Message #12153

[jim-ratliff]

  Wellll, lets take the issues one by one.

- Gandalf

- HSS did have a guy show up December '09 Blue/Dark Blue camp with really wide skis.? After the on-snow evaluation session, which is where they first saw the skis he brought, they carefully explained to him that they were unable to effectively teach him on equipment that might be fine for free skiing but wasn't conducive to what they were teaching.? They offered to loan him a pair of appropriate skis.? I don't know what the resolution was, but he was VERY hesitant about the taste of the Kool-Aid.? I admired Diana for sticking to their guns.

- Keeping the Supershape Magnums for east coast skiing and/or attending Harb or other camps (but trying to avoid schlepping two pair around all the time).? "Schlepping" now there's a word from the past.

- My knees have never bothered me with the 84's, but I've also pretty much avoided using them on even semi-hard slopes (never around here).? But I also have pretty neutral alignment, maybe that is part of it.? I seem to remember there were a couple of days when my ankles were tired.? Interestingly, skiing together there have been days when Lynn's knees were bothering her and we were both on 84mm waisted skis.? But then, she's a girl.? ?

- I KNOW that even on narrower skis I don't generate the angles or edging that Jbotti or Gary (or Phil or Ron) do, so I'm not too worried about maintaining what I can't do.? However, the small turning radius might allow me to do the same turns I do now with lesser edge angles (the 84's TR is 18).

- I just want them for general skiing out west, but that is becoming more and more soft snow and tree centric.? And, I beleive its easier to rent a "standard rental" ski for a western ice day than to get a good powder ski on an epic day.? I had many more days last year when I wished for more width than I did days where I regretted the width of the Watea's because the snow was too firm.

- Peter has enough on-snow time with them (1 day) that's he already decided to buy a pair to go along with his Contact 4x4's.? Of course, I'm not the skier that Peter is either, but this is about as positive as I've heard him review a ski, and I've had pretty good luck sticking to skis that have his green icon ((i'm not the blue or black skier by his system).? And I regretted buying the iM77 Chip merely because the iM75 chip that Gary had was so good.? Peters's reviews were right on there as well, and the non-chip was a better ski.