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Fat Skis - Do i need them?

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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,838
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.
Oct 9 2013 7:05PM 30 1
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Twig
Posts: 4692 - Karma: 43,191
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.
Oct 9 2013 7:14PM 6 0
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Slowbro
Posts: 2235 - Karma: 2,904
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.
Oct 9 2013 7:30PM 3 0
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bieberhole69.
Posts: 654 - Karma: 1,382
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
Oct 9 2013 7:43PM 2 0
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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
Oct 9 2013 8:09PM 4 0
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M.M
Posts: 1666 - Karma: 4,280
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?
Oct 9 2013 8:14PM 2 0
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11618 - Karma: 24,067
190 icelantic gypsy. You wont regret it
Oct 9 2013 10:36PM 2 0
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TimRiley
Posts: 1873 - Karma: 1,324
Agreed. Just checked these out last week, do want.
Oct 10 2013 12:27AM 1 0
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AJizzle
Posts: 1882 - Karma: 516
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.
Oct 10 2013 12:53AM 0 0
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AJizzle
Posts: 1882 - Karma: 516
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.
Oct 10 2013 12:56AM 0 0
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ThaLorax
Posts: 20709 - Karma: 5,672
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?
Oct 10 2013 2:17AM 4 0
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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.
Oct 10 2013 3:00AM 1 0
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11618 - Karma: 24,067
Get em. Such an awesome ski
Oct 10 2013 3:02AM 0 0
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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.
Oct 10 2013 10:12AM 0 0
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Casey
Posts: 6581 - Karma: 9,567
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
Oct 10 2013 6:12PM 0 0
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minihef
Posts: 810 - Karma: 756
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.
Oct 10 2013 6:28PM 0 0
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drumbumocdp
Posts: 3169 - Karma: 725
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
Oct 10 2013 10:26PM 0 0
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Peter.
Posts: 23786 - Karma: 12,771
please get something wide with rocker too. you will have an unreal time
Oct 10 2013 10:55PM 0 0
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El_Barto.
Posts: 11618 - Karma: 24,067
To reiterate.....

190 icelantic gypsy. Do it. Make the entire mountain your bitch while you make sweet sweet snow love to it
Oct 11 2013 12:13AM 0 0
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coling
Posts: 1086 - Karma: -1
Does anybody like fat skis in the park?
Dec 4 2013 12:29AM 1 1
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Labattski
Posts: 201 - Karma: 74
Damn straight. Fat skis are the way to go
Dec 7 2013 1:48PM 0 0
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D_Elgar
Posts: 210 - Karma: 391
Yes that shouldn't even be a question
Dec 7 2013 6:29PM 0 0
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J_Christoph
Posts: 2491 - Karma: 8,088
Fat skis for life. I tear everything up on my Pettitors! 120 underfoot. Amazing for powder, park, groomers, crud, or whatever else
Dec 7 2013 6:54PM 0 0
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Jewschoolers
Posts: 1785 - Karma: 1,138
yes. i got bentchetlers last year and i dont even like riding my jmos anymore outside of the park
Dec 7 2013 8:09PM 0 0
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Casey
Posts: 6581 - Karma: 9,567
Only negative 0n3p comment in NS history
Dec 7 2013 8:29PM 1 0
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