Looking for my first set of parabolics

raycyrx · 11-02-14, 01:36 AM

Although from what I understand, parabolic is a bit of an obsolete term...

49 yo male
210 lbs
5' 11"
advanced to expert
Used to be mediocre at moguls, and am not just too out of shape to even try them.

Past skis:
K2 710 FOs 170cm:
Best skis I ever owned. I was light enough in high school, 90-120 lbs, that kids racing skis worked quite well for me. These things worked for me in the bumps and got me started at carving, surface 360s, and paralleling.

K2 612, 185cm
After I outgrew the 710 FOs the 612s and the combo GS and S style of "recreational racer" appealed to me. There were a bit long for bumps, but other than that, they seemed like grown up 710 FOs to me. In other words, fine skis, just longer and more adult.

K2 Merlin IV, 187cm (pretty sure on length)
These are what I currently own. They work fine for me, but struggle in crud. I can't 360 like I used to, and they're definately too long and stiff for bumps.... plus as I said, I'm too out of shape to try bumps anymore. I do like how fast these skis are.

So, I'm looking to try out my first set of parabolics. I've been out of touch with ski technology for so long and it's almost all greek to me, so I really need some advice getting started.

I'm kind of hung up on K2s and they've never let me down, so I'd like to stick with them... and sticking with them can keep me on an apples/oranges comparison. It's not so much that I'm dedicated to K2s, but more that I'd rather focus on major differences of model style rather than minor differences from say K2 GS vs Rossi GS.

I'm in Indiana, so 90% of what I ski is groomed. Call it 60% man made snow, and therefore usually icy.
Boots have been updated this year.

I'm a mechanical engineer so tech talk isn't above me, but as I said, the tech has advanced so much since the last time I was in the market that I don't have a good comparison of terminlogy to get started.

So... what are some of the basics of parabolic ski tech and terms, and how does that translate into how a ski behaves for an out of shape geezer like me?

Obviously, racing days are over so I'm probably looking at more of a cruiser, but I'd want a good performing cruiser that can get going when I want to.

Also, I'm a father of seven, so I'm on a really tight budget which means brand new gear is out of the question. I'm mostly looking on eBay for one or two year old models whether used or new. Point is, we don't have to limit our discussion to latest/greatest.

thanks in advance for the help

ray

bigskyskier · 18-03-14, 05:12 AM

I am skiing K2 Apache Recons and they are fast carvers on the groomers. Not too hot in the bumps. My general feeling is to avoid rocker and go with a fully cambered ski such as the Recon. Rocker is for tricks and deep, soft snow.

bigskyskier · 18-03-14, 05:14 AM

Oh, and at 5'11" you should probably go down a bit in length. I think somewhere in the mid 170's for length.

11-02-14, 01:36 AM	#1
raycyrx I haven't picked a title Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1	Looking for my first set of parabolics Although from what I understand, parabolic is a bit of an obsolete term... 49 yo male 210 lbs 5' 11" advanced to expert Used to be mediocre at moguls, and am not just too out of shape to even try them. Past skis: K2 710 FOs 170cm: Best skis I ever owned. I was light enough in high school, 90-120 lbs, that kids racing skis worked quite well for me. These things worked for me in the bumps and got me started at carving, surface 360s, and paralleling. K2 612, 185cm After I outgrew the 710 FOs the 612s and the combo GS and S style of "recreational racer" appealed to me. There were a bit long for bumps, but other than that, they seemed like grown up 710 FOs to me. In other words, fine skis, just longer and more adult. K2 Merlin IV, 187cm (pretty sure on length) These are what I currently own. They work fine for me, but struggle in crud. I can't 360 like I used to, and they're definately too long and stiff for bumps.... plus as I said, I'm too out of shape to try bumps anymore. I do like how fast these skis are. So, I'm looking to try out my first set of parabolics. I've been out of touch with ski technology for so long and it's almost all greek to me, so I really need some advice getting started. I'm kind of hung up on K2s and they've never let me down, so I'd like to stick with them... and sticking with them can keep me on an apples/oranges comparison. It's not so much that I'm dedicated to K2s, but more that I'd rather focus on major differences of model style rather than minor differences from say K2 GS vs Rossi GS. I'm in Indiana, so 90% of what I ski is groomed. Call it 60% man made snow, and therefore usually icy. Boots have been updated this year. I'm a mechanical engineer so tech talk isn't above me, but as I said, the tech has advanced so much since the last time I was in the market that I don't have a good comparison of terminlogy to get started. So... what are some of the basics of parabolic ski tech and terms, and how does that translate into how a ski behaves for an out of shape geezer like me? Obviously, racing days are over so I'm probably looking at more of a cruiser, but I'd want a good performing cruiser that can get going when I want to. Also, I'm a father of seven, so I'm on a really tight budget which means brand new gear is out of the question. I'm mostly looking on eBay for one or two year old models whether used or new. Point is, we don't have to limit our discussion to latest/greatest. thanks in advance for the help ray __________________

18-03-14, 05:12 AM	#2
bigskyskier I haven't picked a title Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 5	I am skiing K2 Apache Recons and they are fast carvers on the groomers. Not too hot in the bumps. My general feeling is to avoid rocker and go with a fully cambered ski such as the Recon. Rocker is for tricks and deep, soft snow. __________________

18-03-14, 05:14 AM	#3
bigskyskier I haven't picked a title Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 5	Oh, and at 5'11" you should probably go down a bit in length. I think somewhere in the mid 170's for length.