i rarely post much on this forum, but i've never been more impressed by a pair of skis. usually the second i get a new pair of skis, i'm thinking about what my next pair is going to be. i have about 8 days on my Nine Lifes and they're the best skis i've ever ridden.
Me:
5'11", 175lbs. 16 years skiing, mostly backcountry but starting to do park (1-2 years). 3 years as a ski instructor.
mounted at boot center (-1 from dead center) with px12's, riding dalbello il moro t's
ridden in the past: k2 publics, 9thwards, bluehouse MR's, volkl AC30s, volkl racetigers, etc.
Pros:
at 175lbs i could flex these fine but found them to be incredibly responsive at every speed. i don't particularly like a stiff park ski, and i found this to be a medium-flex pair. whoever says they're "ultra stif" is probably coming from an invader-like noodle. i'm not at a big hill, but i have yet to find the speed limit on these which is phenomenal for something so thin and light. the early rise in the tip is pretty cool for blasting through chop, and helps a lot on butters. at high speed they're incredibly stable and hold a solid edge on hard snow. but by far my favorite thing about these skis is the pop. everybody always talks about pop and i never know what the fuck they're talking about. my skis are usually like limp dicks. these things though, are fucking pogo sticks in comparison. nollies, ollies, everything. i ride at a shitty mountain full of shitty skiers/boarders and i get asked every day "how do you get so much sweet air". it's the nine lifes kids, it's the nine lifes.
Cons:
every ski has a weakness, and i'm sure these wouldn't do great in the deep stuff with an underfoot width sub 80mm. however i do my ski instructing in New York and haven't been able to really push them to their limits yet.
bottom line- never been happier on a pair of planks, and i have spent thousands of dollars on ski equipment. save yourself a lot of money and get these.
