What corn ski do I want? (also open to offers)

[The Tortoise]

Fischer Motive 95 or whatever they're called now.

Light, stable, smooth and has early rise. Not overly stiff either.

[doebedoe]

Fischer Motive 95 or whatever they're called now.

Light, stable, smooth and has early rise. Not overly stiff either.

Fischer Ranger Ti is not quite as damp but significantly lighter. Would be a nice option as well. Sig less tip rocker than the Yeti.

I really like my Yeti's but they are not a pure corn slayer. They are pretty great for those days you might ski some hard stuff and find pockets of deeper softer snow. If I was buying them to be more hardsnow centric I'd certainly size up.

[axebiker]

The old Rossi S5/Scratch BC was a killer ski in those conditions.

[Adrider83]

Surprised no one has mentioned Kastle...I ski the FX104..great corn ski, and I bet the FX95 would be even better....TX series too, if you're looking to go light.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I think the 17/18 Head Monster 88 I tried yesterday would be an awesome corn slayer, probably the 98 too. Head tweaked the camber and rocker in the fore body next year and added a touch of early rise in the tail. Nice, easy turning and no speed limit I could find on soft and hard groomers and chewed up wind buff.

[mall walker]

Down Lowdown 90

ja mon. my CD102Ls rip so hard in corn and that 41m radius gives you plenty of effective edge for steep places. just skied em again after spending most of the winter on my pow setup and remembered how hard those things rip.

[Timberridge]

Do the major manufacturers not make specific skis for corn? This may be an untapped niche market for an aspiring indie.

And also 2 pages on, and no one has mentioned Rax yet? You people are slipping.

[ACH]

Volkl - BMT 94 - Look for them on close out.

[kidwoo]

Volkl - BMT 94 - Look for them on close out.

My knee twitches whenever I read 'carbon'. I've still never skied a carbon layup ski that didn't seem unnecessarily chattery. These any different?

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Just for clarification, are we talking resort "corn" or real backcountry corn? The requirements are different for each type. A stupid light ski is fine for smooth backcountry corn but I like a ski with a bit more heft for inbounds "corn".

[ACH]

My knee twitches whenever I read 'carbon'. I've still never skied a carbon layup ski that didn't seem unnecessarily chattery. These any different?

Generally speaking - the are not a very damp ski. Energy goes in, and comes out directly.
Given that, the wont soak up the vibration from frozen corn as well as others, but they do have really good edge hold.
Once things soften up a little though, they are money.

I took me a while to get the (de)tune right on mine, but since I dialed it in they have been awesome.

[kidwoo]

Just for clarification, are we talking resort "corn" or real backcountry corn? The requirements are different for each type. A stupid light ski is fine for smooth backcountry corn but I like a ski with a bit more heft for inbounds "corn".

Backcountry mostly. The real corn. I know what you're saying but I don't want some pinner chattery deflecting piece of shit that sucks when I want to open it up in anger over weird snow. And the usual high elevation windboard crap still happens even though I officially declare corn season. I'm putting cast plates and alpine binders on them and these will be my only pair of skinny skis so I'm sure I'll still take them on some lifts. I'm just developing a pretty severe allergy to ski areas. Stuff like those hell n'backs, dynastar chams are the general idea. Same ski you'd take on a mixed snow day at a resort if it hasn't snowed in a few days. The corn thing is just where they'll mostly be used in my case.

ACH: thanks for the response

[AKbruin]

I've been extremely happy with my 185cm Blizzard Zero G 95s as Eastern Sierra spring skis. I haven't tried any of the other skis in this category though.

Anyhow, they are very light (much lighter than most of the skis being mentioned) but have fantastic edge grip. If I were dropping into a couloir that had an icy 50 degree entrance that quickly transitioned into 40-ish degree corn, I'd want this ski above all others. When conditions suck in the BC, I sometimes skin up Diamond Peak and ski down the groomers before work. While I'm not recommending them as a resort ski, the Zero G 95s are bar none best groomer skis I've had this millennium. They also rip in corn, but most skis do. I wouldn't say they are surfy, slarvers though. But you can go fast with confidence.

Downsides? The stubby tip sometimes annoys me when I'm skinning over undulating terrain with its tendency to stab into things. One at least one occasion, I've gone ass-over-tea kettle with a heavy pack and cursed them. They manage in deep powder but you have to be vigilant of tip dive. (My Praxis Backcountries went out of commission a couple months ago, so I've been on the ZeroGs through all the deep storms in Tahoe recently.)

[kidwoo]

Shouldn't you be sleeping?

I was actually going to call you and ask what you'd been dragging along lately.

[AKbruin]

325 BSL give or take if you wanted to try them.

[kidwoo]

Damn. I think my bootz are like 302. I don't think those heel pieces move that far.

Thanks for the offer though. Definitely would have taken you up on it.

[Lindahl]

Salomon QST series is pretty damp for the weight. You can go lighter with the Mtn Explore series too. Not as edgy as the Blizzards, but damper and edgy enough. They have a pretty smooth lightweight construction figured out.

[TAFKALVS]

New Head Kore series should be on your radar.

[TahoeJ]

Damn. I think my bootz are like 302. I don't think those heel pieces move that far.

Thanks for the offer though. Definitely would have taken you up on it.

I bought Wren 98's (184cm) as my do it all touring ski. They aren't "light" perse but also not that heavy and have more tip rocker than you're asking for but it also makes them fun in powder or super slush while still being extremely versatile. I have 300 & 305 BSL boots and they're mounted with kingpins if you want to try them out sometime this spring.

[kidwoo]

I bought Wren 98's (184cm) as my do it all touring ski. They aren't "light" perse but also not that heavy and have more tip rocker than you're asking for but it also makes them fun in powder or super slush while still being extremely versatile. I have 300 & 305 BSL boots and they're mounted with kingpins if you want to try them out sometime this spring.

Those look pretty legit. I might take you up on that. Thanks!

[Yoyo]

OK, I mostly lurk here but this topic is one that's been on my mind for awhile.

I have (and like) Vectors for mostly BC corn skiing, but it seems like all that surface area is unuseful since the snow is firm. And then there's the suction issue, which in my limited experimentation is less of a problem with narrower skis.

Last spring I tried the Vectors, some 1980's straight skis, and skinny double cambered XC skis. I also tried giving one of the straight skis a very coarse base "grind" to compare structure types. I also tried various waxes.

What I came away with is that the skinny XC skis were by far effected least by suctiony snow.

So my question, since I'm too cheap to order them from Norway and try it: Are these my blueberry?

http://www.asnes.com/produkt/falketind-62/

[MTT]

Funny Thread.

My spring Ski is the OG! 194 Legend Pro Rider.

there is no substitute.

You need to "Harden The Fuck Up"

FYI I just bought some used 186 Lhasa Pows. = Perfect when I puss out on my 196's

[kidwoo]

OK, I mostly lurk here but this topic is one that's been on my mind for awhile.

I have (and like) Vectors for mostly BC corn skiing, but it seems like all that surface area is unuseful since the snow is firm. And then there's the suction issue, which in my limited experimentation is less of a problem with narrower skis.

Last spring I tried the Vectors, some 1980's straight skis, and skinny double cambered XC skis. I also tried giving one of the straight skis a very coarse base "grind" to compare structure types. I also tried various waxes.

What I came away with is that the skinny XC skis were by far effected least by suctiony snow.

So my question, since I'm too cheap to order them from Norway and try it: Are these my blueberry?

http://www.asnes.com/produkt/falketind-62/

Sure why not.

Or you could get a good aggro base grind and wax your skis. Personally there's a 'too skinny' for me in corn. When it gets soft enough you actually do want some surface area so you're not just slicing into shit too hard and getting high sided when you really need to throw them sideways.

Funny Thread.

My spring Ski is the OG! 194 Legend Pro Rider.

there is no substitute.

You need to "Harden The Fuck Up"

I'll let you do my 3rd knee surgery in the parking lot of the peppermill if you think you've got something. It was your 194s that got me to buy those 186s.

[GeezerSteve]

I have (and like) Vectors for mostly BC corn skiing, but it seems like all that surface area is unuseful since the snow is firm. And then there's the suction issue, which in my limited experimentation is less of a problem with narrower skis. * * * What I came away with is that the skinny XC skis were by far effected least by suctiony snow.

Valid point. I have never experienced base suck on 55mm waist XC skis. But here in the PNW the snow pack often softens such that we're skiing a foot or more of slop in the afternoon on a May/June corn tour. I managed the slop okay on E99s when I was a younger man but not these days.

FWIW, I have never experienced significant base suck on Vector BCs nor any other fishscale base, which is equivalent to very effective structured base. So maybe the best corn touring skis are fat fishscales.

[Yoyo]

The Falketinds aren't available with a waxless base, unfortunately. They are interesting (to me) because they appear to be a modern, shaped, alpine cambered, early rise tipped ski- but extremely narrow.

So- Did the XC skis I tried go right through suctiony snow because they are skinny, because they are double cambered, or because they are waxless? A little of each? I wish I knew.

I didn't mention before- I have Vectors in both waxless and flat bases. And I agree, the waxless ones are better in corn for suction. They also leave you with some form of propulsion when tree pollen makes skin glue totally fail!