Month: April 2010

For the 2011 Season Salomon has reintroduced the Salomon STH 14 Binding with a Driver toe piece. You can still get the STH 14 with the Z toe if you want to save some weight but if you really enjoy the older style driver toe then you should get the STH 14 Driver ski bindings. There are mixed reviews on thsi and personally I enjoy the new Z toe and the automatic adjustment wings, but there are the die hards that just enjoy the driver toe and if that is what they want they can get it for the 2011 ski season.

Also, like with all bindings some people just have issues with a certain style of binding for their skiing or ability, for me it was always the Marker Bindings up until the new Griffon and Jesters came out. I had many friends that had issues with the original Salomon 912’s however I did not. Same goes for the Z Binding, however I have found a much better rate of success with the new Z concept binding then I did with the driver toe unless I was using the 916.

Line was smart with the Prophet 100 for the 2011 season and kept it totally unchanged except for the graphic. The Line Prophet 100 was one of the best selling skis of the past 2 season and for good reason. With excellent edge hold on firm snow and great versatility in deep snow and crud the shift from the Volkl Mantra to the Line Prophet 100 was an easy one for many. If you enjoy a wider ski that will not only leave trenches on groomed but bust up the crud and ski the bumps then the Line Prophet 100 is an excellent choice for you. If you can find a good deal on the ’09 and ’10 models for a discounted price do not be afraid to jump on those deals as the 2011 ski is the same with a different cosmetic but it will be selling for $649.95. The Line Prophet 100 is wider and more versatile than the Volkl Mantra, as for flex they are pretty similar. If you want something stiffer than the Volkl Mantra and you are an East Coast skier then you should consider the Line Prophet 90 (also unchanged for the past couple of years). It is stiffer than both the Mantra and the Prophet 100 and designed more as an All-Mountain East Coast ski.

All new for the 2011 season the K2 Obsethed has a totally new design. If you enjoyed the older design with the slight rocker and the 105mm under foot then you better jump on them quickly as they will be gone soon. You can get the 2011 K2 Kung Fujas but it is just not the same as the Obsethed. For 2011 the K2 Obsethed now has full Powder Rocker and is 117mm under foot. The K2 Obsethed is now a Resort Rocker ski that will compete with the likes of the Line Sir Francis Bacon along with the Armada JJ in the 115mm range. There is powder rocker in the tip which allows for easy float in big snow and for skiing big mountain lines and then K2 put All-Mountain rocker in the tail which allows for great versatility when skiing in the trees and bumps. Would have liked to have seen a slightly larger tip and tail to make for a quicker turning ski when trying to carve on groomers but if you enjoy speed and making big turns down the fall line you will enjoy how the Obsethed skis even on groomers. As for mounting that is also the key to this ski, since the new 2011 K2 Obsethed is softer than previous versions you do not want to mount too far back as you will find yourself skiing too much off the tail which is fairly soft. +3 or +4cm is the where I found the best place to ski it was. If I was using as an AT ski with skins then I would not go less than +2.5 or +3cm. The Obsethed with its longer turning radius of 23m @ 179cm really enjoys staying on the side of the trail skiing all the junk snow you can throw its way. If you want something that has a little more beef to it and does not have as much rocker than you should look at the new 2011 K2 Kung Fujas or buy an older K2 Obsethed. Overall a very enjoyable ski in all conditions including firm hard pack, but really excelled in broken up snow and thanks to the rocker was a blast skiing bumps and trees where all you needed to do was pivot and absorb. Excellent new design thanks to Seth and one that will really change people’s mind about skiing rockered skis at resorts.

The 2011 K2 Kung Fujas is a totally new ski for next season. Last year at 95mm in the waist it made for a pretty simple pic for a one ski quiver ski, but now at 102mm’s it is even an easier go to this ski for that person looking for a one ski quiver. The K2 Obsethed had been our pic in the K2 line up for the past couple of years, however the new 2011 K2 Obsethed is 117mm in the waist and is now what we would consider powder rocker and not resort/all-terrain rocker like the 2011 K2 Kung Fujas is. The 179cm length was my pick length for skiing everywhere on the mountain. With a 19m turn radius they made a beautiful medium to longer radius turn and where they really excelled was in the tress and bumps. Skied a few bump runs with them just for fun and they loved to just absorb every mogul thanks to the combination of a rockered tip and a soft tip. When in the trees they felt like they were truly at home. Very quick edge to edge and with no lag time it truly was a delight to ski the Kung Fujas. If you are looking for a ski that really loves travelling all over the mountain and is versatile in all conditions the K2 Kung Fujas is a ski that you can not go wrong with. It is a medium flexing ski which would make a great AT ski as well. We had them mounted at about +4cm and that really is where we found the ski to ski its best.

The 2010 – 2011 K2 Hardside is one of the most versatile All Mountain AT Skis on the market. It is too stiff for most people to make a good tele ski but if you want a ski that will plow through anything the 2011 K2 Hardside ski was very impressive. It is mounted a little further back than I like most of my skis but with the extra tip in the woods it had great flotation and really you just pointed the ski where you wanted them to go and they would with ease. For how stiff they are they really were a delight in the woods and bumps. I was on the 174cm and at 185lbs could have easily done the 181cm, but for tighter turns the 174cm was an excellent choice. They always wanted to be going straight down the fall line and you rarely, even on groomers, got the skis to go completely across the hill, they had a ton of energy out of the tail and you really could accelerate through a turn. Stability was never in question at any speed so if you wanted a narrower big mountain AT ski the 2010 – 2011 K2 Hardside Skis would make an excellent choice.

What a treat it was to ski on the 2011 Icelantic Shaman Skis. My favorite part of skiing the Shaman is that you felt like you were surfing on the snow. Especially in crud and heavy snow they not only plow but just keep you on top of everything. Best way to describe the Icelantic Shaman with its 160-110-130 shape it really felt like you were surfing not skiing. Just lay back and ride the wave no matter what kind of crud, chop or powder you have. In the trees they were excellent you just kind of pointed them where you wanted them to go and they would do it. You could pivot on the tail of the ski which was a blast when you got onto groomers because you could really load up the tail in a turn and accelerate out of it with even more speed than you went into it with. If you really love the feeling of just being on top of the snow when everyone else is struggling the Icelantic Shaman is an excellent choice. As for sizing I can see why the 173cm is the pic length, however Even at 5’6″ I still really enjoyed the feel of the 184cm length. With the 160cm tip you can easily initiate a turn and if stability is what you are looking for the Icelantic Shaman Skis have an amazing ability to just stick to the snow even at higher speeds on firm conditions. Again Icelantic did an excellent job of producing a ski that will ski anywhere on the mountain with a design that is unlike anyone else.