Any skiers on here?

In past have used snow heads website forum but it looks a little quiet these days?

I am heavyweight six foot skier, pretty decent level – can go down most pistes and dabble off piste and through the rocks and trees.  Currently ski with heavyweight Volkl AC30s 177 and 184 – these are super stiff skis and i like them for stability and speed.

Thinking of treating myself to new set of something but there is a huge set of options out there.

Thinking Volkl Mantras, or Atomic Vantage 90 ti, Atomic 95 Maverick Ti.

Thoughts welcome

Nordica Enforcer is an awesome ski, they do it in a few different widths but I have the 100mm version and it rips.

Head Kore might complement what you’ve already got. Choose the width to suit your weight and how much time you intend to spend off piste. They’re light but don’t flap around and hang on like a GS ski, well sort of. Junior has a pair, I’m a bit light for them but found them equally good at speed on empty pistes and off piste in anything from powder to churned up clag.

https://www.head.com/en_GB/sports/ski/kore

there is a huge set of options out there.

All mountain is a massive category, isn’t it? What’s the score with demos wherever you are? Seems a good way to try some outliers and narrow the options.

My ‘all mountain’ skis currently are Black Crows Captis, 184. Might be very different from what you are looking at, as I specifically didn’t want ‘metal’ skis and fancied something more at the park end of all mountain. They are great by the way, but I guess alongside other skis in the list like Mantras, it goes to show how big the category is.

Or just get some Line Sakanas and let me know how it goes 😉

I went from Icelantic Nomads – which were awesome – to Lib Tech UFO 105s last year. Both great skis but the Lib Techs just about shade it being better at high speed and better for fast compression turning on moguls, as well as great through deep snow and generally off piste. The magnetraction edges sound like a gimmick but really work well on hard or icy slopes, which typically All-Mountain skis are not so great on and my Nomads particularly didn’t like.
If you like to go everywhere I wouldn’t go narrower than about 100mm waist. These days fatter skis will work fine on groomed runs and you’ll be glad of it when you venture away from the pistes.

My go to many years ago were Dynastar Verticals. I suspect they would be laughed at now (“call those skis grandad”, etc.).

I still lust after Rossi Bandits circa 2006. Bloke near me has a double garage stuffed full of old skis he sells for making furniture, fences etc. Must be 2000 pairs in there, all the old classics.

I ski on the female version of the Nordica enforcer and it is a very capable ski for all terrain and most conditions (mine is 93 I think under foot so the middle variant). It most definitely would not suit a beginner but if you are a bit heavier/stronger/experienced then it is great.
Elan ripstick is something to consider too, its a bit softer than the enforcer. For powder delight I tried rossignol sky 7 – they were ridiculously good in soft stuff to the point where I thought I was Candide’s older sister. Awful on piste, especially in hard conditions.
I love the look of black crows and a friend has just bought a pair, she’s very happy.
My other half skis Blizzard Brahmas – he’s getting on well with them (they are a bit less stiff than his previous nordica NRGY).
So many to choose from ….so little time to ski

Funnily enough have just sold my set of Rossi Bandits from 2004 – great skiis but too narrow for my weight now in the soft

Nice

Snowheads still very active.

Take your pick: https://www.fall-line.co.uk/mens-2023-all-mountain-skis/

I still use Rossi bandits as my only skis but I’m looking to get on to something very on-piste only oriented. I’ve tried a few rental options without really finding the right thing but I’m forcing the issue this season by leaving them at home.

https://blisterreview.com/winter-buyers-guide

Use this as your bible!

From what you say about heavy/powerful ski preference, I guess Blizzard Bonafide vs Volkl Mantra is your obvious choice.

I’m a massive fan of Blister reviews in general though, really worth looking at/listening to.

Some of those reviews are so radically different to the ones in Ski Chrono that it makes me doubt whether their methods allow the best comparisons. Skiing a pair of skis over several days is not as useful as hopping from one pair to another on the same day in the same conditions IMO. Ski Chrono do just that with a team of guides and instructors. Anyhow, the reviews of the skis I own seem somewhat wide of the mark whereas the Ski Chrono ones seem to be talking about the skis I own. It’s also useful to know which instuctors liked which skis because weight and type of skier are important factors.

I have some Völkl Mantra M5s that I telemark on. They were replacements for some Scott The Skis that I partially pulled the edge on just underfoot.

The Mantras certainly are a step up from the The Skis, which were also a great ski. They cleave the snow, but also reward an assertive approach.

I need to get the Scott’s fixed by someone who knows what they are doing.

Thanks all , very helpful.   So I think I’m down to choice of four, blizzard bonafide, volkl mantra, Nordica enforcer, atomic mavericks, all about 95 underfoot.

Andy B , I skied my bandits for about 12 years and thought they were great, but skis have come on a long way.  Remember getting hire skis for a powder day and difference was huge.   The volk ac30 unlimited skis I have are absolute thugs of skis at speed and will demolish crud and are brilliant on the hard.   But in twistier and softer snow not so great .   Got a pair of atomic vantage 90 ti 184 in the spring snow at glen Coe and honestly felt I could ski anywhere in the soft.  Went down the flypaper for first time on them they were so great off the beaten track

95 is skinny if you like proper off piste skiing. I wouldn’t personally buy any of those factory built skis due to poor quality of edges and base material on many of them. Lots of smaller companies out there (particularly in the US) that make some amazing and much higher quality skis, plus nice to have something a bit different.

Thanks all pair of atomic 95 ti Mavericks purchased