2011 Salomon Sentinel Skis AKA: Volkl Mantra Killer

Salomon for 2011 has come out with a ski called the Salomon Sentinel. With dimensions of 129-95-121 the Salomon Sentinel is a quicker turning ski than that of the Volkl Mantra and with a Bamboo layer and 300mm of Rocker the Sentinel is a livelier more energetic ski than that of the Mantra. Also, with a squared tail it is even easier to use this ski as a backcountry or slackcountry ski with skins. This ski not only has a sandwich sidewall construction but they also put wider edges with edge reinforcement which is an upgrade that the Volkl Mantra needs to be skied in places like Taos and Mammoth where the rocks will just tear out edges in one hard turn. Salomon really did some great research in making this ski and I feel it has been years since they have had some focus with their ski line up, but this year they are getting more focused and with an all new AT/BC/Alpine Boot series out Salomon is really going for the Freeride market again and that hasn’t happened since the Spaceframe 1080 and the Pocket Rocket. If you want an extremely stable ski that will play in bumps and trees and deep snow but you want to pay less money then even better the Sentinel Skis are going to sell for even less money than the Mantra.

2011 Icelantic Keeper Ski Review

The 2011 Icelantic Keeper Skis is a brand new ski from Icelantic and at 119mm in the waist it is their widest waisted ski in the line up. The Icelantic Keeper was a more versatile ski than I thought it was going to be. It is geared more towards powder days but thanks to a tight turn radius they will ski very well on groomed slopes as well. They want to stay charging down the fall line and are great for skiing the side of the trail hard. Like all Icelantic skis the Keeper has no problem keeping an edge on firm snow and at high speeds. If you want a versatile powder ski the Icelantic Keeper would be a great choice for you. They do ski short so do not size down in this ski you will want all the length that you feel comfortable with.

2011 Icelantic Nomad Ski Review

Had a wonderful time trying out the 2011 Icelantic Nomad Skis this weekend. Conditions were packed powder/firm in many places but it did not matter for the Nomad it would go anywhere on the mountain that you wanted to take it and with a lot of power to boot. With an 18m turn radius the Icelantic Nomad skis loved skiing straight down the fall line and high speeds. When pushed up snow was in the way it did not matter they would just absorb the bump and keep on carving down the face. Extremely good edge hold for a ski at 105mm’s in the waist and the the lack of weight does not affect the rigidity of the ski, even the Nomad Soft would hold at higher speeds with no problem at all. If you were thinking of getting a Volkl Gotama or a K2 obsethed and you are looking for a lighter weight sidewall ski that is handmade in Colorado then I would highly recommend that you look a little more into the Icelantic Nomad Skis. At 190lbs the 181cm was the perfect length. They seem to feel shorter than they actually are which is a great thing when they get into powder conditions. If you are looking for an ultimate one ski quiver or a versatile Alpine Touring/Slack Country Ski the Icelantic Nomad is a top choice for sure.

2010 vs 2011 Line Celebrity Skis

In 2010 Line went to a metal matrix in the Line Celebrity 90 skis for hard charging women that wanted some beef underfoot much like like that of the Volkl Aura. However for the 2011 season Line has decided to change things up with a new ski called the Line Celebrity 100 which has the metal matrix in it. This will be where hard charging women who want a one ski quiver ski will want to go. For lighter weight women are women that are looking for a softer flexing ski the Line Celebrity 90 for 2011 will not have any metal in it, so if you are looking for the Celebrity 90 with metal you should be buying the 2010 version before they are gone for good. This is one of the best selling women’s all mountain skis on the market and a favorite among ski shops that know what they are talking about.