hey everyone need some advice on a ski purchase

[DrSKi22]

hey everyone im looking to get some new skis. i guess you can say that im a aspiring expert and looking for a ski that can take me there. i went to my local shop and the ones that they recommend:

 

1.dynastar legend 4800

2.k2 apache recon

 

i guess i want to know if anyone heard good or bad stuff about these skis or skied these b4. and just any feedback would be great.

 

also i went to langs and langhorne ski shop both pretty close to my house and both skis are in the 700 range with bindings. so if anyone got skis offline b4 and can tell me about a site with better deals it would b great. oh yea the k2's are on sale till sunday after that they go to like 1000 and thats too much for me. so i need to make a decision quick if everyone thinks that they r the way to go..

 

thanks for your help!!!

 

Eric

[Papasteeze]

Hang tight, I forwarded your message, you should have an answer tomorrow from our resident expert..

[skidude]

Ebay is a pretty good place to get skis, if you know what you want. The main problem with ebay, is if you have problems, its more complicated than with a store.

 

I know a lot of people who don't seem to like dynistars that much, but most people on K2 like them. If you don't have time to go out and demo (which would be the ideal thing to do) then you could try the K2 ones. Any all mountain expert ski would be good for you probably.

[skigurl]

hated dynastars as a free ski, trying the race model out this year, but i have ALWAYS loved any K2 that i was on, a great ski, from begginer to expert

[skidude]

I tried a pair out at hood this summer (GS race skis)...I think...

 

Don't really remember them, so nothing too specail in that ski for me.

[Ski]

The K2's nice, but Ski Mag reviews had one comment that made me leary: "Not especially comfortable at high speeds." Not ski at high speed?

 

Maybe that's the fairly wide waist?

 

A friend of mine skis and loves a similar ski, with a narrower waist and slightly narrower tail...the Volkl Supersport 6 Star.

 

They are running about $150 cheaper (they come with the integrated Motion binding) than the K2's on eBay:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/2005-Volkl-SuperSport-...1QQcmdZViewItem

Edited November 11, 2005 by ski999

[sibhusky]

I've had the predecessor to the Recons, the Axis XP's, for two seasons, about 2 million or so vertical feet. I live in the Rockies, so needed a wider ski to handle the powder that comes down on top of the groomers turning them into "not groomed" fairly quickly. I LOVE THEM. However, probably due to their shorter length (went from Rossi vipers in 184 to 167's in the XP's) I don't find them as fast as the Vipers. Nor are they a blue ice ski. They are TOPS for what I need out here -- powder, crud, fairly good in soft moguls -- the length being shorter makes me more confident that I can make it through loosely treed areas. (The skis will come around in time.) But I find it tough to keep up with adults who used to be racers. (Not your NASTAR types, but people who grew up on skis and spent many years racing USSA before they had kids.) I've used them in the NASTAR course a few times and qualified for Nationals, but since I am not really into NASTAR I don't know how well they would do for someone who is into that. Possibly if I had them in a longer length I would like them more at higher speeds.

 

Anyway, I liked them enough that I went out and bought the "flat" version of the Recons on Ebay for $450 without demo'ing them. I know there have been some changes since I bought my skis and I am hoping that I still like the Recons as well as I liked the XP's.

[Justo8484]

ski, are you saying the recon is similar to the 6 star? because its not, really. volkl stopped making the 6 star this year because its longitudinal flex was just too much for most people, and they replaced it with the allstar, a little softer tip to tail, but much more torsionally stiff. where are you skiing most of the time? if you are sticking to mostly east coast stuff, like a lively, springy ski, or like to ski bumps a lot, go with the dynastar. if you are going to be skiing a little more powder than we generally get here, go with the recons. both are great skis, but the 4800 is a little more east coast oriented than the recon.

[sibhusky]

ski, are you saying the recon is similar to the 6 star?

 

No, I didn't say that in the least. I can't figure out how you read that into it. I've never skied the 5 star.

[theskibum]

Eric,

If you ski both the East coast and the West Coast, but mostly like crud, trees, or seek untracked snow, the Recon is a great ski.

 

If you want a more hard snow firendly ski, like you will find on the East Coast, I would look at the K2 Apache Crossfire. It has a narrower waist and is quicker edge to egde then the Recon, 78mm waist vs 68mm waist.

 

Also, the Volkl 5 Star is a great ski, very similar charastics to the Crossfire, but a bit narrower tip.

 

See dimensions below.

 

Both are great gold medal rated skis and I have skied them both at Stratton last year. Designed for expert level skiers, but not too stiff to demand that you always have to put a ton of effort into them as some higher level skis do. Both would be great skis, no real downside to either.

 

K2 Crossfire

DIMENSIONS: 115/68/99

 

 

Volkl 5 Star

DIMENSIONS: 114-68-99

 

One thing to keep in mind about buying skis on line.

If they are last seasons they will not have a warranty if purchased from Ebay. Only if you buy them from an authorized store will the warranty be valid.

Also, if you buy from a store both skis come with a performance guarantee that if you ski them at least 3 times and do not like them you may return them and use your original purchase price towards a new pair of skis.

That call is up to you. Price is probably better on line, but buyer beware.

 

Hope that helps-

Also, if you are interested email me and I may be able to help you out with a good price on either. I do work for a store that carries the above skis.

 

-The Ski Bum

[skidude]

Come to think of it, I did hop on some Volkl 6 stars For a few runs. Not a bad Free ski. It would be up there if I had money to blow on an extra pair of all mountain skis.

Took a run or 2 of Nastar in them, and they weren't bad.

[Justo8484]

sib, i wanst referring to your post, i was referring to ski's right above yours.

[Ski]

ski, are you saying the recon is similar to the 6 star? because its not, really. volkl stopped making the 6 star this year because its longitudinal flex was just too much for most people, and they replaced it with the allstar, a little softer tip to tail, but much more torsionally stiff. where are you skiing most of the time? if you are sticking to mostly east coast stuff, like a lively, springy ski, or like to ski bumps a lot, go with the dynastar. if you are going to be skiing a little more powder than we generally get here, go with the recons. both are great skis, but the 4800 is a little more east coast oriented than the recon.

 

It's in the same class of all-mountain ski, but my bud chose it because he's more comfortable laying over the narrower waist 6 star. And there isn't a whole lot of powder days around here...are there any?

 

And it's a shame they dumbed them down trying to appeal to weaker skiers. But that also allows buyers to get amazing deals. I have four sets of GS:11's and not one is the latest model; I choose a ski that's best for me, not just what's newest.

 

If anyone is considering moving up to an expert ski, then it's more important than ever to demo. The higher end the ski, the more unique it will ski; the more personality it will have. But living down here, demoing can be next to impossible for many people. The Ski Mag Buyers Guide is a great starting point. And unlike 20 years ago, it's hard to buy a bad ski these days. You just try to match up the type of ski to your ability and the conditions you usually ski.

 

And I have to tell you, I've owned at least 50 sets of skis in my life and I've yet to break a set. Why would I want to pay an extra $150 to buy from a shop to guarantee against something that's never happened? I can see rails and other hits beating the crap out of skis, but do shops guarantee skis that you abuse on rails?

 

Eh, I don't know...how about not selling skis that fall apart?

 

*******

Other options? How about Atomic? Maybe the Supercross B5. Here's a new set for $299:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Atomic-SX-B5-supercros...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

There are a bunch of other sets for under $350. Bindings run another $110.

 

*****

How about the Atomic SX:11? Here's one in 170cm. For $469.99 it'll be delivered to your door:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-2005-Atomic-SX-11-...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

The SX:11 is an amazing ski. My friend is a NASTAR pacesetter and USSA coach and it's his favorite all around ski. Heck, here's a NEW set of Atomic Neox 412 bindings for $109.99 (including shipping!):

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Atomic-Neox-412-Bi...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

$579.98 will get you an amazing set-up delivered to your door. I just called my local shop and they are getting $725.00 plus $43.50 tax for that set-up ($768.50!!!)

Edited November 11, 2005 by ski999

[skidude]

I broke a ski, but that was in a pretty hard fall...And I don't think a shop would have replaced it anyway. They would have said something like "their not made to be fallen on, lower your din next time"

 

Anyway, I am still all about Ebay.

[ThinkSnow]

Let's try to keep this about helping DRSKI with his skis and not another debate about ebay vs. stores.

 

I'm loving reading this thread myself because I'm passively looking myself, thanks for all the info guys!

[Ski]

Let's try to keep this about helping DRSKI with his skis and not another debate about ebay vs. stores.

 

I'm loving reading this thread myself because I'm passively looking myself, thanks for all the info guys!

Passively? Let's get you hooked up Think!

[ThinkSnow]

Passively? Let's get you hooked up Think!

 

I am looking to get into something a bit more nimble than my 180 Fischers (I like em alot, but not the quickest to turn)... I'm planning to do some demo'ing this season and find what I like. Money is going to be tight for me this season so I'm not real sure what I will be able to do.

[Ski]

Passively? Let's get you hooked up Think!

 

SX:9's:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/04-05-Atomic-SX-9-SUPE...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-03-04-Atomic-SX-9-...1QQcmdZViewItem

[skifreak]

Greg, I'll sell you my 174 K2 axis xt's, they only have about 15 days on them

 

I like k2 a lot. They make good skis and they have wood cores. The only problem with wood cores is if water ever gets into it, its ruins the ski. I have the K2 Axis xt's and skied them last year, they were good and don't chatter if you go straight down a hill without turing. They turn pretty easy and I think my 174's had a 17m radius if I remember correct. I personally don't like Dynastars, but I've only skied on one pair of Dynastars. I would say go for the K2's if those are the two you want.

 

Check out this place they always have good deals on ski gear.

 

www.untracked.com

Edited November 12, 2005 by skifreak

[skimom]

I broke a ski, but that was in a pretty hard fall...And I don't think a shop would have replaced it anyway. They would have said something like "their not made to be fallen on, lower your din next time"

 

Anyway, I am still all about Ebay.

 

The 'dude is hard on skis... Ebay is still the way to go if you know what you want. If not, demoing is the way to go...

[Papasteeze]

Take the time to build relationships with shops that you would spend on line and it will pay you back many times over.

 

I have had a lot of bad experiences with Ebay and do not reccomend it unless you are prepared to eat what you get... I buy stuff from ebay when I find come across a killer deal.

 

Can someone find me 140cm r14 with race binding for under $200 - Atomic had 35,000 excess skis that they are dumping to the internet sellers. Let me know when you find them. Ebay and Atomic are 2 peas in a pod.

 

Eric,

If you ski both the East coast and the West Coast, but mostly like crud, trees, or seek untracked snow, the Recon is a great ski.

 

If you want a more hard snow firendly ski, like you will find on the East Coast, I would look at the K2 Apache Crossfire. It has a narrower waist and is quicker edge to egde then the Recon, 78mm waist vs 68mm waist.

 

Also, the Volkl 5 Star is a great ski, very similar charastics to the Crossfire, but a bit narrower tip.

 

See dimensions below.

 

Both are great gold medal rated skis and I have skied them both at Stratton last year. Designed for expert level skiers, but not too stiff to demand that you always have to put a ton of effort into them as some higher level skis do. Both would be great skis, no real downside to either.

 

K2 Crossfire

DIMENSIONS: 115/68/99

Volkl 5 Star

DIMENSIONS: 114-68-99

 

One thing to keep in mind about buying skis on line.

If they are last seasons they will not have a warranty if purchased from Ebay. Only if you buy them from an authorized store will the warranty be valid.

Also, if you buy from a store both skis come with a performance guarantee that if you ski them at least 3 times and do not like them you may return them and use your original purchase price towards a new pair of skis.

That call is up to you. Price is probably better on line, but buyer beware.

 

Hope that helps-

Also, if you are interested email me and I may be able to help you out with a good price on either. I do work for a store that carries the above skis.

 

-The Ski Bum

 

Thanks for your comprehensive post and a great return policy! Ignore the guy who hates on shops and stuck on ebay. he is very misguided in my opinion and seems to take anything I promote as his personal mission to shoot holes in it. Do us all a favor and please continue to offer your advice and killer deals. Thanks for supporting PASR.

[Ski]

he is very misguided in my opinion and seems to take anything I promote as his personal mission to shoot holes in it.

 

Classy, Rob. Why did you have to add that to your statement? I assure you that NONE of my personal missions have ANYTHING to do with you. In fact, I really don't ever think about you.

 

Just to correct your inside info regarding Atomic having dumped 35,000 skis on eBay, here's the actual breakdown of how many skis of each brand are listed:

 

Atomic 371

Rossi 369

Salomon 294

Dynastar 209

K2 194

Volkl 183

Head 134

Fischer 100

 

Seems to more or less reflect actual sales figures, rather than some insidious conspiracy.

[skidude]

Greg, try out the Volkl 6 stars, atomic SX 11s (ski999 why you trying to get him in the wimpy sx9s? Hes a full grown UPS man )

 

Also you might want to look into the Elan all mountain ski. Those are probably the 3 best for all mountain ripping around here.

[Papasteeze]

- Atomic had 35,000 excess skis that they are dumping to the internet sellers.

 

35k or 25k - can't remember at the end of last season, is the word I got. I was not counting how many are being currently sold on ebay.. I am stating a fact that I know to be true, that Atomic is currently dumping large quantities of specific skis to typical online sellers.

 

So you know. a particular model that just got horded up looks exactly like this years, I can see the ad now... NEW 2006 in the wrapper. retail $450, our price $250!! it only cost them $150 or less..

 

Let the buyer beware!

[skidude]

35k or 25k - can't remember at the end of last season, is the word I got. I was not counting how many are being currently sold on ebay.. I am stating a fact that I know to be true, that Atomic is currently dumping large quantities of specific skis to typical online sellers.

 

So you know. a particular model that just got horded up looks exactly like this years, I can see the ad now... NEW 2006 in the wrapper. retail $450, our price $250!! it only cost them $150 or less..

 

Let the buyer beware!

 

 

can you put that in non-trying to beat on ski999 terms, for the tired teenagers who don't have as much intelgence as you? Cause that didn't make too much sence to me....

 

I guess its about time to hit the sack for the night