K2 Recon follow-up

Question
QUESTION: I am a 46 year old female who is very athletic.  I like to ski on advanced blues and blacks.  I like the groomed but also have been enjoying the ungroomed and mogel run in the last couple of years.  I am learning to ski in powder.  The current ski I am skiing on is 150 rossi B2.  The problem that I have with them is that when I crank down a groomed run I get alot of chatter and have to slow down to control the chatter.  Also my weight is 105 and height is 5'2".  I am looking for a used ski that can help me advance more. I would appreciate your comments.  I have wondered about the K2 apache recon.  What are your recommendations

ANSWER: Hi Laurie,

I'm pretty well known for my lack of enthusiasm for Rossignol's, and the Bandits are the least of my favorites. A client gave me a pair of B2's last year, and I skied them just to try to find out why I disliked them so much. I found, as you have, that they do many things "OK", but nothing really well. There are too many great skis out there to ski on mediocre ones. I think 150-155 is a good length for you at 5'2".

The K2 Apache Recon is certainly a great ski, my brother just purchased a pair. I am a very big proponant of Nordica's, and every woman I've asked to demo the Olympia Victory has purchased a pair. In fact, this is what my fiance skis on. It's really great for a variety of terrain and tactics. Another exceptional ski for everything from groomed to crud to bumps and powder is the K2 Burnin Luv. The Recon is awesome, but K2 really is on top of their game with womens skis, and at your height and weight, the Recon might be counter-productive. You might also consider the Salomon Jewel Origins and Topaz. Salomons have been skiing nicely of late (I have not always felt this way), and these are the equivelent of the mens skis I enjoy. Depending upon where you are located, you should be able to find many of these in last years overstock inventory- I know that ColeSport in Park City has many of them at 50% off (brand new). You can also try Christy Sports, and even Sports Authority to find last years skis cheap. Just be cautious of big box and discount places- often skis are made up as CMU (cosmetic make-ups) that look like high end product, but are made to hit price-points for these discount outlets. One CMU brand that is a great deal, however, is Dynamic- they are Atomic skis at a discount price.

Your powder success is going to come with some width underfoot (like 70-74mm), but the wider you go, the less capable the ski feels on hardpack and ice. The chatter is partially a result of your edge timing- earlier on edge means less pressure is necessary at the bottom of the turn, where the ski is most likely to chatter. If the ski chatters throughout the arc (called rainbird's, because they sound like the lawn sprinkler of the same name), try being taller (longer, we say) at initiation- with an emphasis on projecting down the hill. Arc to Arc, when you are cranking down a run, the B2 should hold OK, but it's not very damp- you'll notice vibration- it's like going 100 mph in a Ford Taurus. Have you played with Rail-Road track exercises? Straight-run on something long and not-so-steep, and simply roll your INSIDE knee over the inside ski- pointing the kneecap towards where you wish to go. Let the ski pull you there, and check your tracks behind you- if you leave two clean thin lines, and can maintain the same width between those lines as you switch left to right, you've got it down. Continue working this until you can do it most everywhere, including a NASTAR course. Now, the B2 is not the best at this, but it'll still work for developing security at speed.

So I recommend a combination of tools and technique to get you where you want to go. It sounds like you are heading in the right direction, just take care not to get so powerful a tool that you end up taking the skis lead, instead of it taking yours.

Enjoy your season!

Ron

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I ended up getting the apache recon's at my husband's advice before seeing your answer.  I got the apache 160 which I hope will not be too big.  Any recommendations on how to get the most out of these skis' for my skill level?

Thanks for your help.


Answer
Hi Laurie,

We've got some snow on the ground here, and hopefully your resort is gearing up as well. You asked some time ago for some tips on getting the most from the Recon's, especially as you migrate from the B2's.

Among the first things you'll notice as you get used to the K2's will be the skis response to tip-pressure. You should play with this, feeling how the ski welcomes a diagonal move (by you, as you cross over the ski)into the turn. This "early edge" initiation will help eliminate the chatter you experienced on the B2, because early edging takes pressure off of the bottom of the arc, where chatter is most likely to occur.

Another aspect of the K2 you can employ is the sidecut itself. Because it is centered on a different part of your foot than the B2, you will be able to balance on the edge better- more dyanmically. So you can develop carved turns by simply rolling your edges. You'll use more shin-tongue contact than the B2's encouraged, but the result will be swooping carves that originate at the ankles and femurs- with little upper body movement. The B2's design lends itself to a more whole-body approach to skiing, as off-trail often requires.

I hope you find this helpful, and that you get a chance to use your new skis very soon.

Ron