Recommendation for new skis?

I'm a casual skier. I own my own boots, but I've never owned a pair of skis. Always rented. I'm looking for a recommendation for my first pair of skis. I'm an intermediate skier. I ski blues and easy blacks. I'm a non-aggressive skier. I'm looking for a stable and maneuverable ski without too much vibration. I'm 5'6'' and weigh 145 lbs. I ski parallel with mid and long radius carves.

What do you recommend for my first non-rental skis?

I am sure you will get great advice from others, but here is my 2 cents.

If you can find a demo day in your area that will be a big help in your decision. Basically, I think you can have a great time on most any ski by the major brands. I love my Volkl S4's, but I really enjoyed my time on K2 Crossfires, and Atomic Metron 9's. I don't hear much of anybody who doesn't like the skis they own. :)

It sounds to me like you don't want anything too extreme - so you might want to stay away from anything known for it's stiffness, or short radius. But, don't be afraid to buy something that might "challenge" you. It would be really disappointing to buy one that feels easy now, and next year realize that it just isn't enough ski for you.

I got some metron 9's, havent used them yet! How did you find them? Demo day is the best idea but not always available to everyone :(

Metron M9 is a great all round ski. Carves Like crazy, but won't kick back at you when your not ready.

Trencher

Trencher nailed it! It was a really easy ski to use. It wanted to carve, but never left me feeling like I was on too much of a ski. ;)

I am not sure what the edge bevel's from the factory are, but the ones I was on had a 1 degree base, and 3 degree side bevel. Very enjoyable.

My advice is to wait until you are in the resort as most local hire shops will hire you or let you try out several pairs before you buy.

I ended up buying the Head IC 160. The model has been discontinued, so I bought on sale for $200.00. A friend of mine had bought the same skis a few years ago, but he paid $900.00 for them.

Looks like a good ski for your intended use. Did that price include bindings ? Was it an intergrated binding? I see there are versions with and without intergrated sytems.

I prefer skis with intergrated binding systems. Not just for the flex charecteristcs, but also for the ease of adjustment.

On a comparison note, I saw these were selling for about $200 US w/o bindings, $250 with.


Trencher