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June, 2025

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Fat Skis - Do i need them?

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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,847
Hello. I have a question that I would like answered by people with genuine knowledge and experience in the subject.

I am moving to Banff and will be living 2000 feet up the side of the rocky mountains at Sunshine Village resort (staff lodging).
This means I will have access to all the best snow before most people.
Sunshine is known for great snow.

I am a former racer, and a ski instructor. Im a solid east coast skier with minimal big mountain experience.

My current skis are 173 Atomic Panics, theyre a solid all mountain ski, really soft and really poppy, but they can rip turns it when it comes down to it.

I'm 6'3, 175.

Should I to buy fat skis? Please explain your answer.
12 years ago
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Twig
Posts: 6474 - Karma: 62,829
Yes.

I've skied Line EP Pros, Opus, and Sir Francis Bacons, Armada JJs, Atomic Bentchetlers and Blogs, Rossi S7s and a couple of others and they all have in common that they make powder days that much better.

Last season my widest ski was a pair of Line Blends (100mm) and while they managed the few pow days I got to ski ok, it wasn't as fun as on fat boards. You can ski pow on whatever ski you have but the options to do tricks, ski faster and harder etc are all helped by wide skis. It also makes skiing really deep stuff a lot less effort, so you can ski longer as well as harder.

When you genuinely ski a lot of fluffy deep pow, you owe it to yourself to get some fat skis, it makes the best days better.
12 years ago
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Slowbro
Posts: 4141 - Karma: 24,776
definitely man, For your height i'd get something close to 190., I rode Pettitors all last season at sunshine and loved em for almost everything, strongly recommended.
12 years ago
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bieberhole69.
Posts: 654 - Karma: 1,387
MOST DEFINITELY worth it. I'm 6'2" and picked up a pair of 189 pettitors last season and I loved them. Especially based on what your current set up is and the fact that you're living on mountain, get some
12 years ago
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hokkanee
Posts: 1800 - Karma: 435
Get something in the 105-110 range if you're looking for a one ski quiver. If you want a dedicated powder ski I'd grab something 115+ mm underfoot. And size up to at least a 184ish long ski. 173's are wayyy too short for you
12 years ago
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M.M
Posts: 1696 - Karma: 4,494
sunshine is my local mountain they deffinitally get some good pow days through out the season especially if your gonna be there the whole year id say yes, id say over 110 mm underfoot would meet your needs very well, do you have avy gear? are you planning to ski the dive? or wild west?
12 years ago
2 0
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11661 - Karma: 24,369
190 icelantic gypsy. You wont regret it
12 years ago
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TimRiley
Posts: 1873 - Karma: 1,327
Agreed. Just checked these out last week, do want.
12 years ago
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AJizzle
Posts: 1882 - Karma: 522
Yes, they are just sooo much more stable at speed in varied snow and pow. If you have a racing background, but still want something playful, look at the blizzard peacemaker in a 186cm. It is 104 underfoot, poppy and energetic, but rails like you would expect a blizzard to, and is stable in chop.
12 years ago
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AJizzle
Posts: 1882 - Karma: 522
Forgot to mention that it does have a bigger brother, the gunsmoke, which is 114 underfoot if you are looking for more of a true pow ski. I would advise you to get the 14 version of the gunsmoke as the flex pattern has slightly changed.
12 years ago
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21111 - Karma: 8,652
Yes. Absolutely. Why else would that technology exist in the first place? To make it MORE difficult to ski? Easier to turn, easier to keep speed, easier on your legs (meaning you can ski more runs without being exhausted), and more stable in deep snow.


Let me put it this way. If your race skis were a Ferrari, and powder skis were a Jeep, would you take your Ferrari off-roading or would you take the Jeep?
12 years ago
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lukaturtle
Posts: 98 - Karma: 103
Man I ride my fat skis even when it's not a pow day. Hey are worth getting. Makes all mountain so much more fun. I also instruct in the Kootenays.
12 years ago
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11661 - Karma: 24,369
Get em. Such an awesome ski
12 years ago
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skifiend
Posts: 2063 - Karma: 13
i'm an east coaster, ski at smuggs.  my daily drivers are atomic blogs at 110mm waist.  once you go fat, you won't go back.
12 years ago
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Casey
Posts: 8025 - Karma: 27,011
I would. In my opinion fat skis are better on hard pack than skinny skis are in POW. Seems like that 100 to 120 mm waist with rocker camber is the all around POW all mtn ski that everyone wants
12 years ago
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minihef
Posts: 827 - Karma: 931
You can certainly cope with, and have a blast on, skinnier skis but....if you can afford a fat rockered pair then definitely get some. They're so much fun and give you so many more ways to ski. You can ski harder, faster, slash turns, dump speed quickly, stomp cliffs easier etc. They'll open up the mountain to you in ways a skinnier ski won't and most of them ski well on firmer snow.

I live in Banff and will probably be selling a pair of Coreupt Slashers (112 waist, lots of tip rocker) with Marker Dukes for pretty cheap sometime before Christmas. They have filled core shots but any ski you ski in the Rockies will get core shots so shouldn't matter much.
12 years ago
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drumbumocdp
Posts: 3230 - Karma: 1,108
I moved out west from CT last winter and picked up a pair of kung fujas (103 underfoot) in addition to a strictly park ski, and even though the fujas arent the fattest ski, i had a blast riding pow, bumps, carving, switch riding, trees cliffs, what ever. It was probably the best decision i made all winter. Like said above me, the ski really did open up the mountain a lot. Get some fattys and enjoy
12 years ago
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,018
please get something wide with rocker too. you will have an unreal time
12 years ago
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11661 - Karma: 24,369
To reiterate.....

190 icelantic gypsy. Do it. Make the entire mountain your bitch while you make sweet sweet snow love to it
12 years ago
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coling
Posts: 1086 - Karma: -3
Does anybody like fat skis in the park?
12 years ago
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Labattski
Posts: 201 - Karma: 74
Damn straight. Fat skis are the way to go
12 years ago
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D_Elgar
Posts: 210 - Karma: 391
Yes that shouldn't even be a question
12 years ago
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J_Christoph
Posts: 2519 - Karma: 8,755
Fat skis for life. I tear everything up on my Pettitors! 120 underfoot. Amazing for powder, park, groomers, crud, or whatever else
12 years ago
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Jewschoolers
Posts: 1785 - Karma: 1,142
yes. i got bentchetlers last year and i dont even like riding my jmos anymore outside of the park
12 years ago
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Casey
Posts: 8025 - Karma: 27,011
Only negative 0n3p comment in NS history
12 years ago
1 0
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