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Afterbang- 3rd best park ski?

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b_r_tregs
Posts: 298 - Karma: 204
http://freeskier.com/stories/top-10-skis-the-best-park-skis-of-2012-2013?fb_comment_id=fbc_353786894706861_2093055_354029808015903#f186790734


is the afterbang really the third best park ski?
Sep 5 2012 2:23PM
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ForeverYung
Posts: 8385 - Karma: 2,060
Yes, all the pros use them
Sep 5 2012 2:38PM
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Montana_Hoodrat
Posts: 1953 - Karma: 1,481
LOL and the ARW is the best.

i had afterbangs two years ago. they were heavy as shit, and skied like dead planks. no pop at all.
Sep 5 2012 2:38PM
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jamesnunya
Posts: 84 - Karma: -90
line paid the third most to freeskier in advertising
Sep 5 2012 3:11PM
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eheath
Posts: 61100 - Karma: 118,249
This, ski reviews in mags are all based on money, not how the ski actually rides. Plus, people who test skis use shitty demo bindings and ride them for an hr.
Sep 5 2012 3:28PM
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Montana_Hoodrat
Posts: 1953 - Karma: 1,481
yeah everyone's biased. thats because park skis are all pretty much the same.

just get a cheap pair that you can thrash on rails. even the most "durable" skis you are just going to destroy anyway.

if you're avoiding rails, get armada T Halls or AR7s, or something similar. they have mad pop, and are so stable at high speed!
Sep 5 2012 3:29PM
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ShredAZ
Posts: 1054 - Karma: 641
If you're doing mostly rails then I would recommend snagging a super cheap pair of A-bangs off of BST.

They can be had for 150-200 in decent shape and you won't have to worry about trashing them.
Sep 5 2012 3:36PM
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Broseph_Stalin
Posts: 3745 - Karma: 177
dude not even that, my experience with armada is that the skis are super durable so they can take rails. Id say they have definitely earned there reputation with me.. and i bought my ar6s when the suspects were having there durability issues a few years ago.

id also say these reviews are mainly influenced by advertising, which ones the pros use and which ones have a better image, ie appear on podiums more because that is where the money really comes from, its like a cycle.
Sep 5 2012 3:37PM
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Mister.F
Posts: 1206 - Karma: 169
I've put my '10 afterbands through some shit and back (backyard summer rails etc.). Theyre holding up pretty well, only a few cracked edges and base scrapes. Theyre just nice to have to shit on cuz theyre cheap like they said. I even used them as my main ski last season, whadnt too bad
Sep 5 2012 3:48PM
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Montana_Hoodrat
Posts: 1953 - Karma: 1,481
for sure armadas are durable. but they are expensive. and i wouldnt want to trash a brand new pair of them.

or maybe you're not on a budget??

in that case get some brand new t halls and have fun.
Sep 5 2012 3:52PM
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Session
Posts: 5316 - Karma: 21,354
You only have to look once through the freeskier gear guide to see what brand was in the most photo's,
Sep 5 2012 4:12PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
no. just no.
Sep 5 2012 4:15PM
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ForeverYung
Posts: 8385 - Karma: 2,060
@happygaper, thalls are much more flexy
Sep 5 2012 4:20PM
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dompuch
Posts: 1446 - Karma: 1,167
they are heavy but have a butter zone, no problem with pop...
Sep 5 2012 5:23PM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
hahaha yeah they are.. and the women's version of the ARV is the best one! haha jesus freeskier, at least pretend youre not out to lunch

that being said, ARVs are really dope in the park. plus henrik uses them lol
Sep 5 2012 5:55PM
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Montana_Hoodrat
Posts: 1953 - Karma: 1,481
henrik uses snowblades too. just buy a pair of those. i bet they're cheaper than armadas.
Sep 5 2012 6:23PM
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Twig
Posts: 6335 - Karma: 57,058
Freeskier do seem to have a unique talent for making their reviews worse every year.
You think they just can't get any worse and boom, they manage a new low!
Sep 5 2012 6:58PM
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HamFaceGirl
Posts: 5242 - Karma: 2,679
My afterbangs are holding up after 2 seasons, being a record for me. So yes, I would say they are a good ski. I think the problem is people buy them, and then hit jumps/are generally just idiots to their skis
Sep 5 2012 7:07PM
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
This thread makes me not want to live on this planet anymore.
Sep 5 2012 7:24PM
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J-Dubb
Posts: 438 - Karma: 3
Afterbangs are a good ski brand new. After a season, the bases go to shit and go half as slow as your friends skis do. Trust me from experience. I was just skiing normal jumps and rails and my bases went to shit before the season was over. I did get them tuned up at the beginning of the season and they did alright but then they went to shit again that season. They are a cheaper ski though. if your going to be hitting mostly rails, they are a good rail ski but the rails will take out the bases.
Sep 5 2012 7:26PM
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idskithat
Posts: 1314 - Karma: 154
hahaha if a ski cant hold up to a jump it shouldnt be 3rd best park ski
Sep 5 2012 7:38PM
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DGski
Posts: 3491 - Karma: 2,328
http://blistergearreview.com/
Sep 5 2012 7:40PM
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BMohrSteeze
Posts: 63 - Karma: 13
hey according to a ski surf shop in my area afterbangs are the best ski u can buy but hey they are dumb as fuck
Sep 5 2012 8:55PM
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Mids
Posts: 406 - Karma: 1,283
I don't know if anyone cares but i ski AR7's and I like them.
Sep 5 2012 8:56PM
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ShredAZ
Posts: 1054 - Karma: 641
Did you ever wax skis?
I waxed my A-Bangs every day or every other day and they have no problem holding their own.

I have used and abused them. Rocks, stumps, rails, kickers, the works.
They still have full life and will be my ski for all next season as well. Super fun playful skis that haven't given my a lick of trouble yet. No cracks, no base shots, nothing.

It's the same base used in the Invaders and Anthems too. You ever hear about people complaining from those bases?

Ignorance is contagious.
Sep 5 2012 8:59PM
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b_r_tregs
Posts: 298 - Karma: 204
Not sure just do research you can't always relly on ns but on the other hand GO CREEK!
Sep 5 2012 9:11PM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
way ahead of you dog. just picked up a pair of mike nick pros

(disclaimer: i am in no way making fun of mike nick, dude is a total boss)
Sep 5 2012 9:23PM
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
god forbid some people aren't as all knowing about ski products as you are. stop being dramatic
Sep 5 2012 9:27PM
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3597 - Karma: 3,895
I didn't realize that magazine was still around.
Sep 5 2012 9:29PM
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J-Dubb
Posts: 438 - Karma: 3
I didn't wax them all the time but i did wax them every now and then. A good ski shouldn't need to be waxed every time you ski for them not to get beaten up.

And I really don't know about the Anthems or old Invaders too much but I know the afterbangs bases are made out of P-tex. The same stuff they make boxes out of.
Sep 5 2012 10:12PM
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e.will
Posts: 1981 - Karma: 967
blister reviews are the shit. They have more time on each ski compared to the average mag test.

As for mag reviews being based on money, well that's just not true. Look at Powder's fantasy draft. I can say for a fact that none of those choices had anything to do with money changing hands. Brands

The biggest issue with testing skis is the platform from which reviews are delivered to the consumer. With the print medium, it is impossible allow each tester to fully describe their experience on a ski -- there just isn't enough space.

This is why blister reviews are so awesome (and at the same time a bit long-winded). Fuck those guys love ski technology. Because they are posting their reviews to their website, the notion of "word count" doesn't mean much. It's for that reason that they can spend five hundred words talking about binding stack height and the intricacies of carbon stringer placement.



Sep 5 2012 10:29PM
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50Kal
Posts: 2826 - Karma: 5,367
It really depends on what the base is made of. Some skis don't need much wax and some skis need to be waxed a lot. All depends of the ski base.
Sep 5 2012 11:23PM
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Pool.
Posts: 2820 - Karma: 662
Click for larger image

please never give a ski review again
Sep 5 2012 11:27PM
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J_Christoph
Posts: 2519 - Karma: 8,750
haha funny guy
Sep 5 2012 11:30PM
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snakerton
Posts: 2434 - Karma: 1,977
that list was awful
Sep 5 2012 11:34PM
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profa_212
Posts: 8632 - Karma: 32,524
I would not ski half of the skis on that list! Meh on second thought I probably would.
Sep 5 2012 11:40PM
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Line_Skis
Posts: 1983 - Karma: 37,398
False. Ski tests are based on feedback from ski testers at said ski test. Each one is different and an opportunity to give the consumer some unbiased knowledge of skis. Take from them what you will, read how the test is run and make your judgement if you want to use the info presented. Personal note pertaining to comment: Line doesn't not advertise in Freeskier (read: nada dinero exchangedo) but we do read it and love the content.
Sep 5 2012 11:46PM
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SILLYGOOSE123
Posts: 24 - Karma: 10
Afterbangs arent great but they arent bad either, i didnt have a problem with the pop, a little heavy but if you put on some lightish bindings it wont be a problem,overall if you are on a budget they are a cheap fun park ski.
Sep 5 2012 11:48PM
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ShredAZ
Posts: 1054 - Karma: 641
Base retention of wax is not an end all sign of ski quality.
Different type of base materials require different intervals of waxing.

A-bang bases are made of p-tec. FALSE.
The bases are "extruded." This type of base is more durable against abrasions which is why it's an excellent candidate for park ski construction. You'll see many of the park skis using the same base.
Because of it's durability, it requires more frequent waxing to perform well as it does not retain wax as well as race bases or sintered bases.

Sintered bases are often times much quicker and retain wax much better, but they do not hold up as well against abrasions and park abuse which is why Line incorporates extruded bases in much of their park skis.


A ski base made of SOLID p-tec would not make it down one run without all the wax rubbing off. That's just silly.
Sep 6 2012 1:15AM
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Boggs
Posts: 1039 - Karma: 208
I feel sorry for you, extruded bases suck. Holding their own should not mean waxing that much. You shouldn't have to wax your skis every other day.
Sep 6 2012 1:22AM
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E__
Posts: 5751 - Karma: 4,633
Yep.
Sep 6 2012 1:34AM
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ShredAZ
Posts: 1054 - Karma: 641
I completely agree.
But for what it is, I'm ok with doing that.

You can't win 'em all. For a park specific ski with a more durable base, I don't mind having to wax every other day.

If it was an all mountain ski, I wouldn't do it.
Sep 6 2012 1:49AM
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AviadIL
Posts: 245 - Karma: 30
there are many skis out there with a durable base that you don't need to wax that often...

e.g. my nordica ace of spades- i skied 31 days this winter, 29 of them in a row. i only did 2 cold waxings during that time and no scratch filling and i hit rocks, rails, woods, whatever.
didn't have a bit of a speed problem that whole time, just did some p-tex and hot wax when season was over to maintain my skis better...
Sep 6 2012 2:21AM
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ShredAZ
Posts: 1054 - Karma: 641
But did your skis cost under $200 new?

Like I said, you sacrifice some features for others.
All in all, great price to performance ratio and super stoked on 'em. Fun sticks.
Sep 6 2012 2:30AM
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ajax
Posts: 2850 - Karma: 1,236
wordplay? typo?
Sep 6 2012 2:40AM
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Twig
Posts: 6335 - Karma: 57,058
I had some Domains (same base) which i waxed every other day, and they were measurably slower than my Bacons which I only waxed twice all summer.
On the Saas-Fee summer ski there is a long flat on the way back to the lift and I would go hundreds of meters further before I ran out of speed on Bacons vs Domains.

Whatever you say, there is a big difference in speed and glide between extruded and sintered bases. The only advantage of extruded is cost. That's why all high end park skis use sintered bases. If there were genuine durability benefits, then some people would use extruded on their top of the line skis.
Sep 6 2012 10:00AM
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BskiP
Posts: 1369 - Karma: 223
Ski tests are a sham. How can a ski constructed the same exact way for the last few years test differently each year? Take a look at the gear guides for the past few years from each publisher and realize that they are not consistent, even though many of the skis are identical. Line, you may not advertise, but to get into the gear guides, you do have to pay. I would consider that advertising.
Sep 6 2012 12:16PM
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heFF
Posts: 5786 - Karma: 4,457
your best bet is to demo multiple pairs of skis rather than rely on other people with different body builds, biases, and ski abilities
Sep 6 2012 12:20PM
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Malczyk
Posts: 1433 - Karma: 1,880
Line was only in the ski test, not in the gear guide in the back, which is advertising, you're correct as you do have to pay for it.
Sep 6 2012 12:59PM
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BskiP
Posts: 1369 - Karma: 223
Thanks for the correction, i thought that they were in there.
Sep 6 2012 1:11PM
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L.G.P.
Posts: 906 - Karma: 187
idk there good for rails but i heard that they start to fall apart really quickly.
Sep 6 2012 1:16PM
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