Volkl 04-05 lineup up

[The AD]

Could be old news, I don't know. I just happened to notice:
www.volkl.com/ski/

What happened to the 7 24 AX4 (was the G4)? The widest ski in that line now is the 7 24 Pro which is 77 mm under foot.

[milkman]

724 AX4/G4 and V-Pro were dumped and replaced by the Karma...

[davey]

nice, I like the freeskiing lineup

[verbier61]

I dunno, I have already saw them but still don't like the new stuff they put on gotama and shanouk topsheet. The first series was much more cool

[joshbu]

Originally posted by milkman
724 AX4/G4 and V-Pro were dumped and replaced by the Karma...

from Volkl's website
All new for 2004/ 05, the Karma blends great all-mountain performance with terrain park savvy. The Karma is for the skier that wants the freedom to do a little of everything.

Yeah, they're doing a great job selling it too. Does it come with mild manners and good dental hygene as well?

[seldon]

mmmmmmm, sanouks....
mmmmmmm....

[summit]

sanouks suck by reputation


I WANT V-PRO 180s!!!!!!! (My current pair have been ridden hard... beater skis now)

Otherwise I need something to fill in these two holes (something I think only the V-Pro could do):

All Mountain (AT?) Ski
Something in the 83-95 waist... V-Pro, Karma, Explosivs, Crossbows come to mind. Suggestions? P12Ti or Freerides/Naxos. 177-183cm

Park-Bump
Something twinned in the 80-90mm waist... V-Pro, PRs, 1080s, PEs with P12Ti suggestions? 175-180cm

[supercow]

the most annoying thing about that lineup is that there IS now a gaping hole between the 77 waist of the Pro and the 87 waist of the Karma. The pro doesn't have enough waist to be good in the 4-10" of powder we sometimes get on the EC and the karma doesn't have enough sidecut to carve on the hardpack that we're famous for.

I mean it was all so simple if you skied on the east coast and wanted to get a good all around ski that you could take out on a powder day and still lay trenches on a hardpack day then you got a G4. Or if on hardpack days you wanted to go play in the park but still have a good powder day ski you got the V-Pros.

The G4 and V-Pro may not have sold a lot but in my opinion siting out here on the EC it was simply that Volkl didn't market them out here and instead marketed them to the out west crowd where they got lost because when stacked up against the Explosive/Big Daddy/Seth Pistol/Bro model the two of them weren't fat enough! Anybody on the EC who bought a pair of 6 stars and liked them would have been able to ski the G4's but you never saw the G4's in the stores. I have to wonder if thats because the 6 star and its motion binding come with a price tag of about $1000 MSRP and retails for $800-$900 and the G4 has a MSRP of $735 and sells for about $450

As for the V-pro you can't tell me that people won't buy a fat(er) twin tip on the east coast when you see SO many people skiing on 1080's and it wasn't just park rats either I saw more then a few people on that ski that couldn't tell you the difference between a cab 720 and a linken loop

[glademaster]

A friend of mine has the V-Pros in 180's, he has never skiied anywhere but the east coast and he digs them, they're the perfect ski for our terrain, as was the G4. Oh well, I'm destined to spend at least another season on my PR's, damn blue noodles.

[BurmaShave]

Summit County 1776:

What is the basis of your statement that "Sanouks suck by reputation"? Have you ever skied Sanouks, or is this a second hand opinion? As you may know the 04 model was produced in limited quantities, with only about 30 pair available in the US market. Do you know anyone personally that has a pair?

After having skied them at Snowbird, Whistler/Blackcomb, and Mammoth this season, I have found the Sanouks to be amazing skis in soft snow/junk snow conditions. They are without question in the same league as the DB Tabla Rasa, Iggies FFF's, and the Spatulas, and are the best powder skis that I have ridden.

What's not to like about a fat wood core ski, with near vertical ABS sidewalls, rock solid bases, almost no camber, relatively light weight, a minimum amount of sidecut (130.110.120), and the right lenght at 193 cm for my weight (195 lbs.). They have great feel for the snow, and they are kick-ass fun to ski.

The 110mm ski width creates phenomenal float that enables you to ski soft snow conditions with total conviction at near ridicuous speeds. The huge platform and the extended tip rocker allow them to be skied faster than would be comfortable on 90mm waist skis. They inspire absolute confidence knowing that they will not sink and the tips will not catch in tricky soft snow.

In deep powder snow, the swallow tail, and the soft tip allow the tail to sink and the tip to porpoise. The swallow tail is not a gimmick, and promotes a more weight centered position over the skis.

They rule in soft snow/junk snow. The tip profile, the flex pattern, and the ski width allow crud, mashed potatoes, deep corn, wet spring powder, slush, and other junk snow to be skied with more fun and less effort. The minimum sidecut allows for a wide range of turn shapes, and the extra width allows you to smear your turns when you want to. They perform better in junk snow than either my 195cm Rossi's XXX, or my 201cm Stockli Stormriders DP. And they are not as stiff as either of these skis.

The Sanouks are in their element in the steeps, open bowls, and big verticals. They can carve the groomers and are stable at mach speed. You have to slap them around a bit in the trees and other confined areas. They have the trademark Volkl snap at the end of the turn. The huge platform reduces the impact of drops. And who cares that they are work in moguls, I avoid them to save my knees.

Drawbacks: The ski tips are too soft for hard snow conditions at speed, edgehold on icy traverses is sketchy, topsheets could be more durable, Volkl should have included the aluminum set-in wrap-around tip and tail protectors found on the Gotamas, limited availablity, and a too high MSRP.

Verdict: The Sanouks got moxie and mojo, and they rule in the steep and deep. The only place they suck is in your wallet. However, their list price compares to other high end limited production skis in their class. IMO the 04 model cosmetics are better. Also, from what I have read on this board, they appear to be more versatile than the Spatulas.

[milkman]

Originally posted by supercow

The G4 and V-Pro may not have sold a lot but in my opinion siting out here on the EC it was simply that Volkl didn't market them out here and instead marketed them to the out west crowd where they got lost because when stacked up against the Explosive/Big Daddy/Seth Pistol/Bro model the two of them weren't fat enough!

The G4 sold very well out west for a very long time (G41, G4, 724/AX4). Sucks to see it go though. Thankfully I just picked up a brand new pair at the start of last season. They should last for a few more years. The G4 is the perfect everyday ski for Whistler. If there's more than 15cm new when I wake up though, the Explosiv's come out....

[verbier61]

Originally posted by BurmaShave
Summit County 1776:

What is the basis of your statement that "Sanouks suck by reputation"? Have you ever skied Sanouks, or is this a second hand opinion? As you may know the 04 model was produced in limited quantities, with only about 30 pair available in the US market. Do you know anyone personally that has a pair?

After having skied them at Snowbird, Whistler/Blackcomb, and Mammoth this season, I have found the Sanouks to be amazing skis in soft snow/junk snow conditions. They are without question in the same league as the DB Tabla Rasa, Iggies FFF's, and the Spatulas, and are the best powder skis that I have ridden.

What's not to like about a fat wood core ski, with near vertical ABS sidewalls, rock solid bases, almost no camber, relatively light weight, a minimum amount of sidecut (130.110.120), and the right lenght at 193 cm for my weight (195 lbs.). They have great feel for the snow, and they are kick-ass fun to ski.

The 110mm ski width creates phenomenal float that enables you to ski soft snow conditions with total conviction at near ridicuous speeds. The huge platform and the extended tip rocker allow them to be skied faster than would be comfortable on 90mm waist skis. They inspire absolute confidence knowing that they will not sink and the tips will not catch in tricky soft snow.

In deep powder snow, the swallow tail, and the soft tip allow the tail to sink and the tip to porpoise. The swallow tail is not a gimmick, and promotes a more weight centered position over the skis.

They rule in soft snow/junk snow. The tip profile, the flex pattern, and the ski width allow crud, mashed potatoes, deep corn, wet spring powder, slush, and other junk snow to be skied with more fun and less effort. The minimum sidecut allows for a wide range of turn shapes, and the extra width allows you to smear your turns when you want to. They perform better in junk snow than either my 195cm Rossi's XXX, or my 201cm Stockli Stormriders DP. And they are not as stiff as either of these skis.

The Sanouks are in their element in the steeps, open bowls, and big verticals. They can carve the groomers and are stable at mach speed. You have to slap them around a bit in the trees and other confined areas. They have the trademark Volkl snap at the end of the turn. The huge platform reduces the impact of drops. And who cares that they are work in moguls, I avoid them to save my knees.

Drawbacks: The ski tips are too soft for hard snow conditions at speed, edgehold on icy traverses is sketchy, topsheets could be more durable, Volkl should have included the aluminum set-in wrap-around tip and tail protectors found on the Gotamas, limited availablity, and a too high MSRP.

Verdict: The Sanouks got moxie and mojo, and they rule in the steep and deep. The only place they suck is in your wallet. However, their list price compares to other high end limited production skis in their class. IMO the 04 model cosmetics are better. Also, from what I have read on this board, they appear to be more versatile than the Spatulas.

ARE YOU IN LOVE ?

[joshbu]

Originally posted by BurmaShave
Summit County 1776:

What is the basis of your statement that "Sanouks suck by reputation"?

Simple math.

Soft = Suck.

And the Sanouks are very, very, very soft.

[skieast]

Originally posted by milkman
The G4 sold very well out west for a very long time (G41, G4, 724/AX4). Sucks to see it go though. Thankfully I just picked up a brand new pair at the start of last season. They should last for a few more years. The G4 is the perfect everyday ski for Whistler. If there's more than 15cm new when I wake up though, the Explosiv's come out....

Same thoughts here, except when it's over 15 the Gotamas come out to play.

This year hopefully the Bro's will become my everyday western ski. Time will tell if the Gotamas every come out.

[Evil E]

get your hands on spatulas for soft conditions and never go back. Skiing on them last year was mindblowing.

[glademaster]

Originally posted by Evil E
get your hands on spatulas for soft conditions and never go back. Skiing on them last year was mindblowing.

The man speaks the truth, any day there is 6+ inches on the ground, I don't care if I'm on the EC or out west, the Spatulas will be used. Stable at speed for open terrain and one of the best tree skiing skis ever made.

[summit]

Originally posted by BurmaShave
RANT RANT RANT RANT JIZZ ALL OVER SANOUKS

Yea yea yea. I know people who have skied them. They said that other swallowtail models were better. I've heard a ton of other bad stuff about them third hand as well. They thought they were exceedingly soft but with a poor flex style. If someone gave me a pair I'd trade them for spats. I'm glad you like them. Somebody has to.

[basom]

pretty sure McGovern is stoked on 'em.

he's a hack compared to you, i'm sure.

[joshbu]

Originally posted by basom
pretty sure McGovern is stoked on 'em.

he's a hack compared to you, i'm sure.

Really? Aaron McGovern skis for Fischer, just as an FYI...

[basom]

Originally posted by joshbu
Really? Aaron McGovern skis for Fischer, just as an FYI...

really? last year?
he was def on sanouks in the msp flick.

[optics]

Not getting mixed up wity JT, are ya?

V-pros are a fun ski. Horrible graphics and confusing branding probably played a role in their failure.

[basom]

Originally posted by optics
Not getting mixed up wity JT, are ya?

JT is not in focused.
the opening shot of Mcgovern has him holding a pair of sanouks. he is definietly wearing them during that insane tomahawk.
unless i'm too high.

[fez]

damn shame to see the G-4* go. And now all these 'replacements' 7 24 pro and Karma topping out at 191 and 185. Guess i need to scare up a pair of 198 G4's.

[summit]

Originally posted by supercow
the most annoying thing about that lineup is that there IS now a gaping hole between the 77 waist of the Pro and the 87 waist of the Karma.

I agree 100%

At 87mm they are really compromising the hardsnow performance that they need to sell the ski in quantity to the inbounds only crowd.

I skied the 724Pro several times and it was a nice ski. It was very maneuverable but it definately lacked the float of the extra 7mm on a G4/AX4 and VPro. 724Pro hardly qualifies as a midfat.

I love my VPros but they're just too beaten now. An all mountain 83mm that could be taken to the park sometimes, Vpros were the best ski in existance if you wanted a corn shredding do everything on piste off piste mach schnell twin tip that wasn't too stiff to take to the park and bumps occasionally. (If anyone can think of something else that fits this description, LET ME KNOW).

And I'd ski the Sanouk any day I got paid to ski it (why does McConkey use Marker bindings? DUH).

Originally posted by optics
Not getting mixed up wity JT, are ya?

V-pros are a fun ski. Horrible graphics and confusing branding probably played a role in their failure.

It took me a whole season until I finally liked the graphics (I had the chick graphics and natural skin tones on the 180). I finally realized that I got to ski around all day with two hot chicks staring at my ass the whole time.

[skier666]

....I must have a viking burial on Lake Tahoe for the G40 lineage...

It is very sad being a skier in California when the most perfect ski is no longer. The 188 ski did it all, railed groomers, held an edge on ice, had ample flotation, took abuse like a champ, had enough twin to land switch in the pipe and on tables, and stiff as fuck.

I was looking forward to the Karma because of the red and black graphics, but my buddy in NZ told me that the 185's are god damn grey.