I bought some new skis this year, a set of 2011 Atomic Blackeye Ti’s in the sales. I’ve only had a week on them so far and primarily bought them on the basis of all the reviews.
My prior faves were the Dynastar Sultan 80 / 85s mentioned above. The Sultan’s are a great all round ski for what you describe, and I’m not convinced the Blackeye’s are any better apart from off piste. The nomad’s are a bit heavier, but they are more stable off the piste and when it gets “chattery” in the crud.
You really need to do less than 70% on-piste for these type of ski’s to make sense as they are quite a compromise over a full on carver.
I swapped ski’s with an instructor for some piste work. He was using Tiger Sharks, which granted area pure carving piste ski, but the atomics just felt dead in comparison.
By his own admission the Sharks were very well prepped, and they were by far the best pair of Ski’s I’ve ridden. The edge grip was incredible.
I’m still happy with the Atomics however as they let you cover most of the bases (for me at Level 5 ish) on a single ski. They are a compromise though; so if you’re spending your own cash on a pair be true to how much off-piste you do, and think about hiring on the days you want something a bit wider / longer.
The Fischer Wateas are also worth a look at the same price as the Dynastars, Atomics etc, though I’ve never found a Fischer I’ve liked (in fairness I’ve only tried a couple).
Edukator – do you know any reputable shops in the Midlands, London or Leeds for a full service? :)
