K2 Apache Xplorer Ski w/ Marker MX 12.0 Binding - 2009 BCS

cant say enough about the skis.i have skied for 17 years and i am 21 at 6'1" and 210 lbs. i ski the east coast and they are the best pair of skis i have owned they love the bumps as much as i do and are at home in the woods. they slay the crud and when dealing with the shin high east coast pow they have impressed me greatly

Normally I ski on GS race skis but since I am getting up there in age (46) I decided to find a nice easy all mountain ski. This ski is awesome. It holds a nice edge in any condition, can run if you let them and will shred the pow if need be. Stop looking and go buy a pair...life is short

I have been skiing for 26 years (off and on over the past 10 years with kids, 2-ACL repairs, etc) So this is my first pair of new skis in awhile. I must say the price scared me for quite sometime so I waited for the sale. I now can say that even if I did not wait, I still would have been happy paying full price for these skis. They carve very well, turn quick enough in the moguls (though need a tad-bit of extra work) and are nice and stable with a little bit of soft snow down on a groomer. I wanted a ski that provides me more control, a little more balance in speed (I don't need to bomb down the hill like I am 16 anymore) and these really fit the bill. I am 6' tall and went with the 170's - completely happy with them. I can tell if I went longer they would give me plenty more speed but for me I do not need it. I would rather stay in control and practice my technical skills versus point and go down a hill. I would recommend these skis to anyone - beginner or advanced and think that if you have the basics down as a skier you would be very happy with these skis. They fit the hype and I love'em.

I'm hugely impressed by these. Reviewers have pointed out that the explorer's aren't very lively. I agree. They're not nearly as snappy as wood core skis without metal laminate...but that's what you should expect from this type of construction. The explorer's are very stable and smooth at speed as well in tight turns straight down the fall line. The wide shovel makes them very friendly in pow and crud. The stiff tails are forgiving enough to recover if you get knocked into the backseat. I've been skiing 23 years, [did the patrol thing back in the day], and still these skis inspire confidence to try rowdier lines. If there's a shortcoming, it may be that folks who really like the quick feedback of a more wood design will be a little underwhelmed.