West coast: Mantra vs Big Trouble vs Thunder

**bennymac** · 12-12-2005, 04:22 PM

Hello everyone,

I realise lots of people write in and ask you to read their minds and predict the future and in the end tell them exactly what ski and what size to buy and where to mount them and what price to pay and what to cook for breakfast the morning after.

So since you by now are so good at it, I would like to do the same

I am 6'3" and about 185 pounds. I ski aggressivly and prefer to be off the groomed as much as possible although I have yet to get into backcountry skiing.

This season I have passes for Big White and SilverStar which are in the middle of British Columbia which from what I have heard (I just moved here) get a lot of dry powder. The hills don't have a lot of open bowl skiing but more powder filled tree runs. I will be making a few weekend trips to Kicking Horse, Lake Louise, Whistler and maybe Red Mountain (which all have much better and much more wide open skiing above tree line). Next year I will be moving again, this time closer to Fernie and Red Mountain.

Last season I skied primarliy at Lake Louise and Sunshine in Banff on 185 XTRA Hots which I liked a lot and even found them quite capable on the few days of deeper snow. I borrowed a pair of 175cm pocket rockets for one day and was not impressed with how they responded to my skiing style.

This year I am currently without skis and have been deliberating between the following models:

Volkl Mantra
Volkl Karma
Dynastar Big Trouble
Movement Thunder

for the most part these skis are avaiable in 175 and 185ish lengths. But the Mantras are only available to me in 177cm and the Thunders are only available in 185.

I am considering the Mantras in 177 because of their reputation but am unsure about the length and in that case might be more inclined to go with the Big Troubles at 185 or the Movements at 185.

I guess the biggest question I have is length. Will adding 10cm to these models cause a lot of frustration to someone like me who prefers to ski open areas but is forced by location to ski more tighter tree runs?

Help a poor rookie out please.....

bennymac

PS I love this forum, I just discovered it today and my, how the work day has just flown by, it's already time for my afternoon coffee break

**Vicious** · 12-12-2005, 04:28 PM

Well, you got the right forum at least.

Let it rain!

PS...at your size, if you buy 177s, you might as well get some snowlerblades.

**Conundrum** · 12-12-2005, 04:33 PM

I took my 184 (I wanted the 191s but could only get the 184s) Mantras out to the Sawtooth BC for their first runs on Saturday. I'm 6' 210 lbs with some racing background. They were awesome. There was powder, zipper crust, wind blown, and some soup at the lower elevations and they were champs through all of it. We skied trees and open stuff and they were good. I wouldn't go any shorter with this ski but I've got 30 lbs. on you. Can't comment on your other options for skis. Also, if you end up with the Mantra, there seems to be different opinions on where to mount. I mounted them on the line and thought is was great. They did seem a touch softer than my Explosivs in a 190.

**roorfan** · 12-12-2005, 04:51 PM

184 mantra

**bennymac** · 12-12-2005, 07:06 PM

Yeah, I think if it were a perfect world 184 Mantras would be my choice. But due to their popularity the only size available to me are 177cm, and even then that's in Vancouver which is a 4 hour drive away (and that's if they haven't been sold already).

For about $150 cheaper I can get my hands on a pair of 186cm Big Troubles. Size wise they look like they would ski closer to 180cm since the tail is up quite a bit.

I also just had a close look at the 185cm Movement Thunders and they were over my head (weird since the 186cm BT weren't even close ).

So the front runner right now is the 186cm BT. But my mind changes everytime I blink.

But after viewing the pictures of ski quivers posted on this site it would seem that I am not alone in my illness. It's so encouraging to see a support group like this formed to connect those similarily afflicted. Unfortunatly there seems to be no cure for this ailment but there is therapy available, the most promising of which appears to be waking up to see 2 feet of fresh snow on the ground.

**SquawMan** · 12-12-2005, 07:40 PM

mail order for 184's....don't settle for 177's

http://www.untracked.com/highlight-175704.html

**frank4short** · 02-16-2006, 04:27 PM

Can't really comment on the rest as i don't get enough time on the whitestuff anymore being located here in Dublin (ireland). Though i've got a pair of 04/05 185 Thunders & they're as good as any all round ski that I've skied in the last 2/3 years.

**Below Zero** · 02-16-2006, 04:42 PM

Get the one with the best graphics, which would be the Big Trouble of course.

**Mastadon** · 02-16-2006, 04:49 PM

Mantras 4 sure, dont get suckered into a short length you will be very happy with the extra length.

**bio-smear** · 02-16-2006, 04:58 PM

Since BennyMac asked his question over a month ago, we'd like to know what ski you chose, Benny. Or do you think he's still suffering over this one?

**XtrPickels** · 02-16-2006, 07:40 PM

since he hasn't been on since december 26th, i don't think he's going to answer you

**bennymac** · 11-06-2006, 03:24 PM

I went for the 186 Big Troubles. Had them out in all conditions at Big White, Silverstar, Red, Whitewater, Sunshine, and Lake Louise. Loved every minute. Went cat skiing for the first time ever. Cried tears of joy. Was at Whistler yesterday, spent a lot of time just looking up at the runs, imagining the coming winter.

Let it snow.