The Day After: Battle of the 108 Waist Skis

[whambat]

Interesting. I have a QST Blank for soft snow and a QST 106 for low tide. I love the Blank, it feels super intuitive and fun to me. And although the 106 seems like a good do it all ski, it just doesn’t seem all that great at anything, at least I don’t find it very exciting, it’s just…meh.

I feel the same way about the QST 106. I got a pair super cheap off a demo rack. They are decent when it’s soft, not great in powder, and suck on hardpack on ice despite putting a super sharp 1/3 tune on them. I just use them as a coaching ski when I’m with the groms largely because they are easier to ski slower. My 15 yo feels the same way about them. However, he has a pair of Unleashed 108s that he really likes and they carve great on hardpack for him. I’d be tempted to try those out when I wear out my older Corvus’s.

[altacoup]

Buy a ktwo reckoner one ten in one eighty four and thank me later. Or HL R one ten if you want a burlier ski.


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[SnowMachine]

There are a ton of good options here. I think you really just have to ask yourself what kind of skier you are.

For me, the DW works great in this slot knowing that it isn't a true chop destroyer. It's stiff enough to hold up and light enough to pop around on. If you can stay light on your feet it can make those days epic fun. I love that ski.

Then there are true chop destroyers like the HL skis. The FR120 is silly in chop. There's so much mass and glide that you can ski soft bumps like they aren't there. These are the types of ski that make my 11 year old get mad at me for "skiing too fast" on. They simply give no fucks. Like I said before, I think I need the R110 for those days.

I had hoped the Hotshot would be that ski. It's not. Maybe the bigger ski would be. It gave me the OTB feeling several times per day when skiing them fast in chop. I simply could not drive them straight over bumps. That said, I skied them in true fresh too many times to count and they're a really good ski for their size and VERY easy to noodle on.

IMO there are a ton of good chop destroyers, especially if you go to the longest sizes. To me, the magic is finding the ski that destroys chop at the appropriate size for you and still have fun skiing it.

You kinda have to be honest with yourself about how strong a skier you are, how fit you are, how fast you truly aim to ski this ski, do you like to pop/slash things or just straight line them and what your mount point preference is.

Heck, the Moment Commander 102 is one hell of a chop destroyer, but it isn't my personal style of a ski most days though I do have a playlist for those special days....

[Bandit Man]

To me, firmer variable/chop means metal. There are a handful of skis that fit that role these days. I’d take those non-metal twin tips off the list. Not what I’d want to handle Sierra chop.

[dmcd]

I'm kind of surprised nobody has said the big Wildcat in this spot. Great in chop, great in fresh, great on groomers if they're soft.

[singlesline]

To me, firmer variable/chop means metal. There are a handful of skis that fit that role these days. I’d take those non-metal twin tips off the list. Not what I’d want to handle Sierra chop.

I don’t think metal is the only way to accomplish that. I was skeptical about the lack of metal in the MVP108, but it has been totally fine. Maybe not quite as much snap out of a carve as the metal-containing skis they replaced, but they aren’t carving skis. And I think Marshall is demonstrating this with his metal-free RC85 and RC95 (and FWIW, my high school slalom skis circa 2001 didn’t have any metal and still had loads of heft and snap!)

I do like metal generally but I have warmed to the idea of plain wood and fiberglass layups in the last couple years.

[MCskid]

I bought my wildcats because they have astronauts on them. Full stop. This year's model doesn't have astronauts and I'm afraid I can't recommend, in fact they probably suck.

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Just saw some Icelandic shamans, they’ve got astronauts on them, so your in luck.

[gaijin]

187 R OneTen. I was on 3-day old snow last night... after it got slightly baked in the sun in the afternoon. (cloudy in the morning.) Groomers were skied all day, very choppy and in the process of refreezing. Another day of that with no grooming and it would become a full on bump face. Was fun surfing the upper steeps, early stage bumps, and then letting them arc GS and run mach-looney in the runout. Definitely never thought they needed metal. Very damp.

I do like metal generally but I have warmed to the idea of plain wood and fiberglass layups in the last couple years.

The OG Gotama that I still have is by no means a chop charger, but it was enough to make me realize I'm not as much of a fan of metal as I was in my GFortyOne, Explosive days.

Really curious about the AMOneHundred. I kinda think the conditions I had last night is kind of the wall for the ROneTen but I likely won't see firmer or icier snow than that, so I likely don't need an RCEightyFive. Although, that would have been more fun last night.

All that to say the ROneTen is great from ankle deep to three-day old. An ideal DD for Japan. I could see it that way at any Western resort, too.

I'm running the ROneTen every Monday night this season testing its limits in all-day skied-out chunder to determine if my next ski is the AMOneHundred, RCNinetyFive or RCEightyFive. The HL build is dope. I can't seen venturing away from it living in central JP.

[TeleBeaver]

Had an amazing "day after" yesterday on my moment countach. Several rope drops with 20" of fresh, and lots of soft chop charging in the trees. It's the only ski for me in this quiver slot.

[byates1]

Devastator

Not heavy and damp but as a daily I like

I'm a pussy and don't ski super hard. Also skiing everyday always sore can't daily 11+ lb skis

[Fishskisurf]

Hotshot in a 189, doesn’t feel like a chore at all and skis a bit shorter

[Muggydude]

I'm placing an emphasis on mogul and tight tree performance over chop destroy/charger.

Decided to give Full rocker skis a whirl, I really love my Kusalas so hoping to capture some of that magic.

I've got some 186cm HL FR110's on the way, and some 181cm Moment Meridians too. Both with my BSL already drilled. I love this place.

If anyone has some R110's in Tahoe and wants to swap (Also have Steeples, Cease and Desists, and Quixotes) for a few runs sometime this winter hit me up, definitely want to try those out too.

[Hood26]

With my only other experience being a Woodsman, knowing I need to ski a Praxis and a HL someday, I am picking the MPro or the MFree and going to be a dick about it being called a Dynafit by OP.

[pfluffenmeister]

I'm placing an emphasis on mogul and tight tree performance over chop destroy/charger.

Decided to give Full rocker skis a whirl, I really love my Kusalas so hoping to capture some of that magic.

I've got some 186cm HL FR110's on the way, and some 181cm Moment Meridians too. Both with my BSL already drilled. I love this place.

If anyone has some R110's in Tahoe and wants to swap (Also have Steeples, Cease and Desists, and Quixotes) for a few runs sometime this winter hit me up, definitely want to try those out too.

Rdimes definitely ski like skinny Kusalas.

[carlh]

Thinking I want something looser and more soft snow biased than my fl105s in this slot. Do I jump to r110s, wait for am110s? Fuck it and rc116s? Go back to ON3P and some woodsman 108s or older wrens?

[2FUNKY]

Carl, R-dimes is my ski for what you are seeking.


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[phatty]

Thinking I want something looser and more soft snow biased than my fl105s in this slot. Do I jump to r110s, wait for am110s? Fuck it and rc116s? Go back to ON3P and some woodsman 108s or older wrens?

The MFree 108 (at least the original one) is the ski I would typically recommend here. Many of the folks who were big promoters are also singing the praises of the r110s, but I've never tried them, so can't say. I can say that I loved the MFree at Alpental and it was fun even when I was skiing with the kids. 192 is the length you want and can usually find them reasonably priced.

[forumskier]

Thinking I want something looser and more soft snow biased than my fl105s in this slot. Do I jump to r110s, wait for am110s? Fuck it and rc116s? Go back to ON3P and some woodsman 108s or older wrens?

If you wanna stay as thin, R105s

[carlh]

Are you on 187 or 193 r110s? Cambered version is interesting as is the undisclosed ski Marshal hinted at in the fl105r2 email.

Carl, R-dimes is my ski for what you are seeking.


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[SkiLyft]

Thinking I want something looser and more soft snow biased than my fl105s in this slot. Do I jump to r110s, wait for am110s? Fuck it and rc116s? Go back to ON3P and some woodsman 108s or older wrens?

Depends on how hyper specialized your quiver is.

Mfree108 is my answer for this slot; wider range of conditions that the ski excels at. R110 can be pushed harder but if things get firm through the day you will feel it more.

In my mind the 10X slot is my travel/do everything ski and the Mfree is still that ski for me.

[2FUNKY]

Carl, sorry I don’t want to quote you for fear of the attack of the killer emojis. I am on the one eight seven as I wanted something quicker and more playful than the 193. Here is the deal with a full rocker ski. They do require a more balanced skier. They don’t allow you to use the camber as a crutch to keep you in the sweet spot of a ski by letting you lean back or forth with the camber putting you back in position. Some can get along with that while others may not. Just food for thought. They do give up a tiny bit of hard pack performance, you just have to pay a bit more attention but they are hands down more fun and better in soft snow than a RCR ski like the mfree.
Trust me I do love the mfree but don’t see me skiing it much now. I would and will travel with the R-Dimes if it looks soft at all, FL’s will come with me if it’s looking firm ish plus I still will keep the mfree as it’s a solid traveler and easier to ski than the FL.
So in short, it comes down to if you prefer RCR vs full rocker. This slot is a tough decision as there really are a ton of skis that fill it. Good luck man.


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[SkiLyft]

Great breakdown [emoji638]funky!


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[SnowMachine]

FWIW, I was on the 24/25 192 M-Free 108. It has to be the best Big Mountain ski that I have been on in a long time (ever?). Damp, quick, supportive. Really a good ski.

[pfluffenmeister]

R dimes ------->. Soooo good.
6" refresh at Aspen Snowmass.
Happy fun playtime all day long.

There's a run that's a long narrowing funnel into a increasing tighter canyon / half pipe kind of thing.
Pretty long overall; I must have passed at least fifty people.

Didn't really feel all that fast either; smmoooth baby (and bouncy too!).

[MCskid]

For the stupid, r dimes and fl? Thanks