If you only had 1 setup to bring on a trip.....

[shasti]

Would it be Atomic Atlas 192s with Dukes ?

Or Lhasa 191 with Dynafit FT12

Or at least that's my dilemma, but I would be glad to use it as a departure point for what ski/binding setup everybody else would bring on a trip if it was the only pair you were allowed.

I know I know it depends on snow conditions, location, who you'll be skiing with, heli, cat, lift, snowmobile or touring access, and plenty of other things. For this trip, I will be riding chairlifts at Whitewater near Nelson for 3 days in late Feb, and then doing a 5 day hut trip in the same area which will be all touring.

So here's the deal. I would appreciate it if you would both vote on which of my 2 options to go with, as well as tell me what setup YOU would bring on a trip.

Please pick a setup you own or have owned, that would be ideal for a ski trip in which you will both get taken up the mountain, and have to power yourself up it on skins. Lets say an even 50/50 split of ascents machine and manpowered. Lets also assume you are skiing with good skiers, and lastly, lets assume that conditions are good. Not all time, but not bad. Maybe a foot and a half of new over the course of your week to 10 day long trip. I know there are many more criteria that could narrow it down, but lets just leave it at that. What ski/binding combo are the go to for people lately ?

[Hypnotoad]

Touring for 5 days on Atlases with Dukes for 5 days sounds miserable.

[Chugachjed]

192 bro's with sollyfits .

[Beyond]

Lhasas. No contest, rigged vote.

[BigPaw]

192 bro's with sollyfits .

2nd the Sollyfits - you might have time to get your rig outfitted before your trip. Exactly what I'm doing in a few weeks. One pair of skis, two binders, a bit of lift serve and a bit of touring.
But sticking with your rules, Lhasa's+FT12's. How do you feel about skiing FT12's inbounds in firm conditions?

[nate s]

I feel your pain, can't stand to tour on dukes and don't like my FT12/ Lhasa combo inbounds.

I would take the Lhasa/Dyna and plan on hiking for freshies at whiteh2o.

If you have the time, the Dynaduke option seems like a good way to go here.

[DAFTC]

If you have the time, the Dynaduke option seems like a good way to go here.

Like mine. Good product, as amply testified around here.
Dynas inbounds on hard stuff are no worse than dynas on steep icy shit.
Which is to say that they're great as long as you remember what you're skiing on.

For the original trip description, seems like the Lhasas are a no brainer, and then demo something fun if you decide not to ride them inbounds.

[toast2266]

That's a tough one. If I could really only bring one, I'd bring the dynafit setup and then find a maggot in Nelson with a spare pair of skis that I could borrow for inbounds.

[shasti]

Dudes, I want to know YOUR favorite setups too, for trips that split touring and machine powered skiing 50/50.

As for your suggestions, I'm not into inserts, but I can see why everybody says lhasa/FT12 combo. I don't mind skiing the FT12 inbounds, I just have not bonded with the Lhasas. To me they feel squirrly and unpredictable. Its like the tip will not allow you to be sure of what it will do. On firmer snow it won't engage the carve I expect it to, and there isn't enough rocker to really pressure the tips in pow either. Thats the real reason that I'm considering the atlas, because I really like how it skis.

but anyways. Tell me what you guys like

edited for clarity

[smthgfshy]

for what you got now - lhasa/dynafits

if i were you, cuz you don't love the lhasa's.... - sollyfits for the atomics

for what i got now - chargers/dynafits

if I were rich - rp112/dynafits

[khyber.pass]

DPS W112RP Pure, mounted with Quiverkillers for both Duke and Dynafit. Problem solved.

[hiplainsdrifter]

Out of your two options, the Lhasa/Dynas hands down. Way lighter for skinning, but still plenty powerful for about any downhill conditions. I recently had the same quandry and decided to go with Billy Goats/Dynas. After ripping various resort conditions, I am confident that this setup can handle anything just fine, even if it isn't the best for hard groomers and the like. But seriously, who takes a trip to ski groomers?

[MontuckyFried]

This...

http://www.sportube.com/pages/skis_two_pair.php

It's nice being able to bring 2 pairs of skis for varying conditions. Thankfully, no airline has questioned it having 2 pairs of skis either. For me, with 2 pairs of skis, poles, extra crap, it comes out to 44-46 lbs typically.

[bfree]

My 112RP's with Sollyfits are happy anywhere. Going up or doing down, ripping pow or railing groomers. I wouldn't hesitate to use them any day of the year.

[1thenaton1]

lhasas in this case. if it's firm at the resort, don't ski there.

Lotus 120s with FT12s if it were me

[neufox47]

Ideal setup would be Wailer 105's with FFR+'s if you are splitting time 50/50 and won't put dynadukes or sollyfit plates on your sticks.

Not sure why you wouldn't put plates on if this is your dilemma. Install is easy, and swapping bindings takes about 5 minutes if you get the T handle allen wrench Jondrums sells for $6.

[shasti]

So the reason I dont like the lhasa is not that it is soft, torsionally or otherwise. After skiing like 20 laps of groomers which should have been excellent, I could still not figure out how to get the ski to rail. The pintail does something that I can't comprehend. I felt like I could never stand on the ski comfortably, like I always had to be accounting for the tendency of the tip to hook and pull, harder then the tail would agree to hold. It was like every turn resulted in a mini slide because the ski wants to rotate, instead of grip and bend like I expect, throughout the turn. I am sure that adjusting your balance might improve this, but I like to ski centered and the only way to reduce the purchase/bite that the front of the ski made to a level that resulted in consistent edge contact was to lean back a bit.

sidenote and apologies for the off topic: if anybody can hook me up with a K2 sidestash or darkside or something else that I can be certain is not too heavy, will ski predictably, and versatile enough, they can take my minty, 191 lhasas, skied 4 times with perfect bases and edges. The above trip is in 1 week

[connersw]

Lotus 120 w/ Dukes

[Bcar]

This...

http://www.sportube.com/pages/skis_two_pair.php

^^^ + a HUGE 1.

I always bring 2 pairs on all trips. Mega/Dukes and Mantras/FFR+s, covers all bases, 2 pairs of poles, avi kit and a few other odds and ends = 50lbs. never had an issue with airlines (knock on wood!!!!). plus the tube keeps em safe, its been dented to hell by the airline monkeys but skis stay safe.

also, if you fly frontier they make you sign a waiver saying THEY'RE NOT at fault if THEY BREAK YOUR skis = BS... unless they're in a hard case/tube.

[bern43]

So the reason I dont like the lhasa is not that it is soft, torsionally or otherwise. After skiing like 20 laps of groomers which should have been excellent, I could still not figure out how to get the ski to rail. The pintail does something that I can't comprehend. I felt like I could never stand on the ski comfortably, like I always had to be accounting for the tendency of the tip to hook and pull, harder then the tail would agree to hold. It was like every turn resulted in a mini slide because the ski wants to rotate, instead of grip and bend like I expect, throughout the turn. I am sure that adjusting your balance might improve this, but I like to ski centered and the only way to reduce the purchase/bite that the front of the ski made to a level that resulted in consistent edge contact was to lean back a bit.

sidenote and apologies for the off topic: if anybody can hook me up with a K2 sidestash or darkside or something else that I can be certain is not too heavy, will ski predictably, and versatile enough, they can take my minty, 191 lhasas, skied 4 times with perfect bases and edges. The above trip is in 1 week

I wouldn't give up on the 191 Lhasa just yet. After de-tuning the tip on mine, and figuring out the balance point, the hookiness went away.

[EEC]

4frnt renegades with sollyfits for me. Skis could be a bit lighter for touring, but I love their versatility.

Sollyfits really sound like they would make your life much much better. Or at least dynadukes, so you're not stuck on dynafits inbounds or doing a hut trip on dukes.

As for your suggestions, I'm not into inserts
edited for clarity

Not sure if you were referring to sollyfits, which are not inserts. They're metal plates that mount up to your skis, just as easy as mounting standard binders, and you only get 8 holes in a ski while still having the option of swapping between two binders.

[hutash]

Dynaduke plates for sure, and don't worry about it. Otherwise Lhasa/dynafits unless you will be do 40'+ hucks at the resort. Five days on Dukes with a lot of touring would get old quick, unless it was sled or heli assisted of course.

[shasti]

Thanks for the suggestions about plates and inserts. I realize that this would make sense, but the ft12 inbounds isn't the issue that is making me consider the atlas/duke combo. Its the fact that I do not like the lhasa. Call me crazy, (and then buy them from me for 500$) but I'm skeptical that detuning the tip is going to make this ski do what I think it should, which is have smooth, predictable, fully engaged edge grip. I feel like if a ski makes me search for its sweet spot so hard, and I still dont find it......there is a problem. I like the skis that make it clear when you are on its sweet spot, that spot where the ski performs just as it should. Then all I have to do is stay there. This spot exists on most skis I have skied. Long short, fat, skinny, and all kinds of other things, but I cant find it on the lhasa.

I posted the thread because I wanted to hear what people think about skis that they would seriously enjoy in pow, and also if there wasn't much snow as well. Personally I am not interested in DPS stuff, although I expected a lot of people to suggest them. The Voile Chargers are real interesting, and I'm sure the Renegade is an amazing ski. Would anybody ski the Katana as a quiver of 1 or is the tip rocker still not enough to eliminate having to lean back in pow ? How about the the CRJ, does it hold an edge ? or the Bent chetlers or the Whitedot redeemer ? Liberty Double Helix ? or anything by Moment or Praxis or ON3P or Fatypus ?

There are so many goddamn skis to choose from.

[miahw2828]

"Personally I am not interested in DPS stuff"

just out of curiousity, why?

[shasti]

^^^the $$$. If they were available for 400$ or 600$ I would jump on them. Bumping this thread because I have still no found the ski that I want for this application

just so we are clear MY QUESTION IS NOT ABOUT THE BINDING CHOICE. I am sure sollyfit plates are perfect. And I may put them on this ski but first I have to find the ski I want. Here is what I want the ski to do
- Plane in pow so that I do not have to lean back much to ski fast
- Ski crud/chunder/mixed soft and hard snow without too much tip flap/vibration. I want it to be damp/stable enough for me to charge in variable
- Hold a confidence inspiring arc on firmish snow
- Be decent on ice
I don't want to sacrifice dependability and ease in any condition. This ski is geared for pow, but when in an icy couloir entrance, I need to be able to count on its edge grip too, and I will do some spring touring for corn snow as well. I understand this ski may not exist yet. I am looking for the closest thing.


Here is what I imagine it looks like:
- 142-118-132 (190 length)
- substantial tip rocker (more than just an extended tip a la XXL). Not major tip rocker (as in 2011 k2 darkside) because I still want a lil running length to create stability in the chop, but ~ the same as an atomic atlas or slightly less.
- A little bit of trad camber underfoot
- flattish or minimal tail rocker (not planning on skiing switch)
Here are some further characteristics that would be cool:
- super nice construction
- not super heavy (around 9 lbs would be sick)
- 500$

Ideas:
VIOLE CHARGER - seems about right, but backcountrymag gave some negative reviews regarding its stability/performance in mixed and firm conditions. "Low marks on hardpack and in chunder," and "smears doesn't cut" made me think that while it might shine in the wasatch, it might be outgunned in the PNW
ON3P BILLYGOAT - Have not heard enough about how are they on hardpack/variable, and how dialed is their construction would be my only concerns as they are a new brand. Lil heavy perhaps
192 BENTCHETLER - Heard mostly great things, only 1 or 2 so great comments. Dont know much, but if I could get some I probably would as this seems really close to what I am looking for.
MOMENT BIBBY PRO - Have heard good things, concerns are tail rocker (don't want too much) weight, and price.
AK JJ - Same as above. This may be a bit big and heavy for what I want.