Eurotrash

In the years since I started downhill skiing seriously in High School, I've owned nearly every brand of ski around - K2, Rossignol, Olin (best ski ever from an explosives company), Kastle, Atomic, Fischer, Yamaha (yep, they made skis for a while, too), Line, and probably a few others I can't recall. I remember some great ones (the Olin 930s and Fischer RX9's immediately come to mind), some bad ones (the Atomics - can't recall the model but they flex about as much as a battleship), and some scary ones (K2 VO Slaloms).

Now I've ended up with two brands I've never owned, which is a bit surprising to me - Volkl and Blizzard. I've had the Volkl RTM 84's since late last season and written about them a few times here. Great all-around ski. Solid in all but the deepest powder, great on groomers, and even hold an edge well on ice. At 84mm underfoot, I'd call it a "mid". These are my first rockered skis, and the difference in turn initiation is definitely noticeable. In fact, on my first outing, I actually had to back off as I was overpowering them. My only real issue is the length - at 171cm - is a bit shorter than I think I'd like. At 6'0" and 205 pounds, I'd really like to be on the 176 or even the 181. But I scored a late season BARGAIN and that's all they had. I definitely give up some stability at higher speeds, though I do gain some maneuverability in tight spots.

I've really enjoyed the Volkls over the dozen or so days I've skied them. Which got me to thinking - maybe it's time to replace the fat boys (Line Prophet 100's) with a rockered ski. After all, the rocker trend started with powder boards. I already own a set of Marker bindings that could be readily swapped over. My last day skiing this year, I rode the chairlift with a guy on Blizzard Bonafide's. He'd just gotten them, but was really happy with his choice. On a recent visit to Sun and Snow Sports, I found out that owner Rob Parent is also skiing on these and loves them. I've really come to trust Rob's judgement, so this endorsement means a lot to me. After some dialogue, an end-of-season deal is struck and I'm buying a pair.

Next choice -- how long? Rob's still got most of the sizes in. I'm debating between the 180cm and 187cm. Most of the articles I found online suggest that a typical rockered board skis about 5-10cm shorter than it's traditional cambered equivalent. My Line's were 185cm. In general, I'd say that I liked that length overall, though I could have gone a touch shorter for better control in tighter quarters. Given those factors, I opted for the 187cm. I'm sure they'll be just fine in MI, as I tend to ski more fast, open runs here. Out West, I'm not much for trees, so I think they'll be solid. I don't ski a lot of tight spots out there and I think the added stability will be a benefit for skiing faster, and having more edge should help with mushy, tracked-out powder.

While I've owned a number of skis with European pedigrees, Volkl and Blizzard are two that really haven't been "Americanized" like Rossignol or Atomic. So, I guess I'm Eurotrash now! Time for a one-piece "fartbag" ski suit and a perpetually dangling cigarette.

BTW, the title of this post was intended in a fun, frivolous spirit - it was actually inspired by Cracker's "Eurotrash Girl". I'm just very entertained by the cultural differences when I head out West and encounter Germans and Swiss hiding out over here. Always been nice people and it's always an interesting chairlift ride!

Looking forward to unleashing these monsters next season!

-Sean-