Help me decide on a ski for a relative.

[east tx skier]

Okay,this will be a tad long winded.  Please bear with me.  My wife'scousin is a long time slalom skier and even taught in his younger years. He is a good skier, better than the rest of us in the family, even though heonly is able to get on the water a fraction of the time each season.  Heis about to get his MBA while working full time with a family and the family(there are lots of siblings and cousins that are very close) are going to chipin and buy him a new ski.  My question:  What should he get?

 

Heis currently riding (and has been for a long time) and old O'Brien LaPoint65.5" ski (wow!) with Advantage bindings.  My guess is he weighsapproximately 160 lbs.  Even without regular skiing, I've pulled him into28 off at 34 mph. 

Thisis a surprise, so we won't be demoing.  His basis of comparison is prettyskewed, so I figure he will probably like it and adjust rather than likesomething more or less like most of us who have skied a little variety in thelast four of five years tend to do. 

 

We'llprobably be looking to pick up some used Wiley's bindings so the transition inthat department won't be too abrupt.  I think he's a size medium, but willcheck.  Also, I figure 66" is about right for ski length.

 

Moneyis somewhat of a concern since we're going in on this with a lot of people.  His parents may put a little extra toward theski, but a good deal never hurts.  I'm always looking for something bestdescribed as the best bang for the buck.  So used in great condition willhave to be an option.

 

Alot of times, I've heard that if you're riding one kind of ski, certain brandsare an easier transition than others, i.e., if you're on an O'Brien, getanother O'Brien or a Connelly.  But I'm thinking in this case, because ofthe age of what he has been riding as long as I've known him, anything he getswill be radically different and brand will be less than crucial.  So I'mposting some pictures of his ski style/stance so that someone might be able tosuggest a ski that would suit him.  Sometimes, his position is notperfect, but the shots are pretty good examples of how I remember seeing himski.

 

Thanksin advance for giving this a think for us.

 

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/dnortonames/KB%20Ski%20pics/Kenneth2BallPreturn.jpg

 

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/dnortonames/KB%20Ski%20pics/Kenneth2BallPreturn2.jpg

 

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/dnortonames/KB%20Ski%20pics/KennethPreturnto1Ball.jpg

 

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/dnortonames/KB%20Ski%20pics/KennethPullto3withboat.jpg

 

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/dnortonames/KB%20Ski%20pics/KennethPullingHardfor3Ball.jpg

 

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j262/dnortonames/KB%20Ski%20pics/KennethPullto246.jpg

[Horton]

Anything is better then the ski he has.  If you want an O'Brien, I really like the SS. There is one at Deals and Demos http://ballofspray.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=71

I also have some 67 MPDs CHEAP!

Let me know if I can help.

Horton

[Ed_Obermeier]

An MPD is a fairly user friendly ski, and at his apparent ability level I'd think he'd take right to it and do really well on it.  I have a regular ski buddy about your wifes cousins size I moved onto a 67" a couple of years ago (with much prodding) who went from mid 22 off to running 32 last year for the first time i.e.  For what Horton has those 67's priced at I don't see how you could go wrong.  My $0.02.

Ed

[east tx skier]

Thanks, everyone.  Keep the suggestions coming.  I saw those MPD deals and they are quite nice.  So are you saying he'd be better off on a 67 than a 66?

[mike55]

Performance Ski and Surf...66" 2008 Sixam 2-point 499... blue top...if they still have any left. I think he will rip on a traditional width 67 too.

Mike

[east tx skier]

So is the consensus 67 on a traditional width ski and 66 on a 34 mph style wider ski?  Or is he in between and could go either way. 

[Horton]

160# at 34 MPH can to 66 or 67. I think in most cases the 66 might be a safer call.

For the A1 I would go 66

I rode the Sixam 2 for a season but think the SS is way better. 66 is the way to go there.

For the MPD the 66 would be best but I think the 67 would work.

 

[east tx skier]

Just the answer I needed.  Thanks!

[miski]

I would just comment that you are doing a very cool thing...  my uncle prodded me to ski at a family reunion 2 years ago after 20+ years off, and now I am skiing as much as possibly and having all the fun that I did when I was 18. (I had to go get my own new ski though!)

You should try to get a modern jacket thrown in w/ the ski - those straps wreck your elbows...

 

[DanE]

Imho of the skis mentioned above I would pick the Sixam SS.If I remember it right older skis have a little bit rounder edges and are more prone to slide around the completion of the turns a bit.

The SS is of course a modern ski but it still works if one try to force it around the turns without doing anything funny, now I´m not saying it likes to be manhandled but one can still get away with it.

MPD on the other hand is a sharp bevel,skiing on a rail kind of ski that will not tolerate any pushing through the turns or  overly agressive pulls, on the contrary one needs to be patient in the turns and pull more like the west coast style to make it work.

All that said I think it would be an easier transition going from an older ski to the SS rather than the MPD as I´ve skied them both.

[east tx skier]

Good thought on the SS.  Miski, thanks for the kind words.  He's a good guy and he really lights up when he has the chance to get on the water.  My brother in law is close enough to get him behind a boat pretty often.  Other than that, my wife's cousin's parents have an old Ski Ray that they've been known leave with him to use and maintain for a month or two at a time since he sold his old Supra.

[RichardDoane]

I've got a 66 A-1 for $650 that's in like-new condition if you're interested.

[east tx skier]

Certainly a good deal, but since we're doing this collaboratively and are also having to buy bindings, it's, unfortunately, out of our price range.  Thanks anyway.