Pow ski

OK - here goes, I am prepared to have the shit ripped out of me...

1) I've used the search function - A LOT.
2) Don't say "Bro model"!

However, I'm looking for some pow skis to complement my 7.24 Pros (177) for possible summer skiing in Argentina. I'll be trying to pick them up second hand now, (in the summer) hopefully for a better price, as my budget is fairly restricted.

Thinking Sugar Daddys or Gotamas. How do they compare? Skied the 03/04 Got in 190 and loved it, wanted to try the 183 but couldn't - comparison of lengths? Pimp Edition? Reccomendations? Big Daddy? Others I should keep an eye out for? Liked 179 Pistols too - softer and more turny than the Gotamas - but they don't come up for sale as much. How do the 89s compare? Obviously they're all powder skis but what are they like getting to and from the good stuff?

I'm 6ft, 185lbs, advanced on a good day but upper intermediate most of the time...

Also, I'm in the UK so shipping from North America is pricey so not really worth doing unless I get a fantastic deal. Lots of questions, I know!

Flame suit on...

Cheers.

Shipping to UK shouldn't be to bad, especially with the conversion. I'm not super into the Atomic stuff. Never skied the gotama, but I feel you probably couldn't go wrong with that one. I like the Seth Pistol alot, I have the 189 and I would go shorter if I did it again (I'm 6-1, 195lbs). I would also consider the Made'n AK. I got a pair of 179 and it's instantly my new favorite ski. They get a bit floppy in firm crud, but rule it in Pow and soft crud. they are so wide, also, that they don't hook up in wind affected pow as much as skinier skis do. You could also check out the Armada ARV or Scratch BC, I would not get a Pocket Rocket, they suck. My personal favorite characteristic in Pow skis is LITTLE sidecut and classic construction. The Head iM103 is a great ski for anything off piste, not as versitle as a gotama, but they will make you ski pow with ease and pleasure.

Cheers. My flatmate reccomended not to bother with the PR, but I think the Monster 103 would be at the other end of the spectrum and a bit too stiff? Regret not picking up some Legend Pros for £150 (c.$300) last week, but though 194 might be a bit big and stiff, especially without skiing them first. Tried the old BCs (orange/black) in 184(?) and they were nice and easy to ski but a bit soft, and very similar to the PRs I'd imagine. Like to try Made'ns, but can't find them anywhere on sale or 2nd hand which are the limiting factors! Also I think they'd be a bit too shit when not in decent pow, ie crud etc?

Denver Wholesale Skis (on ebay) has a some Big Daddy deals on - anyone tried them (the shop or the skis!)?

Main question with what I can find 2nd hand/on sale is how do the 183/190 Gots compare to each other, and to 183/193 Atomic Daddys (Sugar/Pimp/Big)?

Cheers!

I have some Atomic Powder Cruises in 190 (103mm ish under foot) which I am looking to get rid of. Quite old but have hardly been used. Solly demo bindings. I'm based in London if you want to take a look at them.

Also have some old Dynastar Intuitiv Bigs (188cm) with Fritschi Freerides. Not huge at all by today's standards but a nice ski. TBH most of the value in this set up is probably in the bindings so you could have the ski only for pretty cheap.

PM me if interested.

Getting rid of those cos I've just got myself some Legend Pros which I can't wait to try out

i'm 6-3, 210ish

i found the big daddy to be amazingly skiable in almost all snow. i also have the pistol in a 189. i would take the BD over the pistol any day for big open skiing (i.e. las lenas). it is nice and stiff, fast as fuck, less hooky than the pistol, and rips on the groom and hard snow(if you like to let them run).

fwiw, when i was in SA a few summers ago i skied only on my Nordica FF9.1's even when there had been no snow for a month. big skis fit well in a big plce like that. i had my r:ex's but hardly used them and only did becasue i felt silly for bringing them along. if i went back i would prolly just bring my BD's, and maybe a backup pair (but that backup would be a big ski as well).

I've heard that the 183cm Gotama has the perfect sidecut and width for big mountain powder skiing and stability in crud. And the 04-05 has much of the problems worked out of previous designs. So that's the length I went with at a deep discount.

:the_finge

Albeit I've not skied it yet and my height weight is 5' 4" 170 lbs. But based on recommendations I am psyched to give em their fair share of days next year.

(A side note, I almost went with the 176's instead of the 183's even with my smaller stature.)

I am psyched to open em up on the hill next year.

I've also got a pair of mantras at 177 mounted with freerides and all the necessary equip. for next years touring. (the 177 mantra has a very pronounced and rounded sidecut for short and medium radius turning.) I went with the shorter ski based on the toughness of skiing it and the need to maneuver in different and varying situations while touring. Plus the mantra's gonna ski powder well as well as varying conditions of bc.

From what I understand, you can't go wrong with the gotama. That's why I have a pair sitting in plastic in my friend's garage.

(Haven't told the woman yet.)

:rolleyes:

I'll unveil them next winter.

:biggrin:

Arno - thanks for your offers but i'll probably go with something newer/bigger to be honest!(even if it is just becasue I'm a tart...)

basom - That's what I heard about the BDs. I found both the Gotama and the Pistol to be more than OK on piste as long as they're skiied right (ie fast and with lots of route planning!)

What do people reckon of somehting like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

R.

Rossignol Axiom in a 183, if you can find someone willing to part with a pair great ski. I ride this ski alot great ski pounds the crud and floats so nicely in the pow, its 110 in the waist and has little side cut it rides incredible, I would ride this in pow any day over my 189 seth pistols.

the SD on ebay is atomic only bindings, and very stiff (not like a SP or Got)

I have some of the newer DS for sale, black base, softer flex, mount anything (no plate)

Apache chiefs might be somwhere up your alley. 126/98/116. Very sweet flex similar to this years gotama, Maybe a touch stiffer. Turns better than most of the fatties Ive been on and is very stable. I have a pair of 181's that actually have a running length longer than a 183 gotama. $300 plus shipping.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brit

Arno - thanks for your offers but i'll probably go with something newer/bigger to be honest!(even if it is just becasue I'm a tart...)

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well, I could never claim that the powder cruises are pretty :wink:

Those are 03 Big Daddy's.O3's are orange & have the dumb ass hostage plate that only accomodate Atomics o so lousy bindings.

04's are midnight blue with moon lit mtns on the tail, Black & orange detailed Pimp Daddy with watch on base,& are sans dumb ass hostage plate .See picture

I don't mind the atomic plate too much if it comes with bindings TBH. I'd really like some of those good looking 04/05 flat BDs but not many at my kind of price range!

Really got my heart set on those Gotamas - prefer 190 I think, but haven't skied the 183. Anyone skiied both lengths?

It all depends on what I can find though really...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arno

well, I could never claim that the powder cruises are pretty :wink:

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... although I was once riding up in a lift with them and a girl turned to me and said "my... what big skis you've got". My GF, who was also in the lift, v nearly started a fight over that.

Have you looked at the www.natives.co.uk message board - there's a guy on there trying to sell some 190 gotamas

Cheers - I've e-mailed him and left a reply (I'm RobO) but no joy so far... They would be ideal if they were the right price.

brit i have the 1stgen BD's and mounted looks on them. you can get a mount anything plate that you can switch with the stock atomic one. its easy as heck, gosh. i think the 1st gen are a stiffer ski than the second gen shown in freshies pic.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brit

I'm 6ft, 185lbs, advanced on a good day but upper intermediate most of the time...

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If you are an upper intermediate, I would not go with the Atomic Sugar Daddy or Big Daddy. These boards are stiffer than than the Gotoma and the Seth Pistol with a much bigger turn radius. I ski the 04/05 183 cm Sugar Daddy and have skied the 04/05 189 cm Seth Pistol. I'd go with either a 183 Gotama or 179 Seth Pistol.

Thanks - I was worried that might be the case, but aren't this year's Daddys quite a bit softer? Also, why 183 Got as opposed to 190? I found the 190 to be fine but then I haven't ridden the shorter one to compare. Thanks, and just waiting for the right deal to appear somwhere!

OK starting to shape up on 183 04/05 Gots (£280 new)... now bindings - found some Rossi Axial 100 Pros for £50 new - DIN only to 10 but that should do for now. Are the brakes bendable for this combo do you reckon?

Could be my (nearly) unnecessary graduation present!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brit

OK starting to shape up on 183 04/05 Gots (£280 new)... now bindings - found some Rossi Axial 100 Pros for £50 new - DIN only to 10 but that should do for now. Are the brakes bendable for this combo do you reckon?

Could be my (nearly) unnecessary graduation present!

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I would be a bit wary of the axial 100.
I skied a pair of b2 with 100s (dont ask me why) and i kept getting spectacular double ejections in turns!

On the slopes...

Forward pressure and everything was right, dins were set to 9 and finally 10 ( i usually ski 7-9 on my 140 and p14s).

So if you can scoop a pair of 120s or 140s, i think you would be off a lot better.

btw, im a 140lbs featherweighter.

Thanks for the warning. Might try and nick the S900s from my flatmates virtually unused 10EXs...

$.01...
Go with the shorter ski and hike to the steeper terrain... :cool:

Right - thanks for all the advice everyone, whether I've taken it or not!

I've already ordered the Axial 100s (if they're shit I'll bin them on ebay or something) and 04/05 183s are coming as soon as I get the cash together (Friday?).

Still curious as to whether the brakes can be properly bent and still be long enough to function properly with the width of the Gotamas?

First outing will be... a park session in Tignes at the beginning of July! OK, so I'll hire some park skis I can trash, but for one day at least my new Gotamas aren't going to sit there unused inside when I'm skiing outside, regardless of snow. Anyone else taken them to the park...?

Cheers all.