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Ski Mag Buyer's Guide (Gear Issue)
October 8, 2004
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JohnL
August 14, 2004
Member since 01/6/2000 🔗
3,563 posts
Just got it. Summer is officially over and the skiing pre-season has begun.

Seems to be a bit more diversity in brands that are represented this year. Wonder how Ogasaka made the list? Notice that there are no Volants on the list.

After not being listed in last years Ski/Skiing Mag review, but being Peter K's ski of the year (http://realskiers.com/), the Head Monster i.M 75 Chip made the grade in the Freeride Category this year. Not sure in what length the ski was tested, but if it was 177+, they nailed the review. Realskiers demoed the 170, and the ski is much more versatile in 170 than at 177 - I found out the hard way.

I know there is always a lot of controversy over the labeling of ski categories and placing of skis in those categories. The current Ski Mag Freeride category encompasses skis with waist widths of 70mm to 98mm. Way too broad a category.

Let the gear envy and debating begin ...
johnfmh - DCSki Columnist
August 14, 2004
Member since 07/18/2001 🔗
1,992 posts
JohnL:

I didn't buy new skis last year but after testing the Volkl Supersport 6 star last year at St. Moritz in all sorts of different snow conditions ranging from powder to ice to crud, I think I'm ready to take the plunge. Given that last year, those skis sold out by November, I'm going to pay full price at Ski Center. It hurts but I'd rather pay more and get what I want than bargain hunt and pray.

What do you think? Should I test more skis? I was never able to try the Head IMs...
JohnL
August 15, 2004
Member since 01/6/2000 🔗
3,563 posts
If you've demo'ed a pair and really like 'em, buy 'em. It sounds like you really like arcing turns on groomed runs, so the 6 Star would be a much better ski than the Head.

Check your email for some more info.

Anyone know how much difference there is between the 6 Stars and the P60 GS, Vokl's race ski?
comprex
August 16, 2004
Member since 04/11/2003 🔗
1,326 posts
Quote:

Notice that there are no Volants on the list.


Volant is mentioned in the Bogner blurb. It is no longer a mass-market ski, and I suspect will no longer be reviewed by anybody except (maybe if we pay him more?) Peter K.
Quote:


I know there is always a lot of controversy over the labeling of ski categories and placing of skis in those categories. The current Ski Mag Freeride category encompasses skis with waist widths of 70mm to 98mm. Way too broad a category.



I completely agree, and it actually makes some skis look much less suitable than you might have thought by reading factory literature. This might well be a disservice, as the ski might well be better for you or more versatile for you than what you currently ski.

Viewed from the positive side, the most versatile models really stand out, and that is the real measure of 'best performance' for most recreational skiers.

I missed any mention of the Elan M555/M444/M02, and, in fact, saw very few midfat TTs.
Freeskier112389
October 7, 2004
Member since 10/7/2004 🔗
14 posts
well the Head IM is a powder ski and i dont think thats what you want for skiing in the east. If you are thinking about a trip you might take to a big resort than head has this really good deal. If you buy one of there skis then you get 6 days of skiing on any of there other skis. So like if you ski out here in the east you might want to buy the head MAD TRIX and then you register online so if you go somewhere to ski powder and you went a thicker ski you can go to one of the accese centes and they well give you another head ski to use.
comprex
October 7, 2004
Member since 04/11/2003 🔗
1,326 posts
Yes, I saw that about the special, Freeskier(#). I will look to demo the Mojo sometime this season, but I have a lot of new gear to be really excited about.

I still think that the magazine reviews are best archived in the basement, then, when you want to swap the ski, you dig out the review issue and cheap-man's laminate the review to the ski. The NEXT owner's back-of-book review, if you will.
TerpSKI
October 8, 2004
Member since 03/10/2004 🔗
167 posts
Johnfmh (BTW, what does FMH stand for?),

How much are the 6*s going for at SkiCenter? I tried Head skis last year at Stowe and loved every pair I tried. If you haven't skied them I would definitely wait until after you do. For one thing, they are A LOT less expensive than Volkls and they are very well made. I tried to demo the 5 & 6* at the same time, but the demo shop at Stowe didn't have any left to demo, since they had to send a bunch of bent Volkls back to the MFG for replacement.

FWIW skiershop.com (an actual brick-and-mortar shop in Stowe) still has '04 IM 75 & 75 Chip models available for a reasonable price.
JohnL
October 8, 2004
Member since 01/6/2000 🔗
3,563 posts
Quote:

well the Head IM is a powder ski and i dont think thats what you want for skiing in the east.



Wrong! It a very versatile groomed and un-groomed terrain ski. I've skied it on all of the above and it carves very well on the groomed. The 74mm waist is very modest by today's standards. Today's powder/big mountain skis are ~85mm+ (lots of 100 mm skis out there).

Edit: you may be thinking about another ski.

There is a lot more to East Coast skiing than icy groomed runs.
Freeskier112389
October 8, 2004
Member since 10/7/2004 🔗
14 posts
I'm thinking of the Head Monster IM 103 i'm reading the review in powder magazine right now " Straigh Stiff and burly the iM 103 is not to be messed with. Head Warns right on thier website that the ski is for experts only. THe compeitor can handle the big game-deep snow on big, puckering terrain-as well as anyone" thats what they say about it in powder mag we must be thinking of a different ski.
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