RT86 or BD Havoc?
I'm an east coast teleskier who might venture out west once or twice a year. I'm looking to buy a new ski for this up coming season and I am trying to choose between the RT86 and BD Havoc as i've heard great things about both. I'll probably ski 80/20 resort-back country. I mostly have an eye towards getting better at skiing bumps and trees with tele gear. What are the differences between the two skis. Any suggestion as to construction differences, which is a more durable ski, and which ski will clip skins more easily.
Thanks!

Like anonymous said, these are light and quick. If you are the type to make 30 turns down a steep pitch instead of 3 turns, you will love these skis. There is a skin notch on the tail and it is relatively flat, so good skin hold. On durability, Atomic is the only AT/Tele company offering a 2 year warranty, plus they make 'em in their own Austrian factory - 'nuf said! Enjoy!

I'm an East Coast skier also. These are very different skis. I ski the World Piste, Havoc and Verdict and just bought the RT86 after a demo to replace the World Piste in my quiver. RT is light, easy to initiate, very quick turning and easy to ride. The havoc is a bit stiffer, longer turn radius and a ski you need to be on top of. If you're aggressive you'll love the Havoc but it takes some energy to ride. I thought the RT 86 was a perfect East Coast on piste ski that you easily can take off piste. I think the new Havocs are wood core and the RT's are foam. Havocs will stand up better if thats true. When I go West I ride the Verdicts to get that extra float in the pow. Skins should work OK the same on both

I can't help you with all of those questions, but I can say that you sound almost exactly like me in terms of skiing habits - 80/20 resort/backcountry, a couple trips out West each year, etc. My current setup is Havoc 175s, Garmont Ener-Gs and BD 02 bindings. I'm very, very happy with the Havocs and Garmonts, not so much with the 02s. I'll probably replace them with Hammerheads when I can afford it. The Havocs take BD clipfix skins well, but I'm not a big fan of the clipfix system - too many gobs because you can't tighten 'em down. Overall, the Havocs have really been a great ski at VT resorts, and they handled themselves well in Utah and Jackson as well. Hope this helps.