I would agree with all this... except FOR ME:lilcliffy wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 7:40 pmHello Stephen,
(Got your PM- sorry I didn't get back to you on this.)
My specs:
- 5'10" (178cm)
- 175lbs (79.5kg)- I have lost some weight over the past couple of years
I find the 210cm Gamme perfectly manageable- even in steep terrain- excellent grip, wonderous glide- the camber on the Gamme is finely tuned for crushing miles on backcountry snow.
My opinion/perspective-
the Gamme 54 is a XC ski- a wonderous XC ski with an incredibly versatile profile and flex- as a XC ski it performs in every imaginable backcountry condition-
- it has a rock solid, stable, supportive flex- making it completely stable and supportive in very deep snow.
- it has a stiff, raised tip that breaks trail and completely destroys crust.
- it has a relatively soft initial camber (e.g. softer than the E99), with a very stiff low-profile second camber (e.g. perhaps even stiffer than the E99)- offering excellent kick and glide on a wide range of snow conditions.
- the tip is only slightly rockered- this ski still has a long glide zone on consolidated snow.
- the tip rocker does offer early tip rise at downhill speeds and does improve turn initiation
- it is very light and responsive making it effortlessly manouverable
I do not see the point in a "short" Gamme- the magic of this ski emerges from the longest length one can manage (I can certainly see getting a shorter Gamme if one was very light- say less then 150lbs).
Actually, for what I am using the Gamme for I would take a 220cm Gamme 54- I do use the Gamme is hilly terrain- but when I take the Gamme I am choosing lines that do not require me to ski tight downhill lines.
6'2"+ (188cm) and 155lbs last year (70.3kg ) I would have a hard time compressing the camber on my 210's in softer deeper snow, especially if there was an incline. IF I was in the flat fields, I could make it work, but otherwise with hills I just couldn't get the camber to fully compress. I found that my 200cm Gammes were perfect in these conditions, but in reverse, I found them a tad slow on on flat terrain or compressed snow. (which is why a 205 would've been perfect for me). A backpack with a good day's gear in it solves problems on the 210.
I also wonder about the relatively forward mounting position of the Gamme compared to other E99 class skis and how that effects the skiing. I makes the 210 more manageable but it makes the 200 slower... or is this pie in the sky thinking?