What ski am I? Quiver of One, 100's underfoot

[Danno]

Good luck with your one ski quiver, it’s a noble cause

And a futile one. Because I still have the S3s, and soon will have MFrees mounted. And have a pair of Folsoms that I never ski but could. And a pair of Armada somethings that are my hard pack ski. And a pair of Jak BCs that may be a permanent sand ski now. And an old dynastar assault V8 that are sand skis. And 2 pairs of xc skis.

Quiver of one for me doesn't mean I only have 1 ski, it is more an idea that the ski has to be well rounded enough that I can just grab it whenever or travel with it as my only ski, conditions be damned.

[cat in january]

Gotcha, you probably said that up thread and I am jumping in late. Luckily the dunes here in Maine are small so no need for a sand ski quiver

[tang]

Another plug for the google sheets ski database… anyone can access, not as sexy as the quiver pics but has members, height, weight, full quiver deets including lengths and binders…
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...GUqNszy8k/edit

[DarthMarkus]

Since this thread has devolved substantially from the original question, I'll throw in my pro tip: don't listen to any you haven't personally skied with (and chatted gear). Or your friends haven't skied with.

The TGR hype train gets out of control, and anyone who disagrees is a bad skier. If someone doesn't like a burly ski, they can't find the front of their boots. If someone doesn't like a soft ski, they must have terrible balance and are overcompensating. But for any level of skier (past intermediate), there are so many different styles that lend themselves to different skis. In general, people tend to prefer skis that they ski a lot (or are similar to skis they ski a lot).

/rant

I feel like I both agree and disagree with this take.

The TGR groupthink can get out of control. Broad overgeneralization and stigma aren't exempt from a lot of gear that gets attention. Hell, just go take a peak at the padded ski pole thread - I'm one of the perpetrators.

That being said, I've found a lot of good input from TGR about gear. It has required that I don't take an opinion's value without a bit of context from the author though. Specifically, the actual reviews posted here are pretty useful. Largely because the people going out of their way to write a review have a higher chance of being more objective. I haven't skied with anyone from this place (that I know of) but I could probably point to several people that ski similarly to me, and their input in the past has helped me make decisions.

Lastly, even though there is a large amount of relativity when it comes to skiing, there are still plenty of universals. The best opinions here usually include relative takes, as well as the universal ones.

/end 2 cents.

[Spats]

I feel like I both agree and disagree with this take.

The TGR groupthink can get out of control. Broad overgeneralization and stigma aren't exempt from a lot of gear that gets attention. Hell, just go take a peak at the padded ski pole thread - I'm one of the perpetrators.

That being said, I've found a lot of good input from TGR about gear. It has required that I don't take an opinion's value without a bit of context from the author though.

I've found weight to be the most important variable, as LHutz Esq said above.
A ski that is just right for a 160# skier will often be noodly and weak for a 220# skier, and a ski that's just right for a 220# skier can easily be a dead, immovable plank for a 160# skier.

I've experienced this myself. A ski that someone else found to be a playful, hard-charging carver was, for me, a nearly uncontrollable plank that locked me into one turn shape and required jumping to get out. Turns out they weighed 50# more than I did.

Second most important is whether the reviewer likes to ski from a centered stance, or whether they depend on leaning on the tips or tails.
People who like to ski from a centered stance tend to enjoy short running length and lots of rocker, and they tend not to like skis with tip rocker only.
People who like to drive the tips hard tend to prefer longer running length and tip rocker only, and they tend not to like short running lengths and lots of rocker.
(Tip rocker, but no or very little tail rocker, causes the effective mount point to change radically on hard vs. soft snow, which throws off a centered stance skier. That's me: I've disliked every ski I've tried that has a lot more tip rocker than tail rocker.)

[Danno]

Update: I enjoy the MFree 108s, and find them easy to ski in, and they are great in powder. I do find that they are not quite as nimble as my S3s, obviously in part because they are wider and heavier, but also because they don't release from a turn quite as easily/quickly. And while am very happy and these are now my mid-season DD, I don't find them light years different and so much better than the S3s, even though some derided the S3s and said that a "modern" ski such as this would be a million times better.

[Mofro261]

Update: I enjoy the MFree 108s, and find them easy to ski in, and they are great in powder. I do find that they are not quite as nimble as my S3s, obviously in part because they are wider and heavier, but also because they don't release from a turn quite as easily/quickly. And while am very happy and these are now my mid-season DD, I don't find them light years different and so much better than the S3s, even though some derided the S3s and said that a "modern" ski such as this would be a million times better.

The real problem is you are still hooked on tele....

[Danno]

The real problem is you are still hooked on tele....

well, sure, but nobody is supposed to care about that.

[whambat]

I've found weight to be the most important variable, as LHutz Esq said above.
A ski that is just right for a 160# skier will often be noodly and weak for a 220# skier, and a ski that's just right for a 220# skier can easily be a dead, immovable plank for a 160# skier.

I've experienced this myself. A ski that someone else found to be a playful, hard-charging carver was, for me, a nearly uncontrollable plank that locked me into one turn shape and required jumping to get out. Turns out they weighed 50# more than I did.

Second most important is whether the reviewer likes to ski from a centered stance, or whether they depend on leaning on the tips or tails.
People who like to ski from a centered stance tend to enjoy short running length and lots of rocker, and they tend not to like skis with tip rocker only.
People who like to drive the tips hard tend to prefer longer running length and tip rocker only, and they tend not to like short running lengths and lots of rocker.
(Tip rocker, but no or very little tail rocker, causes the effective mount point to change radically on hard vs. soft snow, which throws off a centered stance skier. That's me: I've disliked every ski I've tried that has a lot more tip rocker than tail rocker.)

I completely agree with weight being the number 1 factor. It’s why I have found Blister’s recommendations to have little value to me. They just don’t have any reviewers over 200lbs. I still support and subscribe to them as I think it’s a cool project, but their relevance to me is limited until they get some bigger dudes on the payroll.

I also think a person’s boot choice matters a ton. If someone’s on Full Tilt boots, their experience isn’t going to be the same as someone in a club race boot. I have skis that feel completely different with I swap from one 130 rated boot to another 130 boot that has a different real world flex.

I also find many people who claim a centered stance or often more on their heels than they realize. They still can be pretty good skiers, but they are going to be happier on less burly skis. IMO, someone with a real centered stance can still drive their tips while flexing their ankles, but I don’t want this to devolve into a technique argument.

[MakersTeleMark]

Update: I enjoy the MFree 108s, and find them easy to ski in, and they are great in powder. I do find that they are not quite as nimble as my S3s, obviously in part because they are wider and heavier, but also because they don't release from a turn quite as easily/quickly. And while am very happy and these are now my mid-season DD, I don't find them light years different and so much better than the S3s, even though some derided the S3s and said that a "modern" ski such as this would be a million times better.

Have you tried a tail detune?

[Danno]

good point, I have not.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Update: I enjoy the MFree 108s, and find them easy to ski in, and they are great in powder. I do find that they are not quite as nimble as my S3s, obviously in part because they are wider and heavier, but also because they don't release from a turn quite as easily/quickly. And while am very happy and these are now my mid-season DD, I don't find them light years different and so much better than the S3s, even though some derided the S3s and said that a "modern" ski such as this would be a million times better.

Enjoy the S3s and ignore the hype


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[SnowMachine]

Height/weight are super critical while taking advice from a reviewer or stranger on the web. Also knowing who you are as a skier and what you like to ski.

I'm a former snowboarder that is tall and skinny (6' 155lbs). I want a ski that goes everywhere on the mountain, but I dial everything way back when it's icy.

I know I love center-ish mounted skis with rocker at the ends. I like the way they float soft snow and slither through bumps. I want a ski that reads my mind in trees.

I know that the Bent Chetler family works for me (mounted the 100's at +3). The Line SFB is the ski I grab when I have no idea what the day will hold. They're amazing in soft snow, slice through trees, carve and slarve, go sideways and are a blast in the park. I have dedicated park skis that can go almost everywhere except soft snow (4FRNT Switch). My new junk skis are Enforcer 110's. They're heavy and damp, carve well and seem to float just fine. They have a lot of tip/tail rocker and pivot easily. I think I'm going to get along well with them mounted +1. My fatties are Faction La Machine Max's. Full rocker and mounted at +3. Super fun pow ski. Point them down the hill or surf them sideways.

Put me on something long stiff, cambered and traditional mounted and I'll tell that they suck (subjectively).

Boots... oh man. That's another conversation. My fitters seem to think I need the stiffest boots possible. I'm about to pick up another pair of Full Tilts to go with my Lange plugs that I'm trying to love.


People get one track minds when it comes to gear. They'll often recommend what works for them. I'm always going to ski what works for me. I've had a lot of really good skiers tell me that I have a unique style that they'd like to emulate. I must be doing domething right. Plus I'm having fun....