Need help on time line for fatties

[canyonrider]

I'm pretty sure I remember some old guys sporting the Atomic Powder Plus at Snowbird circa 1993...at the very least it was no later than 1995....

[ill-advised strategy]

My first everyday ski that wasn't a GS-race ski was the Salomon X-Mountain. That was (I think?) in 1997. That was the year I realized that they were a better overall everyday ski than my Atomic ARC 24's-it blew my freakin mind mannn

Up to that point I had what I considered a "powder-specific ski": a 215 RD Giant Coyote-soft, soft 215's with a full tip.

I remember Pete Bowers skiing Elan SCX's all over the place in 95/96.

I remember that next year a guy named Dean Davis was ripping the shit out of shit on some Kneissel Ergo's.

Seems like the K2 Four was a step in that direction. I remember seeing Scot Schmidt with a pair of 220ish DH boards with the K2 four graphic

good times!

[freshies]

i got my first pair of fats in 96/97 I think - the first generation Big's (the orange ones with the yellow letters spelling out "BIG" on the tails)...to my mind, these were the first "true fats" in ski shops that I distinctly remember, and also that were marketed as "fat is good" - before that, everything seemed kinda niche, hard to find, etc (except maybe the Rangers...) and were only considered quiver skis for big days/heli/cat trips...but those first generation Big's were made to ski every day out west (and changed my skiing forever - remember that first season on "fat" skis??!!).

[ill-advised strategy]

hell, I remember thinking the K2 GS race was for Cheaters because it had a 10mm sidecut and my TNC's only had 7.8mm.

Cheaters! they're not any better than me, the goddamned ski makes the turn for 'em!


yeah. I had some monumental rants against helmets and fat skis too.

[mntlion]

first atomic fat ski was a snowboard cut in 1/2.

first production fat atomic said on the base "best invention in powder skiing since the helicopter"

miller softs in late 80's?

I have a single K2 holiday, marker rotomat heel that is a demo...

RD heli daddy, first in yellow and 65mm waist, I have a 180 new in plastic still....

[Tri-Ungulate]

Voilé Mountain Surf. The Voilé crew prototypes came out in the Wasatch in '94 as the Tele Surf, and released in 1995 as the first "backcountry" fat ski. Immense at the time 110-88-103. So wide I used to be a little ashamed to be seen on such "cheater skis", but now they're the second smallest ski in my quiver. I still use 'em for early-season touring.

[upallnight]

Voilé Mountain Surf. The Voilé crew prototypes came out in the Wasatch in '94 as the Tele Surf, and released in 1995 as the first "backcountry" fat ski. Immense at the time 110-88-103. So wide I used to be a little ashamed to be seen on such "cheater skis", but now they're the second smallest ski in my quiver. I still use 'em for early-season touring.

My 88mm iggies were still considered "huge" in '97.

[natty dread]

Oh dont forget Hart Phatbacks, very few pair around but I think 1997-1998?

I've got a pair of mint phatbacks I've been looking to sell for a while...I think they are rebadged powder rides (right mtnlion?) but with much cooler battleship gray and red graphics. If I recall correctly, the dimensions are 130-104-115, which may be a little different than the p-rides.

Good thread. Makes you realize that the first fattie models were few and far between. I remember my dad was on the first year's powder pluses and he got heckled in alta lift lines. Then the cool kids went fat (cut 11.5/xxx mostly) and it all changed.

[ulty_guy]

certainly there has to also be a nod to the original xxxx pro brototypes that finally gave the athletes the ammo in ak. i guess that great thread with str8line back on powmag (in some weird forum at that, but i don't remember exactly where) would be a good place to start. it was great to hear the evolution, and the race room designers giving the big mtn boys a proper stick.

[Flexon Phil]

You could PM Flexon Phil. As far as I can tell from his Epic's posts, he's a living encyclopedia of ski gear history.

Thanks, but you guys are bringing back models I forgot about...Elan Fudd , IIRC that was a reskinned something else. The Early 90's manufacturers were peice mealing skis because their production lines weren't designed to make such wide boards.

I remember bringing a pair of the big Atomic Power Plus's to Alaska in 94, they were a 195 or so and huuuge. The cat company was renting Evolutions at the time.

As mentioned...The Chubb came out in 94-95, the first powder ski to be accepted as a ski for the east because it would hold on hard snow too.

I will say, some of the stuff that is being brough up here is amking me want to go back and find some of these skis and the info on them. Thanks for the brain jog.

[Glisseur]

I will say, some of the stuff that is being brough up here is amking me want to go back and find some of these skis and the info on them. Thanks for the brain jog.

Do it man, do it

Thanks for all the great info guys, helps me a lot.

having a hard time to separate the different Atomic models. The Powder Plus' were ca 94 according to Phil's post, red and cap construction. But what about the Heli Guide (or Star)? Around 95 waist (I think), sandwich construction and some greyish graphics with big, red letters on the tail. Still see a couple of pairs of these around La Grave.

[marshalolson]

Do it man, do it

Thanks for all the great info guys, helps me a lot.

having a hard time to separate the different Atomic models. The Powder Plus' were ca 94 according to Phil's post, red and cap construction. But what about the Heli Guide (or Star)? Around 95 waist (I think), sandwich construction and some greyish graphics with big, red letters on the tail. Still see a couple of pairs of these around La Grave.

powder plus was sidewall and 110 & 115mm

heli guide was sidewall and 80mm

power cruise was cap & 104mm

heli star was cap & 115mm

powder plus and heli guide were of the same generation c. 1994, then the powder cruise came out c.1998?, then the heli star came out c. 2000?.

[daveg]

By chance I picked up the Sept. 1998 Powder this morning, and it has a fat ski review:
Dynastar Big (90mm waist)
Hart Phatback (104mm)
Rossi XXX (85mm)
RD Heli Dog III (91mm)
Volant TiChubb (87mm)

In the writeup they mention the Rossi Cut 11.5 and Atomic Powder plus being from '96, and mention the 1/2 snowboard test skis.

SkiCanada mag always had model listings like these:
http://www.skicanadamag.com/Gear/skilistings.html

Maybe some earlier ones are available. I probably have them but it might take a while for their number to come up in the daily bathroom reading random grab from the (large) selection pool.

[Jiehkevarri]

Explosives were for rent in Verbier in 93-94.

I was on some student ski trip and remember clearly how one guy rented neon yellow weird Völkl's (180 cm, I believe?)...and ripped some breakable crud in the trees, very easily. The guy was impressed and praised the skis and how easy it was to ski the trees with'em.

(We) others didn't even listen that much and weren't that impressed...cause it was "cheating", nothing else. You had to ski on some skinny long sticks or otherwise it wasn't skiing...

Still,kind of funny how I (and many others I know) started to look snowboards that year or a year after (~94-95) for powder. It was only in about -98 or so when I saw some flick (Continuum?) and photos with Kreitler/Nobis/Moles haulin' loooong turns in AK when I thought "holy shit...you can ski like that???!"

Kind of sad it took so long for skiers (in general) to realise the potential of the fat skis!(and although snowboarding was/is very fun, I've often cursed myself for not continuing skiing circa 94-99...)

[irul&ublo]

Don't forget the twin tipped Morrison Pro.

[ill-advised strategy]

Don't forget the twin tipped Morrison Pro.

yeah, those 204 morrisons were some hot shit!

[cooltsi]

Evolution wideglides 130-110-120 sold through the late 90's. Still looking for a pair of those.

Blizzard had a CR90 (name?) that was 105 or 110 underfoot as well with the same sidecut as the wideglides and powder plus. Wouldn't mind a set of those either. Mntlion had some for sale a few years ago.

[sar13]

IIRC: original Kahuna = reskinned Explosiv

Small clarification. It was called the "Big Kahuna" then and there was a K2 manufactured version that pretty much became the AK Launcher as well as the Volkl version.

The "Kahuna" (no BIG) is the 108mm twin tip that became the Made.N.AK

[sar13]

Also, the same year the Atomic Powder Plus came out - '92 I think - they had the Heli Guide and a slightly narrower version called the VAR something. The 200cm Heliguide was only about 85mm underfoot but the only time I tried them that year I skied the Hobacks top to bottom without stopping and came back in the shop and said they were too easy and only old folks should ski them.

If only I had know then what I know know

[Telekóptero]

dude, those are way too big to tele on.

shame on you.

[bovine]

The Olin Selkirk was also around in the early/mid 90s- similar to the groovy K2 Explorers. Back in the mid 90s when Taos was getting hammered, I'd always take out the 200 Snow Rangers-Unstoppable Butter Spreaders!
I just got some undrilled Atomic Fat Boy Powder Pluses- It won't be my main ski, but it'll be super fun on those rare 20" plus days- Yeah!

[splat]

rossi cut 10.5?

btw, gliss, your box was full so i couldn't reply, but thanks for the shells!

Moles took the title on the 10.5 in '97.

[ill-advised strategy]

I just found myself thinking about how we used to throw all these skis away if they started to get some tip rocker...they're bent, dumpster time.

I kept skiing my bent Pocket Rockets because they skied just fine, turns out I wasn't so crazy after all.

[jfost]

...As mentioned...The Chubb came out in 94-95, the first powder ski to be accepted as a ski for the east because it would hold on hard snow too...

the Ti Chubb changed my mind about fat skis - that thing RAILED on all types of snow, I went from that to the Xscream to the XXX the next couple years I think.

and I LOVED the easy stylings of the Pocket Rocket. So forgiving and lazy, probably set me back years on technique!