Very cool to hear your reviews on these smaller ski brands! They don’t get as much coverage so this is extremely useful data and input. You mentioned the skis unusual construction material briefly but it could explain the “pingy” stiffness you are describing in the carve, as well as the skis forgiving aspect. The ski is built with a non-Newtonian material that gets stiffer the more vibration it is exposed to and softer when it isn’t exposed to this. Renoun uses this material to make skis that stiffen when exposed to force and become looser when going slower. It might indeed be the kind of thing you adapt to and get used to: would love to hear an update if you continue to ski them.
Hello Elliott, yesterday i received the Jasper Eco Chukka Wool Black Men's shoes, which you suggested in a previous video. I'm living in Munich, so it took a while😅, but now they arrived and they are awesome, very comfortable and good looking, thank you very much for your advice. I'm wearing them since two days now, they feel like house shoes, see y'a 🤗
Hi! I’m looking for a ski recommendation and would love your advice. Here are my details: • Age/Height/Weight: 18 years old, 184 cm, 70 kg. • Location: I ski primarily in the Alps (Austria, Italy, Switzerland). • Skill Level: Advanced to expert. • Preferred Terrain: I’m mostly focused on piste skiing but still want some versatility for 10-20% off-piste adventures (powder, under lifts, small jumps). • Ski Style: On the piste, I enjoy both short and long turns, but I prefer carving at high speeds with stability and precision. Questions: 1. Ski Width: What ski width would you recommend for someone like me who’s primarily piste-oriented but wants a bit of off-piste versatility? I really Like that 84-88 Range 2. Overall Recommendation: Which ski would you personally recommend for my needs? 3. From this list, which model is most suitable for me? • • Blizzard Anomaly 84 • Salomon Stance 84 • Völkl Mantra 88 • Blizzard Anomaly 88 • Atomic Maverick 88 Ti • Elan Ripstick 88 -Fischer Ranger 84 -Kästle mx83 23/24 4. Bindings: Would you suggest the Marker Squire 11 or Marker Griffon ID 13 for my setup or any other? Additional Info: • I ski primarily on groomed runs and enjoy speed. Carving is my focus, but I also want a ski that can handle the occasional powder day or short off-piste detours without feeling out of place. Thank you in advance for your help-really looking forward to your recommendations! Keep up the good work!
As a former racer like you Elliott, I many times enjoyed (When conditions are right...) getting out on the old DH & Super G race skis. Makes for lots of fun high speed cruising and going. Would you please do a review on a free ski day with long board race planks just for fun? All the best, M-
I would love to, sadly I never really raced speed, though I did have some 193 gs skis, but they got lost a couple of cross country moves ago. And buying a pair to cruise on doesn't make much sense in my head (though they are usually cheap). Also as I get older I get nervous blasting on public trails, I need to be strong and able enough to take care of my kids especially my son with special needs. Great idea though!
Thanks for the useful review. Never heard of this ski buts sounds very good. It sounds like it could use a bit more tail rocker to help release the turns better.
Keep the great content coming. Would love to hear your thoughts on demo vs conventional bindings. I've settled on buying skis only with demo bindings as they make it easy to test various boot positions or share skis. If I want to sell a set, the next person can avoid a $60 remount fee. Am I missing anything by skiing demo bindings only?
Yes, you are missing something. Demo bindings are much heavier, they tend have a higher than desirable stand height and they have a less secure connection to the ski. A ski can often feel very different when going from a demo binding to a conventional one. IMO the above factors are much more important than helping a secondary buyer avoid a remount fee. Kind of splitting the difference though are system skis. That is skis that already come with bindings mounted from the factory. These are usually frontside types of skis though.
Your comment about fatigue is a good one. I demoed Salomon stance 84 and head shape v5 last year. No fatigue with Salomon, head was super stable and great but my legs were toast after a hard day. I went with the Salomon 😊
Great review! I've been skiing on Folsom Customs for some time and and considering moving to a more “mainstream” ski- the Citadel 107, Black Diamond Helio 104, or Parlor (another custom) are all in the running. Not sure if you have a pov on any of these.
Tahoe skier here. This is a great almost do everything ski in my opinion. I kind of relate these to a midrange driver of a 3 way speaker. Covers a lot of the frequency, with just the top and bottom not covered. So really hard snow, not a great, but ok ski. I have the Citadel 106 and it was great up to about 3 feet of Tahoe powder. So almost my daily driver unless the snow is really hard. Just my 2 cents....
Yeah sounds like almost perfect. And when Elliot says they don't feel as surfy but more business like I figure its more of a "rotor" like feeling (if you ever drive a boat 😅) I live where those are made I'll try to snag a pair with graphic defects, they sell them right at the shop for almost nothing.
Hello Elliott Love your channel you have great reviews. Quick question what size of Maverick to buy. I live in the Okanagan (West coast) and stick mostly on groomed runs. I'm a intermediate to advanced and love carving. I'm getting back into skiing (2 new hips) and i am 6'2" and about 280lbs. I was leaning towards the 95ti but don't know if i should get 180 or 188. There isn't much info on length and was hoping that you can help
Hey, love your content. I'm currently on a Black Crows Serpo as my one ski quiver but I'm thinking about adding a wider ski with more float. I ski primarily in Utah and CO and was considering either the Renoun Citadel 107 or the Volkl Blaze 104 and wanted to get your thoughts. I'm about 5'11" 165-170lbs and an advanced but not expert skier.
I ride the serpo too.. love that ski. Picked up the QST106 for deeper days and it is an awesome ski too super stable in chopped up snow, easy to turn in pow and actually carves.
Howdy Elliott, been trying to find independent reviews of the Sender Soul 102 to find out if the hype is just hype. Do you have a review of them, or intend to do one?
Hi there! I'm looking for some advice on what my next pair of skis should be. I'm 6'2" and weigh around 210 lbs. I mostly ski in the Northeast at resorts like Cannon, Loon, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf. Currently, I have a pair of Nordica Unleash 98s and Black Crows Atris 105s, both of which I love, but I’m looking to round out my quiver with something a bit different. I’ve been considering a couple of options, namely the Anomaly 88s and the Kendos, but I’m not sure which would suit me best. I tend to gravitate toward all-mountain and variable terrain, but I do appreciate something that excels when the conditions are firmer or when there’s a good amount of chopped-up snow. Any thoughts on which ski might be better for my style or if there’s another option out there I should be looking at? I’d really appreciate any advice or recommendations from those who are familiar with these models or have a similar skiing setup. Thanks so much
What are some ski recommendations for Northeast crud days? Typical day is on and off groomers, chop, bump and light glad work. I was looking at some Atomic Vantage 90TI, 83X CTI at the swaps. I'm a strong intermediate skier. My priorities as quick and nimble over pure speed. Thanks.
I think you may want to take a hard look at the Salomon QST 92's. They can do all that you ask for. Very nimble off trail and a capable on-trail carver too. A superb tree ski with great floatation for the width. You mentioned crud though. The QST's are not going to mow down piles of crud like they are not even there, if that is what you want. Instead they will aid you in navigating through the bumps with their nimbleness. They can be had on the cheap too. Less than $400 this summer. I don't like your ski swap plan. You can get something great or maybe not. Those are older models you are suggesting and skis do wear out. The wood can only be flexed so many times before it loses it's life and responsiveness. Skis typically last about 100 uses. Maybe half that if skied by a large aggressive skier. My advice is buy new but out of season. If you have to have a cheaper option then take your chances at the swap. If they don't work out at least you don't have much into them.
@bearclaw5115 thanks for the advice. I have a decent size collection of skis so will wait until the off season rather than cast offs. Nothing is great for the conditions we have so far this season but I can get by with what I have.
@ yeah it was pretty fantastic, sadly my season came to an end Sunday. Tore my ACL so my ski season’s over 😢. So I’m gonna live my ski season vicariously through my kiddos and watching your vids (so make em good!! lol).
Elliott, why does your music always sound like it's being sung by Munchkin's? Is this some genre I'm just becoming aware of or do you change the music for copyright reasons?
It's an artist I like called Safakash and that's kind of his sample style. Luckily he has copyright free music which I'm very grateful for. I've tried using others that say they're copyright and then I have to strip it out after.
Very cool to hear your reviews on these smaller ski brands! They don’t get as much coverage so this is extremely useful data and input.
You mentioned the skis unusual construction material briefly but it could explain the “pingy” stiffness you are describing in the carve, as well as the skis forgiving aspect. The ski is built with a non-Newtonian material that gets stiffer the more vibration it is exposed to and softer when it isn’t exposed to this. Renoun uses this material to make skis that stiffen when exposed to force and become looser when going slower. It might indeed be the kind of thing you adapt to and get used to: would love to hear an update if you continue to ski them.
Hello Elliott,
yesterday i received the Jasper Eco Chukka Wool Black Men's shoes, which you suggested in a previous video. I'm living in Munich, so it took a while😅, but now they arrived and they are awesome, very comfortable and good looking, thank you very much for your advice. I'm wearing them since two days now, they feel like house shoes, see y'a 🤗
So glad you love them, I'm still using mine and love them for my drive up to the mountain!
Hi! I’m looking for a ski recommendation and would love your advice. Here are my details:
• Age/Height/Weight: 18 years old, 184 cm, 70 kg.
• Location: I ski primarily in the Alps (Austria, Italy, Switzerland).
• Skill Level: Advanced to expert.
• Preferred Terrain: I’m mostly focused on piste skiing but still want some versatility for 10-20% off-piste adventures (powder, under lifts, small jumps).
• Ski Style: On the piste, I enjoy both short and long turns, but I prefer carving at high speeds with stability and precision.
Questions:
1. Ski Width: What ski width would you recommend for someone like me who’s primarily piste-oriented but wants a bit of off-piste versatility? I really Like that 84-88 Range
2. Overall Recommendation: Which ski would you personally recommend for my needs?
3. From this list, which model is most suitable for me?
•
• Blizzard Anomaly 84
• Salomon Stance 84
• Völkl Mantra 88
• Blizzard Anomaly 88
• Atomic Maverick 88 Ti
• Elan Ripstick 88
-Fischer Ranger 84
-Kästle mx83 23/24
4. Bindings: Would you suggest the Marker Squire 11 or Marker Griffon ID 13 for my setup or any other?
Additional Info:
• I ski primarily on groomed runs and enjoy speed. Carving is my focus, but I also want a ski that can handle the occasional powder day or short off-piste detours without feeling out of place.
Thank you in advance for your help-really looking forward to your recommendations!
Keep up the good work!
Interesting ski? Does the Peak 104 compare as far as design, feel and price? Am I seeing some similarities from your review notes? Thanks, Elliot
As a former racer like you Elliott, I many times enjoyed (When conditions are right...) getting out on the old DH & Super G race skis. Makes for lots of fun high speed cruising and going.
Would you please do a review on a free ski day with long board race planks just for fun?
All the best,
M-
I would love to, sadly I never really raced speed, though I did have some 193 gs skis, but they got lost a couple of cross country moves ago. And buying a pair to cruise on doesn't make much sense in my head (though they are usually cheap).
Also as I get older I get nervous blasting on public trails, I need to be strong and able enough to take care of my kids especially my son with special needs.
Great idea though!
Thanks for the useful review. Never heard of this ski buts sounds very good. It sounds like it could use a bit more tail rocker to help release the turns better.
Keep the great content coming. Would love to hear your thoughts on demo vs conventional bindings. I've settled on buying skis only with demo bindings as they make it easy to test various boot positions or share skis. If I want to sell a set, the next person can avoid a $60 remount fee. Am I missing anything by skiing demo bindings only?
Yes, you are missing something. Demo bindings are much heavier, they tend have a higher than desirable stand height and they have a less secure connection to the ski. A ski can often feel very different when going from a demo binding to a conventional one. IMO the above factors are much more important than helping a secondary buyer avoid a remount fee.
Kind of splitting the difference though are system skis. That is skis that already come with bindings mounted from the factory. These are usually frontside types of skis though.
Your comment about fatigue is a good one. I demoed Salomon stance 84 and head shape v5 last year. No fatigue with Salomon, head was super stable and great but my legs were toast after a hard day. I went with the Salomon 😊
Great review! I've been skiing on Folsom Customs for some time and and considering moving to a more “mainstream” ski- the Citadel 107, Black Diamond Helio 104, or Parlor (another custom) are all in the running. Not sure if you have a pov on any of these.
Haha awesome! That's funny your mainstream, isn't overly mainstream, love hearing the Quiver
Thanks for the review
Thanks for watching!
Tahoe skier here. This is a great almost do everything ski in my opinion. I kind of relate these to a midrange driver of a 3 way speaker. Covers a lot of the frequency, with just the top and bottom not covered. So really hard snow, not a great, but ok ski. I have the Citadel 106 and it was great up to about 3 feet of Tahoe powder. So almost my daily driver unless the snow is really hard. Just my 2 cents....
Yeah sounds like almost perfect. And when Elliot says they don't feel as surfy but more business like I figure its more of a "rotor" like feeling (if you ever drive a boat 😅)
I live where those are made I'll try to snag a pair with graphic defects, they sell them right at the shop for almost nothing.
Great review. Thx.
Glad you liked it! appreciate you being a member!
Hello Elliott
Love your channel you have great reviews. Quick question what size of Maverick to buy. I live in the Okanagan (West coast) and stick mostly on groomed runs. I'm a intermediate to advanced and love carving. I'm getting back into skiing (2 new hips) and i am 6'2" and about 280lbs. I was leaning towards the 95ti but don't know if i should get 180 or 188. There isn't much info on length and was hoping that you can help
Hey, love your content. I'm currently on a Black Crows Serpo as my one ski quiver but I'm thinking about adding a wider ski with more float. I ski primarily in Utah and CO and was considering either the Renoun Citadel 107 or the Volkl Blaze 104 and wanted to get your thoughts. I'm about 5'11" 165-170lbs and an advanced but not expert skier.
I ride the serpo too.. love that ski. Picked up the QST106 for deeper days and it is an awesome ski too super stable in chopped up snow, easy to turn in pow and actually carves.
Elliot, I noticed bugs basin in the powder alliance I might come visit.
Howdy Elliott, been trying to find independent reviews of the Sender Soul 102 to find out if the hype is just hype. Do you have a review of them, or intend to do one?
Churning out reviews!
Haha, there are alot of skis out there, but these were definitely more of a treat imo
I can't believe you sold your QST 106's. I get it though - pretty soon you'll be doing reviews out of your new ski shed!
I know, I loved them, but they were just sitting there and I thought someone else might enjoy them.
Hi there!
I'm looking for some advice on what my next pair of skis should be. I'm 6'2" and weigh around 210 lbs. I mostly ski in the Northeast at resorts like Cannon, Loon, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf. Currently, I have a pair of Nordica Unleash 98s and Black Crows Atris 105s, both of which I love, but I’m looking to round out my quiver with something a bit different.
I’ve been considering a couple of options, namely the Anomaly 88s and the Kendos, but I’m not sure which would suit me best. I tend to gravitate toward all-mountain and variable terrain, but I do appreciate something that excels when the conditions are firmer or when there’s a good amount of chopped-up snow. Any thoughts on which ski might be better for my style or if there’s another option out there I should be looking at? I’d really appreciate any advice or recommendations from those who are familiar with these models or have a similar skiing setup. Thanks so much
Finally reviewing something that has some beef under the foot
Any Dynastar reviews coming? new Mpro 94/100 look interesting. I'm personally a fan of the mfree 99s
i am interested to see how they do on crud/slush...
nice intro!
Thanks!
What are some ski recommendations for Northeast crud days? Typical day is on and off groomers, chop, bump and light glad work. I was looking at some Atomic Vantage 90TI, 83X CTI at the swaps. I'm a strong intermediate skier. My priorities as quick and nimble over pure speed. Thanks.
I think you may want to take a hard look at the Salomon QST 92's. They can do all that you ask for. Very nimble off trail and a capable on-trail carver too. A superb tree ski with great floatation for the width. You mentioned crud though. The QST's are not going to mow down piles of crud like they are not even there, if that is what you want. Instead they will aid you in navigating through the bumps with their nimbleness. They can be had on the cheap too. Less than $400 this summer.
I don't like your ski swap plan. You can get something great or maybe not. Those are older models you are suggesting and skis do wear out. The wood can only be flexed so many times before it loses it's life and responsiveness. Skis typically last about 100 uses. Maybe half that if skied by a large aggressive skier. My advice is buy new but out of season. If you have to have a cheaper option then take your chances at the swap. If they don't work out at least you don't have much into them.
@bearclaw5115 thanks for the advice. I have a decent size collection of skis so will wait until the off season rather than cast offs. Nothing is great for the conditions we have so far this season but I can get by with what I have.
Bogus was pretty great the last week
It has been one of the best Decembers in a while
@ yeah it was pretty fantastic, sadly my season came to an end Sunday. Tore my ACL so my ski season’s over 😢. So I’m gonna live my ski season vicariously through my kiddos and watching your vids (so make em good!! lol).
Elliott, why does your music always sound like it's being sung by Munchkin's? Is this some genre I'm just becoming aware of or do you change the music for copyright reasons?
It's an artist I like called Safakash and that's kind of his sample style. Luckily he has copyright free music which I'm very grateful for. I've tried using others that say they're copyright and then I have to strip it out after.