Mr. Pollards Opus 2013

mountainviper shall enlighten you

I would get the opus bro ... the benchetler although it's a good ski is practically a JJ, just it has less shape so it's not as loose feeling... still you couldn't go wrong with either ... if it helps the opus is softer

Regardless if you choose it or not, look into the 185

I'm about your size and I just rode the 185 Opus at Stratton the other day........I would not go any shorter.

how were those puppies on the east coast? I'd imagine better than 10' bibbys which I ride on hardpack half the time

i have skiid both. me and my friend both like the bent chetler better and on the deeper days the opus cannot flloat as well

They were super nice on the hard pack (way nicer than the Petitor for example, which was floppy and chattery on hard pack)......the camber under foot with real slight early rise lets you hold an edge and then let it go for slashes at speed. I bet you could find a better 'deep day' ski out there, but not one with the versatility of the Opus.

thats awesome. they prob blow my 10' bibbys out of the water as far as versatality goes. might have to try and get osme for next year

I have the 11/12 Opuses and they are quite simply the best skis I've ever had. And I've had very good skis in the past, too. Things I like doing with them: skiing pow, carving groomers, hitting jumps, jibbing boxes. The only thing I don't do is rails, because I want to keep the edges sharp. Super versatile skis. I often ski the Opuses even if there's no new snow, they're so fun. Sometimes I ski the park all day on them. I'm 6'2" 170 lbs and I've got the 185 cm skis mounted on recommended.

Sorry. Woulda chimed in earlier but I was away skiing all week. So firstly, just an FYI, next years opus' are identical to the currents with the exception of graphics. I say that because this way any responses you get about this years are totally valid for next years. So anyhow, I was out in Utah this week and they actually got a bit of snow. I took my bacons and opus' out there. I skied everything from groomers to park to side country to backcountry. About midway through the week I was leaning toward the bacons over the opus. To me they just seemed to rip through the chunder much better than the opus. The opus was doing exactly what it was supposed to do though. Float over everything. The problem I was encountering was that I'd be rippin through the trees, it would get tight, I'd try to speed check and instead would go soaring over everyone else's tracks at warp twelve and darn near kill myself. Those same runs on the bacons were much more controllable and a proper speed check would plow right through the tracked out stuff no problem. My last two days out there I forced myself to bring only my opus' out. So glad I did. One of my buddies took me to a bunch of his private stashes and the opus' killed it. Those two days made me remember why I love that ski so much. It floated everything and I never once felt like I had to lean back. They held a perfect edge even on impromptu holy shit if I fall I'm gonna die type of cat tracks. In the air off drops it feels a little tough to spin and get technical with the grabs. That is of course until you realize that you simply have to sack up and stop being a pussy about it. You can't hesitate like on a park ski or say the bacons. The opus is a big boy ski and you just have to commit. Once you figure this out, the ski is unparalleled. It'll iron cross all day with the greatest of ease. Now on groomers like I've said before, the thing doesn't feel like a pow ski at all. You could ride groomers on this thing all day every day and love it. Laps through the park are fun and very Elizabeth-esque. In the end I figured out that the opus is a different bear than the bacons on steeps and tight trees. On the steeps you just gotta sack up on your hop turns whereas the bacons are easier to throw around. The bacons are also easier in the tight trees at speed. Though if you can figure out that on the opus you need to be a little surfier and control your speed in the tight trees, you will learn to love them even more than the bacons. My fav thing about the opus if being able to launch off smaller random pillows that others would just plow through. Hope that helps bud and sorry this ain't in paragraph form. I'm on mobile.

I'm your size, have the 183 Bent Chet and the 185 Opus. Haven't liked the snow enough yet this year to mount either of them yet.

Im a very similar size, 5'8" 165lbs. And Ive been trying to figure out the same exact answer... 178cm or 185cm?! I currently have the 2010 line Blends 173cm and they have zero early rise and full length camber and I really like the length those feel. So I was thinking the 178 opus would be nice, but every review and forum says they ski short... And I dont want the ski to be too short. But Ive also never been on anything long like the 185 and I dont want it to feel too long.

And sice im on a 100mm waist ski now I was thinking the 178cm would be nice and quick in the trees and groomers with the tighter turn radius than the 185, since im getting a little fatter ski. I was in love with the bacons and I wanted those, but im getting into some sidecountry/backcountry so im def going with the opus. Especially since I hear they slay groomers and whenever im on the groomers it's nothing too serious for me so just as long as they hold a good edge and can turn just fine ill be happy, and I read that they do that and more!  So178 or 185?!?! Advise?

That's tough. Think you could get away with either. I'd say 185 if your gettin into the bigger stuff in bc. If your jus jibbin smaller lines and bc booters, the 178s will obviously be easier to throw around. If it were me though at your size and I couldn't demo, I'd go 185. But that's me.

185.
The 173 Blend and the 178 Opus are almost the same length tip/tail (straight tape). The Opus will feel shorter than a 173 Blend (My 178 Bacons do and they have more effective edge than the Opus).

Yeah I havent been able to demo them... Ive seen the 178 opus and it looked the same size if not shorter than my Blends which is why I started wondering what size to get. I know with the early rise it's gong to make them look shorter when standing them up from the ground and I havent seen a tape pull on the 178 opus yet. I know Blister gear showed the 185 opus at 183.4 tape pull.  Cool, thanks for the advise guys!!! Now please hurry up and get the 2013 available to buy!!!! haha