john, just wondering, you realize these skis are designed to be drifted? I can certainly understand why you would be exhausted from trying to tip a ski like that!? Just like I woudn't use a ski like this on the groomed, very tiring and stressful on kness too!? Strike it up to different approaches but I don't get tired skiing powder on wide skis. i can effortlessly turn them on a dime when needed; cruise low angle pow with little energy as the ski can maintain enough speed and momentum as soft edge turns don't kill your speed (unless you want to, then you just need to use more edge); medium to wide turns in the open are just "stupid-easy".? Not knocking what you are doing and many of my firends prefer their 70 and 80 something ski's over fatties too but I wouldn't recommend anyone with that style of skiing to use a fat ski.
IMHO that's the wrong tool. More than likely, you don't need more than 90's-105. btw- Hey, I have been back to using heavy weighted outside ski (90/10) with slight heel lift on inside ski on groomers and crud as I have learned that is a better way for me on that kind of terrain ( but upright and not compressed) . But as it gets progressively softer and then deeper, its more like a 60/40 drift or even 55/45, with soft edges, much less effort and even tighter, faster turns with a fatter ski. no stress on my knees either.
My powder ski in MT right now is the K2 Hardside which is 98mm underfoot. So the Chariot would actually be wider. I have had some skis in the 108-115mm zone (and the Lotus 138 was well 138 underfoot). I always find that these skis require a lot of work to get them on edge and at the end of the day I feel tired from tipping them. I think there is a place (for me) for a 110mm ski as a big dump powder day ski. It's still unclear if I need this in MT where the powder is so soft and fluffy. In Tahoe with heavier snow a 110mm ski is more helpful, but everything gets skied out so fast that after the first 2 hours I long to be on a much thinner wasited ski as I am skiing bumps, chop and crud.
If the Chariot is indeed a great carver and it feels like a wonderful ski, I will buy them right there. Again it comes down to TR. If I can have a ski that floats great in fresh snow but I can also use a tight sidecut to help me turn, it could be the perfect fresh snow ski. The Howitzer has tip rocker and more of it than I like. My preference is none but 30cm is quite a bit (vs 15-20cm). I think I have a much better shot at coming home with the UC's than I do the Howitzer.
Looking forward to skiing them both!!
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