80's range waisted rocker ski

[Woodserson]

Besides the Objective, are there are any other mid-80's range rocker skis out there that are not too stiff? For a lighter, less muscle-bound tele skier?

[Nick BC]

If you don't want waxless I would heartily recommend the Atomic Backland Aspect. 85 mm underfoot, about 2.6 kg in a 170. Cope with a wide range of conditions from hardback to powder. I love them to death

[Woodserson]

Wax skis entirely permissible. Thanks for the tip!

[lowangle al]

G3 has the stinger 78 XCD. 112-78-100. I'm not sure if it's rockered but for 559.00 it should be a good ski. I don't know if there is a wax version or not.

[Rodbelan]

I got a pair of rockered K2 Shuksan (2015)... Light, not too stiff, just enough. They are now my goto skis for BC... 78mm under foot is enough. There is also the K2 Backup, same collection, 82 under foot... Watch for the newer ones, not the older version which isn't rockered...

[Woodserson]

I picked up a pair of 174cm K2 Wayback 82 from a store in Scotland. They were cheap-- I think I paid a total of 240 for the skis AND the Fed Ex shipping-- which turned out to be overnight.

I'll be honest, I really really want a pair of Objectives, but I have some good spring BC skiing planned coming up STAT, and the Vectors are kicking my ass except when it's steep and deep. (better with the X2s but I'm still getting bucked-- time and practice). The Objectives were out of my price range at this particular time and then I found these and just went for it, they were cheap enough between the ski and the currency exchange that it just made sense to try, why not.

Honestly, except my frontside beater K2 fat skis ($70 2010 Kung Fujas w/ BD02) I haven't had a K2 ski since 1998 when I bought a pair of Seth Morrisons (the blue ones with the flames). I bent them that season, got a replacement pair and sold them quick and never looked back at K2 again until now. Eeegghhhh.

They are 118-82-105. There is no real equivalent in the US... there's a BackUp 82 as mentioned by Rodbelan which is what led me to this one, but the BackUps are 124-82-105 and I didn't want a shovel that wide, 118 was just the ticket. Here's K2's page for the ski: http://en-us.k2skis.com/skis/wayback-82-ecore

They are light-- 2.3kg/2.14oz a ski, x2= 4.6kg/5lbs12oz (my weighing on a kitchen scale). They have an even round firm springy flex throughout the skis, not noodles but not 4x4 studs either. They claim "all terrain rocker" but it doesn't look like much rocker to me... a little disappointed I was hoping for some more. We shall see what that translates to...

Now, what bindings?! I have some extra V Hardwires laying around doing nothing except collecting dust. Not a bad setup, methinks.

[lowangle al]

I don't think you can go wrong with the HWS unless you are going to be doing a lot of skinning.

[Rodbelan]

When you are talking about Voile hardwire, do you mean 3 pin HW? Because I use them all the time when skinning and I think they are great... specially when you ski on a plateau; better than a free pivot (to my taste). When I climb steep parts, then I lose more energy for sure... You can't have it both ways...

[lowangle al]

When you are talking about Voile hardwire, do you mean 3 pin HW? Because I use them all the time when skinning and I think they are great... specially when you ski on a plateau; better than a free pivot (to my taste). When I climb steep parts, then I lose more energy for sure... You can't have it both ways...

Yeh, the 3 pin HW. There is nothing wrong with them for skinning it's just that a free pivot would be a better choice for someone who exclusively skins. It actually is a good binding for skinning w\o the heel throws and the bail only down to the first click, but if you need to keep up with a group on free pivots you will be working harder.

I think it is a waste of $ when people buy free pivot bindings and don't plan on much skinning. I rarely use free pivot when K&G skiing as a lot of my skiing involves sidestepping. For the amount small of skinning I do I wish all my free pivots were HWs.

[Rodbelan]

I agree Al... But I have seen skiers with free pivot and a big pack (full of stuff you would need in a long european «haute-route») getting distanced by 3 pin guys wearing not much stuff... There is many vector in the equation; it also depends on personal preference & experience... There is always some sort of compromise to make...