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Moving out west don't know what ski to buy?

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cake1994
Posts: 11 - Karma: 67
I am moving out west in November either Copper Mountain or Squaw Valley. I am from the Midwest and only ride the park. I currently am rocking Line Chronic's but its about time for an upgrade. I know when I move i will still spend many days in the park, but there are these special days out there that we don't get in the Midwest called powder days. I am looking for suggestions in the best skis that I can rock in the park and take out in the back country for the occasional spin. The Edollos and ARV 106's caught my attention. Please help and looking forward to hearing suggestions.
Jul 25 2018 9:10AM
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sambuswell
Posts: 742 - Karma: 3,451
Obligatory Kartel 108 reccomendation
Jul 25 2018 9:15AM
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TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12454 - Karma: 115,176
Slats, sfb, poachers (maybe), arv, on3p (insert any > 95 here), icelantic nomad, shredditor, bent chets
Jul 25 2018 9:46AM
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cozzey
Posts: 1353 - Karma: 1,814
Rustler 10 or 11.
Jul 25 2018 10:30AM
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Non_State_Actor
Posts: 4642 - Karma: 16,171
cake1994I am looking for suggestions in the best skis that I can rock in the park and take out in the back country for the occasional spin.

Just to clarify, you're basically looking for a park ski, that can deal with powder and touring?

What percentage of time do you think you'll spend skiing park/resort/backcountry?
Jul 25 2018 12:30PM
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profa_212
Posts: 8727 - Karma: 33,790
Copper and squaw are super different mountains. Also. I would highly suggest at least a 2 ski quiver.....you will have far more fun.
Jul 25 2018 12:36PM
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bentchets303
Posts: 532 - Karma: 731
Definitely matters if you’re going to copper or squaw. I’m front range if you decide to move that way
Jul 25 2018 1:20PM
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Dddsz
Posts: 3042 - Karma: 7,325
Ayy Granite Peak alumni. Yeah go with kartel 108's if you want to love your life man it's so worth it.
Jul 25 2018 5:29PM
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johnblaze
Posts: 1442 - Karma: 2,482
If all ya want is park SV will disappointed.
Jul 25 2018 5:36PM
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cadebucket
Posts: 294 - Karma: 968
Get full tilts
Jul 25 2018 7:15PM
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OregonDead
Posts: 6833 - Karma: 24,022
Line Chronic is my #1 suggestion. People seem to love it for park and you said you plan to do a lot of park skiing. Bonus is it will be zero $ since you already own it. For those special days or maybe even all the other days you should get something wider and stiffer. I like 4frnts and I'd ride my YLEs and/or Hojis if I was going to either Squaw or Copper.
Jul 25 2018 8:11PM
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cake1994
Posts: 11 - Karma: 67
mystery3Just to clarify, you're basically looking for a park ski, that can deal with powder and touring?

What percentage of time do you think you'll spend skiing park/resort/backcountry?


See that I do not know, i have never been out west to ski. I am sure I will fall deeply in love with back country though. Id say a good mix.I will also be instructing out there as well with whatever position I take.
Jul 25 2018 8:31PM
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cake1994
Posts: 11 - Karma: 67
Profahoben_212Copper and squaw are super different mountains. Also. I would highly suggest at least a 2 ski quiver.....you will have far more fun.


90% sure ill be in living in Tahoe City if that helps any.
Jul 25 2018 8:32PM
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JoeF2661
Posts: 1627 - Karma: 6,293
Dont move out west and ski park. That part of your life is over. Embrace the mountain.
Jul 25 2018 9:01PM
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cozzey
Posts: 1353 - Karma: 1,814
cake1994See that I do not know, i have never been out west to ski. I am sure I will fall deeply in love with back country though. Id say a good mix.I will also be instructing out there as well with whatever position I take.


Yeah well back country is a whole nother deal than squaw or copper. If you’re doing backcountry you’re gonna be dropping $300+ on new boots if yours aren’t compatible and then you’ll want a fatter ski with either tech or frame bindings which are $200 plus, and then you’ve gotta get skins and a beacon and a probe and tons of other safety stuff plus take classes. I’m not saying it’s not doable but moving out west doesn’t necessarily mean having to Ski backcountry and picking a Ski based off of that. I’d say from what people are saying a kartel 108 might be your best bet.
Jul 25 2018 9:41PM
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Earl_Globz
Posts: 1551 - Karma: 779
Simply buy a bigger ski
Jul 25 2018 9:47PM
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cake1994
Posts: 11 - Karma: 67
cozzeyYeah well back country is a whole nother deal than squaw or copper. If you’re doing backcountry you’re gonna be dropping $300+ on new boots if yours aren’t compatible and then you’ll want a fatter ski with either tech or frame bindings which are $200 plus, and then you’ve gotta get skins and a beacon and a probe and tons of other safety stuff plus take classes. I’m not saying it’s not doable but moving out west doesn’t necessarily mean having to Ski backcountry and picking a Ski based off of that. I’d say from what people are saying a kartel 108 might be your best bet.


sorry what I mean by back country is just a very nice powder day I guess not actually taking like a heli tour or cat in the depths of back country if that makes sense
Jul 25 2018 9:49PM
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Earl_Globz
Posts: 1551 - Karma: 779
*off piste
Jul 25 2018 9:52PM
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cozzey
Posts: 1353 - Karma: 1,814
cake1994sorry what I mean by back country is just a very nice powder day I guess not actually taking like a heli tour or cat in the depths of back country if that makes sense


Kartel 108, Rustler 10 or 11, Bent Chet’s... tons of stuff out there and also a ton of really cool, helpful articles online about skis for the West. I’d say pretty much any newish ski with a waist over 100mm will work well as they all ride super well and are designed for skiing out here, not the east coast to Midwest.
Jul 25 2018 9:52PM
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JoeF2661
Posts: 1627 - Karma: 6,293
cake1994sorry what I mean by back country is just a very nice powder day I guess not actually taking like a heli tour or cat in the depths of back country if that makes sense

Sidecountry
Jul 25 2018 10:05PM
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profa_212
Posts: 8727 - Karma: 33,790
cake199490% sure ill be in living in Tahoe City if that helps any.


Keep a skinny ski for spring and for park laps. Then you need to go fatter...you dont want to get caught in Sierra cement on center mounted park skis. You will hate your life.

My favorite skis for Sierra cement/and sort of soft snow at squaw are the on3p Billygoats, but there are Tons of options out there. How much money you working with?
Jul 25 2018 10:58PM
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MoneyMakerMike
Posts: 1254 - Karma: 5,770
Any ski from revision is gonna treat you nicely
Jul 26 2018 12:08AM
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TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12454 - Karma: 115,176
JoeF2661Sidecountry

frontcountry
Jul 26 2018 1:04AM
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abar.
Posts: 1062 - Karma: 6,888
100% kartel 108s
Jul 26 2018 12:50PM
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Non_State_Actor
Posts: 4642 - Karma: 16,171
Keep the chronics for park days and get a free-ride ski? Kartels, Moment Deathwish, Black Crows Anima, there are myriad choices. Might be a good idea to demo some different options as the season progresses? The chronics or any beat ski will be great for early season at Squaw/Tahoe area, there aren't a lot of deep days before January, especially last year.
Jul 26 2018 1:11PM
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Skrier
Posts: 77 - Karma: 336
For skiing in Tahoe I highly recommend a heavily rockered ski or fully rockered ski. My reasoning is that the snow is either going to powdery or cakey and soft. With exception to one or two days after a storm, the snow is going to be cakey and soft because it doesn't stay cold consistently there. You will spend very little time on piste (especially at squaw). The first time I skied there I had a pair of directional, stiff chargers and really hated it. They just got stuck up and squirrely in the snow. I loved skiing on Armada JJ's out there, I had a much easier time making turns in thick snow and never got held up. So, Volkl Bash, Kartel 108, Armada ARV 116, SFB, maybe Line Sick days if you wanna go directional.
Jul 26 2018 3:25PM
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JAlps
Posts: 555 - Karma: 1,935
Everybody has their own preference, heres my suggestion.

Buy a new park ski that you will like, go for something around 100mm underfoot.

Buy some cheaaap pow skis off of CL/FB/gear swaps for the deep days. They dont need to be new or in great condition, just wide.

If you are still dead set on a 1 ski quiver look into:
Benchetler 100
Liberty origin 106
Kartel 108s
Line SFB.

Ive riden all the above (I work at a shop so free demos), they are by far my top personal picks.
Jul 26 2018 5:46PM
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Park_Ranger
Posts: 3825 - Karma: 8,635
Faction Candide 2.0 fashooo
Jul 26 2018 7:46PM
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BrokenBones
Posts: 1274 - Karma: 694
If you are going to squaw you really want two pairs of skis. The park is really fun, especially in the spring so you will want a dedicated park ski which can also double as a early/late season rock ski. However, you will want(need) something bigger and stiffer for the rest of the mountain if you want to make the most out of your time there. Squaw is sick af and you will 1000% not regret getting two skis. Don't make the same mistake I did and try and use park skis for the rest of the mountain there. You will be pissed on pow days and when your other homies can ski 2x as fast as you with less effort.
Jul 26 2018 8:30PM
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matt_720
Posts: 345 - Karma: 515
Arv 96 are pretty good in the park and can handle some bc/powder
Jul 26 2018 8:47PM
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cozzey
Posts: 1353 - Karma: 1,814
NightFantasiesEverybody has their own preference, heres my suggestion.

Buy a new park ski that you will like, go for something around 100mm underfoot.

Buy some cheaaap pow skis off of CL/FB/gear swaps for the deep days. They dont need to be new or in great condition, just wide.

If you are still dead set on a 1 ski quiver look into:
Benchetler 100
Liberty origin 106
Kartel 108s
Line SFB.

Ive riden all the above (I work at a shop so free demos), they are by far my top personal picks.


How would you say the Kartel 108s ride in comparison to the Bents?
Jul 26 2018 9:48PM
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JAlps
Posts: 555 - Karma: 1,935
cozzeyHow would you say the Kartel 108s ride in comparison to the Bents?


I didnt get too much time on the kartels but my impression is that they are a bit more stable and like to take longer turns. The thing that I liked most about the chetlers were that they took amazingly energetic short radius turns, but still had enough backbone to handle speed.

Tl;dr: kartels are a more chargey damp ride (especially because of the waist width), chetlers are more nimble and energetic feeling (but feel sick as hell to butter)
Jul 26 2018 9:54PM
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dan4060
Posts: 1458 - Karma: 847
Between college and grad school I spent half a decade living in Tahoe and skiing Squaw everyday. If the only time you are thinking about skiing outside the park is powder days you are seriously blowing it at Squaw. Ski what you want, but I would urge you to commit to spending the majority of your time on KT and Headwall and the other steep areas, powder or not. Squaw is an insane mountain, one of the best in the U.S. for steep terrain. You can ski park anywhere, enjoy the mountain at Squaw. I'm not saying you can't ski park, have at it, but if you think it makes sense to spend almost all your non-powder time in the park you are seriously missing out. Also, if you spend all your non-pow days in the park you will not become much of a big mountain skier. If you think you can spend all day in the park and then ski Middle Knuckle or Schmidiots on a pow day you are seriously mistaken.

I would try to get at least a two ski quiver, with at least one ski bigger than 108 underfoot. If possible, get something in the 115 range. You can look for something used. I would say most of the skis I bought when I lived in Tahoe were used.
Jul 27 2018 1:43AM
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Non_State_Actor
Posts: 4642 - Karma: 16,171
I missed the part where you said you plan on working as an instructor...in that case you'll want at least one pair of beater/ex-rental/demo skis because your topsheets will have people skiing on them all day long. I know this because I taught two kids to ski as a dad and with ski school kids it has to be ten times worse.
Jul 27 2018 2:13AM
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