ski gear trends for this season

I attended the MDV (Marker, Dalbello, and Volkl) pro rep meeting yesterday at their HQ in NH.

A couple trends to share with you guys

in Boots / bindings you will see and hear more and more about something called Grip Walk.  Its a different sole than the current Din standard on boots that was created by Marker 3 years ago but it has had every year more and more of their competitors sign on so that now it has every major boot and binding brand on board.  This will eventually replace the current din standard for alpine and AT boot soles within a couple years with the exception of the race market.  Its a much easier to walk in boot sole and many boots are now going to come with the option to have a regular din sole or a GW sole on them.  In Marker if your bindings say Sole ID on them purchased new in the last 2 seasons - they will work with din, GW or AT soles.  They even come with a vibram sole option for AT boots like the Lupo if you are doing a lot of hiking in them.

Narrower widths and less rocker are a thing.  The overwhelming feedback from shops is that wider and more rocker is not selling as well even out west.  The winters with less snow lead to more skiing on groomers and doing that on a 100mm+ barrel stave is just not a winner.  All ski makers are put a lot of work into narrower widths in the 70's in many cases.  This will be a good thing for eastern skiing for sure.  Even classic wider skis like the Mantra went on a diet and is now 95mm width down from 100mm in its new version.  The Mantra used to have rocker underfoot but now has camber and this you will also see in many other mfr offerings as well.  Camber just skis better in everything but deep pow so its a no brainer from my perspective.  Volkl dropped many models from its lineup above 110mm.  

Is there any talk about skis for recreational juniors at meetings like that?  For instance, there was a mom on TheSkiDiva asking for ski advice for her 8yo daughter who is tall enough for 130 or even 140 lengths, but only weighs 70 lbs, and is skiing blacks and double-blacks in Colorado.  No interest in racing for the foreseeable future.

Look at the Mantra Jr
My son loved his at that age

Z wrote

Narrower widths and less rocker are a thing.  The overwhelming feedback from shops is that wider and more rocker is not selling as well even out west.  The winters with less snow lead to more skiing on groomers and doing that on a 100mm+ barrel stave is just not a winner.  All ski makers are put a lot of work into narrower widths in the 70's in many cases.  This will be a good thing for eastern skiing for sure.  

This is good news as my 20 year old Stockli all mountain skis are now in fashion!

Cunningstunts wrote

This is good news as my 20 year old Stockli all mountain skis are now in fashion!

 huge fan of Stockli.  The stormrider XL - 78 under foot was best east coast condition ski I ever was on.
 The blue snake skin top sheet with stockli in red over a white background.

I also had the stormrider dp scott schimdt model. Thing was a beast and stable at speed.  Crushed crud and smashed spring slush.  

Yeah they make some nice skis.

It's just funny to see this coming full circle as I knew it would.  What was new 20 years ago will be new today!

Hopefully they’ll make stormriders in the 80s width.  

Z wrote

Look at the Mantra Jr
My son loved his at that age

Thanks.  Passed on the info.

The way of thinking on the narrower skis is buy skis for the snow you actually ski on not the snow you wish you were skiing on especially if you only have one pair.  

That and the growing evidence that skis wider than low to mid 80's mm are really really bad for our aging body parts particularly the knee and this is something that is here to stay.  

I'll be on a Deacon 74 this season.  I'll keep my 90Eights for Pow days and spring corn and crud and RTM 84.  Going to sell my Kendo's I think as much as I like them you only can ski on so many pair.
So my quiver will be 74, 84, 98 widths and all firm snow days will be on the Deacon 74's.

Of course that philosophy works.  It always has.

But it's also damn good for the ski companies if they can convince the average skier to have more than one pair of skis.

For lift served, it's 99.9% groomers in this part of the world, so I'll definitely stay on my 72mm waisted skis as I have been for years.  Never bought into the fat skis do-it-all phenomena.

Would like some mid-80s for all other ungroomed conditions.  Not willing to spend the money for anything new though for the amount they actually get used.

Thanks for the update, Z. I find those insights fascinating both as a skier and a sales guy. I also feel somewhat validated in that the really wide skis never appealed to me. I felt like I ought to be on a ski that was suited for the conditions I see most frequently. Thus I was on the fence through that entire period (on Salomon Xscreams) and didn’t pop on new skis until I fell in love with a pair of Blizzard Latigos two years ago- 78 underfoot I think.

Z wrote

 
So my quiver will be 74, 84, 98 widths and all firm snow days will be on the Deacon 74's.

Mine is close to this

84 Nordica Pro ---- still my fav ski ever
Rossi 98 ---- easy ski
Nordica Patron is 113 for the rare POW dayz

The pendulum swings back. Not a big surprise and also good for business.

No matter how hard I try to do something else, I ski on one ski all season.  Last year I tried to bring in a more traditional ski (normal camber, no rocker) and I couldn't ski it. I kept hooking my tips. I've gotten used to rocker and find I can't easily switch to a ski without it.

If you ski 100 days a year in the east, you are going to ski some firm snow. Last season, I chose my (35) days carefully (only skied 4 days in Feb) and only had one day that was really firm. That day I skied two runs and done.

The days I remember, that I will remember forever, were two big pow days that would have sucked (for me) on 75mm skis. When I look back I remember the season as great. In large part because I had the right gear to capitalize on fantastic conditions on a handful of days.  And I skied my best ever this year at 59. More forward and down the fall line.

Until I my legs or knees start to hurt, or I stop having fun, I'm going to ski the skis I got.

I guess the marketing term is "frontside" ski now. :D I know this because I've been looking at something smaller that's more appropriate foe ripping around on the HP from the chair.

I'll always have to have a really playful ski that's around 110 under the foot but I want something that's 88-90 utf now with a more aggressive shape for railing corners with, I think it's "frontside" with the right amount of "all-mountain". I probably won't take it on all of the mountain so maybe it's more like "some of the mountain". We get a lot of long dry periods out here too most seasons and the fat, one ski quiver isn't that sweet.

The 110 ski in deep snow is just ridiculous though. I love the center mount with the rockered tip and tail, a back country freestyle ski is what I hear the kids calling it sometimes. That thing where you're going 40 through stands of steep trees and able to turn em on a dime, glide sideways for 40 feet and then instantly snap em right back into a crazy tight corner is insane. When I first was getting used to that sort of ski I was scaring myself regularly but every time I thought I was done for they would pull me right out of the mess like it was no big deal. That shit is totally addicting.

I'm also going to have to get a dedicated, light weight touring set up. Touring for 8 hours straight with heavy gear and Marker Dukes sucks.

Mogul skis. I really want a serious mogul ski.

I saw those soles on the ski boots in Ski magazine today that I think you mentioned Z. Seems like a good idea.

I can't wait to be done with school! If you can tell I'm using my daydreams of expensive toys and adventurous travels motivate my studies! I'm already planning vacations with my daughter for 2020.

ScottyJack wrote

Cunningstunts wrote

This is good news as my 20 year old Stockli all mountain skis are now in fashion!

 huge fan of Stockli.  The stormrider XL - 78 under foot was best east coast condition ski I ever was on.
 The blue snake skin top sheet with stockli in red over a white background.

I also had the stormrider dp scott schimdt model. Thing was a beast and stable at speed.  Crushed crud and smashed spring slush.

Stokli is definitely more of a racer influenced ski. I'm not a huge fan of stiff skis for powder/free ride. It's too unpredictable and that harsh vibrating sensation runs straight up my leg rattles my femoral nerve. I'm kind of wimpy like that. :D

I concur. The stormrider sunk like heat seeking missiles in da pow.  Which is why I didnt offer any comment whatsoever regarding their performamce in da pow.  However they were steallar for 85% of conditions on the WF.

For da pow I’ve been on Kastle 105s the last couple years.  Awesome stick.  It’s the lighter model so I tour on it.  Mounted the friticshi tectons last season.  Def a bump up from the vipecs.  Marker dukes?  Yikes.  They are like cement blocks on your feet!  Kinda must be like the fritschi free ride model.  I used them till the patent protection ran out for dynfit and fritschi was able to build real touring bindings.  The tectons are my only binding.  They are bomber on lift serve too.  

It is so funny to see the "trends". I usually ski on a beer league GS ski. If there is a hint of snow or the trees are an option, I use a Nordica Fire Arrow Pro 80. The Fire Arrow pretty much handles anything. If there is deep snow or soft spring mush I will use a Nordica Vagabond 107. For Ice Coast, narrower is best.

Cunningstunts wrote

Would like some mid-80s for all other ungroomed conditions.  Not willing to spend the money for anything new though for the amount they actually get used.

Check out the RTM84 I have listed on the for sale section
Just dropped the price to 250
I have the same pair but newer as I really like that ski

I’m also selling my Kendos which are 90 under foot.  I like them a lot but I want to get down to 3 pair and need money to pay for my sons skis
Becuase I have 5 pair my skis don’t see a ton of days on them
Listing will be up shortly

Thems real good deals Z!

Z wrote

Look at the Mantra Jr
My son loved his at that age

The Ski Diva bought a pair of Mantra Jr's from last year for her daughter.  Mother appreciated the recommendation. :-)