Heavy, but well worth their wieght!

By OhK Ranked #1779 - Alpine Fat Skis March 27, 2006

When I first picked these up I thought "Oh no, what have I done?"! I am a 5'3, 155lb female. I got a pair of 165's. All I can say is WAHOO! I usually ski either Volkl P50's (in 178) or P60's (in 175). I like speed , I like ice, I like to work. However on days when it snows I work harder than I need to and thought it might be nice to be able to scream along and have some fun, maybe play a bit. Every ski review I had read previously had always noted that the skis being reviewed had a downfall, and that downfall was that the skis stunk on hardpack and ice. I live in New England where variable conditions are the norm, especially when it is snowing…no matter how much it snows there's usually ice somewhere. I was surprised at how well they did, especially making the transition between the icy spots and the fluff, seamless! I haven't giggled so much in a snowstorm in a long time, not since I was learning to ski on straight sticks. These things perform remarkably well and like to haul. Load the tail and you're off! The other thing they do well is bouncy, short, springy turns! What a gas! In fluffy snow they are like springs. Give a hop and a sweet, tiny turn will be the result. I must say I am way impressed. They are wide and heavy, I mean HEAVY, but after one run I barely noticed. I did eventually find myself a little bored from not working so hard. (When I tried "working" the turns on groomed stuff the response wasn't as crisp as I'd like and they are a bit rough and vague feeling, kind of like a big SUV but I am comparing them to GS skis.) They are fantastic, fast, stable, fun-snow toys! They're the closest thing I've found to race skis for snowy conditions. I haven't taken them out in crud or wet spring slop yet and I and I'm bit concerned about the "getting my leg ripped off my body" sensation. With all that said I wouldn't trade my Volkls for anything on groomed trails. These just aren't as exciting. They move like mad but lack that split-second precision I love. However, I bet they would be a "hoot and a holler" in a "big mountain" setting! Varoooom!

View Details: Atomic M:EX Puls Ti Alpine Ski

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