Salomon's Lumen, a bright light

Took Salomon's Q-96 Lumen skis out for a day the other week. This is an all mountain ski that is currently in the Salomon line-up. They have given the ski a face-lift for the 2014/15 ski year. The ski is now a mainly blue ski with some detailing, that kind of looks like a forest to me. It's not a bad graphic, but I have to say that I prefer the old look of the ski. Oh well.

This ski comes in four lengths, of which I took the 162cm out for a spin. It's curves are as follows: 128 tip: 95 underfoot: 114 tail. At this length the ski has a 18.4m turn radius. This is a pretty big turn radius. And exactly what I found when riding this ski. It was at it's best when I was riding it in areas where I could do large, sweeping turns. In tighter areas, that required more manoeuvrability, this ski was a bit sluggish. But as soon as I let it run, in large sweeping turns, it became a smooth ski.

I did find that the Lumen cuts through choppy snow really well. It

has a wood core that gives it stability, but also some other technologies (honeycomb tip) that make it not a super heavy ski. But this construction also makes the Lumen a power house. It cuts through chop with no chatter and without bouncing you around a lot. That was a great feeling – I felt like I could charge through anything. Fun times.

The Lumen had none of that pop that I so love at the end of a turn, but I also think that this would be too much from this ski. This ski really just isn't a ski that you expect or want to pop once you get going on it. It's a beast that holds you in good stead, but not a heavy ski.

I would recommend this ski as your 3^rd or 4^th ski – unless you are lucky skier who hits open bowls weekly. When you have a good carving ski and a good all round, all mountain ski, than this is a great addition for days when you are skiing open bowls or fresh snow. As an addition to other skis, I think you would really like this ski. I might have to see if I can add it to my wall next year...

The Goods:

-big, sweeping turns

-cuts through chop

-a power house of a ski

-good as a 3^rd or 4^th ski

-intermediate or advanced skier

The Not-So-Goods:

-sluggish in slower speeds

-hard to do short radius turns with

-not a “poppy” ski

First Nordica is a First Belle

I really can't believe how many skis I've had the opportunity to test out this year. So many of the local reps have heard that I'm writing this blog and have been super generous with skis as a result.

Recently I had the chance to take my first pair of Nordica out for a spin – grabbing the First Belle. This is an all mountain ski that Nordica considers a great ski for intermediate to advanced skiers, be it on groomers or on the looser snow. I grabbed the 162cm ski, which has the following curves: 128, 88, 112. All this on a 13.5m turn radius.

I have to say that I would agree with Nordica on their take for this ski. I quiet enjoyed the First Belle. I put the ski through its paces on some fairly hard snow, including a smattering of icy patches. The First Belle gripped the ice remarkably well. There was no wash or sliding out and I felt very in control. The ski transitioned well from turn to turn, really quiet smoothly. There was no real pop at the end of the turn like you can experience on some skis, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. While I enjoy this little pop, not everyone does. And it doesn't affect your skiing to not have it.

Not only did the First Belle preform well on ice, but it cut through looser snow really well. It didn't chatter or bounce you too much while transitioning from harder pack to looser snow. All of these traits allowed me to feel very comfortable and in control of the ski.

The features of the First Belle come together to make for a solid ski, but one that I would also describe as predictable. I am not using this term poorly, just simply saying that this ski gives you exactly what you expect and want. Which are good thing. It just didn't offer up any surprises.

Predictable is also what I would use to describe the graphics of the First Belle. Nothing too exciting, a nice mix of a few shades of blue and brown, but also pretty basic. Again, there are many out there that will appreciate the graphics of this ski and like the subtlety of the colouring.

Overall, I would say that the First Belle is a great ski if you are looking for a good all mountain ski that will preform as desired and expected. It should be a solid ski for you if you go this direction.

The Goods...

-good edging on ice

-cuts through chop well

-predictable

-intermediate-advanced ski

-all mountain

The Not-So-Goods...

-predictable

-graphics are less than exciting

-no “pop” at the end of the turn

Fun times on Fischer Koa 88's

I had the opportunity to take Fischer's Koa 88's out for a ride. These skis are currently in the Fischer lineup, but they have updated the graphics for the 2014-15 ski year. I quiet liked the new look – a nice mix of colours. Maybe slightly excessive on the pink side, but I also think it works fairly well.

These are an all mountain ski that Fischer sees as being a bit more off piste, aka choppy, not groomed runs. They come in 3 lengths, I rode the 160cm length, which has a 15m turn radius. The measurements of the ski are 128 tip, 88 underfoot, 115 tail.

I enjoyed this ski a fair bit. At first I felt that maybe it washed a bit in the tail when turning, but as I got the hang of the ski, I found the happy spot and how to make the ski work better for me. As I got the hang of the Koa 88 I found that it really popped at the end of the turn. This helped to kick you into your next turn and made the ski fun to ride.

While I found this kick in the skis fun, I also found that the Koa still transitioned well from turn to turn. There was a good flow and linking the turns was smooth.

One downfall was that I didn't feel that the ski gripped well on icier conditions. This is not too surprising when you realize that Fischer themselves see this as being a ski with a forte in the chop. So riding the Koa in the chop brings out the strength of these wonderful skis.

These are a ski that I can recommend to a more experienced skier that likes to get off the groomed track. A great consideration and something to look at for sure if you're in the market for new skis.

The Goods...

-fun

-really pops you into the next turn

-all mountain

-smooth transition from turn to turn

-good graphics

The Not-So-Goods...

-not a great grip on icy terrain

-bit of a tail wash at times

-maybe a bit too much pink on the graphic

Heads down...

The final ski brand that I tested on demo day was Head. I had the chance to test out two skis that day, but sadly, I can't say that I've saved the best for the last.

The first Head ski I rode that day was the Total Joy. The Joy line is a new series that Head is bringing out for the 2014/15 ski year. The dimensions for this ski are 133 tip, 85 underfoot, 113 tail and is considered an all mountain ski. The ski has good, basic graphics – white background with a nice blue detailing. As well, this ski comes with a binding that it well matched colour wise. Overall a good looking setup.

When I started out on this ski, I felt okay with it. As I picked up speed and started to put the ski through it's paces, I felt like the tune was off. I can't say for sure if the tune was off or if it was simply that the ski was not wonderful. I found that the Total Joy edged easily enough. It didn't take much to get the ski to carve a turn. It was also easy to transition between between big and small turns. But, I still felt like there was something off about this ski. I just felt like the ski wasn't doing exactly what I wanted and also like the ski had it's own plan for the run, and not at all what I was wanting.

Overall, I really didn't enjoy this ski. And based on the difficulties I had with it, I really can't think who I would recommended it for. I can't see a beginner having much luck on this ski and based on my results with it, I'm not sure a more advanced skier would enjoy it either.

The Goods:

-good colour and graphics

-great ski binding match

-responded easily

-all mountain

The Not-So-Goods:

-tune felt off

-ski didn't respond as excepted

-really didn't enjoy my ride on this ski

-can't recommend

The other Head ski I rode that day was the Super Joy. Another new addition to the Joy lineup for 2014/15. This ski has a darker graphic – black background with a florescent yellow detail. Again, the binding matches the ski very well. I'm not a keen on this skis colours , but it does work well enough. The dimensions for this ski are 128 tip, 75 underfoot and 108 tail. The Super Joy is considered an all mountain ski.

I have to admit to feeling about the same for this ski as I did for the Total Joy, maybe a bit worse. When I went to turn the ski it really popped around, especially at the end of the turn. I could see that this ski would be easy to overturn, which is not necessarily a good thing. I also felt like I was catching my edge or tail. Again, maybe the tune was off on the ski. But this is not a good feeling when you are testing out a ski. I actually had to pull up and drop some speed when I came to one face as I felt totally out of control, not something I felt the need to do on any other ski that day. My overall experience on this ski was not good and I was more than happy to hand it back after my testing.

As with the Total Joy, I'm not really sure who I would recommend this ski for. If the issues I had are the ski, and not the tune, than this could be a tough ski for a beginner to ride. And a more advanced skier would have a hard time with it as well. Again, really just didn't like this ski.

The Goods:

-decent colour and graphics

-great ski-binding match

-all mountain

The Not-So-Goods:

-tune felt off

-ski felt like it was overturning

-really didn't enjoy my ride on this ski

-can't recommend  

Super fast Salomon W-24

Can you believe I still have skis to talk about from my demo day? Well I do. I'm such a lucky girl to have skied so many skis that day.

I want to tell you about a Salomon ski to rode that day. It's the Salomon W-24. This is a new ski to the Salomon lineup for the 2014/15 year. This ski is listed as an All Mountain Front side ski. It has a carve rocker and a semi-twin tip on a wood core. The W-24 comes in a few lengths, I skied the 160cm ski. Its curves are 120.2 tip, 71 underfoot, and a 101 tail.

The graphics of this new ski are pretty basic – black background with just a hint of colour on the tip and tail.  Even though I love colour, the graphic somehow really work. It makes the ski look very sleek and sexy. Not a bad descriptive in my world.

I quiet enjoyed this ski – once I let it do its thing. When I first took it out, I tried to ski it slowly. Not a good idea. When moving at a slower speed I found the ski sluggish, hard to edge and turn. Needless to say I was a little unhappy. Then I stopped to considered the type of ski I was on and decided to let the ski run a bit and thus picked up some speed. When I did this the W-24 came alive! At a faster pace the ski carved wonderful turns. I simply had to put in a bit of effort and the ski carved a nicely shaped turn. It did medium sized turns with ease, as well as bigger radius turns. At these faster speeds the W-24 became very responsive. There really was not much effort needed to get the ski to make the turns I was asking of it.  Simply enjoyable and energizing.  

I only had the chance to ride the W-24 on groomers, so I'm not sure how it would react in the choppier stuff. With it's need for a faster pace it might be a tougher ski to ride in these areas.  But until I take it out again in these areas, I really can't say for sure.  And I will be taking this ski out again.  So, if you are a mainly groomer kinda girl that is looking for speed and responsiveness in a ski, than the W-24 might just be the perfect ski for you.

The Goods...

-sleek graphics

-fun, fast ski

-great turns at a fast pace

-responsive

-great on groomers

-intermediate to advanced skier who likes to go fast

The Not-So-Goods...

-sluggish at a slower speed

-not the best ski for a slower skier

K2 Magical Fun

During my demo day the K2 rep and I had some fun with ski selections. I tested three skis and fell in love with one of them. Two of the skis I tested were new to K2 – the Potion line. It's a great new line with a wide variety of skis.

The first ski I tested was the K2 Potion 84. This is a new ski for the 2014/15 ski year which K2 has classified as an All Terrain Rocker ski that is meant for all mountain and free ride skiing. The Potion 84, as with all the Potion skis, get their Potion number from the width underfoot. You guessed it, this ski is 84 underfoot. It had a tip width of 128, and a tail width of 112. I rode the 160cm length, which had a 14m turn radius.

I liked the graphics of this ski. Dark, simple colours, but the swirling adds a nice depth to the visual appeal. I think they have done a good job in designing the visuals of this new line-up.

The Potion 84 is a responsive ski, fairly easy to turn when put on edge. There were times that I felt I had to work the ski a bit to get it to bite, this was mainly on the icier sections of the hill. But I liked the turns the ski made and felt that it was a good intermediate ski. The ski flexed well and the rocker allowed the ski to react like it was shorter ski.

I didn't get to take this ski into more choppy terrain, but from what I experienced I think that it would be fun in these conditions. The Potion 84 is light weight enough that it would make some good turns in choppy snow, but has the width underfoot to allow it to float.

The Goods:

All terrain

Responsive

Intermediate ski

Good graphics

The “Not-So-Goods”:

Hard to edge on some terrain – icier areas

Not overwhelmed by the ski – maybe a bit boring

The other ski I rode in the Potion line up was the Potion 90. The ski is again listed as an all mountain ski, but also comes touring ready – for those added parts you need to tour. I rode the 163cm ski, that has a turning radius of 15m. It had measurements of 132 tip, 90 underfoot (had you already guessed that one?), 115 tail.

The graphics of this ski are much brighter than the Potion 84 – which I really liked. They have a darker background, but lots of colour on top. Green, purple, and a few shades of blue all swirled together. In the end it creates an eye-catching look.

Now that I've laid out the details of this ski, I can let you know how much I loved the Potion 90! I ended my time on this ski grinning from ear to ear. It was a super fun to ski to ride. It was responsive and turned really well. I only had to slightly edge the ski for it to react with gusto. By no means did it over-turn, it just responded really well and quickly. I rode the Potion 90 fast and it gripped the snow really well, giving me total control.

I would love to get my hands on this ski again to take it into powder and loser snow. I imagine that it's light weight and ability to react will make it very fun and versatile in these snow conditions.

The Goods:

I loved this ski!

All terrain – it would be super fun in the choppier terrain

Responsive and agile

Intermediate/advanced ski that will have you smiling

Great graphics and colours

The “Not-So-Goods”:

huuummmmm, can't really think of one...

The final K2 ski I had the luck to ride on demo day was the K2 Remedy 102. This is a ski in the current K2 line-up that has received some tweaks for the 2014/15 ski year. One of note is the tapered tip that still allows for float, but also allows the ski to cut nicely through deeper snow and chop. They have also changed the graphics for this year. The ski is now mainly a green colour with some blue on a darker background. Not sure that I love the new colouring, but there are more important things to a ski than colour, right?

I skied a long ski (170cm), but it is available in a size that I would be better suited for (163cm). At the 163cm length the ski has a turning radius of 16m. The Remedy has the following dimensions: 131 tip, 102 underfoot, 125 tail.

I found the Remedy to be a large ski, good for big sweeping turns – remember that it has a 16m turn radius. While the Remedy was great for big turns, it took some work to do shorter radius turns. Not surprising when you consider the turn radius and the length of ski I was riding. I also found that when I tried to power the Remedy 102, I didn't get a great ride on the ski, physically draining and unresponsive. As soon as I relaxed and let the ski do the work I found it much more fun and it carved enjoyable turns.

I think that this would be an enjoyable ski to get into an open bowl, but sadly I only tested it on groomers. This ski is considered an all terrain ski, but I think that it's strength lies in deeper snow and chop.

The Goods:

All terrain

Tapered tip update

deep snow and chop

good for big sweeping turns

The “Not-So-Goods”:

Not in love with the new graphics

sluggish at quicker turns

Rocking it on Rossignol

Another ski brand that I had the chance to test the other week during my demo day was Rossignol. I found two skis that I think some might enjoy.

The first ski I want to tell you about is the Rossignol Temptation 88. This ski was in my top three from the day. Let me give you the specifics before I get into what I loved. I skied a long ski, 170cm, and still had a great ride. The dimensions of this ski are 135 tip, 88 underfoot, and 124 tail. Take a look at my blog on these numbers if you need a refresher on what they mean.

The Temptation 88 is a current ski in the Rossi lineup that they have slightly updated the look of for the 2014/15 ski year. It still has a black background with a beige graphic. So super basic, but it works. Especially when you consider how well this ski performs. The biggest update is the addition of Air Tip. This is a technology that uses hexagonal hollow pockets in the tip of the ski that reduces weight without compromising strength. The bonus of this is that it helps lighten the swing weight of the ski; very helpful in trees or tight turn situations.

What I loved about this ski... pretty much everything. It was a super responsive ski. It was easy to ski, but far from being boring. It had a lot of pep, so that when I went to turn it it really popped. All this while I was skiing a long ski. The longer the ski the harder it can be to get it to respond, and I found it responsive at the long length. So I can imagine how much better the ski would be in a size I would more likely buy, (162cm).

I would really like to get this ski out into choppier terrain, because as I mentioned, I only skied groomers the day of the demo. While I think this ski has strength in groomers, it's always fun to get a ski onto variable terrain where it belongs to push its limits.

So, if you are an intermediate to advanced skier, and looking for a ski that's great on groomers, but can be taken off into choppier terrain, consider this ski. The Temptation 88 is a great option that you'll have lots of fun on.

The Goods:
Responsive
Easy to ski - yeah for saving the legs for lots of runs
Light weight
Fun on groomers - a good groomer day can be so fun
Simple Graphics
Good ski to grow into ability wise

The "Not-So-Goods":
Stronger skiers should only apply
Simple graphics - I'm a girl that likes a little colour

The other Rossignol ski that I had the chance to ride on demo day was the new Saffron 7. This is a ski that was added to the Rossi line up for the 2013/14 ski season. While it's a newer ski, they have still updated the look for the 2014/15 season, and for the better in my opinion. I really like the new colouring with pink details. But it's not an overpowering amount of colour, just enough to make the ski visually enjoyable. This ski also gets the Air Tip treatment for 2014/15 model.  Bonus.

I had the chance to ski the 162 cm length ski, that had the dimensions of 128 tip, 98 underfoot, 118 tail. The Saffron 7 was a good, solid ski. It made good turns that were very smooth. I found the ski to be responsive and it edged well when I went to make my turns. I have to admit I wasn't overwhelmed by this ski, but that can also be a really good thing for some. I think the word that comes to mind is predictable. What I mean by this is that the ski did exactly what I asked of it. I knew what it was going to give me and it didn't surprise me. Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing. This quality in a ski can make it the perfect ski for many and I can see that there are many that will love this ski. I can even think of a friend that I would recommend this ski for. I think she would fully love it.

So if you are an intermediate/ advanced skier looking for a solid all mountain ski, give the Saffron 7 a test drive. It could be exactly the ski for you that will allow you to make great turns, while building your technique.

The Goods: 
Predictable - this is good and bad all at the same time.                                            
Easy to turn                                                

All mountain

Intermediate/ advanced ski

Graphics

The "Not-So-Goods":

Predictable   

I just didn't love this ski...

Atomic Affection

We got out for a little demo action this week. Best part, many of the skis were the 2014/15 models! I got to try out a number of skis and look forward to giving you my insights into them.

One of the skis that I had the chance to ride and loved was the Atomic Affinity Pure. What a great ski! First a few of the specifics – I rode the 154cm ski, with the dimensions of 122 tip, 79 underfoot, and 101 tail. While this ski is in the Atomic lineup currently, they have updated the graphics of the ski for the 2014/15 ski year. I really enjoy the new colouring and details. I like the multiple colours, they were bright without being overwhelming.

This ski was great in so many ways. The first word the comes to mind in describing this ski as that it was “fun”. I fully enjoyed riding this ski. It was super responsive, I only had to put minimal effort into the turn to have it quickly respond and carve a wonderful turn. I was skiing mainly groomers that day and the ski held its edge really well on all snow - corduroy, ice, hard pack. I never hesitated for a moment on this ski. A great endorsement.

While I didn't have the chance to take the ski into choppier snow, I would have loved the opportunity to see how it responded. But based on its light weight and it's overall abilities I'm sure it would stand up well.

I would fully recommend this ski to anyone looking for a good all mountain ski. The Pure is a ski that could easily be skied by an intermediate skier, but an advanced skier would also enjoy it. Check it out for sure if you are looking for something new at the start of next season.

I also took the Atomic Elysian out for a spin even if the conditions were not optimal for this ski. The details: 159cm length; 126tip, 95 underfoot, 115 tail. The graphics are good, colourful with all the basic colours to make it work well with most bindings, boots, jackets, etc.

The Elysian was a light weight ski that handled well considering the snow conditions – as I said I was on groomers that day. This ski is really meant to be skied in more fluffier areas. The Elysian handled well on the run considering where its strength lie - powder. It was responsive if I took it for long wide turns, allowing the ski to do nice gentle turns. The Elysian has a turn radius of 17.1m, so its meant to do nice sweeping turns. I would love to get this ski out into a wide open bowl or onto a run with fresh powder. I can only imagine how much fun this ski would be when taken into its optimal terrain. Something I plan to do if Mother Nature agrees and I can get my hands on this ski again.

You should consider this ski if you already have a good all mountain ski and are looking to add a all-mountain powder ski to your options. It would be a very fun ski to have as an option.

This ski “Lines" up

I recently had the chance to take the Line Soulmate 98 out for a day. And what a great day I had! Some details on the ski, before I go into all the things I loved about this ski. I skied the 158cm length, which has the dimensions of 132 tip, 98 underfoot and 123 tail. The ones I road had a demo binding on them, which means that the binding can be adjusted easily, but this also adds weight to the ski. Even with this binding I found the ski to be fairly light.

As always, I need to hit on the graphics. Again, another part of this ski that I loved. Very geometric, but with lots of great colours. This means you can have a good looking ensemble, without looking like Rainbow Brite.

So with those details out of the way, let me tell you what I loved about skiing the Soulmate. And that was pretty much everything. We had had a fair bit of snow a few days before we headed out, so there was lots of different snow to play in. I took these skis onto the more groomed runs, I didn't find any corduroy, but still found some well groomed areas. These skis were great in these areas. I had no problem getting them to carve some great turns. They were easy to turn, very responsive and I felt very in control. All great feelings. I would love to take these skis onto more groomed terrain to see everything I could do with them.

I also played a lot in the remains of the previous days snow. No real fresh to be found, but there were small pockets and lots of looser snow. I have to admit that I spent most of my day here. And these skis were wonderful! Again, they were super responsive and easy to turn. The light weight of these skis was evident in making quick turns in the bumps and chop. At one point I had to do some fancy skiing to avoid a huge rock. I was able to miss the rock while maintaining control of the ski, and this was defiantly related to the weight of the ski. The Soulmate cut through the snow really well and made skiing looser snow a lot of fun. I can't say enough good things about these skis in this terrain.

I would give this ski a strong recommendation to an intermediate to advanced skier that is looking for a good all mountain ski. I really enjoyed this ski and would be happy to ski it on a regular basis.   

What do all those numbers on skis mean?

If anyone has been looking at new skis they will see that there are many numbers on a ski.  Anyone remember when the only number we were really concerned with was the length?  Now with all the different skis out there, there are many more numbers to consider.  I will attempt to break these numbers down for you, let you know what they mean, and why you might care about them.

First off, lets tackle length.  The length is exactly what it seems to be, how long the ski is. This number is given in centimetres (cm).  The length of ski you buy will be determined by a combination of factors.  A quick rule of thumb is to buy a ski where the tip is between your nose and eyebrow.  The first factor in ski length is your ability.  If you are just starting out, you will want a ski on the short side for your height. This will allow you to turn the ski more easily. More advanced skiers will tend to ski longer lengths. Your weight might also come into play.  If you're light for your height, you might tend to go with a shorter ski or vice versa if you are heavier for your height.  If you are a slower skier, you might prefer a shorter ski as it will allow you to turn well at a slower speed.  If you want to move at a faster pace, then a longer ski is a better idea.  All of these factors work together in determining the length of ski you will ride.

Now lets focus on the number underfoot.  When looking at skis, this will be the middle number, and is what it seems, how wide the ski is under your foot or where the bindings attach.  An example is 132-98-123. The 98 means that the ski is 98mm wide under your foot.  This number affects two things, how much “float” a ski will have and it plays into the turning ability of the ski.  What I mean by “float” is that the larger the number, the more the ski will “float” through snow.  So if you are looking for a straight powder ski, you are going to want a ski with a larger measurement underfoot. We are talking a number around 115mm.  But if you are looking for a ski that is more all mountain, that allows you to do a bit of everything, you want a ski with a more middle of the road width underfoot.  In this range we are talking 80 - 102mm.  This width underfoot will allow you to carve great turns on more groomed runs, but also have some float in the more lose snow.  

As I said, the width underfoot also affects the skis ability to turn or turn radius.  The area underfoot works with the tip and tail numbers to determine the turn radius.  In my example (132-98-123), the tip would be 132mm wide, while the tail is 123mm wide.  Taking the relationship between these two and factoring in the area underfoot, the turn radius can be determined. (Message me if you want details.) But you should never have to figure this out for yourself, most skis will come with this number.  In my example the turn radius of the ski is 15m.  That means it takes 15m to complete a turn on the ski.  The smaller the turn radius the quicker the ski will turn, the bigger the turn radius the longer it will take you to complete a turn. 

So there you have it.  A brief, and hopefully helpful, break down of the numbers found on skis these days. There are obviously other factors to consider when selecting a ski, but a pro at your local shop will surely be able to help and now you can go in with some knowledge of your own.        

New ski year, new blog

Welcome!  With the start of the ski year, it seemed like the perfect time to start blogging about all things skiing.  We had our first day out yesterday, with the help of my mum to watch the little guy.  The sky was bluebird and the snow was amazing for the start of the season.  It was a little bony, with rocks to be found in many locations, just below the surface.  But if you picked your line, you could really let the skis fly.

I was riding my K2 Misbehaved  - twin tip, 133 tip, 102 underfoot, and 127 tail.  I have a sweet Marker Squire 11 binding on them.  A very sharp setup thanks to my wonderful husband.  Maybe not the best ski choice for the start of the year and a lack of fluff, but I do love these skis.  Even on a groomer I can make these skis react.  While they are wide underfoot, I find that they are still really responsive.  So these skis give me the chance to really play on the groomers, but then pop over into the chop and see how rusty my skills are.   While small, I am a powerful skier, but still don't have a lot of weight to put behind these skis.  But even with that, I find that I only have to put a bit of effort in and they will react very quickly.  It's been awhile since I've played with these skis in the powder, having to take last year off to have a baby, but I loved them last time.  I will post more on the wonders of these skis and powder on the first dump that we get.  

I think this ski is a great choice for someone who likes to have a poppy ski, but one that covers a wide variety of terrain.  I would fully recommend this ski to an intermediate to advanced skier, who is looking for a good all round ski, but aiming towards something a little wider underfoot.