a whole new world

By timdonaldson Ranked #728 - Big Mountain Freeride Skis February 21, 2010

5 years ago these skis would have been laughable. 5 years ago Gotamas were HUGE. Now when I look at my Gotamas next to my Kuros its almost a joke. If you've been skiing fat skis for a while now and they don't feel so fat anymore, these may be a great option for you.

Pros - Sick in powder (duh). I only have two days on them and haven't had a chance to fully open them up, but they are a ton of fun once you get in the fluff. They simply devour the loose stuff. They also perform well on piste...in fact my first day on these was spent mostly on soft sunny groomers and they make nice GS turns. You won't be carving trenches but you're 100% in control. Anyone who says they are terrible on the "get back" doesn't really "get it". You slide a bit more than you carve, and you blow through push piles and chop. They are stiff like a Volkl and they turn like a Volkl. I thought these would only be for big storm days but they are more versatile than I thought. I got bumped coming fast out of the trees and landed super backseat and was able to muscle out of it...no soft ski would have done that.

Cons - Anything wind blown or crusty is a challenge. But you knew that when you bought them, didn't you? The main negative is the price...they're on sale today (I could have saved $100 but who's counting?) You won't be mounting these with anything less than Jesters, so this is a pricey package. If you can get a bro-deal go for it, but this is like the Ferrari you keep covered in your garage, just waiting for that day when the roads are dry and empty and the weather is nice. Also, while they don't ski heavy, if you hike or tour or just carry your skis often these are not light. But if you have a chairlift or cat or chopper or sled getting you your vert than who cares?

I'm cat skiing these in Canada in 10 days and will amend this review if need be. Bottom line - if you've been on fatties for a while, live west of the Mississippi and can afford them, get them.

View Details: Volkl Kuro Alpine Ski

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