OK, here goes.? You should NOT buy the ski just because Jim likes his.
I buy skis pretty much the same way I buy cars ('cept I usually keep cars much longer).? I've become convinced that most people really can't tell much about a car by a test drive. They all feel pretty good because they are new and what I've been driving is 6 or 7 years old.? So I've come to trust the reviews in Motor Trend because the cars they enjoy are usually cars I enjoy.? I bought my RAV4 with a V6 because I wanted the performance and the EPA gas mileage ratings were comparable with the 4 (and it only required regular gas).? I think all (or almost all) of the other cars required premium, didn't offer a powerful engine, or were turbocharged (which requires premium).
Correlation.? Over the years, my most liked skis have been ones that Realskiers made a ski of the year, either overall or in a category AND that they praised for their versatility AND that had the green skier icon. And a couple of times one of the comments was that they helped the skier make better turns (Head iC160, Head iM78, Head SuperShape Magnum).? I also owned the Head iM77 that wasn't very highly rated and that didn't have the green skier icon and found they were not at all a good ski for me.?
So my approach now is to not listen too much to others opinions unless you have some correlation between what you like and what they like.? And that was the key for me, I feel I can trust the reviews on Realskiers and I know what the correlation keys are for me.
You should NOT buy the ski because Jim likes his. However, the fact that I really like my SuperShape Magnums (and you have the same ski and like it) and I enjoyed the Watea 84's (and you seemed to like them as well when you borrowed them at Aspen, even though they were too short) may mean there is some correlation between our skiing styles and/or our current skill levels.
I will say that the Watea 84 or the iM78 was a better ski for me when I was mostly sking groomed and venturing off-piste and into the trees part of the time.? I would not recommend the UC for that distribution.? The Ullr's Chariot made sense to me because I wanted to enjoy off-piste more 70/40? without giving up much when on groomed trails (versatility). That was the combination I was looking for, a wide ski with versatility to help me grow into new terrain.? I had found it difficult to rent a good wide ski on a powder day, but it should be easy to rent a narrow ski if the western trails are too firm.
On our last trip to colorado, the first day at Keystone was all groomed and the UC's were just ok (also my first day on skis). The second day at Breck we were 90/10 groomed but there was 4-6 inches of new snow and it snowed all day, so they were pretty good and I didn't notice the extra width. The next day at Vail there had been 14" or so the night before and we spent 80% of the day off piste, and I became an amazing skier in those conditions (all due to the skis).? The fourth day was Vail again, less time in the bowls and more time in the trees and the skis were still heroes.
So, in summary, don't listen to Jim because he's not an authoritative source.
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But RealSkiers says:
If not the most versatile ski we have ever tested, it is certainly in the top ten. This may be the elusive "universal" ski. The ski handles deep snow, crud, chop, hard snow, speed and reasonable bumps with ease; always reliable, never unpredictable or difficult to handle.
We could fill a page with positive tester comments; here are but a few:
"Very fun and can be pushed to do whatever you are willing to do."
"A truly great off piste ski that could actually be used in a GS course. Great in bumps, too."
"WOW! Amazing fun ski!"
"Yeah, Buddy! everything ski!"
"Superb on hard pack and even frozen rope slush. Incredible!"
And on and on, including the ultimate accolade: "I bought them on the spot!"
Perhaps best is simply to say that it lives up to its name.
(Ullr is the Norse god of skiing . . .)