Ahahahaha....I'm going tele skiing in Feb!!

[Woodserson]

Used or new? There was/is an automatic 102 as well, maybe a bit more versatile.

Skis with some rocker ski shorter because the effective edge is as long as a shorter ski. So you get more schmearability for the length you choose compared to a trad cambered ski at the same length.

Check out the Outcast 97C by the Fey brothers too. Under $600, paulownia core but not a superlite ski, just apparently a little snappier than the Pariah 97. I ski the Pariah in a 177 and it's great for me, I could probably get away with the 184 if I was 175lbs-ish and skiing out west.

There are tons of skis in this category and most of them are good.

I love my older generation Vantages, but when Atomic reconfigured the line they made them very light and very stiff, they are just weird, and according to my ski shop friends they ski not so great and Atomic is killing the line this winter. If you can get an Atomic Vantage 95 and it's RED then you're good,... stby...

THIS: https://aspinockwoods.com/shop/ols/prod ... 77eedba355

$400 and I don't think you can go wrong, dude. (well it wouldn't be wrong for me. do your own research)

[Pealer]

Sticking with Atomic... how bout the bentchetler 100? It's the ski I've been eyeing. Affordable, all round versatility inbounds and out, traditional woodcore, a bit of camber but modern design. The guys at Freeheel Life were pretty stoked on it as a tele ski, and it's not even one they sell.

[bauerb]

the Advantage 95 is what I have now. they are completely delaminated on both tails, but I like the width and shape. I like that apsinockwoods website because things are on sale and I can order a ski/binding combo mounted.

[Montana St Alum]

the Advantage 95 is what I have now. they are completely delaminated on both tails, but I like the width and shape. I like that apsinockwoods website because things are on sale and I can order a ski/binding combo mounted.

Are you going from North East conditions to a month of skiing up at Whitefish, and are you looking for something specific to northern Montana conditions? And, you said you are built "solid". Does that mean heavy?

I'm 5'8" tall and 160 pounds. I wouldn't recommend it, but I skied one+ season on a pair of 185cm Armada JJ's - 116mm and a 2.0 version of 117mm underfoot and it was about perfect for me. It only had about 140cm of edge when tilted over and generated a tight 16m turn radius! It was also phenomenal in over a foot of powder even when windblown or with breakable crust. I got a pair of 175 JJ's and except in very tight trees in unskied conditions, it was not nearly as useful as the 185's.

If you were going to get one pair of skis for a place like Jay Peak, I'd think something like the 97 underfoot would be fine, even short. If we get a good season, I think that would be sub-optimum for Whitefish. They get BIG dumps and with a PNW flow, the snow can, on occasion, be heavy. I'd look hard at stuff close to 1-5 underfoot, frankly, that gets good reviews for groomers as well. In other word, a good powder ski that does well on groomers, not a good groomer ski that does well in powder.

I skied 7 seasons in Montana on 207cm VR17's when I weighed 135 pounds.....we know we CAN do it, but why would we want to? We've gotten older and smarter!

About 10 seasons ago, on the JJ's with T2 Eco boots (and also on 3 buckle Tx boots and Freeride bindings), I put together a video of skiing that combo in different conditions for my cousin who was considering them. I think you could get away with wider skis, up in Montana, for sure.

This was at The Canyons/Park City in variable conditions.

[bauerb]

I live on the east coast but don't really ski in the east anymore( I grew up in VT skiing ice). I am looking for 1 pair of skis that I will use out west. this winter is Montana, but in the future could be Utah, Wyoming, Colorado etc. so the more I think about it, what I need are skis for out west. if I happen to ski in the east, I can use either my old vantage 95's or my old Rossi Sickbirds( or powder birds, I forget, but they have a narrow waist by todays standard). by "built solid" I mean I'm 5'11 and 190lbs, but I have no real fat because I run 25-40 miles/week. my legs are pretty built up from endurance trail running etc. in football terms, I'm sized like a running back I suppose.

for boots I ski in some pretty burly 4-buckle Scarpa TXpro( the yellow and black ones). I only ski on lift served trails.

cool video. for reference, I ski more like the guy in the green jacket in the beginning of the video. shorter radius, snappier turns. I do not ski backwards however...

[Montana St Alum]

I live on the east coast but don't really ski in the east anymore( I grew up in VT skiing ice). I am looking for 1 pair of skis that I will use out west. this winter is Montana, but in the future could be Utah, Wyoming, Colorado etc. so the more I think about it, what I need are skis for out west. if I happen to ski in the east, I can use either my old vantage 95's or my old Rossi Sickbirds( or powder birds, I forget, but they have a narrow waist by todays standard). by "built solid" I mean I'm 5'11 and 190lbs, but I have no real fat because I run 25-40 miles/week. my legs are pretty built up from endurance trail running etc. in football terms, I'm sized like a running back I suppose.

for boots I ski in some pretty burly 4-buckle Scarpa TXpro( the yellow and black ones). I only ski on lift served trails.

I also grew up skiing back east. It's not ice unless you can read a newspaper through it!

Yeah, I'm on Tx Pros and Meidjos now. At your height/weight/experience you could drive 192cm Armada ARV 116's - easily. Now, that's a huge leap of faith and you'd be betting on a great powder year. I only point that out because the idea of you running around up at Whitefish on 172cm anythings - especially less than 100 underfoot (unless it's a dedicated bump ski) really does not compute!

I love my 172 Rustlers, but they are outgunned at 102 underfoot in over a foot of variable powder and I'm 30 pounds lighter and 3" shorter. It's why I got a pair of 182's (I just hope they work out....always a leap of faith when you get on new skis you've never tried) after finally getting rid of my 185cm JJ's.

I also have a pair of 165cm Vantage 85 CTI's, but they really are dedicated bump skis.

But if I were heading up to heli-ski or something equally powder dedicated, I'd be on something like 187 Hoji's at 112 underfoot - minimum. My son is 6' tall and 160 and loves them for back country days in the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon runs.

My other son is 5'8" and 150 on the same skis, 187 Hoji's, but he skis Alaska.

BTW, the ARV's are on sale: https://www.levelninesports.com/armada- ... is%20175cm

I've always skied them at, or slightly forward of the -2.5cm line without seeing much difference. The one time I skied them mounted aft of that, it had a negative effect on the playfulness, quickness and overall fun factor. Like they'd been sedated!

All of those were of me skiing the JJ's.
Green and red jacket was the original JJ on T2 Ecos and the orange jacket at the end was on JJ 2.0's and Tx/NTN's.

[bauerb]

I like the graphics on the Armadas. very cool. I need to get over my mental block on skis the width of "water skis". I also need to come to terms with longer skis...

[bauerb]

these could be cool https://aspinockwoods.com/shop/ols/prod ... be39df1e3b

[Montana St Alum]

these could be cool https://aspinockwoods.com/shop/ols/prod ... be39df1e3b

Killer graphics, especially the 2020/21!
Great looking design!
https://www.icelanticskis.com/products/ ... ioneer-109

This, from a review on their web site:
" I’m a fairly small guy (5’7”, 155 lbs), and I’m on the 182’s. I’ve had no problems making quick turns to dodge and slalom the early season brush, they feel nice and stable plowing through firmed up crud, and they carve really well for such a big ski. Of course, they also totally kill it in deep snow."
https://www.icelanticskis.com/collectio ... ioneer-109

I know you hesitate to get the bigger ski, but the 182 is what I would ski (I'd consider the 190, if I lived in Alta Wyoming or Fernie, BC! Kind of like "what bike would I get if I lived in Moab".) and the 190's are available at REI and backcountry, at least.
Blister reviews both the Nomads, 105 and the 115 favorably, but they don't mention the Pioneer 109. I think Blister puts both of those with a flex pattern similar to the original JJ, but with a more moderate (some would say sane!) rocker profile. I get the sense that the 109 is a bit stiffer - maybe about like the M-Free 108's that I got.

Looks like a "Powder Mag" skier's choice for 2017, and I kind of doubt it's changed much.

[bauerb]

I am looking at the Icelandic 109 in the 182cm length. the 20/21 design is very cool, but I'm ok with last years design for $200 less.