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May, 2025

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Powder skis for PNW

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Keven
Posts: 98 - Karma: 844
I know there are already many threads on this but here I am again. I am 5"9 140 lbs. I already have a pair of park skis so I am looking for a ski purely for pow days. My current options are the armarda arv 116 UL, k2 mindbender 116, and the whitewalkers. I am afraid that the ARV UL will be too soft because I want to drop some cliffs, but I am also scared that the whitewalkers may be too stiff. IDK how well the mindbender performs, but they are on sale at my local store rn.
3 years ago
4 0
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BingPow
Posts: 579 - Karma: 5,672
imo if you're actually getting a ski just for skiing SICK POW, i think its better to go stiff rather than soft
3 years ago
6 0
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maaattt
Posts: 2762 - Karma: 33,628
They'll all be fine, the UL might be less fun on the heavier snow. "Safest" choice would probably be the mindbender
3 years ago
5 0
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stonedbrian
Posts: 172 - Karma: 970
maaatttThey'll all be fine, the UL might be less fun on the heavier snow. "Safest" choice would probably be the mindbender


UL in PNW chowder is not enough for me personally, it was thrown around alot
3 years ago
5 0
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Dilldoes
Posts: 761 - Karma: 5,852
Mind bender
3 years ago
4 0
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muffMan.
Posts: 2894 - Karma: 27,640
I’d go moment wildcats? Or whatever the bibby is.

personally for powder days I like my skis stiff. They can still perform perfect, but for the chopped out stuff it can really crush through.

I had that issue on some reckoner 112s, fun on the powder but once the powder went away it kind of sucked skiing through choppy stuff.

but for what you listed the mindbenders seem like a good bet.
3 years ago
6 0
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IsaacNW82
Posts: 777 - Karma: 6,776
All good choices but just a heads up light skis really struggle with mixed and/or firm conditions, which are pretty common in bounds. The lower weight might feel a little better for tricks but IMO lightweight skis really shine in the backcountry, where snow is more consistent, the extra weight really makes a difference hauling them up, and your biggest tricks into powder will probably be anyways if you like to build booters
3 years ago
2 0
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BigPurpleSkiSuit
Posts: 9616 - Karma: 71,531
I'd go whitewalkers in your situation. Another option might be the Fatypus D Sender. It's 112 underfoot and skis like a dream in powder since it's fat in the tip, but stiff enough in the tails to hold you up. I loved skiing my 194 D senders for a long long time
3 years ago
2 0
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elm.
Posts: 1510 - Karma: 13,605
I can second the dsenders and wildcats and jj's. All great choices and similar skis. I think my favorite of the three was the wildcat, tho
3 years ago
1 0
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MastePoleWhacker
Posts: 608 - Karma: 5,461
KevenI know there are already many threads on this but here I am again. I am 5"9 140 lbs. I already have a pair of park skis so I am looking for a ski purely for pow days. My current options are the armarda arv 116 UL, k2 mindbender 116, and the whitewalkers. I am afraid that the ARV UL will be too soft because I want to drop some cliffs, but I am also scared that the whitewalkers may be too stiff. IDK how well the mindbender performs, but they are on sale at my local store rn.

The UL is too soft for the snow in the pnw
3 years ago
2 0
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