Category: Gear

What a treat it was to ski on the 2011 Icelantic Shaman Skis. My favorite part of skiing the Shaman is that you felt like you were surfing on the snow. Especially in crud and heavy snow they not only plow but just keep you on top of everything. Best way to describe the Icelantic Shaman with its 160-110-130 shape it really felt like you were surfing not skiing. Just lay back and ride the wave no matter what kind of crud, chop or powder you have. In the trees they were excellent you just kind of pointed them where you wanted them to go and they would do it. You could pivot on the tail of the ski which was a blast when you got onto groomers because you could really load up the tail in a turn and accelerate out of it with even more speed than you went into it with. If you really love the feeling of just being on top of the snow when everyone else is struggling the Icelantic Shaman is an excellent choice. As for sizing I can see why the 173cm is the pic length, however Even at 5’6″ I still really enjoyed the feel of the 184cm length. With the 160cm tip you can easily initiate a turn and if stability is what you are looking for the Icelantic Shaman Skis have an amazing ability to just stick to the snow even at higher speeds on firm conditions. Again Icelantic did an excellent job of producing a ski that will ski anywhere on the mountain with a design that is unlike anyone else.

Salomon for 2011 has come out with a ski called the Salomon Sentinel. With dimensions of 129-95-121 the Salomon Sentinel is a quicker turning ski than that of the Volkl Mantra and with a Bamboo layer and 300mm of Rocker the Sentinel is a livelier more energetic ski than that of the Mantra. Also, with a squared tail it is even easier to use this ski as a backcountry or slackcountry ski with skins. This ski not only has a sandwich sidewall construction but they also put wider edges with edge reinforcement which is an upgrade that the Volkl Mantra needs to be skied in places like Taos and Mammoth where the rocks will just tear out edges in one hard turn. Salomon really did some great research in making this ski and I feel it has been years since they have had some focus with their ski line up, but this year they are getting more focused and with an all new AT/BC/Alpine Boot series out Salomon is really going for the Freeride market again and that hasn’t happened since the Spaceframe 1080 and the Pocket Rocket. If you want an extremely stable ski that will play in bumps and trees and deep snow but you want to pay less money then even better the Sentinel Skis are going to sell for even less money than the Mantra.

The 2011 Icelantic Keeper Skis is a brand new ski from Icelantic and at 119mm in the waist it is their widest waisted ski in the line up. The Icelantic Keeper was a more versatile ski than I thought it was going to be. It is geared more towards powder days but thanks to a tight turn radius they will ski very well on groomed slopes as well. They want to stay charging down the fall line and are great for skiing the side of the trail hard. Like all Icelantic skis the Keeper has no problem keeping an edge on firm snow and at high speeds. If you want a versatile powder ski the Icelantic Keeper would be a great choice for you. They do ski short so do not size down in this ski you will want all the length that you feel comfortable with.

Had a wonderful time trying out the 2011 Icelantic Nomad Skis this weekend. Conditions were packed powder/firm in many places but it did not matter for the Nomad it would go anywhere on the mountain that you wanted to take it and with a lot of power to boot. With an 18m turn radius the Icelantic Nomad skis loved skiing straight down the fall line and high speeds. When pushed up snow was in the way it did not matter they would just absorb the bump and keep on carving down the face. Extremely good edge hold for a ski at 105mm’s in the waist and the the lack of weight does not affect the rigidity of the ski, even the Nomad Soft would hold at higher speeds with no problem at all. If you were thinking of getting a Volkl Gotama or a K2 obsethed and you are looking for a lighter weight sidewall ski that is handmade in Colorado then I would highly recommend that you look a little more into the Icelantic Nomad Skis. At 190lbs the 181cm was the perfect length. They seem to feel shorter than they actually are which is a great thing when they get into powder conditions. If you are looking for an ultimate one ski quiver or a versatile Alpine Touring/Slack Country Ski the Icelantic Nomad is a top choice for sure.

In 2010 Line went to a metal matrix in the Line Celebrity 90 skis for hard charging women that wanted some beef underfoot much like like that of the Volkl Aura. However for the 2011 season Line has decided to change things up with a new ski called the Line Celebrity 100 which has the metal matrix in it. This will be where hard charging women who want a one ski quiver ski will want to go. For lighter weight women are women that are looking for a softer flexing ski the Line Celebrity 90 for 2011 will not have any metal in it, so if you are looking for the Celebrity 90 with metal you should be buying the 2010 version before they are gone for good. This is one of the best selling women’s all mountain skis on the market and a favorite among ski shops that know what they are talking about.

So I picked up a pair of the Rossignol S7, which is the Will Barras piece in the seven artistic sins line up, and took them out for a few laps the other day. As I was riding the lift I was thinking to myself it might be a good idea to take an easy run and see how they feel before I really let em rip, especially considering I had’t skied a fresh set of edges in who knows how long. I picked the steepest line I could find and scrapped the take it easy idea. I aired blindly over a knoll and once I was at a heart rate raising height off the ground I realized there was nothing but deep hot doggin’ bumps to land in. At 188 in length and some serious beef under foot I wasn’t expecting these skis to be all that quick. They claim it has something to do with the taper in the tail, I think its just magic, because those things moved like lightning and I rode out with a serious shot of adrenaline. I’ve had a little time to ski them in the trees as well, and they have been much easier than expected to maneuver around the tight spots. The slight bit of camber underfoot allows the ski to perform well on the hard pack and groomed stuff, and I had no problem letting them go fast. If you haven’t really dipped into the rockered stuff yet, this is a great ski to do it. More of a directional ski, but still twin tipped, the S7 rips. If you’re debating on sizes, go bigger, they ski smaller.

One of the best new women’s skis on the market is the 2010 Line Pandora Skis. This ski is a women’s version of the Line Sir Francis Bacon and is probably the most versatile women’s powder ski on the market at 115mm in the waist. If you are a women and you are looking for a ski that will destroy it in all conditions the Lien Pandora is a ski you should be looking at. It turns as quick as a slalom ski on the groomers and floats with ease on the deepest of powder days. I would suggest getting a Salomon Z10 or a Marker Griffon binding on this ski. Not to mention the Line Pandora has one of the best graphics of any women’s ski that we have ever seen. Get your Pandora’s now as Line has already sold out of 2 of the key sizes in this ski.

The new 2010 Volkl Gotama Junior Skis are a great addition to the Volkl line up. With one of the first junior skis with tip and tail rocker their Volkl Gotama Jr. will be sure to sell out quickly. The 158cm length is a wonderful tweener ski and a ski that not many companies have. If your kid weighs under 130lbs and is not ready for an adult ski but is still a very solid skier you really should consider looking into the Volkl Gotama Jr Ski. It skis very well all-mountain and really skis well when you get it on steep and deep terrain. If your kid needs a ski to keep up with you this is a great choice for 2010.

The 2010 Volkl Mantra was supposed to be the same as the 2008 and 2009 except for a different topsheet graphic, however after comparing the 3 skis the 2010 is totally different from the 2008 and 2009. With the thickness of the ski different I decided to weigh the ski and see what the weight difference was and to my surprise the new 2010 Volkl Mantra in a 170cm weighed almost the same as the 2009 Volkl Aura. This is not what I expect out of Volkl. Remember that a bend is not considered a warranty as it is not a manufacturer’s defect. Volkl has accepted very few bent Mantra’s back as warranty the past year or two so this is a major concern for those looking to purchase the new 2010 Volkl Mantra. It looks and feels as though the 2008 and 2009 Volkl Mantra models will hold up better than the new 2010 version which seems too light for what it is. I would only suggest the new 2010 if you are  a lighter weight skier. If you are not then the 2009 is going to be your best option so buy before they are all gone!

2008/2009 Volkl Mantra Weight                                    2010 Volkl Mantra Weight

170cm – 8.38 lbs                                                                       170cm – 7.70 lbs                            

177cm – 9 lbs                                                                               177cm – Not in Stock

184cm – 9.45 lbs                                                                         184cm – 8.9 lbs

I would be interested to hear other people’s opinions on this matter.