I think I just bought a pair of 178cm Dynastar Contact 11

[Barrettscv]

I was just offered a pair of used-two-days Dynastar Contact 11.

OF COURSE I AGREED!

Sincerely,

Michael

[jim-ratliff]

...  and all you have to do is fly to Timbuktu and pick them up???   

Michael, you're incorrigible.  What are the Contact 11's replacing?

[Gary]

Michael...congrats I think are in order. The huge smile on your face when ripping it up at BC with the Dyno Contacts dancing beneath your feet was a Mona Lisa treasure.

Let's hear the story on the new acquisition. I figured you weren't going to find a deal till end of the season.

You are the master of ski acquisition!

Now, did ya sell the house, the car, trade in the dog, .....what was the financial catalyst that perpetrated this deal..hmmm???

Gary

[Barrettscv]

...? and all you have to do is fly to Timbuktu and pick them up? ?
What are the Contact 11's replacing?

Well, I did finally sell the Monster 88's. I think I can use the Contact 11's to travel out west with and also bring the Spats or Inspired depending on the weather.

The Contacts will be the hard snow & not-to-deep crud masters, the fat skis will be saved for a genuine dump.

The Fischer S500 are looking a little unnecessary, except as rock skis.

Michael

[Ron]

That was a great ski for you for sure Congrats and I am so impressed that you are now skiing on a 06/07 ski. This must call for a celebration. Ok, now then, details?  How much, where?

[Barrettscv]

Hi Ron,

Trying to follow the general rule concerning good deals, I don't discuss details until the ski is in hand! I don't want to put a jinks on a good deal.

Details to follow.

Michael

[Barrettscv]

Well, the Contact 11's arrived and I couldn't be more happy.

After posting the reviews of the the ski here & and at Epic, a fellow member (not sure from where) forwarded a email from a west coast Dynastar rep who was selling two dozen used-one-or-two-days 2007 model from his line. The skis were used at a dealer event, I assume.

The 178cm Contact 11 was not on the list, but I inquired and this model was indeed available, I was quickly informed. I pulled the trigger without really thinking, but I'm glad I did. This is the second time this year that participating at the forums lead to a great deal. I was offered a new-never-drilled "flat" RX8 for $200 by an forum member, it's perfect for my daughter.

My 5 ski quiver is more than anyone needs, but there is some logic behind the selection and my average cost per ski & binding is still less than $325.

My 5 ski quiver logic (madness) is as follows;

175cm Fischer WC RC; Cheater GS race-carver, Superlative on hard snow, not much fun on anything else.
178cm Dynastar Contact 11; Great hardsnow and not-to-deep-crud ski. Versatile, easy-to-use, even good in moguls.
180cm Fischer Sceneo S500; High speed hardsnow, crud & rock ski. Demanding, a little sluggish but smooth.
188cm Dynastar Inspired By Nobis; Mixed conditions deep powder, deep crud & hardpack ski. Easy-to-use and smooth.
186cm Volant Spatula; Powder only, even Shane McConkey can't use-em on hardpack!

So my Christmas gift to my wife included a promise of NO-NEW-GEAR in 2007!

Cheers,

Michael

[Gary]

Ok Real SKiers.....You all remember the Chesire Cat from ALice in Wonderland, you know that smile.

That was Michael on the Contact 11's.

Congrats Michael for stepping up to the new tech gear! You deserve it, you ski "it" and you far and foremost....enjoyed the heck out of them!

Best and a Happy New Year and  Hope You Keep Your Promise to Your Wife!

Gary

[Barrettscv]

I forgot to thank Gary & Ron and the crew at Beaver Creek!

After a great Italian dinner, we wandered into one of the better ski shops in the Beaver Creek village and I began to salivate while looking over the demo rack. All the gear displayed was 2007 models in never-seen-snow condition.

Gary came by and said "you need to ski these", while holding a pair of Contact 11. The next morning I picked up the demo skis and the rest is history.

Cheers,

Michael

[Ron]

Congrats!  You just need to get some snow under those feet now! Gary is a very bad influence on all of us. It was a great call though. I am a little worried that you are skiing on 07' gear, the next thing you will tell us you got a new jacket, pants and new layering clothes!  You know there are going to be some killer deals out there this January and Feb, I do have an eye on a nice Solomon jacket  (the white Kjus jacket isn't too popular in Steamboat).....I think it would be a wise investment. Does that constitute ski-GEAR?  I don't think so.

[Barrettscv]

I provided an enthusiastic review of the Dynastar Contact 11 in December after a full day demo at Beaver Creek Colorado, see the review section.

I worried that the one day with perfect packed-powder conditions does not really test a ski the same way that man-made snow and boilerplate ice does. Is the ski as good as I reported? A day in Vermont would provide the answer.

178cm Dynastar Contact 11

Where: Skied at Stratton on 1/28/06.

Conditions at Stratton: 6" of new natural snow fell during the prior week; the very cold weather also allowed 24 hours a day snowmaking. The mountain was machine tilled into a firm corduroy and some boilerplate ice and some moguls were found on a few runs. Blue sky, 5F at dawn, 25F at 3PM.

My specs: 5? 11", 225lbs. male, 40th season skiing, former USSA & High School 7-day-a-week competitor in New Hampshire, GS & DH specialist.

Skis used in the last 2 years: Fischer RX8 & WC RC, Volkl AC4 & Mantra, Head Monster 77 & 88, Dynastar Intuitive 74 & Inspired by Nobis, several others?

Boots: 2003 Salomon Course (red, 130 flex).

Comments:I skied my 175cm Fischer WC RC (112-66-97mm) in the morning and my Contact 11's in the afternoon. The Contact 11 was capable of the same high-edge-angle carving heroics and provided the same edge-grip as the laminate construction with race plate WC RC. However, the real world versatility of the Contact 11 is apparent even on firm snow. The ski is simply superior in every way to the much more specialized cheater GS ski.

The ski was comparable to my Fischer WC RC on the firm groomed corduroy, with massive edge-grip. Very easy turn initiation. A ski with very large sweet spot. Turn shape is very versatile, however SL turns require extra effort. I could bend the front of the ski and produce rapid slalom turns or stay slightly back at higher speeds with no punishment. I could rub my elbows on the snow at the apex of the turns and produce large edge angles on the hard groomed surface. The Contact 11 is a true race-carver with 122-72-102mm dimensions.

A few niggles. The ski normally produces GS turns and rewards speed. This was sometimes a handicap on the narrow Vermont trails. The ski was a little tricky in traffic. But when I avoided the crowds it was "yeah baby"!

Vermont skiing confirmed a few points from my Colorado review and revised others.

Confirmed: Cheater GS ski performance in a more versatile and user friendly package.

Revised: More GS than SL ski, tight turns are work in a 178cm size. Stability is no problem. Grip is superb, even in Vermont.

Cheers,

Michael

[jbotti]

It would be interesting to demo the contact 11 side by side with the new Head SS magnum, which has similar dimensions but is sandwich construction.

They both seem like wonderful skis. Thanks Michael. JB.

[Barrettscv]

It would be interesting to demo the contact 11 side by side with the new Head SS magnum, which has similar dimensions but is sandwich construction.

They both seem like wonderful skis. Thanks Michael. JB.

Hi JB,

Yes, the Head Supershape Magnum (121-71-107), Fischer Progressor (117-70-100) and Contact 11 (122-72-102) should bring true performance to this new segment. The sandwich construction of the Magnum will help the Supershape on ice but possible hurt it on crud IMO. The hybrid cap/sidewall construction of the Dynastar is very smooth in crud with plenty of grip on ice. I hope skiers see these models as the real front-side all-mountain performance segment. I'm concerned too many skiers will pick "Giant Carvers"like the Mantra as the preferred all-mountain models.

I hope in March to come out to lake Tahoe. The Contact 11's have demo bindings...

Sincerely,

Michael

[jbotti]

Michael, the only thing we need now is some snow!! Tahoe has really deteriorated over the past two weeks. They had less tha 10 inches for all of January (which may be a record).

Hopefully by March, we will have gotten hit and things will be great. JB.

[Ron]

Well, jsut to still the pot a little, What advantage does the Magnum provide over the SS? I don't see an advantage. I can ski them in pow some crud and ice, if its deeper than a foot or wet pushed, then I'm going to the 82's. I don't get it.