powders gear guide... kinda weak?

[Evil E]

powder's gear guide had me thinking... why cant they simply list the manufacturers line all in one place?, all their models, lengths, sidecuts are too spread out making it annoying to compare and contrast models.

Skis are my prefered snow tools to hack the mountain and we all have preferences on what gear we need to accomplish our missions. I want to know what the stiffest ski is out of the lineup, but there is no way to know that besides skiing them and no way am i wasting half my season demoing.

Give me an easy reference list and strong stiffness comparisons.

Plus...a new technology section would be a great addition to the powder buyers guide describing whats new in construction, materials, research, sidecuts, lengths, & manufacturers would be interesting. One thing that would be especially cool would be a unbiased column from a anonymous shop praising the good reliable gear and calling out companies who are churning out shoddy designs and construction.

Just my 2 cents...

[freshie247]

That would be too easy wouldn't it now. I read what the magazines say,but I ask friends I trust that have skied the skis in question.

[bossass]

The skis are organized by category. Ultra fat, fat, mid-fat, park, tele/bc, etc. What's so confusing about that? ***psssst: they're also listed alphabeticaly in each category*** I understand what you are saying, but personally, all I care about each season is the fattest goddam skis out there and most readers are only considering one addition to the quiver a season, and therefore only need to look in one place, instead of wading through each company to find the midfats.

As far as the stiffness test goes, you are asking too much. For one, the editors giving a ski the flex test is hardly scientific. They would need some sort of device to measure the flex. Basically the logistics and time required would take away from what their real job is...to put together a good magazine with good writing. I'm not sure your realize it, but the staff at the Powder offices is not huge.

Like Fresh said, the simple fact that you're on this board gives you access to a wealth of unbiased (minus the bro crew and BB) opinion on gear. Even if each editor could ski on each ski, binding, boot, etc. it would only be for a few minutes. It's just not possible to give a comprehensive review. That's why it's a guide.

And as far as technology goes, it's all the same old shit. If Atomic came out with triple beta channels, it's still foam. Wood, foam, p-tex, fiberglass, and steel. There's you're technology. The only mentionables in the last few years would be the Spatula, Prophet, Line Binding, Scotty Bob, and DB skis.

[DaveTV]

One thing that would be especially cool would be a unbiased column from a anonymous shop praising the good reliable gear and calling out companies who are churning out shoddy designs and construction.

That ain't gonna happen..

[Evil E]

i agree with everyones replies, but just saw a few things that i wouldnt mind seeing. i always find a load of stoke in the buyers guide and dreaming of skis in plastic has been a pastime of mine since high school.

[Plakespear]

dreaming of skis in plastic has been a pastime of mine since high school.

You and I might need to have a little talk...

[bossass]

You and I might need to have a little talk...

You guys are creeping me out a bit.

[Plakespear]

I'm just concerned about Evil E's dreams.

[Platinum Pete]

I just picked up the new issue today.
this is by far the finest art direction/concept for a buyers guide of any sort that I have seen in a long time. Awesome concept and awesome execution. As far as the orginization of it goes, it's dandy. My personal wish would be for more focus on AT stuff and seperating it from tele, but otherwise I think it accomplishes what it sets out to do in a very exciting and eye catching way.
Per the flexiness review, that is asking way too much - the question is no longer "how flexy?" now we are thinking about flex paterns shovel vs. tail vs. tortionally. It'd need a paragraph for everry ski, you'll find that on the net with some browsing and collecting but it is not approprite for a magazine to become a full on reference manual.
The shop idea is cool, but I think you'd find that just as snow conditions and rider styles/focus are different across North America, so are shop preferences and shops under the popularity spell of a model or brand. In other words, it'd be no more accurate or complete than a magazine editor from SoCal.