those, then skiing the Katana at -10.3cm (+1)? My brain would explode. So I’m not sure how a K108 mounted at -10 to -11cm could ever feel like a Sickle mounted at -4 to -6cm? But maybe that’s me, and I should forgot my progressive mount bias? Or maybe when I mounted my my M102s at +2.5cm (-9 cm) I f’ed them up? I still think it’s a “how you ski” thing.

    But every time I drive through Squamish, I go right by Urban Alpine, and I know they have pair of 2022 Katanas in there for $599CDN. And I have some spare white Pivot 18s with a 115mm brake...and I’m not gonna lie, with all the shit type snow I've been skiing at Whistler lately....I've wondered how K108s (mounted at +1cm) would feel/ski in the mank/ice/chunder?

    And yes, the gaijin factor alone may be worth just about as much as the price of the skis, which would then make my cost $0.

    $600 ski purchase cost - $600 worth/value of gaijin rants = $0 net.
    Last edited by kc_7777; 04-05-2022 at 10:24 PM.
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  3. #78
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Me buying those Squads = guy who buys a mid-life crisis Porsche

    NTTAWWT....
    The squads are a fraction of a single payment for that Porsche, so I’d call that a win.

    And if you don’t dig them I’ll swoop them on gear swap.
    focus.

  4. #79
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    Quote Originally Posted by kc_7777 View Post
    Just mounting some Season Eqpt Aero skis at -3.75cm....can you see me skiing those, then skiing the Katana at -10.3cm (+1)? My brain would explode. So I’m not sure how a K108 mounted at -10 to -11cm could ever feel like a Sickle mounted at -4 to -6cm? But maybe that’s me, and I should forgot my progressive mount bias? Or maybe when I mounted my my M102s at +2.5cm (-9 cm) I f’ed them up? I still think it’s a “how you ski” thing.
    After reading the last page this is the only thing I can think of. How is the Sickle anything like the Katana 108? It seems to me that the only thing remotely similar about the skis is the flat camber aspect. The mount point, construction, dimension, side cut, ect... are all vastly different. It seems like a great ski for someone who likes traditional mount points but almost certainly doesn't belong in the "does this replace my sickle" catagory.

  5. #80
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    Double post

  6. #81
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    Quote Originally Posted by ASmileyFace View Post
    After reading the last page this is the only thing I can think of. How is the Sickle anything like the Katana 108? It seems to me that the only thing remotely similar about the skis is the flat camber aspect. The mount point, construction, dimension, side cut, ect... are all vastly different. It seems like a great ski for someone who likes traditional mount points but almost certainly doesn't belong in the "does this replace my sickle" catagory.
    Couldn’t quite figure that one myself…. Seems it was offered as “this is a ski I really like and I also liked the Sickle so they must be similar!” Which is fair I guess. I liked the K108 quite a bit too, but it doesn’t scream Sickle to me and isn’t what you’d pick to starve around the stuff DTM shared video of.
    focus.

  7. #82
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    I've skied the Sickle, Woodsman 110, VW Katana, Corvus, Enforcer 110 and wouldn't consider any of the latter skis as a replacement for the Sickle. If the goal is to achieve behavior as close to the Sickle, I'd look elsewhere......maybe the M-Free 108 or Devastator (although this ski changed quite a bit when then lightened it up)? I dunno....haven't skied those yet. Too bad Blizzard doesn't make a 108-110mm waisted Rustler.......'cause I'd put that on the shortlist if they did!
    Old's Cool.

  8. #83
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mustonen View Post
    Couldn’t quite figure that one myself…. Seems it was offered as “this is a ski I really like and I also liked the Sickle so they must be similar!” Which is fair I guess. I liked the K108 quite a bit too, but it doesn’t scream Sickle to me and isn’t what you’d pick to starve around the stuff DTM shared video of.
    As I said above, the blaze is closer to the sickle in feel but lacks the heft. The camber under foot is almost zero and the rocker profile very gradual. It's very loose. Mine are mounted +2cm, so not as traditionally mounted as at the rear line.

    The katana is remarkably similar to the blaze, but heavier and a tiny bit less loose... but very close. It's similar to the sickle in that it's not demanding but can be driven hard and is very rewarding. Long effective edge with almost no taper. Kind of like the sickle.

    It's not just that I liked both... they actually have some similarities.

    Katana on the right is being decambered but the blaze on the left doesn't really have much to decamber.
    Goal: ski in the 2018/19 season

  9. #84
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    Un-clamped, there's maybe 1mm of camber and pretty much only under the bindings, the rest is full rocker.

    Again, this is the blaze.

    I started a thread about the blaze and I covered it in more detail there if you want more info.

    But they really are pretty similar... and the katana is really very similar to the blaze.

    Goal: ski in the 2018/19 season

  10. #85
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    The sickle looks very centered in mount..except for the camber the Season Nexus looks about as lightly tapered as most skis that width would be these days. You just won't see many skis made like a sickle period because companies have found out that full rocker is more niche than we originally thought, and just a little early rise and early taper makes skis much easier to use without sacrificing much high-end performance. And the masses are where the money is.

  11. #86
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    I have also been on the constant hunt to find similar skis to my beloved sickles, ideally with a little bit more soft snow performance.

    A few notes, the 186 sickle actually only measures about 182cm straight pull.

    The moment meridian is pretty close to a sickle replacement but has a more pronounced rocker profile. Unfortunately no longer made but you may be able to find a used pair. Not quite as good in variable snow due to more rocker.

    I also find the moment deathwish to ski mildly similar, to me the triple camber on snow feels a lot like flat camber, super easy to slash and pivot, definitely floats better than the sickle did but not quite as good once the snow gets chopped up.

    I skied on the older version of the devestators before they got lighter, I found it had a smaller sweet spot than the sickle so it didn’t do as well in variable snow and felt like I could go over the front a lot easier than on the sickle. The dev was definitely more playful.

    I do have a pair of 186 sickles that are nearing the end of their life so I A/B pretty much every ski I own against it, still haven’t found the perfect replacement.

  12. #87
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    @DTM

    You could stop by and take a peek at the Dynafit Chugach I have here. I know. That is kooky to say. But it's basically as 2250g 108mm ski with Hoji-style reflect-tech rocker (ie micro reverse) and a 24m radius. Built around a -8cm midsole, one could pretty easily go -6cm if they wanted IMO.

    Prolly the most closest to a Sickle I have found (on paper -- I have not skied them yet)
    Last edited by Marshal Olson; 04-06-2022 at 10:46 AM.

  13. #88
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    Quote Originally Posted by madriverfreeride View Post
    I have also been on the constant hunt to find similar skis to my beloved sickles, ideally with a little bit more soft snow performance.

    A few notes, the 186 sickle actually only measures about 182cm straight pull.

    The moment meridian is pretty close to a sickle replacement but has a more pronounced rocker profile. Unfortunately no longer made but you may be able to find a used pair. Not quite as good in variable snow due to more rocker.

    I also find the moment deathwish to ski mildly similar, to me the triple camber on snow feels a lot like flat camber, super easy to slash and pivot, definitely floats better than the sickle did but not quite as good once the snow gets chopped up.

    I skied on the older version of the devestators before they got lighter, I found it had a smaller sweet spot than the sickle so it didn’t do as well in variable snow and felt like I could go over the front a lot easier than on the sickle. The dev was definitely more playful.

    I do have a pair of 186 sickles that are nearing the end of their life so I A/B pretty much every ski I own against it, still haven’t found the perfect replacement.
    Going to re-up Shorty_J's recommendation to try the Blaze 106 if you can, especially for your location/name. IME a great tree ski.

  14. #89
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    What new ski do I want (aka the RIP Sickle thread)?

    Quote Originally Posted by madriverfreeride View Post
    I have also been on the constant hunt to find similar skis to my beloved sickles, ideally with a little bit more soft snow performance.

    A few notes, the 186 sickle actually only measures about 182cm straight pull.

    The moment meridian is pretty close to a sickle replacement but has a more pronounced rocker profile. Unfortunately no longer made but you may be able to find a used pair. Not quite as good in variable snow due to more rocker.

    I also find the moment deathwish to ski mildly similar, to me the triple camber on snow feels a lot like flat camber, super easy to slash and pivot, definitely floats better than the sickle did but not quite as good once the snow gets chopped up.

    I skied on the older version of the devestators before they got lighter, I found it had a smaller sweet spot than the sickle so it didn’t do as well in variable snow and felt like I could go over the front a lot easier than on the sickle. The dev was definitely more playful.

    I do have a pair of 186 sickles that are nearing the end of their life so I A/B pretty much every ski I own against it, still haven’t found the perfect replacement.
    I’ve skied the 117 181cm Meridian, the 2013 184cm Deathwish and a 2016 184cm Dev. These are pretty good picks for this thread IMO.

    PS I also owed a 181cm Rossi Scimitar which was full rocker too, like a narrower Sickle. Also a good ski.

    May have to get some Deathwishes next year. Or maybe see if the Meridian 107 comes back. Other contenders are the Nordica Unleashed 108 (but it has camber).
    Last edited by kc_7777; 04-06-2022 at 04:25 PM.
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  15. #90
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    I love the directional Volkls for my mediocre skiing but they are not great for jumping off cliffs, would prefer more tail. That said I have mounted 1x Volkl Blaze 106 in 179 I haven't set up yet that I would let go for what I paid - $300

  16. #91
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    Quote Originally Posted by madriverfreeride View Post
    I do have a pair of 186 sickles that are nearing the end of their life so I A/B pretty much every ski I own against it, still haven’t found the perfect replacement.
    Ultimately this seems to be the consensus, so I think I'll just stop trying to replicate it and move on to something else that will be different but still get me down the mountain with a smile. Yesterday I found out that an IRL friend who skis on my level has had a gig testing skis for ski mags for a few years. He's tested tons of skis and had nothing but good things to say about the Enforcer 110 so I think I'll be happy there.

    Quote Originally Posted by Marshal Olson View Post
    @DTM

    You could stop by and take a peek at the Dynafit Chugach I have here. I know. That is kooky to say. But it's basically as 2250g 108mm ski with Hoji-style reflect-tech rocker (ie micro reverse) and a 24m radius. Built around a -8cm midsole, one could pretty easily go -6cm if they wanted IMO.

    Prolly the most closest to a Sickle I have found (on paper -- I have not skied them yet)
    "You should really consider this Dynafit ski for a 100% inbounds charger."

    Mind = Blown




    Are they mounted or flat? Would be interested in taking them for a spin but not sure I want to commit to them without a test drive.

  17. #92
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Are they mounted or flat? Would be interested in taking them for a spin but not sure I want to commit to them without a test drive.
    Haha, pretty much!

    I am going to mount them for touring, they are not mounted yet... which is sad. I am not selling them though.

    Just thought they should be on your radar since they are stupid cheap used and fairly readily available... and unlike anything else Dynafit ever made.

    Cody Barnhill was hired by dynafit from 4frnt and these (plus the Hokkaido 118mm version) where what he designed for them... before Dynafit could cut 450g per ski out of them for the next go-round.

  18. #93
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  19. #94
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marshal Olson View Post
    I am going to mount them for touring, they are not mounted yet... which is sad. I am not selling them though.

    Just thought they should be on your radar since they are stupid cheap used and fairly readily available... and unlike anything else Dynafit ever made.
    Ah, got it. Zilch on KSL at the moment. That pair Benneke posted is definitely stupid cheap, but I don't have a FB account to contact that guy and anyone in Utardia who uses FB Marketplace instead of KSL is not to be trusted.

  20. #95
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Ah, got it. Zilch on KSL at the moment. That pair Benneke posted is definitely stupid cheap, but I don't have a FB account to contact that guy and anyone in Utardia who uses FB Marketplace instead of KSL is not to be trusted.
    Description:
    Big mountain charging dynafit chugach with the dynafit beast binding. These skis absolutely pummel and I’ve loved them to death. Alas it’s time to let these go. Cash only

    Never heard a skier described skis and bindings like this.
    "boobs just make the world better really" - Woodsy

  21. #96
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    Good God, the Squads are enormous. They even look big next to 193 EHPs.


  22. #97
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    Oh damn. Look at the mount point difference though….
    focus.

  23. #98
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    Yeah, crazy difference. I really want to know what they ski like. The wife's first reaction was that they looked ridiculous standing next to me.

  24. #99
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Ah, got it. Zilch on KSL at the moment. That pair Benneke posted is definitely stupid cheap, but I don't have a FB account to contact that guy and anyone in Utardia who uses FB Marketplace instead of KSL is not to be trusted.
    I messaged the seller, they said they are 194s

  25. #100
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mustonen View Post
    Oh damn. Look at the mount point difference though….
    Quote Originally Posted by Dantheman View Post
    Yeah, crazy difference. I really want to know what they ski like. The wife's first reaction was that they looked ridiculous standing next to me.
    And the difference in mount point will make the squads awesome. Years ago I bought those same EHPs. except the production models in white. Guy I bought them off had mounted them twice and I had to go way forward to get a mount in. My mind was blown and I’ve never gone back to a traditional mount since. Got rc112 and mounted the +4. Head monsters +3/4 depending on the model. Directional charger with a progressive mount is a Goldilocks ski. I’ve been really wanting to ski those squads, but my quiver is way too large right now. I think that’d be a perfect daily driver at the bird.

    Lots of talk about devestators as compared to sickle. Never had the pleasure of skiing a sickle. But I love devestators. But here’s what’s odd. I’ve mounted all the devestators I’ve owned (dd 184 @ alta and 194@bird) -1.5 from recommended. And they’re awesome.


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