This was a good video by you. The info was current and correct and easy to understand. For someone going to a ski swap, this will really help them. You might add if you have unusual feet (shape, width, issues) then finding an expert boot fitter is really important to do modifications to your boots to make them comfortable. Also good to educate the public that plastic boots can be easily expanded where needed by a boot fitter.
Sometimes people forget that flex in a warm ski shop isn't the flex on the mountain when it's cold, and they could end up in a boot that is stiffer than they really need. Going to a good boot fitter at a shop is super important to ensure the correct size and fit, and to work on any hot spots without going into a boot that's too large to correct the issue.
Hey Elliot, I really like your reviews, good job. I am from Australia and don't get to ski as much as I would like but when I do I think it's great fun. I recently just bought a pair of Salomon QST 92's for my trip to the US and Canada this year and then came across your channel and was pretty chuffed with my choice. I am no expert but if fun is your priority then you can't go wrong with QST's. I had hired them before and just think they are great value for money. Anyway, when I was younger I had a lot of trouble with ski boots. I finally got a pair of Lange's fitted for me in Vail one year by a guy who apparently fitted boots for the US ski team and have had no pain since. These boots are now old (over 10 years) and have done over 200 days on the mountain. They appear to be still in good condition. Because of the trouble I had in the past I am reluctant to get a new pair. As I said, I am no expert and would value your opinion on getting a new pair. I noticed in Alta last year that a few people were still using the exact same boot. Thanks, Damien.
Hey Damien! thanks for the nice comment. I would absolutely get new boots, they're the most important piece of equipment and 10 years is way too long. You may see people out there with those boots, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea. I say this as someone that 5 years ago in 2018 was still using my 2007 Lange Baby Blue Race boots from Julia Mancuso (mine were 11 years old on their last season). It's time for an upgrade, It's easy to feel like they're perfect because they're molded to your foot. But once you get a new pair, you'll feel just how much less brittle and stiff the plastic is when you flex, how much more padded the liners are. Just do it. The good news is, you know what type of boot works for you and that's Lange. When you go try boots on in the shop, bring your old boots with you so they can figure out the width and flex that you typically like. I've reached out to Lange to see if I can review their shadow line, but haven't heard word yet, but fingers crossed. Overall though, treat yourself. Life is too short to have old old boots.
Hi Elliot, great reviews, and I appreciate your straightforward and honest options. Could you please make a video for a beginner skier on ski sizes and the difference between skis types. Thank you! 🫶
Totally! It's not exactly what you're looking for, but I feel like this is a really good introduction to shape skis, An Intro to Carving, the different Lingo in ski types. You might find this helpful if you haven't already seen it: th-cam.com/video/AOrxHVJoKLA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MPudQ3VmTXTvMmO2
One thing to note before the flex check, or while doing it: check your neutral stance in the boot. 80% of the people who happen to just fit into a boot standard won't probably notice this, but for example skinny legs like mine, will have some notable side-effects when fitting boots. The back of the boot cuff is the fixed part, the buckles push the front backwards. So, for skinnier legs, it's really easy to 'over-tighten' the cuff, causing the stance to be too upright. Effectively meaning that you won't be able to flex the boot as it was meant to be flexed, as your leverage is pushed too far back. Also will cause techical difficulties on the slopes. And since the boot has been tightened too much, also the boot flex will be 'over index'. So, you might want to back the buckles on the cuff a notch, stand up, and stand on your feet so that the weight is evenly distributed on the whole foot - from heel to toes. This is something that you would be standing on an easy slope, for example. And in this stance your shin should be touching the tongue of the boot, not too light, not too heavy. This may leave some excess room to the back side of the cuff, but it won't matter too much for initial flex test. Enter: the spoilers. (Or a piece of cardboard, newspaper, etc. for a temporary wedge). Plug up the excess room at the back of the boot, and you'll be golden.
skis have changed so much since the "straight skis." my skiing style was more about putting into the ski than getting out of the ski.. it seams like your style is more about getting out of the ski.. it sounds like the mantra is more on the enforcer side with that.. probably also the bonifide side.. i went up the lift with this guy that got a killer deal on some DPS Pagoda.. I am not sure if I was on my DPS Foundation but he asked me what he thought about his skis that he was on.. I told him that my guess would be that his skis would be too reactionary for me.. Then he kind of freaked and asked if he shouldn't be on them.. I told him to talk to others who ski DPS Pagoda and I said that everyone else that I talked to who skis DPS Pagoda says there is no other ski.. I also told him that if he is just learning how to ski then he can build his skiing style around those skis and that I already have a skiing style... fascinating stuff.. i should try the Maverick TI just to see.. i probably can handle a little energy coming out of the ski but not too much..
Atomic Mavericks are definitely worth trying if you get a chance, if you like a ski that you can really put into you may like the k2 mindbender or the Volkl Mantra, but just my 2 cents.
Guess I lucked out being at Whiteface when Stockli was there. Tested 3-4 skis that day. All felt unique. There is definitely something special about those skis. But 1600$. I'll just hang on to the memories. got a chance to test my new head Kore 87's at the Big snow place in NJ. They had a similar edge feel to the stocklis. Of course hard to really push them on 160 vertical, but can't wait to lean into them next winter.
Oh That's Awesome, hoping to Review some Kore's this season! I got really lucky and demoed some Stormriders at a Demo Day, and then found a pair kicking around the ski swap for $300 years ago. Hard to find, but if you know what you're looking for you can get lucky sometimes.
Great Question, the 98 were my ski of the year, but I didn't get a chance to try the 92's. I ski an Atomic Maverick 88 as a daily driver, so I would feel comfortable recommending the 92 for a daily driver and the 98 if you get a lot of powder. Both will be good but it just depends on what you want? Responsiveness with some powder?> Probably the 92. Powder primarily with some groomers? 98. Either way I think you'll be happy!
Awesome. I picked up the 92s since you can get them really cheap now. I live in the Midwest but go to Colorado every year. I am transitioning to skiing from snowboarding. Every review I see loves the qst line. I think the 92s will be a good all round ski for what I need in the Midwest and out West. Also picked up some look pivots on sale as recommended by a friend. I hope that's a good combo.
Really good tips Elliott. I'm a Lange guy too. 5'9", 170. From when they came out with the L10's to now with the RX 130, I've skied Langes for >15 years. They have a certain mold that fits perfectly right out of the box. And you're right... Boots are your most important piece of equipment and if don't fit right or are uncomfortable, there's no way you're going to be skiing all day. And no way you're going to be flexing them as they should. That said, a good fitting boot should flex some, but as you say not too much. They should be precise and secure-- comfortable, but not comfy. The sweet spot is so you're consistently pressing the tongues against your shins and your weight's over the balls of your feet. BTW, Look bindings rock-- love the SPX 12. I'm curious what you might think of the new Langes? In >60 years, Otto Lange hasn't changed the overall design a whole lot-- until this year. The RX line's being replaced by the Shadow 130. It has a "suspension blade" to create a linear rather than progressive flex paired with a "Dual Pivot System" so that the upper cuff flexes independent of the lower. Check it out. Lange does their research, and the few reviews I've found seem to praise it highly. I'm still skiing a 2 year old pair of 2016 RX 130's which I got on EVO in summer. Loved the boots and knew eventually, they'd discontinue them. One thing... you might want to mention Superfeet insoles are much better than stock. Also, you need to get the right last. As for the BOA system... seems pretty weak to me. Boots too soft and not a fan of all the cables.
Oh nice how do you like the RXs? I have tried so many different boots and nothing fits my foot better than a Lange/ Rossignol. Thanks for the info I will have to check that out! I am always so hesitant when they change the design of boots and shoes! I remember racing when they introduced the lace up boot liners, and I was just miserable! It was so bad I went back to my old Baby Blue Julia Mancuso Race boots, because the liners were just that miserable to ski in all day. But hopefully it's an improvement, fingers crossed. Thanks for your comment and thanks for watching!
Thanks for the tips brother. Couldn't get to a ski shop but measured my feet like 10 times and used your tips on sizing when the arrived..perfect! Do I need to go to a ski boot shop to do the memory fit thing or can it be done at home?
It depends on the brand! I asked Evo about my atomics and they said I could break them in myself, but your mileage may vary. I just wore my ski boots in the house while I edited video at the computer. Probably did it about 6-9 hours total in the fall and it seemed to work well enough for me.
I find your videos very informative. I have some Tecknica ski boots that I puchased many years ago, have not ever skiid on them as I gave up skiing. Now I want to get back into the sport. I am a size 12 shoe. The boot fitter put me in size 11 mp 29.0. Pulling out the lining my right foot has 2 + fingers at the back of the boot while my left foot has 1 +. When I flex my knees over the front of the boot my knees reach the front of the boot. In this position my toes don’t touch the front and I can wiggle them. However when I stand up straight toes touch the front in both boots. Does this mean the boots are too small? Again I have never skiid with these. Thanks for any advice! Ps. I was an intermediate years ago and I want to ski in the west. These observations apply when i was wearing a thin sock
Hard to say without seeing them IRL, but typically for a good fit you want them to not touch when flexed, and when you flex you don't want your heel coming off the ground or heel sliding out of that cup. Might be worth bringing them to s trusted boot fitter to check or the shop you bought them from
Great Video! I consider myself an intermediate skier not fully engaged in carving just yet but working to get better this year. I love the Mantras M6 and will be purchasing them soon, will these skis help me progress into carving? Or are they to advanced for me? I really want to start moving out of my skidding phase and focus more on carving this season, I feel this might be the right ski. Thoughts?
Not at all! I think these would be a fine ski to transition more into carving with! You can see my review of them here: th-cam.com/video/-OqMOElIGuc/w-d-xo.html That being said I don't think the ski is going to be overly integral to your development, and since you're newish to carving you won't have too many preferences going into it. You just want to make sure you get the right length so that you're able to stay in control and get a good feel. I Think these skis will be a great platform to stand on as you learn to build pressure on your downhill ski. I would say if you wanted a 2nd option the Fischer Rangers are also pretty nice skis for this as well since they require so little pressure to initiate, but if you like the Volkls they certainly won't impede you at all.
I have a few pair of boots that I am trying on atomic hawk prime and Salomon pro tour. They are the same 120 stiffness rating but the salomon feel like they I push forward to easily....lets my ankles flex forward so much that it seems like on the ski hill...that the 'over' flex will hurt in the ankle joint after awhile...much like when I used to snowboard. How much should the pressure on the boot tongue be able to hold you vs your ankle/calf strength with pressure into your toes when you are getting over your toes in a correct ski stance?
This was a good video by you. The info was current and correct and easy to understand. For someone going to a ski swap, this will really help them. You might add if you have unusual feet (shape, width, issues) then finding an expert boot fitter is really important to do modifications to your boots to make them comfortable. Also good to educate the public that plastic boots can be easily expanded where needed by a boot fitter.
I appreciate that!
Sometimes people forget that flex in a warm ski shop isn't the flex on the mountain when it's cold, and they could end up in a boot that is stiffer than they really need. Going to a good boot fitter at a shop is super important to ensure the correct size and fit, and to work on any hot spots without going into a boot that's too large to correct the issue.
Totally! I used to tell people this all the time
Hey Elliot, I really like your reviews, good job. I am from Australia and don't get to ski as much as I would like but when I do I think it's great fun. I recently just bought a pair of Salomon QST 92's for my trip to the US and Canada this year and then came across your channel and was pretty chuffed with my choice. I am no expert but if fun is your priority then you can't go wrong with QST's. I had hired them before and just think they are great value for money. Anyway, when I was younger I had a lot of trouble with ski boots. I finally got a pair of Lange's fitted for me in Vail one year by a guy who apparently fitted boots for the US ski team and have had no pain since. These boots are now old (over 10 years) and have done over 200 days on the mountain. They appear to be still in good condition. Because of the trouble I had in the past I am reluctant to get a new pair. As I said, I am no expert and would value your opinion on getting a new pair. I noticed in Alta last year that a few people were still using the exact same boot. Thanks, Damien.
Hey Damien! thanks for the nice comment. I would absolutely get new boots, they're the most important piece of equipment and 10 years is way too long. You may see people out there with those boots, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea. I say this as someone that 5 years ago in 2018 was still using my 2007 Lange Baby Blue Race boots from Julia Mancuso (mine were 11 years old on their last season).
It's time for an upgrade, It's easy to feel like they're perfect because they're molded to your foot. But once you get a new pair, you'll feel just how much less brittle and stiff the plastic is when you flex, how much more padded the liners are. Just do it. The good news is, you know what type of boot works for you and that's Lange. When you go try boots on in the shop, bring your old boots with you so they can figure out the width and flex that you typically like.
I've reached out to Lange to see if I can review their shadow line, but haven't heard word yet, but fingers crossed.
Overall though, treat yourself. Life is too short to have old old boots.
Hey Elliot. Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. I am going to take your advice. Good luck with your channel. Damien.@@RicketySkiReviews
Very Cool! Let me know what you get and how you like them.
Hi Elliot, great reviews, and I appreciate your straightforward and honest options. Could you please make a video for a beginner skier on ski sizes and the difference between skis types. Thank you! 🫶
Totally! It's not exactly what you're looking for, but I feel like this is a really good introduction to shape skis, An Intro to Carving, the different Lingo in ski types. You might find this helpful if you haven't already seen it:
th-cam.com/video/AOrxHVJoKLA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=MPudQ3VmTXTvMmO2
Great to save for the ski swap this fall!
One thing to note before the flex check, or while doing it: check your neutral stance in the boot.
80% of the people who happen to just fit into a boot standard won't probably notice this, but for example skinny legs like mine, will have some notable side-effects when fitting boots. The back of the boot cuff is the fixed part, the buckles push the front backwards. So, for skinnier legs, it's really easy to 'over-tighten' the cuff, causing the stance to be too upright.
Effectively meaning that you won't be able to flex the boot as it was meant to be flexed, as your leverage is pushed too far back. Also will cause techical difficulties on the slopes. And since the boot has been tightened too much, also the boot flex will be 'over index'. So, you might want to back the buckles on the cuff a notch, stand up, and stand on your feet so that the weight is evenly distributed on the whole foot - from heel to toes. This is something that you would be standing on an easy slope, for example. And in this stance your shin should be touching the tongue of the boot, not too light, not too heavy. This may leave some excess room to the back side of the cuff, but it won't matter too much for initial flex test.
Enter: the spoilers. (Or a piece of cardboard, newspaper, etc. for a temporary wedge). Plug up the excess room at the back of the boot, and you'll be golden.
skis have changed so much since the "straight skis." my skiing style was more about putting into the ski than getting out of the ski.. it seams like your style is more about getting out of the ski.. it sounds like the mantra is more on the enforcer side with that.. probably also the bonifide side..
i went up the lift with this guy that got a killer deal on some DPS Pagoda.. I am not sure if I was on my DPS Foundation but he asked me what he thought about his skis that he was on.. I told him that my guess would be that his skis would be too reactionary for me.. Then he kind of freaked and asked if he shouldn't be on them.. I told him to talk to others who ski DPS Pagoda and I said that everyone else that I talked to who skis DPS Pagoda says there is no other ski.. I also told him that if he is just learning how to ski then he can build his skiing style around those skis and that I already have a skiing style...
fascinating stuff.. i should try the Maverick TI just to see.. i probably can handle a little energy coming out of the ski but not too much..
Atomic Mavericks are definitely worth trying if you get a chance, if you like a ski that you can really put into you may like the k2 mindbender or the Volkl Mantra, but just my 2 cents.
Guess I lucked out being at Whiteface when Stockli was there. Tested 3-4 skis that day. All felt unique. There is definitely something special about those skis. But 1600$. I'll just hang on to the memories. got a chance to test my new head Kore 87's at the Big snow place in NJ. They had a similar edge feel to the stocklis. Of course hard to really push them on 160 vertical, but can't wait to lean into them next winter.
Oh That's Awesome, hoping to Review some Kore's this season! I got really lucky and demoed some Stormriders at a Demo Day, and then found a pair kicking around the ski swap for $300 years ago. Hard to find, but if you know what you're looking for you can get lucky sometimes.
Nice video great information. What do you think of the Solomon qst 92 vs the 98?
Great Question, the 98 were my ski of the year, but I didn't get a chance to try the 92's. I ski an Atomic Maverick 88 as a daily driver, so I would feel comfortable recommending the 92 for a daily driver and the 98 if you get a lot of powder. Both will be good but it just depends on what you want? Responsiveness with some powder?> Probably the 92. Powder primarily with some groomers? 98. Either way I think you'll be happy!
Awesome. I picked up the 92s since you can get them really cheap now. I live in the Midwest but go to Colorado every year. I am transitioning to skiing from snowboarding. Every review I see loves the qst line. I think the 92s will be a good all round ski for what I need in the Midwest and out West. Also picked up some look pivots on sale as recommended by a friend. I hope that's a good combo.
should be a great combo! Hope you really like them
Really good tips Elliott. I'm a Lange guy too. 5'9", 170. From when they came out with the L10's to now with the RX 130, I've skied Langes for >15 years. They have a certain mold that fits perfectly right out of the box. And you're right... Boots are your most important piece of equipment and if don't fit right or are uncomfortable, there's no way you're going to be skiing all day. And no way you're going to be flexing them as they should. That said, a good fitting boot should flex some, but as you say not too much. They should be precise and secure-- comfortable, but not comfy. The sweet spot is so you're consistently pressing the tongues against your shins and your weight's over the balls of your feet. BTW, Look bindings rock-- love the SPX 12. I'm curious what you might think of the new Langes? In >60 years, Otto Lange hasn't changed the overall design a whole lot-- until this year. The RX line's being replaced by the Shadow 130. It has a "suspension blade" to create a linear rather than progressive flex paired with a "Dual Pivot System" so that the upper cuff flexes independent of the lower. Check it out. Lange does their research, and the few reviews I've found seem to praise it highly. I'm still skiing a 2 year old pair of 2016 RX 130's which I got on EVO in summer. Loved the boots and knew eventually, they'd discontinue them. One thing... you might want to mention Superfeet insoles are much better than stock. Also, you need to get the right last. As for the BOA system... seems pretty weak to me. Boots too soft and not a fan of all the cables.
Oh nice how do you like the RXs? I have tried so many different boots and nothing fits my foot better than a Lange/ Rossignol.
Thanks for the info I will have to check that out! I am always so hesitant when they change the design of boots and shoes! I remember racing when they introduced the lace up boot liners, and I was just miserable! It was so bad I went back to my old Baby Blue Julia Mancuso Race boots, because the liners were just that miserable to ski in all day.
But hopefully it's an improvement, fingers crossed. Thanks for your comment and thanks for watching!
@@RicketySkiReviews Love the RX 130's. Hoping too the new Shadows are similar though I've got a season or 2 left on the green/ white RX's.
Thanks for the tips brother. Couldn't get to a ski shop but measured my feet like 10 times and used your tips on sizing when the arrived..perfect! Do I need to go to a ski boot shop to do the memory fit thing or can it be done at home?
It depends on the brand! I asked Evo about my atomics and they said I could break them in myself, but your mileage may vary. I just wore my ski boots in the house while I edited video at the computer. Probably did it about 6-9 hours total in the fall and it seemed to work well enough for me.
I find your videos very informative. I have some Tecknica ski boots that I puchased many years ago, have not ever skiid on them as I gave up skiing. Now I want to get back into the sport. I am a size 12 shoe. The boot fitter put me in size 11 mp 29.0. Pulling out the lining my right foot has 2 + fingers at the back of the boot while my left foot has 1 +. When I flex my knees over the front of
the boot my knees reach the front of the boot. In this position my toes don’t touch the front and I can wiggle them. However when I stand up straight toes touch the front in both boots. Does this mean the boots are too small? Again I have never skiid with these. Thanks for any advice! Ps. I was an intermediate years ago and I want to ski in the west. These observations apply when i was wearing a thin sock
Hard to say without seeing them IRL, but typically for a good fit you want them to not touch when flexed, and when you flex you don't want your heel coming off the ground or heel sliding out of that cup. Might be worth bringing them to s trusted boot fitter to check or the shop you bought them from
Great Video! I consider myself an intermediate skier not fully engaged in carving just yet but working to get better this year. I love the Mantras M6 and will be purchasing them soon, will these skis help me progress into carving? Or are they to advanced for me? I really want to start moving out of my skidding phase and focus more on carving this season, I feel this might be the right ski. Thoughts?
Not at all! I think these would be a fine ski to transition more into carving with! You can see my review of them here: th-cam.com/video/-OqMOElIGuc/w-d-xo.html
That being said I don't think the ski is going to be overly integral to your development, and since you're newish to carving you won't have too many preferences going into it. You just want to make sure you get the right length so that you're able to stay in control and get a good feel.
I Think these skis will be a great platform to stand on as you learn to build pressure on your downhill ski.
I would say if you wanted a 2nd option the Fischer Rangers are also pretty nice skis for this as well since they require so little pressure to initiate, but if you like the Volkls they certainly won't impede you at all.
@@RicketySkiReviews thank you so much for your reply back so soon! Your input makes me feel much better about my decision. Thank you.!
Totally! Have a great ski season, and congrats on your soon to be new skis. Thanks for watching!
I have a few pair of boots that I am trying on atomic hawk prime and Salomon pro tour. They are the same 120 stiffness rating but the salomon feel like they I push forward to easily....lets my ankles flex forward so much that it seems like on the ski hill...that the 'over' flex will hurt in the ankle joint after awhile...much like when I used to snowboard. How much should the pressure on the boot tongue be able to hold you vs your ankle/calf strength with pressure into your toes when you are getting over your toes in a correct ski stance?
I use Lange 130 Sx not real quik but durable
I've historically loved my Langes
Your boots are loose and too flexible.