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Best skis for an old codger, who thinks he's better than he really is
Long-standing Ski Club Member Anthony Stockman wrote to the Club seeking advice on a new pair of skis. We passed his message to Member & Operations Executive Henry John (our unofficial ski aficionado):
AS: As an ageing skier of 71, having started rather late (when I was 40), I’m after a bit of advice or opinion on replacing my skis.
I’m getting on a bit now – and my skills have waned a little, along with my fitness. I currently have a pair of ARMADA ARV 96’S and a pair of ATOMIC Vantage 95C’s, both 170cm. I’ve also had the Vantage 90 CTi’s and 100’s, but I sold those on.
Salomon Lords were a great ski, because not only were they great in powder, but they were also well behaved on fast hard-pack downhill. In all, over the past 30+ years, I’ve had about 25 pairs of skis, but now I only want to pick up a pair that will last me until I drop.
This is where you guys come in: I’ve been reading your ski tests in the latest comic and am looking for a good all-rounder, that’s easy to live with, but won’t pucker the sphincter when I’m blasting down smooth-ish but fast piste, trying to make the last lift back over the mountain. Dougie Mill and Mark Jones spring to mind in the comments section.
I’m torn between Salomon MTN EXPLORE 95 169cm (even though they’re a touring ski), the QST 99 167cm (I’m 5’7” and weight in at 11 stone if I don’t eat too much), or the HEAD KORE 99, or whatever you chaps think might be suitable for geriatric wannabee, who still thinks he’s not lost it quite yet. Whatever else, they need to be steady on fast piste with good edge hold as well as being forgiving in powder. You may of course say – None of these, but I hope you’ll point me in the right direction!!
HJ: Straight off the bat, you are already looking in the right area and have a couple of very good suggestions under your belt. All-mountain skis can be attacked from two directions - on-piste skis that are modified to go off-piste, or off-piste skis that are modified to go on. In the past five years or so, the availability of the latter has gone through the roof in both quality and quantity, meaning the best skis on the market, in my opinion, are all-mountain freeride-derived skis. I believe each brand's best offering is currently their 90-100mm all mountain ski.
As mentioned, you’re looking at a very high-quality selection already. The two Salomon offerings are terrific skis, and I would highly recommend the QSTs out of the pair. Salomon has got the latest QST range absolutely spot-on, offering brilliant on-piste control with great support in the powder, all whilst balancing stiffness and power perfectly. The QST range is one of the few true all-mountain AND touring set-ups available - offering boots, skis and now bindings - and by striking a middle ground between all three disciplines they have created kit that is both powerful and forgiving, playful and precise.
Antony Stockman pictured with “the last pair of skis ever”
The Head Kores are also nice, but I fear will play second fiddle to the Salomon range in this instance. I would have recommended the Atomic Vantage 90 or 100 CTIs, but I fear this may be a somewhat sensitive area if you had a pair of those and moved them on recently…
Other recommendations would be the Volkl Kendo 92 or Mantra 102, both of which have had a refresh for this this year from an already brilliant ski. A change in the layout of the Titanium and Carbon core has increased the strength of the ski whilst not drastically changing stiffness, allowing an improvement in the stability of the ski while creating something malleable and playful when you need it. The Kendo 88 has won ski of the year from a number of publications and, as similar changes have been made in similar models, I expect these wider skis to be equally good fun.
I would recommend having a good hard think about the kind of skiing you usually do and therefore which waist width is most appropriate for you. Anywhere between 90 and 100mm is perfect for the kind of all-mountain ski you are after, but if you know you do much more piste skiing than powder, consider going for something towards the bottom end, such as a 90, 92 or 95 - which many of the models we are discussing come in - and vice versa if you ski much more powder; closer to 98, 99 or 100mm for this. The differences between a 92 and a 99 model, such as the range available with the QSTs, will be barely perceptible, and a good skier such as yourself will be able to modify your technique suitably to make the most out of either ski both on-piste and off.
If you are able, I would highly recommend taking a pair of your current skis to an indoor real-snow centre somewhere around the UK, as they each have an Ellis Brigham or Snow+Rock attached to them, which will allow you to demo skis for free. While they may not have the precise model you are after, you should be able to get a good feel for the range of skis available and compare them to your older models. Try the skis thinking hard about what you’re feeling underfoot, and you will be able to gauge fairly effectively their power, grip and stability even on the manufactured surface.
I hope this has been of use to you. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with any further questions you may have.
AS: After Henry’s email, and a subsequent phone call with him, I was torn between the Salomon QST 92 and 99’s (and the MTN 95’s, because they were supposedly forgiving and confidence inspiring) but in the end opted for the 99’s, based on our conversation. They are now sitting pristine and beautiful in my office.
Your staff have been more than helpful; the ‘proof of the pudding’ will be in strapping them on next season and hopefully ending up with a ‘Cheshire Cat smile’ at the bottom of the run. I’ll let you know……………………………
Instructor-led Guiding in Méribel
I have just returned from a week in Méribel [February 2020]. My group of five friends all booked onto the first session of on-piste ILG for our first morning's skiing.
We met our instructor, Alessandro Marmiere, at the bottom of the Tougnette Bubble at 9:30am. He was wearing the distinctive orange ski jacket of the New Generation Ski School, which was new to us. We were introduced to Ray, another Ski Club member.
I explained that we were a range of "intermediate skiers" and that four of us had skied in Méribel before but not necessarily at the same time. We were a mixed ability group who wanted to recollect the routes after a few years’ skiing in other resorts. It seemed to me to present Alessandro with quite a challenge!
I should add that I persuaded one of my friends to join the Ski Club in order to save £20 on the cost of the session and get various other benefits. She feels that it was well-worthwhile and definitely gained confidence from starting the week with the instructor.
We set off up the Saulire Express to the middle station, skied down to the Loze Chair from where we headed across to Courchevel. After a quick visit to La Tania, we returned to Dou des Lanches, skiing back into Courchevel 1850 to take the Verdons gondola and Saulire cable car to return to Méribel Centre. Everyone enjoyed the experience and we happily accepted Alessandro's recommendation for lunch - L'Adret Télébar at the start of the Adret chair lift, conveniently close to our chalet hotel at Rond Pointe. I skied with Alessandro and Ray again, off-piste, mid-week and found it useful but tough.
I disagree with Martin Larcombe, writing in the spring 2020 issue of Ski+board Snowmail. On-piste Instructor-led Guiding is very useful: it provides a safe environment for groups of people to ski together who would otherwise either ski alone or pay ridiculous prices for ESF private guides. In order to explore further afield, I booked an ESF private guide for a morning on-piste at the end of the week. The price for two of us was £198. Booking New Gen in resort is not cheap either. So, the Ski Club deal - £60 for two with ILG - is fantastic value. Please keep it up!
Jacky Snowden
Social skiing in Mürren
I had a great week in Mürren in January 2020, made all the better for being able to ski with Colin the Rep and other Ski Club members. This social skiing is, I believe fundamental to the Club. No matter how many discounts and magazines you offer, being able to turn up in a resort and go skiing with the Ski Club Rep and other members is why I am a member. I can pay any local ski school for a guide - what I can’t pay for is camaraderie.
While I am writing, Colin McAlister in Mürren was brilliant! More of the same please.
Nicky Horstmann