All skis are much the same

The Salomon BBRs are pretty revolutionary.

Innsbrucker wrote:OK, an exaggeration but in 7 years of skiing I have concluded that the reviews in magazines, comparisons with Honda Accord or Porsche 911 and so on are way overblown. Placebo effect.

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But that major enlightenment or pushing the owner to a new level, fastest man down the mountain, etc. strikes me as placebo. There are differences at the margins in turnability, stiffness (good for going fast, bad for going slow), holding the edge, weight (most expensive are worst), fatness (slightly less maneoverable, but no big deal). The differences are only at the margins.

I have concluded it is like the Stradavarrius: repeated tests have proved audiences can not tell one from a good modern instrument worth 1% of the value, but people still kid themselves the Strad is worth it.

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Am I missing something? Or is it really just marketing hype?

I've been through the purchasing loop with golf and cars and running shoes, and if I understand you correctly - that the magazines and industry are set up to sell you stuff you don't need - I completely agree. All leisure industries are run on the same basis; selling more stuff this year than last. Is the stuff measurably different from one another? Yes. Will the difference affect you? My answer is no, 99 times out of 100.

It's the indian, not the arrow; the driver, not the car; the skier, not the ski, and so on.

So my approach was to buy skis of the type I wanted, but not be overly concerned with this brand or that, this colour or that, etc.

Unfortunately this school of thought must break down somewhere, because I golf with exotic japanese imports and drive a Porsche. :roll:

Well I always buy skis on a certain shape I want. After that don't care what the brand is. Have said before, everyone should have min 2 pairs of skis (beauty of renting), piste skis should be <75mm and offspiste should be 100-110mm. Everything in-between fits into bracket of average because manufacturers are just making a compromise ski for mass market. Basically bit boring onpiste and bit narrow offpiste.

Ranchero_1979 wrote:Well I always buy skis on a certain shape I want. After that don't care what the brand is. Have said before, everyone should have min 2 pairs of skis (beauty of renting), piste skis should be <75mm and offspiste should be 100-110mm. Everything in-between fits into bracket of average because manufacturers are just making a compromise ski for mass market. Basically bit boring onpiste and bit narrow offpiste.

Totally disagree with this.
Owning 2 pairs as a uk based skier is completely impractical and whilst I want to ski on and off piste, you do NOT need skis wider than 100mm underfoot to go off piste. I spent a long time researching one pair of skis to cover pretty much what I want. Having 2 pairs would cost an unreasonable amount to buy and to transport.
Different if you live out there of course.

Topic was never about practicalities of carrying 2 x pair of skis, my point on renting is therefore very valid. Just like an average family guy has a family car, does not mean a 2 seat sports car and a Range Rover would not be better. Otherwise you end up with something not good offroad and a bit soft and boring onroad. Practical but a little pointless given you are on holiday trying to rip it up.

My advice if you want to be practical get 1 x pair of piste skis and then rent something fat for powder days. I have a pair of skis for touring 100mm under foot, narrow enough not to be too heavy and or flappy for kick turns, pretty medium onpiste, not enough width for really big powder days. Good compromise but still a compromise. On piste you will have much more fun with narrow skis and offpiste much more fun with something 105-110mm and some decent rocker in it.

Ranchero_1979 wrote:Well I always buy skis on a certain shape I want. After that don't care what the brand is. Have said before, everyone should have min 2 pairs of skis (beauty of renting), piste skis should be <75mm and offspiste should be 100-110mm. Everything in-between fits into bracket of average because manufacturers are just making a compromise ski for mass market. Basically bit boring onpiste and bit narrow offpiste.

Well thats me average then :thumbup:

I have had .for the last couple of years , a pair of Rossi GS race skis and this year bought a pair of wider (101) softer skis for different conditions...the difference is marked...I am so much more confident on the wider skis on this years heavy crud and the do give me the confidence to ski in powder ....but ...on the few more icy days they were naff and I used the GS ones ..the difference....but I must say I have done 4 weeks this year and have driven out so it wasn't any hardship to take them and through careful buying I am in front on the cost of hiring

Innsbrucker,
Yes those older skis take you everywhere.
Yes they are great skis.

Consider this!

Do you want your skiing experience to be better?
Do you want to use less muscle and get same effect?
Do you want to go to higher levels of "pleasure" ?

Modern skis do make skiing easier and more enjoyable.

Yes the marketing is too much, however modern skis are in a class by themselves.
Do you still drive your old Austin,,,,
Do you still use the old crank phone ?
Do you still listen on your 78 records?

Give yourself a chance o have greater pleasure.

Just a view of an old dinosaur who has no cell phone, drives a 911 and still has his Dynamic VR17s.