So here's the deal. I've been on Rossi Soul 7s the last couple seasons, and, while there's a lot about them that I like, I've got some complaints too. I frankly haven't spent enough time on enough different current skis to have the best handle on what I want, and would like some advice.
I'd consider myself to be a pretty expert level skier, and more than anything I'm into skiing steep tree lines. I'm not a huge guy at about 6', 160lbs, and my style tends towards being pretty precise and making lots of small turns than straight line charging everything. I've done some ski touring in the past, but have recently been mostly skiing resorts. I'd like to swing the balance back to more of a 50-50 split.
I like the Rossis in maybe 4-18" of fresh snow, especially in tighter stuff, given how quick turning they are. Deeper than that, especially in wetter PNW snow, they start to lack float, and they're just not heavy and damp enough to be very good at busting through crud. They're fine on groomers if you're not trying to charge super hard. At speed, especially on harder, icier stuff the tips get pretty chattery. That's not what I want to optimize for anyway, so whatever.
I'm on Tecnica Cochise Pros for boots, so I'm set on tech or DIN binding compatibility. I think my plan is to put some relatively burly AT bindings (thinking Fritschi Techtons, though open to suggestions) on the Rossis, and then get a considerably burlier, harder charging ski, and put the alpine bindings that are currently on the Rossis on those. I'd probably still ski the Rossis in bounds some, but I'd just have more options. Does this make sense? What should I be looking at for that second set of skis?
I'd consider myself to be a pretty expert level skier, and more than anything I'm into skiing steep tree lines. I'm not a huge guy at about 6', 160lbs, and my style tends towards being pretty precise and making lots of small turns than straight line charging everything. I've done some ski touring in the past, but have recently been mostly skiing resorts. I'd like to swing the balance back to more of a 50-50 split.
I like the Rossis in maybe 4-18" of fresh snow, especially in tighter stuff, given how quick turning they are. Deeper than that, especially in wetter PNW snow, they start to lack float, and they're just not heavy and damp enough to be very good at busting through crud. They're fine on groomers if you're not trying to charge super hard. At speed, especially on harder, icier stuff the tips get pretty chattery. That's not what I want to optimize for anyway, so whatever.
I'm on Tecnica Cochise Pros for boots, so I'm set on tech or DIN binding compatibility. I think my plan is to put some relatively burly AT bindings (thinking Fritschi Techtons, though open to suggestions) on the Rossis, and then get a considerably burlier, harder charging ski, and put the alpine bindings that are currently on the Rossis on those. I'd probably still ski the Rossis in bounds some, but I'd just have more options. Does this make sense? What should I be looking at for that second set of skis?
So I'm thinking about going with a ski that is more orientated towards harder conditions and just long enough to give me some decent float, but I think you need more length to get the carve going and maybe something a bit skinnier, but like above, it's hard to impossible to find something that works well for everything. I got some fat powder skis for backcountry and they kick ass in powder and crud. Like freaking magic, and they are at least 5" wide at the waist, maybe more.
